“I have in my hand proof that the Department of State is infested with Communists!”

So began the meteoric rise and Icarian fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Funny thing is that he was correct up to a point.  The Soviets we now know were actively involved as recruiting agents to infiltrate our government.  Some of this infiltration simply took advantage of an individual’s own proclivities towards aiding the communists.  (Stalin referred to them as useful idiots.)  Still… there were some, though nowhere near the numbers that McCarthy suggested.

McCarthy was not interested in protecting us from foreign powers.  He was interested in political gain.  To that end, the specter of Communism was his rallying cry, regardless of what the Constitution said. 

(I would have preferred if someone had pointed out that the First Amendment allows for freedom of association… yes, even Communists to associate… that ire was used by the federal government to “go after” communists, was itself deeply un-American… notwithstanding the name of his committee.)

It was his accusation that someone was a homosexual that ultimately brought him down.

So goes the storied arc of the political opportunist. 

Rather than challenge the ideas and presumptions of an opponent, it is far easier to attach that opponent to a maligned group, then demand adherence to group principles that denounce that group.  If subjects fails to properly genuflect to the established power’s orthodoxy, then they are held as a pariah and essentially deemed persona non grata.

The fuel for this burns hot… but, fortunately, it burns quick, ultimately engulfing the exploiters themselves as well. 

This brings us to an interesting combination of characters:  President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, “Shadow Leader” Alexandria Cortez and, of all people, Chris Pratt.

(If you have arrived here from our newsletter, continue reading here…)

Speaker Pelosi apparently has become fed up with Alexandria Cortez and her “Squad” for agitating for Democratic positions that jeopardize the 2020 elections.  In being dismissive, Alexandria Cortez accused the Speaker of being racist.

Now… say what you will about Speaker Pelosi… (and trust me I have said a lot)… it would be unbelievably unfair to accuse her of abject racism.  True you could claim that the Democrats’ patronizing attitude towards certain communities, as well as the balkanization efforts they engage in are racist, but that would be a nuanced argument.  Congresswoman Cortez is using racism in the ugly, blunt form.

This calling-out of the Grande Dame was the McCarthy moment.  The Democrats saw the ludicrous nature of the claim, and the use of “racism” as a tool for establishing moral superiority began to be called into question.

Then came President Trump.

In an effort to highlight the Squad and make it the face of the Democratic party, he called them out for their anti-American statements.  He then suggested that if they hate our country so much they could go back to their original countries and “fix” them.  Then they could come back and show how it was done.

Inartful?  Yeah… probably, but I honestly think misunderstood (probably purposefully, by the media and the Democrats).

“Trump tells the Squad to go back to where they came from!”  ran the headlines.

Ummmm… no that is not exactly what he said.

Still… that has become the narrative.

Then, in the mix of this maelstrom of mediocrity, came Chris Pratt.

Star-Lord had the temerity to be seen sporting a Gadsden Flag shirt.

“That shirt advocates racism!”

What the hell?

How has that conclusion come about?!

The Gadsden Flag, an original battle flag of the Revolution, was a direct statement against tyranny.  To say that it was race neutral would be technically correct, but philosophically limiting.  Institutional racism is as tyrannical as British oppression was.  The Gadsden Flag is as much a slap in the face of racism as it is a slap in the face of oppressive government, hence the adoption of the flag by the “Tea Party Movement.”

… And there is the issue, now isn’t it?

The Tea Party Movement is, as is the MAGA movement, an existential threat to collectivists and centralized planners.  The Mandarines of government see these movements as Kryptonite.  The very idea that individuals can exist, even thrive, without strict government regulations and oversight, is a threat to their grip on power. 

President Trump remains a threat to an extent, but to a large degree the collectivists have gone underground.  If only they can hold on for another year or so, they may be okay.  If he wins again in 2020, then all bets are off. 

If people begin to gravitate towards these freedom movements, then their grip on power continues to degrade.  Like all things antithetical to the State, they must be marginalized and destroyed.

Hence… Chris Pratt is a “racist”.

The problem for them is that the people are now seeing their ham-fisted orchestrations for what they are.

Keep wearing your shirt, Star-Lord!