Balking Point

Balking at something means repudiating or suddenly refusing. The point at which you've reached your limit, made up your mind, and had enough, is your balking point. When it comes to politicians I reach mine almost instantly, I fail to understand how others do not. Unfortunately, I vividly remember all the times the lines were crossed, and I still haven't let it go. Let me try to give a new perspective to those who have the merciful luxury to forget or forgive these transgressions. My favorite example is from February 2005, when George W. Bush spoke to reporters in Brussels and said: "This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous!" And... seriously, literally within less than 4 seconds of silence followed up with: "Having said that, all options are on the table." If I were his boss I'd have fired him on the spot, but it seems I have higher standards than most. Bush, however, seems like a sagacious scholar compared to the incumbent ilk permeating the GOP today. I know the word "fascism" is overused these days, but the rhetoric coming from republicans is sounding more like nazi propaganda every month. On the first of October, Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke at a Trump rally in Michigan, during which she said: "we're all targets now though, for daring to push back against the regime; and it doesn't stop at a weaponized legal system. I'm not going to mince words with you all; Democrats want Republicans dead, and they've already started the killings. An 18-year-old boy was run down by a Democrat driver who confessed to killing the teenager simply because he was a Republican." Cue (or Q) booing from the audience. I probably don't have to tell you that, although the incident happened, Taylor Greene's characterization isn't remotely accurate.  She continued, "Even right here in Michigan just last week an 83-year-old woman was shot in the back for advocating for the unborn. [more booing from the crowd] Joe Biden has declared every freedom-loving American an enemy of the state. But under Republicans, we will take back our country from the communists, who have stolen it and want us to disappear! We will expose the unelected bureaucrats: the real enemies within! Who have abused their power and declared political warfare on the greatest president this country has ever had!" Meanwhile, as this becomes the new normal, I'm still upset about the Access Hollywood tape; where Donald Trump bragged to William Bush about groping and harassing women. That would have been career suicide before 2016. All the people who voted for Donald Trump in both elections, sullied their souls and obliterated their moral integrity when they excused his unmoored depravity. Even before that, when Trump cast aspersions upon Barack Obama's birth certificate to incense racist conspiracy theorists, civilized society should have closed the door on Donald Trump. How about when he called Mexicans rapists? Mocking a disabled reporter? Remember when he lied about the crowd size of his inauguration? His administration's repeated violations of the Hatch Act? His lawyer's adamant refusal to let him talk to Robert Mueller out of fear that he would incriminate himself? The Muslim ban? Separating children from parents at the southern border to disincentivize asylum-seeking; then failing to keep track of what child belonged to whom? What does it take? And why doesn't anyone bring that up? How can these vampires claim to be "pro-life" without anyone reminding them of their opposition to basic public safety measures during the pandemic? In what kind of totalitarian nightmare don't we have witnesses during a trial? Well, that happened in Trump's impeachment trial when 51 senators voted against allowing subpoenas to call witnesses or documents. It happened again during the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford, the request for an FBI investigation was declined by Chuck Grassley and no witnesses were called to testify. Republicans subsequently claimed they couldn't make a definitive judgment because it was a "he said, she said" situation. And it's worth noting that even if Brett Kavanaugh is innocent of the charge, his rude, frantic, and ill-tempered testimony should already have disqualified him from being a reality-tv judge. "Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated." I can keep going like this forever. The point is... in a democracy these imbeciles are supposed to work for us. I think we should have higher standards as employers. And we shouldn't forget the moments they should've been fired. Next time they claim to be noble freedom crusaders, remember and remind them of their nefarious past. PS: interesting side-note, John Bagot Glubb wrote a book on empires, according to him the average age of empires is 250 years. Then they always implode. 2026 is America's 250th birthday. Just a fun fact I stumbled upon recently.