Marjorie Taylor Greene is full of shit, like her recent claim that we should stop supporting Ukraine because the Ukrainians are harvesting children’s organs. Yep, while she pretends she regrets some of her past Qanon bullshit she hasn’t really stopped it.
Greene also has a long track record of calling for the execution of Democratic leaders, going from back to before she was in office to a recent townhall meeting. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t for a minute think she’s anything but a chickenhawk on a personal level. She’d never shoot someone themselves unless they were completely helpless and tied up. But I’m quite sure if she inspired someone to kill, she’d be happy, as long as it couldn’t be blamed on her.
This is true of most of the provocateurs shrieking about civil war (even while they blame Biden for extremism). As George Orwell said, those who yell the loudest are the least likely to fight. But that doesn’t mean they can’t inspire others. And some of them do fight, such as Washington state legislator Matt Shea, who participated in domestic terrorism, lost his seat and now works as a minister preaching theocratic takeover. Though like Greene, he’s big on whining: criticizing politicians for appearing with him is persecution of Christians. Sorry Shea, even if your Christian faith sincerely inclines you to violence and dictatorship, that does not excuse you.
Green and Shea are hardly unique. Stew Peters, right-wing pundit and bigot, advocates for violent overthrow of the government as he doesn’t see his preferred policies enacted by democratic means. He also calls for hanging Taylor Swift for being pro-vax. Ashli Babbitt’s mother says Nancy Pelosi deserves hanging. As John Scalzi says, loudmouths like Peters are doing performative outrage — but that doesn’t mean he’d balk at following through.
Trump of course has been threatening the media for years, sometimes with violence, sometimes with censorship or investigation for treason. He’s also threatened to have a US general charged with treason for not doing as Trump bid him. Whining about weaponizing the government isn’t just whining — it’s what they intend doing if they get the power. Believe them. Believe them when they talk about locking people up in an American gulag.
As Kevin Kruse says (last paragraph, first link), the media don’t seem to take this as seriously as they should; as Scott Lemieux says second link), if Biden had made threats like that it would be front page news. But as I said a couple of years ago, Republicans have an edge in branding: it’s accepted they’re corrupt, dirty, vicious fighters so it’s no longer news. It should be. Just as the media don’t give Democrats enough credit for running the country to benefit even red state areas.
I honestly don’t anticipate civil war. The numbers willing to fight aren’t there. But as I said over a decade ago, increasing numbers of lone wolves or small groups acting on violent rhetoric is very probable, whether it’s Greene’s tough talk or calls to execute gays or doctors who provide trans care.
Keeping Trump out of the White House in 2024 is only a stopgap. If anything, being denied their white, misogynist, Christian messiah (he isn’t Christian but the religious right will accept him as long as he punches down for them) may make them more vicious. But it’s absolutely essential.
