What Price Glory?

       Martial Law in The United States

    Michael Flynn, a former National Security Adviser to the President of the United States, who was also a four-star general in the United States Army, has called for imposing martial law in the united states. He proposes doing so, in order that the legitimate election results for President be suspended in four states, because he and the president don’t like the way people voted in those states. This, even though the Courts have rejected 59 similar law suits, filed by Trump forces to accomplish the same electoral mayhem.

     If I didn’t see this outrageous behavior documented in the newspapers and view accounts of it on televised news, I would never have believed it. In America, some fascist has proposed something like this? And he, a former close advisor to Donald Trump? What has happened to us? This scheme is as whacky as that of  the rogue general proposed in the old “Dr. Strangelove” movie, starring Peter Sellers.

     The current Army Secretary and Army Chief of Staff quickly and publicly disavowed any possible role of the U.S. military in the American electoral process. At least some few people in Washington have read and understood the U.S. Constitution.

       “What Price Glory?” is the phrase that comes to mind. What it means is “how much of your soul are you willing to sell to remain in power?” The cult of Trumpism is not so different from that of Stalin, Hitler, Jimmy Jones, Mussolini or dozens of other tin pocket dictators who demand total loyalty from their followers, with no regard to consequences. And like all failed despots, when their time is up, they want everyone else to take the final sleigh ride with them into oblivion. Witness, the Jonestown mass suicide and the multiple deaths, in the Hitler Bunker, at the end of WW II.

      I would strongly urge all of my Republican friends and former colleagues, that you avoid any suggestions to drink a cool aid cocktail, provided by the Trump Administration, during the next thirty days. It might be your last.

      There are a few bright spots in the last month’s parade of infamy. Utah Senator, Mitt Romney, has stood tall in calling for free and fair elections. Also, two as yet little known U.S. Congressmen,  by the Names of Chris Jacobs and Tom Reed. These two estimable representatives refused to sign on to a ridiculous law suit by Attorneys General in seventeen states, asking that election results be set aside in four states. I hope that we hear a lot more from Reps like this in the future.

      The Supreme Court dismissed the bogus suit, with the contempt that it deserved. Both Reed and Jacobs, withstood considerable pressure to sign onto this farce supported by 117 of their House of Representatives Colleagues. That action took a level of integrity and old-fashioned spine not seen in Washington in many years. Bless both of these men for their courage and common sense. We need more like them in Washington D.C.

        Having been a fierce, political partisan for several decades, I understand both party loyalty and the inclination to believe in “your guy.” But, there is a higher calling involved here. It is our allegiance to and reverence for the Constitution of the United States of America, and everything that it stands for. Too many fine men and women have fallen on foreign grounds, defending what it means and the freedoms that they bought for us, at so high a price.

      Stop the foolish antics in Washington. Get on with the process of helping all of us manage this Covid-19 crisis and then get to work on restoring our economy. History will not look kindly on the foolishness of  these last few weeks and anyone associated with such unamerican shenanigans.

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                             (639 words)

                    Joseph Xavier Martin