Something missing?
Certainly there must be more to these stories about neo-Nazi flyers than we are seeing. I have not seen such a flyer, but if all it says is, “Better Dead than Red,” then that doesn’t sound Nazi to me at all. For that matter, many honorable Americans have fought and died for this country with that principle in mind. You are aware that Red means communist, right, or has that too been forgotten? Not being communist is not limited to Nazism: there are other choices you know, how about limited, constitutional government with rule of law, protection of individual rights, and actual free markets? To think that this doesn’t represent “the larger Bellevue community” makes us sound like free-speech hating communists, epitomized in the statement “there should be no other opinions.” This is ridiculous. There are plenty of valid opinions, many better.
Even if there is more to these flyers, it comes across as rather hoaxish, as most alleged hate crime activity in this country proves to be (primarily by cultural Marxists). The actual number of people who honestly identify as Nazis, or similar, nationally is measured in the thousands, hardly a threat to a population of almost 330 million. Nazis, the Klan, and the militant right have thoroughly and utterly lost in the marketplace of ideas, and the referenced SPLC has been completely delegitimized and lacks any credibility. They have also lost litigation and apologized for slandering conservative organizations and churches as hate groups, revealing their leftist ideology and globalist intentions (beyond the lucrative charity one that is). Perhaps they, or ones like minded, are again playing both sides. This poses the question, cui bono? Who benefits from an anti-socialist slogan being associated with an ideology that over 99 percent of the populous finds repugnant and unacceptable?
Therein lies a true threat and likely motivation: attempting to stoke sympathy for leftist reactionary responses to a nonissue. Any such response would be playing into their hands like a fool. Need I mention that those neighbors from “India, Cambodia, and Hong Kong,” as well as elsewhere (China), are here likely fleeing oppressive, collectivist governments to be Americans. Socialism has an over two hundred year proven track record of economic failure, usually accompanied by vast human suffering and loss of life. Do we have to relearn that lesson over again in this country? Perhaps we will: most Millenials, soon to be our largest voting block, not only see socialism as a viable politico-economic model, but a preferable one. And how can we not expect it, when anyone with an opinion contrary to the pervasive push towards socialism is bashed as a Nazi? Must we endure such mob rule and theft on a grand scale from a leftist thug culture that always goes hand-in-hand with socialism? It truly is time to push that ideology out of the marketplace as well. And, don’t think I’m not aware that I use leftism, collectivism, socialism, globalism and communism, interchangeably as synonyms. Communism is little more than the application of socialist ideology.
That being said, I too would also urge that if you see something, say something. Be they hooligans or charlatans, those who destroy other people’s property, regardless of how inane or hypocritical it seems, through vandalism, theft, reprisal or taxation, should be apprehended and removed from our midst. And, if someone throws unsolicited, unwanted propaganda into your yard (not unlike the Bellevue Reporter), perhaps it is best to throw it away and ignore it.
Mark Hajos
Bellevue
A national emergency
During the first two years of Donald Trump’s presidency, Republicans had a chance to build the wall — they didn’t. They had a chance to prosecute former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for alleged crimes — they didn’t, because there were no crimes. (The email scandal was a mole hill.) They had a chance to overturn Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) — they couldn’t, because it’s helping tens of millions of people and is saving money.
On the other hand, there have been dozens of indictments of Trump’s former aides: his personal attorney Michael Cohen, his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort (now a felon), his former foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos, his national security adviser Michael Flynn, and others. Many of them lied about contacts with Russia.
Trump paid off adult film star Stormy Daniels. Multiple women have accused him of sexual harassment. PolitFact and other fact checking organizations said the proportion of his statements that were false was by far the highest among the candidates. His Trump University was shut down due to fraud. Trump allegedly repeatedly shortchanged contractors and destroyed evidence. Trump apparently cheated on his taxes. He appealed to racism and xenophobia.
Today’s headlines say that Trump asked Cohen to lie to Congress about the Moscow Trump Tower (Editor’s note: That recent report has been disputed). Trump’s picks to head federal agencies such as the EPA are industry lobbyists committed to weakening the agencies. He continues to deny climate change, though oil companies themselves have known about it for decades and his own administration’s report says it’s real. The Trump/GOP tax bill gives another trillion dollars to the 1 percent, despite historic inequality and debt. Trump’s former cabinet members call him a moron.
But tens of millions of Americans still support him. How is this possible?
Donald A. Smith
Bellevue
Trump’s border wall
Not a day goes by that I don’t read or see news about Americans killing each other. Seattle Times had an article regarding a son killing both parents because mother was planning to sell house he lived in with them. Today a third murder has taken place in Palm Springs area within a week. Most murders take place by people who know each other, often murder followed by suicide within family units.
My question to President Donald Trump and Republicans: How is a wall on the Mexican border going to protect Americans from killing each other? Or death by numerous other preventable causes such as attacks by dogs, etc.? Trump and Republicans should look at data regarding these and how many take place each and every day. I got a call from a veteran’s organization the other day wanting funds to support veterans and was told 22 commit suicide each and every day.
I continue to hope Democrats will not allow Trump to bully them into wasting 5.7 billion dollars on a useless wall while he denies expenditures in areas such as health care and education for all as well as addressing inequality which are the only sure ways of improving lives for all Americans.
I state once again when is the country going to learn that putting people in positions of power and authority who are biased and unable to control their bias will lead to damage to those they have bias against up to and including genocides, as was the case with Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler and other dictators past and present.
George Whitaker
Bellevue
