When it comes to entities within the federal government under this presidential administration, trust has all but eroded. Attempting to summon any modicum of faith and goodwill in the machinations of certain agencies in particular is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle when key pieces have been stolen, or destroyed.
Hence, what puzzled me last week is why anyone not part of the cult that is MAGA would be so unaware of the maniacal manipulations and outright corruption as to continue to treat the FBI, with Kash Patel at the helm, or the US Post Office, with its reliability and credibility gutted by former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, as trustworthy in any way.
As an author it was especially disheartening last week to see the Author’s Guild Foundation, a celebrated protector of author’s rights, put its faith in none other than the FBI. In truth, I was so surprised by an email promoting an upcoming webinar that my first instinct was to presume it was a scam.
The subject line read: FBI Advice for Fighting Author Scams. The email named an FBI agent who would “explain the hallmarks of scams, why the problem has proliferated, and the role of law enforcement in fighting those scams.”
How do I put this? Sure, the FBI should be qualified to discuss hallmarks of scams—especially the ones they’re currently running for the convicted felon in the White House.
And why has the authors-as-prey scam been able to proliferate? Could it be because the FBI is now focused solely on protecting pedophiles as opposed to addressing scams afflicting any number of Americans?
Which, coincidentally, answers why I would have trouble embracing the role of law enforcement in fighting those scams. Because these days the FBI is more likely to target for harassment—or worse—authors like me of progressive female persuasion, not protect us from the scams of anyone else.
Not to mention the FBI falls under the control of the Department of Justice, which is now anything but. Instead, it is the personal law firm for the president, and a highly unethical vindictive firm at that.
Hence, especially laughable was the statement within the email that “the event will not be recorded.” You sure about that, Author’s Guild? How are you sure about that? And why in the hell would you be? Do you think authors are somehow safe from the First Amendment backlash perpetrated by this administration abusing its power via the DOJ and FBI? Including attacks on artists and entertainers who speak out against this tyrannical and contemptible administration. Absolutely absurd that folks would be so naïve in this current climate of flat out fascism.
Also last week, the US Post Office up and announces plans to help out with this administration’s attack on mail voting. Specifically, it intends to implement a proposed rule that would only send ballots to people on lists created and controlled by the federal government. No constitutional issues there at all to worry about! Nothing to see here, just federal control over voting without Congressional authorization.
Therefore, I have to ponder why anyone would think voting by mail will be trustworthy in future elections, much less considering it reliable in the past. And, actually, I have my own justification for refusing to vote by mail now that I live in southern New Mexico. Which is that, for some bizarre inept reason, my mail gets routed (both coming and going) through El Paso, Texas. That’s right, Texas. I’m supposed to trust that my ballot, identifying me as a Democrat, will somehow find its way back to New Mexico? I don’t effing think so.
It’s bad enough that I might have to worry about voting in person in MAGA-rabid Otero County, which I did this past week, doing the early voting thing for our primary election. The location was the county fairgrounds, where my cause for concern was that apparently certain rules aren’t being enforced.
Rules like not having political signs in the immediate vicinity of a polling site. Yet there was a large vehicle, strategically parked to be on full display in the lot for voters, and completely plastered with campaign signs. For a candidate for county sheriff, of course. Because who expects law enforcement to actually comply with rules or laws like the rest of us?
This particular (Latino) candidate has obnoxious red signs declaring himself a “conservative Republican” who will be a “sheriff for all the people.” Isn’t that special? Imagine not knowing your party is no longer made up of conservatives, not to mention the idiotic hubris of thinking that being conservative makes you qualified to declare yourself to be representative of all the people. Dude sounds perfect for the FBI.
Anyway, once I got past the prominent parking lot signage, I went inside to be confronted with a guy working the polls who was sitting next to the person who checked me in. He wore an obnoxious red Turning Point USA ball cap with a big old religious cross on it.
One supposes he would argue that his choice of hat wear wasn’t a political promotion so he’s wasn’t breaking any rules, when of course he knew it was or he wouldn’t have been wearing it to work the polls. Especially stupid yet again is that this political organization started by the late racist Charlie Kirk is a conservative student organization. As in youthful, except the white man wearing the hat was closer to my age. Which makes him a typical, predictable MAGA moron. They just can’t help themselves.
But because it’s Otero County, it’s highly likely no one challenged him. But I damn well will if I show up to vote for the election in November and am confronted with this insipid crap again. I left Nevada for more reasons than one, and getting away from MAGA posers and prancers at voting sites was definitely a priority. Sadly, I had good reason not to the trust the mail there either. Not to mention the electronic voting machines.
Let’s just say that Democrats need to be getting a little less trustful when it comes to the results of elections. Especially in places where the president has spent a great deal of time accusing them of doing what he and his party did do and have done to tamper with votes in order to win where otherwise they couldn’t.
I trust that every MAGA lie is a projection. And every MAGA act promotes corruption, especially when the FBI or USPS is carrying out a presidential directive.