Historically, Democrats and Republicans were merely opposition parties.  They had a few shared objectives — prosperity, liberty, and national security.  However, they had very different ideas about how to achieve those objectives.  It was a political environment well suited to debate and compromise.

Then the election of 2000 happened, and something changed.  George W. Bush won the presidential election by a mere 537 votes.  Losing in such a narrow fashion was too much for the Democrats to cope with.  In their rage, they went insane.

The Democrat party has always had radical elements.  But up until 2001, the party had mostly kept them at bay.  In that year, surrendering to their insanity, they welcomed the guidance of radical leftists — and the purges began.  With primary challenges, the leftists began driving moderates from the Democrat party.  They even forced Joe Liebermann out of the party — and he had been their vice presidential candidate in the election of 2000.  A mere 20 years after that devastating election loss, the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar are now the soul of the party.  The Democrats no longer share any meaningful common ground with Republicans.

After the leftists had taken over the Democrat party, the attacks on Republicans changed.  There was even a political commercial that portrayed Congressman Paul Ryan pushing a wheelchair-bound grandmother off a cliff.  They were no longer arguing that Republican policies were wrong.  They were arguing that all Republicans were evil.  In classic fashion, their war preparations had begun.  The Democrats were dehumanizing their enemy.

And then, before audiences of thousands, Barack Obama called Republicans the enemy.  The Republicans were no longer the opposition — now they were the enemy.  The Democrats weren't interested in working with Republicans.  Their objective was to destroy the Republicans — and they made no secret of it.  Even when Republicans offered to work with the Democrats, they were told, "We won.  You lost."  The war between right and left is now out in the open for all to see.  A New York Times reporter even referred to Trump supporters as "enemies of the state."  Whether the political right wishes to admit it or not, the left has made its intentions clear — these people are at war with Republicans and their conservative fellow travelers.

Republicans in general, and RINOs in particular, need to wake up and realize that the Steele dossier, Crossfire Hurricane, and two impeachments were not about Trump.  None of this was done because The Donald sends mean tweets.  These attacks were done because he had denied them their "rightful victory."  He dashed their dream to become our unchallenged rulers.  Does anyone believe that had Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, or Jeb Bush been elected, he would have been spared similar attacks?  When Mitt Romney (their ideal Republican) ran in 2012, was he spared?  The Democrats would not have extended a hand of cooperation to any Republican president.  They would have extended the same clenched fist which they presented to Donald Trump.

Since President Asterisk's inauguration (we know he was inaugurated; we don't know if he was elected), the attacks have escalated.  The Democrats, and their leftist allies, are determined to never allow another conservative to dethrone them.  Observation of their tactics reveals that there is no limit beyond which they will not go to retain power.  They are seeking to:

• Silence political opposition
• Pack the Supreme Court
• Weaponize government against its citizens
• Nationalize elections and institutionalize election fraud
• Indoctrinate our children
• Manage the population with propaganda
• Suppress our freedom of speech
• Restrict our freedom of assembly (religious and political)
• Eliminate our right to self-defense
• Ally their party with rioters and looters

In short, they're willing to destroy the American dream to retain power.  That will require tyranny — which they are quite comfortable with as long as they're the tyrants.  If you doubt that statement, recall that Joe Biden's inaugural address was the first in U.S. history delivered solely to an armed military contingent.  If given their way, leftists will turn America into Cuba of the North — with their ally the Democrat party.

If conservatives seek liberty, and our opposition seeks tyranny, it's foolish to think we can compromise — and immoral to try.  Every Republican needs to realize that the time for compromise is past.  Democrats allow Republican participation only when it supports their bipartisan narrative.  Negotiating a bipartisan infrastructure bill doesn't serve the American people.  It shows support for those who are trying to oppress our liberties.  To think we can fight them on the oppression front but find common ground for infrastructure is wrong-headed.  It's the modern-day equivalent of the "he makes the trains run on time" rationalization.  Listen up, RINOs: if they are trying to destroy America, we don't care if a few bridges get fixed — get your priorities straight.

This brings us to the Vichy Republicans — AKA the "Pelosi Republicans."  Whether through stupidity, vanity, or sympathy, they are helping the enemies of liberty.  San Fran Nan's January 6 inquisition includes only those Republicans who will reliably support the Democrat narrative — and specifically excludes any Republicans who would ask hard questions.  It's not a true investigation.  It's political theater, with Republican useful idiots as the star performers.  

It's time to end the charade of comity.  The left will accuse conservatives of being extremists.  But as Barry Goldwater famously said, "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.  Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue."  It's time to defend liberty with the same passion that leftists have employed in imposing Marxism.

The past six months have been a time for Republicans to choose — and they have.  Some have chosen liberty, while others are enabling tyranny.  Some stood as patriots, and suffered for it, while others chose to be Vichy and stand with the oppressors.  Now the electorate will judge the Vichy.  Next year, the voters will decide whether to reward or punish them for their treachery.

In 1945, the French dealt with the Vichy by shaving their heads and ostracizing them.  In 2022, primary challenges will probably suffice.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Star, Idaho.  He is a retired engineer with 40 years of experience in the areas of product development, quality assurance, organizational development, and corporate strategic planning.  He currently writes at the American Free News Network (americanfreenewsnetwork.org).  He can be followed on Facebook or reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image: MasterTux via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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