Logan Ramsey
News Editor
Disclaimer: This column contains explicit language. Reader discretion is advised.
When I called for a revolution back in April, this shit is not what I had in mind.
A mob of insurrectionists storming the Capitol Building all in the name of one man is something that I hoped we would never see in the United States, but here we are. Just in case you don’t know what to call this yet, I’ll give you the word: fascism.
This word gets thrown around so frequently that it might not mean much to you anymore. Fascism might also seem like a thing of the past, but it has never been confined to the history books. It’s alive and well, and the only defense is to stamp out the embers before it becomes a full flame.
But with the ransacking of the Capitol, I fear that Trump has opened a Pandora’s box that he doesn’t understand and can’t close. No one will ever be able to unsee the images of hateful rioters swarming what should be the most secure building in the entire homeland. The U.S. is not the same country it used to be and the Capitol attack sends that message to allies, enemies and budding domestic terrorists alike.
I’ve heard a number of people call this the end of Trump’s political future. Please, for the love of God, stop saying that. Every time we make that declaration, it reveals a new level of depravity in the American people.
The unfortunate, terrifying truth is that despite insurrectionists being arrested, Trump getting de-platformed and giving a half-way concession speech, the fascists aren’t done. There are posts circulating on the darkest corners of online spaces, calling for a Million Militia March.
“Millions of American Militia will meet in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2021 for the purpose of preventing any attempt by the treasonous domestic enemy Joe Biden, or any other member of the Communist Organized Crime Organization known as The Democratic Party, from entering the White House belonging to We The People,” reads the text from the post. I know that any sane person who’s reading this column recognizes how insane that sounds, but there are thousands of people who started as mild Trump supporters, now turned to fascism, reading that nonsense and thinking, “this is it.”
In the days leading up to the Capitol attack, D.C. Police had all the warning the world for what was to come. People openly planned this march on social media sites and the phrase ‘storm the Capitol’ was used 100,000 times online after the election. D.C. Police even turned down the national guard ahead of time. The former Police Chief was concerned about the “optics” of declaring an emergency before the march. I guess the optics of deploying the national guard are fine when it’s against a peaceful demonstration for Black lives.
The Pentagon claims that D.C. never requested a national guard presence, while the former Chief claims they were denied assistance six times after the attack started. I have no way of knowing who’s really telling the truth, but it’s clear that they both need to get their shit together before January 20.
This is a terrifying thing to imagine, but what happens if the worst-case scenario comes to pass, where an armed militia marches into the inauguration? Joe Biden’s hand on the bible. It’s previously unthinkable, but if we should take away anything from recent events, nothing is unthinkable. I don’t see any scenario playing out where the militia accomplishes the ultimate goal of keeping their cult leader in power, but they can still cause irreparable harm to the country without that.
If this plays out, the most likely scenario I see is that an armed stand-off emerges between the National Guard and however many militia members show up, more than likely many blocks away from the National Mall. If it ends peacefully, I’d be absolutely shocked. More than likely the street would end up awash with blood.
What happens then? How would Trump supporters, teetering on the edge of full-blown fascism, respond? My guess would be further escalation. The friends, siblings and children of the insurrectionists who die in the standoff could become radicalized, ready to commit violence against their fellow Americans.
This may be a long shot, but if anyone who’s reading this is thinking about attending a militia march this upcoming week, I beg of you, don’t. There’s still hope for you right now, but if you throw your lot in with fascists then there won’t be. You’ll have betrayed your country for the words of an orange soothsayer.
For everyone else, don’t be surprised if we see something even worse than the Capitol attack this upcoming week. Take care of the people in your life, and protect your community from fascists. The only way they win is when decent people stand by and do nothing.
