To be sure, no one needs a single extra thing to worry about these days. The frightful proxy-war faceoff between the US/NATO and Russia in Ukraine, and with it the escalating threat of nuclear war; the rapidly advancing climate emergency, with its relentlessly devastating worldwide consequences; the never-ending COVID pandemic and the likely probability of other pathogens soon assaulting the human species. More than enough to rob you of your desperately needed restorative sleep, right?
Unfortunately, there’s always more thrashing coming down the political pike. One horror that simply must make it onto the profession’s radar, like it or not – U.S. Senator Rick Scott’s (FL) “11 Point Plan to Rescue America” – https://rescueamerica.com/11-point-plan/ Unless you’re anaesthetized, it should send bone-chilling shivers up and down your spine.
Here is Sen. Scott’s indignantly ambitious agenda, which follows upon a parallel-universe preamble decrying “the militant left that now controls the entire federal government, the news media, academia, Hollywood, and most corporate boardrooms.” (Wow, progressives! Didn’t know you were so powerful, did you?)
Point #1: Our kids will say the pledge of allegiance, salute the Flag, learn that America is a great country, and choose the school that best fits them.
Point #2: Government will never again ask American citizens to disclose their race, ethnicity, or skin color on any government form.
Point #3: The soft-on-crime days of coddling criminal behavior will end. We will re-fund and respect the police because, they, not the criminals, are the good guys.
Point #4: We will secure our border, finish building the wall, and name it after President Donald Trump.
Point #5: We will grow America’s economy, starve Washington’s economy, and stop Socialism.
Point #6: We will eliminate all federal programs that can be done locally, and enact term limits for federal bureaucrats and Congress.
Point #7: We will protect the integrity of American Democracy and stop left-wing efforts to rig elections.
Point #8: We will protect, defend, and promote the American Family at all costs.
Point #9: Men are men, women are women, and unborn babies are babies. We believe in science.
Point #10: Americans will be free to welcome God into all aspects of our lives, and we will stop all government efforts to deny our religious freedom and freedom of speech.
Point #11: We are Americans, not globalists.
There you have it, pretty much straight out of the fascist playbook – authoritarian “patriotism,” retreat from inconvenient data, militarized policing, immigrant scapegoating, demonization of alternative political perspectives, social welfare cuts, voter suppression, substitution of “culture war” hot buttons for substantive policy issues, promotion of religious fundamentalism, jingoistic nationalism.
And before we write off Sen. Scott as just one more red-state posturing politician spewing “Florida man” ravings, let’s note that Scott is heading up national coordination of Republican Senate election campaigns. The Trumpian right aims to take both houses of Congress in November; if they do, look for the new majority to push for turning ravings into reality.
The Southern Miss School of Social Work 