Good News America: Republicans Are Punching Each Other Out

It will be nice for the rest of us to get a little break from being their punching bags

When I heard that some folk on the radical right are attacking Chik-fil-A for being “woke,” and calling for a boycott, my brain ate itself. Once I regained consciousness, drank a double espresso, and ate some 90% cacao dark chocolate (which tastes so awful it is the next best thing to smelling salts), I tried to wrap my head around this. This is Chik-fil-A for crying out loud! They are the John the Baptist of corporate America, so mega-religious and conservative they make Hobby Lobby look like Pharisees and Sadducees by comparison. Chik-fil-A accused of being woke?!

By the way, on my recent visit to Georgia, their home turf, I did not eat at a Chik-fil-A, because I am a non-Christian bisexual liberal woman who supports separation of church and state and reproductive rights for women, so I’m the one who is supposed to be boycotting them for crying out loud!

Apparently, somebody on Twitter started a buzz when he noted that Chik-fil-A has a guy in charge of “diversity, equity and inclusion” and there was a DEI statement on the company’s website that said:

“Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”

That earns a call for a boycott from the radical right. Yeah, how outrageous that this company wants to ensure “respect and dignity for others.” Can’t have that, not in white nationalist circles, since that presumably would imply respect and dignity for Blacks, and possibly even eventually perhaps the chance (shudder) of allowing gays to work there! Oh, the horror! So, boycott time says the radical right. It is hilarious in a sick and twisted sort of way.

It is not just Chik-fil-A in this weird Republican cannibalism going on all of a sudden. Oh, sorry, I shouldn’t use the word “cannibalism” right after mentioning a fast-food joint, should I? Sorry. My bad.

Republicans in Texas have impeached their Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. You know the guy, Mr. Own-the-Libs himself. He is as MAGA as MAGA can be (racist, misogynistic, and completely corrupt), basically a mini-Trump. His Senate trial will be in August. I hear the odds are good he will be convicted. Keep in mind, though, these are Texas Republicans we are talking about, not exactly known for being moderates. Now they finally take Paxton out? What gives?

Republicans have been hurling attacks at Kevin McCarthy for the debt ceiling deal, threatening to boot him out of his job as Speaker. This is Kevin, the guy who knelt to kiss Trump’s ring, the guy who handed the Jan 6th security video footage to Tucker, the guy who is Marjorie Taylor Greene’s slave, complete with the collar around his neck and leash held by Ms. Cruella Deville of Congress.

DeSantis, the guy who used to fawn over Trump, has been mocking Trump (finally). I hear Chris Christie (former Trump ally) is going to be entering the Republican presidential primary race to be the designated attack dog against Trump, and the fur will be flying.

There is so much heel-biting, back-biting, eat-their-own action going on in radical-Christian-fascist-white nationalist Republican land.

What gives? I’ll tell you what. This is the thing about radical, “purity” driven fascist movements. They always eventually start to implode. They always go cannibal. It is the nature of the beast. You sharpen and refine your spewing of hate and nastiness to your enemies and it becomes easy to spin on a dime and turn the knives on your own. Republicans have been so busy punching so many people (I have the metaphorical bruises to show for it), and now they are punching their own, too.

It is par for the course with fascism. Examples: Orban of Hungary has recently purged several hundred top-ranking officers from Hungary’s military under the suspicious pretense of just wanting more “younger” officers. A purge is a purge and it is what fascists do. Putin’s oligarchs mysteriously fall out of high-rise windows. Of course, there was Hitler’s “night of the long knives” where he had hundreds of Nazi Party members assassinated.

I am not suggesting Republican officials are going to resort to actual violence. I would never suggest that. Their followers, however, were chanting “hang Mike Pence,” after all, on Jan 6th. So, at least a little bit of a concern, isn’t it?

Maybe Chik-fil-A execs better hold one of their famous prayer circles and pray that no radical right-wing home-grown terrorist group decides to take out those “woke” purveyors of chicken sandwiches.

We are living in surreal times, folks.