• About Us
  • Who Are We
  • Work With Us
Saturday, May 28, 2022
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Globe Post
39 °f
New York
44 ° Fri
46 ° Sat
40 ° Sun
41 ° Mon
No Result
View All Result
The Globe Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

The Horrors of a Repressive Regime, American Style

Stephen J. Lyons by Stephen J. Lyons
10/26/21
in Featured, Opinion
Pro-abortion rights activists rally at the Texas State Capitol in Austin against SB8, September 11.

Pro-abortion rights activists rally at the Texas State Capitol in Austin against SB8, September 11. Photo: Jordan Vonderhaar/AFP

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Within 24 hours of the United States pulling out of Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war and turning over the country to the Taliban, the brutal crackdown immediately began in earnest. 

Women would no longer have control over their own bodies and, if caught, they would be jailed, or worse. 

In addition, any neighbor, relative, or stranger could snitch on any disobedient woman who wanted to break free of the yoke of misogynistic patriarchy. These vigilantes could also turn in sympathetic doctors that assisted these oppressed women. 

Voting was so severely restricted that the party in power could maintain control over the populace in perpetuity. These restrictions were aimed at minority groups whose populations had grown over the past 20 years.

Guns could be openly carried on the streets; no training or permit necessary. And there was no limit on the number of firearms and ammo one could possess. Because of widespread religious and cultural beliefs and buoyed by a propaganda-driven distrust of modern science, people refused life-saving vaccines, allowing the rampant spread of the coronavirus, especially in rural areas.

It was so sad to watch what had begun as a unique experiment in democracy turn into a toxic combination of theocracy, autocracy, and corporate corruption. 

The United States of America, ‘Taliban Style’ 

What kind of country does this? What sort of nation stacks the highest judicial arbitrator in the land — its Supreme Court — with unqualified political toadies who serve on bended knee, blessing anti-democratic laws according to the whims and wishes of corporate and religious fundamentalists?

This is the kind of country the United States of America has become. 

Texas and Florida, specifically, and many of the states south of the Ohio River, have coerced their citizens into living under a repressive, Taliban-style government controlled by cynical white men and their rich, powerful corporate masters. Their motivation is to become even richer and more powerful by manipulating such hallowed democratic cornerstones as voting rights, women’s and children’s health care, and equal access to the American Dream by ensuring that education is financially out of reach. Who can forget the conservatives’ Supreme Leader — the disgraced, twice-impeached perpetual grifter, Donald Trump  — who famously said, “I love the poorly uneducated?”

US President Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

The viral spread of misinformation about elections and vaccines by dangerous pillow-hawking hucksters and violent, flag-toting insurrectionists is a gift to the “leaders” of these states, especially Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Both of these “leaders” will do or say anything as they position themselves for a presidential run in 2024 — providing their Supreme Leader Trump decides not to run again.

DeSantis, whose resting face seems to be one of befuddlement or severe abdominal distress, has recklessly guided his citizens from the cradle to an early grave by refusing to impose mask mandates as the delta variant of COVID-19 sweeps through Florida. He has even tried to impose fines on school districts that impose them. The courts have ruled against him, but the dogged DeSantis has assured all of us that he will appeal this decision. 

What a fighter! I guess the idea of protecting children that are not his own somehow appears to the governor to be a restriction of one’s right to die unnecessarily and at the expense of over-stressed Sunshine State healthcare workers. “Retiring” in Florida now has an entirely new meaning.

‘Texas Style’ Freedom

Over in the Lone Star state, Governor Abbott is on quite a roll. He just signed off on perhaps the most restrictive voting rights legislation in the nation. The demographics of Texas and the nation are changing, and way too many people of color are now going to the polls and threatening red Texas may turn blue. And that, my friends, just can’t stand.

But, wait, there’s more. Hold my beer, Abbott said. How about we pass the most repressive Sharia-like abortion bill in the nation? The bill outlaws abortion as early as six weeks into a woman’s pregnancy, often before many women are even aware they are pregnant. Oh, and no exceptions for rape or incest. But what does she know about her body anyway? Men like Abbott know better. The law took effect because the Supreme Court refused to take any action against it. Well, it’s not their problem; and besides, the six conservative judges must please the paymasters that greased their paths to a job for life. 

But even the six-week ban was not enough for Texas. Tucked into Senate Bill 8 is a $10,000 “reward” payable to those enterprising bounty hunters that find a woman getting an abortion or a doctor performing the procedure. Even a person giving a ride to a woman seeking an abortion can be sued. 

And, to top it all off, as of September 1, those whistleblowers can now enforce their vigilante justice by openly carrying their sidearms without the pesky permits that other states require. When Abbott signed the “constitutional carry” bill last June he crowed, “You could say that I signed into law today some laws that protect gun rights, But, today, I signed documents that instilled freedom in the Lone Star State.”

Yes, you could say that, but freedom for whom?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Globe Post.
ShareTweet
Stephen J. Lyons

Stephen J. Lyons

Author of four books of essays and journalism. His most recent book is 'Going Driftless: Life Lessons from the Heartland for Unraveling Times'

Related Posts

The Onion
National

‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens’

by Staff Writer
May 25, 2022
police line
National

Teen Gunman Kills 15 at Texas Elementary School

by Staff Writer
May 24, 2022
European Medicines Agency
World

EU Watchdog Approves Second Covid Booster for Over 80s

by Staff Writer
April 6, 2022
US Capitol riot
National

Trump ‘More Likely Than Not’ Obstructed Congress: US Judge

by Staff Writer
March 28, 2022
Afghanistan
Middle East

Taliban Vows in Geneva Talks to Protect Aid Workers: NGO

by Staff Writer
February 11, 2022
WHO
World

WHO Urges Rich Countries to Pay Up for Covid Plan

by Staff Writer
February 9, 2022
Next Post
North American beaver

Saving Endangered Species Will Save People Too — But We Need More Innovation

Pen America Gala 2021

PEN America Honors Imprisoned Iranian Writers at 2021 Gala

Recommended

The Onion

‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens’

May 25, 2022
police line

Teen Gunman Kills 15 at Texas Elementary School

May 24, 2022
refugees

More Than 100 Million People Forcibly Displaced, UN Says

May 23, 2022
Volkswagen logo

German Farmer Sues Volkswagen Over CO2 Emissions

May 20, 2022
Vladimir Putin

Russia Says Economy Grew 3.5 Percent in First Quarter

May 18, 2022
Mexico missing people

Over 100,000 People Reported Missing in Mexico, Data Reveals

May 17, 2022

Opinion

A Lebanese election official stands at a polling station

New Group Threatens Lebanese Elections… and Potentially Middle East Peace

May 18, 2022
A man holding a gun

Safely Back in USA, Land of Guns and Burgers

May 2, 2022
China Muslim Uyghurs

Unfair Politicization, Corruption, and the Death of Modern Olympism

April 23, 2022
Ukraine war

The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis and the Hierarchies of Western Compassion

April 20, 2022
Chinese leader Xi Jinping

How Wrong ‘How China Can End the War in Ukraine’ Is

April 1, 2022
Ukraine children

The War for Ukraine’s Lives and Minds

March 30, 2022
Facebook Twitter

Newsletter

Do you like our reporting?
SUBSCRIBE

About Us

The Globe Post

The Globe Post is part of Globe Post Media, a U.S. digital news organization that is publishing the world's best targeted news sites.

submit oped

© 2018 The Globe Post

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • World
  • Business
  • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Democracy at Risk
    • Media Freedom
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columns
    • Book Reviews
    • Stage
  • Submit Op-ed

© 2018 The Globe Post