Government by mob rule

     There are few things in life more terrifying than a mob.  For some unexplainable reason, when you get a large group of people together united by some common cause, then reason, decorum, justice, and morality take a leave of absence. 

      You see it at soccer games.  You see it when a black person is killed - especially at the hands of the police - and many think the victim didn't deserve it.  Then you see it all over again when the person(s) who committed the act are acquitted by the court. 
      Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, you see it happen in many places when people get mad at the current establishment over something.
      At some point, the crowd and the frenzy reach critical mass, and it turns into a mob.  Anyone in the vicinity with a lick of intelligence will get as far away as possible.  (If you own something immovable like a business or a home, you're out of luck.)
      Recently, a new source of mob mentality has arisen:  Trump campaign rallies.

Hillary Clinton

      Back in 2016, it was "Lock her up!", referring of course to Hillary Clinton.  We can debate whether or not Mrs. Clinton's actions should be a punishable crime - but in the United States of America, we are a nation of law and order.  The courts shall decide whether the accused is guilty or not - NOT by politicians or political candidates, or their frenzied supporters at a rally.

     In the ensuing three years, it has been "Fake News!", accompanied by the insinuation that the news media is the "Enemy of the People!".  Even at Trump rallies, news reporters have actually been threatened - simply for being there to report on the rally!  I addressed this in my article "Fake President".

      Once again, I must remind all those "patriots" out there that this is the United States of America, where Freedom of the Press is enshrined in our Constitution.  All over the world, journalists have had to live with the constant threat of death and/or torture just for trying to do their jobs.  It's no secret that politicians, as a general rule, don't like the news media, because they tend to say negative things about you.  Well, Mr. Politician Sir, that is part of the job description, and if you don't want the news media to say negative things, then my advice is:  clean up your act.  It's bad enough when politicians cannot do that, and so they blame the messenger.  But when mob rule takes over … as Yoda would say: be afraid; be very afraid.

      And so, that takes us up to today.  The latest frenzied chant:  "Send them back!", referring to the so-called "Squad" of four female Democratic congressional representatives.  Trump's big beef with them is that they are not lily-white Anglo-Saxon Caucasian, like him.  But all four of them are American citizens - three born in the U.S., and one a nationalized citizen born in Somalia.  One may disagree with their politics (as I certainly do).  But now mob rule has taken over, and intelligent debate over real issues has become a lot tougher. 
      Be afraid; be very afraid.