Twilight’s Last Gleaming
A lesson in true patriotism and defeating fascism
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The American flag symbolizes the resistance to tyranny. It’s time we take it back from the tyrants.—Heidi Siegmund Cuda for Bette Dangerous
Last night, as I stood to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Hollywood Bowl for a Gershwin revue featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the tears came quickly, as they always do. Tears of gratitude that my country is still free and that a good man, a legend in his own time, is in charge of our nation.
I wept as I recalled that time I stood up at the Bowl to sing that patriotic poem in 2018, under the tyranny of Trump. Trump, who clearly was working for the Russians in his first term, denigrates our flag each time he clutches it in performative theatre for the cult that he built with the help of the Kremlin and US traitors.
Twilight’s Last Gleaming
Through tears, I sang each lyric loudly, and when I got to the phrase Twilight’s Last Gleaming it took on a new and profound meaning. Being German-American, I can safely say my patriotism was gifted to me at birth by my very proud immigrant parents, for Germans make great Americans.
And many people I interview of late are warning me that we are Germany in 1933.
Twilight’s last gleaming…
Are we going to be the people who deliver the world’s oldest democracy into the hands of an evil monster who kills kills kills for greed greed greed, or are we going to be the people who stand in the breach to defend the United States of America and defeat this fascist insurgency.
The future is unwritten.
That song we all stand to sing is from Francis Scott Key’s poem, written after witnessing Old Glory raised at Fort McHenry in Baltimore on September 14, 1814, in celebration of our victory over the British in the War of 1812.
We used to know the difference in America between patriotism and fascism, but for many, truth became a thing which no longer interests them. Their worlds are clouded with conspiracies, fears, suspicions, hatred — conditioned to believe only an orange-painted felon can save them and that ‘Putin’s not so bad.’
We are in a hot war — not just an information war or hybrid war but a gaddam war, a war that is carpet-bombing the minds of our fellow Americans.
As Jackie Singh wrote today in response to a question I asked her:
A Hydra with many heads is attacking democracy.
Its name: Fascism.—Jackie Singh
The attacks are coming increasingly from those who purport to want democratic governance but who are doing the work of fascism, by dividing the democratic party from within.
As Jim Stewartson wrote today:
Media oligarchs and anxious white men are engaged in an undemocratic effort to depose a duly elected nominee.
Really, this is nothing new. “But his debate” is the new “but her emails.” It’s a psyop being promoted by the corporate media to attack the Democrat, because they profit from a “horse race.” Gullible and opportunistic white men have decided to pile on because they don’t think the outcome will affect them.
Meanwhile, as the duly elected Democratic nominee was fielding questions at NATO, Donald Trump was meeting with fascist dictator Viktor Orban a week after Orban visited Putin.
… a week after Orban visited Putin.
See how this works?
So my fellow Americans and my many readers from 80 different countries who care about America, the last rays of democratic light are gleaming on our flag, as the sun is setting on democracy.
But we have in this moment an opportunity to write a new ending, for the future remains unwritten and we will not obey in advance.
We voted out the dictator once, we can defeat him again. We defeat him with the power of incumbency — not a trivial thing in a good economy. Joe Biden is a humble legend, an elder statesman who should be treated with gratitude and respect for holding our union together during this grave hour.
We lose if we allow the dark forces of greed to make us believe in Russian fairytales, in disinfolklore — tales scripted to make us believe a good man is too old, and a fascist is just right. Tales told by useful idiots, with a bellyful of MICE.
We win if we are united, if we are united, victory is assured.
Despite being behind enemy lines on Twitter, I managed to write a viral tweet yesterday:
You know America has lost its way when Democrats are making the incumbent prove he’s worthy instead of the fascist.
The incumbent is worthy, but are we worthy of the incumbent…
I should think so.
Let’s be the people who become the heroes of this story, who show the next generation how to defeat fascism.
Let ‘Twilight’s Last Gleaming’ become pretty words again, and not a foreshadowing of our doom.
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Begin each day with a grateful heart.
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I guess Orban passed along Putins choice for VP =/
“We will win with love at the center… if we organize.” Heather Booth says this every day. She is so right. Poland did it. Ukraine is still doing it. France strategically adopted realignment of left-of center parties and is living to fight another day. Ditto England. We can do this. Even in the twilight’s last gleaming.