Congressman Dusty Johnson continues to wage a cautious, sometimes cryptic campaign of selective subversion against his party’s authoritarianism. While he has posed for a selfie with a radicalized youth wearing a cap bearing the name of a fascist dictator (which is aesthetically similar to his earlier posing for a photo with dead meat), I haven’t heard a Tweet from him about “critical race theory” since Governor Kristi Noem decided to plant that strawman in her campaign talking-points garden to attract the media crows.
And now as his party leaders endorse a Putin-style ideological assault on higher education and free speech, Representative Johnson uses his latest weekly propaganda missive to gently remind us that the sanitizing history under the guise of patriotism is a Commie trick:
Earlier this month marked the 32nd anniversary of Tiananmen Square, a tragic day in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forced the silence of thousands of pro-democracy activists and killed hundreds.
Unfortunately, no Chinese citizen will find mention of that day in their history books. That’s because the CCP continues its suppression of democratic values [Rep. Dusty Johnson, “Fleeting Freedoms,” weekly propaganda release, 2021.06.25].
This from a Congressman whose party is already trying to keep the insurrection of January 6 out of the public record and erase our historical memory and as his party’s state officials back home are trying to ban specific texts and topics from South Dakota schools, all in an effort to protect their one-party regime’s power and ideology.
Congressman Johnson writes also of Communist China’s suppression of the free press and protest in Hong Kong, authoritarian acts that Professor Bob Burns warned us earlier this week are imperiling democracy here in our own nation and state.
Congressman Johnson subtly upbraids the fascists in his party by restating obvious truths of American democracy:
A free press is the lifeblood of democracy. It is enshrined in our Constitution as a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. While the Founders could never have envisioned the magnitude and sophistication of what media has evolved into, they understood the inextricable bond between a free press and a lasting democracy.
As we advocate for democratic freedoms around the world, we must continue to preserve those same freedoms in our homeland [Johnson, 2021.06.25].
Congressman Johnson has staked out a few other positions that could put him at odds with the Big Brothers in his party. He resisted his party’s seditious efforts to overturn the free, fair, and legitimate 2020 Presidential election, and he voted to investigate the Capitol insurrection sparked by that sedition. Johnson is far from the firebrand for freedom his party needs right now—he declined to hold accountable the criminal tyrant his party made President in 2016 accountable. He’s still a creature of his party, making only careful, oblique statements against his party’s unpatriotic, unconstitutional excesses while preserving his position of favor within the regime to permit his continued work on policy issues. But such is the Kremlinology to which politicians and observers alike must resort in the Republican Politburo.
Typical conservative ploy. Look at what someone else is doing instead of what I’m doing. An example was Jan. 6. Look at Antifa and Black Lives Matter instead of the white insurrectionists at the capital.
Jan 6th was a false flag.
I’ve been reviewing the evidence.
Patriot groups and militias were infiltrated. Think Vore buffalo jump. You don’t blame the buffalo.
The FBI has a long and sordid history of infiltrating militias and steering them awry to weaken their effectiveness and power.
Johnson and Thune (probably Rounds, too) are all scrambling to distract from the feckless behavior they exhibited when Sally Sue (the American electorate) was beaten toothless in front of the whole trailer park (Earth).
We have the receipts, the video, and we’ve ID’d the people (yes, there were Antifa and media embedded FBI informants/operatives on the front lines goading the good Trump supporters into the Capitol, who then proceeded mostly to take selfies and defecate in Pelosi’s office, both not all that objectionable in my mind).
I feel like anyone trying to frame-up patriots for something other than the peaceful redressing exhibited for 6 years is going to look silly.
I have the evidence and will be covering it on my show.
Of course, having the evidence these days might not be enough as judges and witnesses are threatened.
Epstein didn’t kill himself.
Seth Rich didn’t kill himself.
John McAfee didn’t kill himself.
But those who did kill these people are already dead inside. It is likely that they will soon be made to live in agony and torture, for killing is not our way.
No, John, the simplest answer is the true answer: radical right-wing supporters of the last guy used violence to try to overturn the election and keep their guy in power unconstitutionally. The FBI didn’t steer those right-wing traitors to the Capitol; the man in the White House at the time did.
Now let’s stick on Dusty’s own subtle efforts to subvert the radical and anti-constitutional efforts coming from his party.
Yep, John Dale plays the GOP party game to the hilt; obfuscate, confuse the issue and throw in some red herring and straw men to confuse the observers and readers. I think your media days are limited, John, by your own ineptness and conspiratorial mindset.
You sound so like EX-lawyer Guilliani, with all your FACTS!
The DOJ labeled the “evidence” of election fraud Trump sent to it “pure insanity.” [https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/06/15/emails-reveal-how-trump-white-house-pressured-doj-on-election-fraud/?sh=7b0e507032ae] The only response it deserves is to be labeled as such and dismissed. Trying to reason with it is only to spread it.
Quack-a-Non John. Auditioning for a seat on Pelosi’s select committee to investigate January 6th magat invasion of congress. McCarthy likely to appoint Jordan, Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Quack a-Non and Johnny as expert witnesses about stuff they just make up. Which might well be true in their alternate facts universe.
Q ~ Why do MAGA’s engage China’s communist failings and excuse Russia’s?
A ~ Because MAGA’s are white supremacists and, as is obvious, Chinese ain’t white.
Every now and then, Dusty comes out from under his desk long enuf to toss out a few of these “sensible” crumbs, but where was he when Liz Cheney was taking heat? He could have been standing shoulder to shoulder with her, telling folks that we midwesterners don’t put up with this kind of B.S. Nope, he was under his desk. Come on, Dusty, figure out who you want to be, fercryinoutlowd!
Dusty probably envisions himself as Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” In reality, he’s Don Knotts in “The Shakiest Gun in the West.” He probably knows better than to pal around with fellow GOP fascists, but, alas. His only comfort is being a Republican in South Dakota. They reward fools, cowards and bullies as long as they have an R next to their name.
It’s not so much that Chinese leaders mind criticism. In fact one of the reasons they monitor social media there is to keep abreast of constructive criticism so they can change policy or direction. They found out pretty quickly that trying to site a nuclear waste dump was going to run afoul of local people. They backed off. Generally, our leaders aren’t that perceptive or they are much more corrupt.
So, it’s more that Chinese leaders don’t like organized criticism or protest that might threaten their rule, or any that creates a public display of opposition. In China, you can have your little placard opposing this or that policy, and stand around waving it. If it’s directed at a leader, you are walking a fine line. Have more than three people doing that, and you are likely to be arrested. You aren’t going to be in serious trouble, but you will have your protest disrupted and you will have to curb your enthusiasm for your cause a bit. In a way, the Republican Party has become a lot like the Chinese Communist Party. Republicans seem to be threatened by people protesting peacefully. In China, individual criticism of leaders and policies are tolerated, even welcomed, but nothing like the Black Lives Matter protests would be allowed. That’s sort of Republican policy these days, too, if they could find away around our Constitution.
Well, John Dale, when your getting paid the Soros way it’s easy to spend innuendo isn’t it?
I got a robo call the other night from Dusty’s team telling listeners about how Dusty is trying to end federal unemployment benefits because people who receive those benefits won’t work. This claim has been repeatedly debunked, to the point where Dusty’s team now is knowingly lying to the public by making the claim. See e.g.,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/05/13/unemployment-benefits-minimum-wage-work/
Unfortunately, continuing to spread this lie is creating an indelible stain on Dusty’s reputation for honesty and ethics.
Mr. bat and grudznick must be on the same mailing lists. I got a call too, and heartily support the removal of the payments to people who won’t get to work.
Well…the Congressman has his antenna up….I doubt that he’s read the old “Message is the Media” books but its become obvious the WACKO Republican message is “too hot” to sustain public loyalty and will gradually erode away. He wants to be a survivor of the Trump fiasco.
Young Mr. Johnson is probably a card carrying member of the Conservatives with Common Sense.
Don’t worry grudz, they won’t send you a dime.
Common Sense Is Neither Common nor Sense
If it were common grudznick wouldn’t say the foolish things he says, especially when he’s on the whiskey.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201107/common-sense-is-neither-common-nor-sense
Well Arlo, maybe South Dakota is too small for a revenge tour by Trump, but who knows?
Mark–If our besotted Governor asks him, he will come.However he won’t appear in Revillo, Highmore or Eureka. You can bank on that.
Dusty will probably be a senator someday. For those in the middle and even the left who have a political fondness for him, just remember he will be a senator who will put conservatives on the bench and vote to prevent moderates and liberals from being on those same benches. And I am utterly amazed by how much some Democrats seem to like Dusty’s politics, and thus, his legislative acts. Don’t they see what is really going on here? I’ll never forget when Dusty voted against Trump and Trump’s executive order to use Pentagon funds for the border wall, then after receiving much conservative blowback for that position, Dusty then immediately ran down to the border to talk about the progress of the wall on social media platforms. Such an action, in my opinion, is one with profile – social media and all – but not one with courage.
It’s difficult to watch grown men squirm with fear and obedience for a charlatan like Trump. But here we are and that’s Dusty and his fellow Republicans.
It’s also difficult to watch Dusty and his merry men waste hard earned tax payer money, time, and energy with all these childish ploys to accomplish nothing. How did conspiracy lies, deflection, obstruction, and incessant whining become the platform for this party?
I worked in education for close to 30 years and only had one “class from Hell” that tortured every teacher they had from K-12, almost causing some to resign midterm. Well, the Republicans are now the “party from Hell” because they have allegiance to a charlatan who has exemplified and exploited the very worst in humankind. Trump gave Dusty and his pals a gold idol to worship and they are kneeling at the altar.
How do you explain the fact magat’s god hasn’t smited every mother’s son of them with their own jawbones for making a mockery of organized religion?
You could ask the same question of the mindless dummies that vote for these frauds.
Well Arlo, someone needs to show him a video of Obama and Hillary in prison a wonderful float they had on old settlers day. He’d come to Highmore for sure.
Mark–Looking forward to the “Hang Bill Barr” float at this year’s parade.