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We are running out of theories that might logically account for the way republicans are acting. Proposing nihilism feels like a conspiracy theory. The proposal makes me uncomfortable because it feels like something I cannot tolerate when republicans do it. But any other theory I can imagine won't handle the evidence. I am left with the idea that the republican party wants only to ruin everything. It is a horrible situation.

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Imagine people in the mid 14th century's black death plague being told that the plague could be derailed if they would just follow a couple of simple steps, and refusing to do them because they were told that doing so was "the devil's work." Fast forward 600 years and the rabid clergy has been replaced by rabid politicians. Today we have the same insane approach, and the same reaction by the tragically misinformed. What needs to be asked, as Eric just implied, is cui bono? Why doesn't this pique the curiosity of the MSM editors?

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Colossal greed, fueled by fear and lust for power, drunk on fame and orgasmic at the sound (bites) of their own voices, they are following the example of the criminal fraud who has seen his marks, and rules them still. Until some republicans respected by this sorry mob admits the con and can therefore leave it with pride intact, what we see from the repubs is what we can expect to continue, until the democracy begins to unravel like a ripped doily in a clothes dryer. Unless of course the voters step up in such overwhelming numbers next year to send a message they can't refuse.

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Mr. Boehlert,

You make a serious error in assuming “Facebook Trolls”, “Fox Pundits”, and “prominent members of the Republican Party” do not overlap. It is entirely possible for one individual to fit into all three categories.

I shudder to call it good news; but as deaths skyrocket among the unvaccinated, vaccination rates are climbing. Reality infringes.

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Steve Bannon has repeatedly likened himself to Lenin. He has made it clear he wants to burn down the entire establishment and replace it with his radical white nationalism.

And on the other side of the system there are the Nina Turners and Jimmy Dores who also want the country to collapse to bring their radical dreams to reality.

And the DC Press Corpse continues to live in their fantasy where both sides are the same...

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I'm beginning to think that the GOP's purpose here is to use covid as a tool in a plan to cause our democracy to collapse. I know, it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I cannot think of any logical reason why they're so hell bent on keeping this virus around to spew variants and kill people. It seems the GOP has been doing its best to destroy the democratic norms by spreading lies, feeding racism and xenophobia and exploiting grievances and resentments. We're quickly moving from "polarized" to "shattered."

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To what end would any political party want to see a health crisis continue? What would be the outcome that they want? Their people are getting sick and dying on ventilators. This is ok with them? The party of pro-life is fine with children hospitalized and their grandparents sent to an early grave? I'm perplexed and mainly depressed.

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I welcome this article, but I also have to say, the republikkkan party has been guilty of treason for decades. Think of Nixon with the peace talks, Reagan with the hostages, Reagan and Bush with Iran-Contra. Think of congressional republikkkans opposing Clinton and Obama simply because they are Democrats. There should have been prosecutions long ago.

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Eric,

There will always be debate about damage resulting from an actual fifth column vs. the fear of a fifth column. I suggest we may not be sure, while conceding your persuasive argument for the former.

Today the WaPo reports Texas Rs are seeking to arrest Texas Ds. The rails are off.

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The old adage “it’s not a recession until you lose your job” could be adapted for COVID — it’s not real til you or someone you care about dies.

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There ought to be a cost to winning by evil means but that seems to escape today's Republicans and to Democrats that signals losing. But "both sides yadda yadda" from the worst of the press. Geesh.

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Whenever Marjorie Steroid Greene opens her mouth I know it's only ever for what she perceives as her own personal benefit. Whether it actually is beneficial or not in the macro sense is clearly secondary to whether it is because it makes her feel good in that moment. The larger GOP issue I chalk up to their decades long belief that they could control every genie they loosed on the world. They couldn't control the religious right nor the Tea Party nor the MAGAs nor, now, the nihilists.

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speaking of "nihilism," since I find it horrific that so many vaccinated Republicans leaders are spreading this propaganda, is it wrong to think maybe they are destroying themselves politically because they'll have fewer voters in a year? I know, that makes me a "terrible" person. What I would like to know, though, is what strategy do we (the little people with no power or platform) have to fight this? I don't want to see more kids die, especially at the hands of their brainwashed Republican parents.

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This is not a new phenomenon. This is what the Republican party has always been about. Nixon committed treason scuttling the peace talks with North Vietnam, only one of countless examples of their betrayals over the last 100 years. America has never had a more dedicated or dangerous enemy than the modern conservative movement. The rest of the country must be made to understand their nature and embrace political violence. They must be disempowered, driven out and destroyed at any cost.

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Since St. Ronnie, the premise of the Republican Party is that the government doesn’t work. The trope is that they then spent the next 40 years proving it.

The vaccine, which was developed by the Private Sector and expedited by the Biden Administration proves that the government works, saves lives, and is essential to our well being.

I don’t think that this is the only reason that the Republicans are killing themselves to own the Libs, but it probably is a contributing factor. 40 years of agitprop down the drain.

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