Welcome to the Socialist States of America

It feels like déjà vu all over again. The insults, ostracism and disavowing of Haley Stevens from the Democratic Party after she announced her objections to Abdul El-Sayed and her decision to throw her vote for Mike Rogers. Oh, the fury and vice erupting among regular democrats. Hard to believe that these hateful calls are coming from a party that prides itself on inclusivity, diversity and in general on liberal values. It sounds more like a mob ready to lynch a disobedient servant. Is it a punishment ordered by the DSA/socialist flank of the party, a sign that it takes over the Democratic party? The speed of expulsion and punishment by Democrats of Haley Stevens after she condemned Abdul El-Sayed for his unbridled antisemitic and anti-Israel campaign as a Senate candidate in Michigan was unheard of in America until now. The Democrats set a new bar for dealing with deviants from the party line.

This reminds me how dissent was handled by the Communist Party in Prague during the era of socialism. I was born and grew up in communist Prague and experienced the invasion of Soviet and Warsaw armies of Czechoslovakia to stop the Prague Spring movement fighting for “socialism with human face”. The invaders coerced and worked with collaborators to suppress dissent among members of the Communist Party who were asked to sign a petition supporting the Soviet invasion. The ones who did not sign suffered many consequences, loss of employment was perhaps the most serious as that meant being moved into the category of deplorables and parasites who were suitable only for menial work (or perhaps prison). There was no financial support because officially there was no unemployment in socialism. That happened to my father who worked as a journalist. After eviction from the Communist party he spent a long time looking for a job. Finally he found one – at the Jewish Community Center. That brought some livelihood but also some ostracism to the rest of the family.

So what? What is the big deal, aren’t we in America, the country of freedom? Haley Stevens had the courage and integrity to call out Abdul El-Sayed for his antisemitism and anti-Zionism and for keeping company with antisemitic influencers, such as Hasan Piker. Why none of the big shots confronted El-Sayed for keeping unsavory company with an influencer spreading antisemitism? Why is challenging El-Sayed about his use of antisemitism in his campaign considered Islamophobic? Why Jewish members of the Congress cannot muster up courage to defend their own people? And why some Jews, not in Congress, but regular citizens, lost their will to defend themselves?

There are several reasons for this defeatism. With the takeover of both the Senate and the House Democrats are willing to throw their principles and precautions under the bus. Their main goal is to win, the price of it does not matter. At least that’s what they think. However, do they realize that the DSA/socialist faction, also known as squad, will come up with their demands for leadership roles and take over the democratic agenda? Does Schumer really believe that he will be the one to lead the Senate and Hakeem Jeffries will replace Mike Johnson as the Leader of the House? I am sure that there will be some competition for either position. I am afraid that what we see happening to Haley Stevens will continue not just to her but to other outliers as well. `

That raises a question about what will happen not only to the Democratic Party but to American democracy. Democrats may wake up, but it might be too little too late. The Democratic Party is becoming transformed into a despotic bunch opposed to any free speech along the lines of leftists. I hope that people, including card carrying members of the Democratic Party will take animosity of the party officials to Haley Stevens as a warning that they should be wary of their party that is abandoning its liberal values and is promoting ostracism and boycotting dissenting members.

This is probably of no consolation, but some members of the Republican Party did not waste any time by putting the burden of the disastrous midterm elections on Israel’s shoulders; Vice President J.D. Vance figures most prominently among them. He blames the losses on the war with Iran and on the US relationship with Israel. The same vibes come from Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former US congresswoman, and my guess is that other Republicans have the same thoughts – let Israel, if not Jews, pay for this.

None of this bodes well for the future of not only the Democratic party, but also of Republicans or even more significantly for the future of political life in America. Welcome to the Socialist States of America!!