Kirk imprisoned by the Nazis of Ekos in “Patterns of Force”
Cherry Picking Fascism
“Patterns of Force” is a classic STOS episode that feels very current. The premise is John Gill, a historian from the 23rd Century, decides to cherry pick the aspects of fascism that “worked well” for society and incorporate them into a utopian system on a post industrialized planet called Ekos. He broke the Prime Directive of non-interference because he though he could create a utopia on Ekos. The point of the episode is to show Fascism cannot work, even with the best intentions.
Of course, I’m not so sure Trump has the best intentions in our modern replaying of this dystopian nightmare. The fact that for a short-lived period, Germany became hyper productive and its economy was booming does not mean fascism is a good idea. The befuddled historian in “Patterns of Force,” John Gill, fits trump to a tee. We have to imagine how certain Gil was of his theory, early on. But Fascism has a way of running away from the people who first set it into motion. His world comes crashing down as his planet is about to execute the “final solution,” the extermination of a certain group of “inferior” Ekosions.
Patterns of Force
The problem with Fascism is in the how. History shows and this episode dramatizes, that one group must be singled out, exploited, excluded and ultimately oppressed and exterminated in order to have this “successful” economy. There is nothing about fascism that is worth doing.
Yet here we are, with our president using Hitler’s early playbook to try and score a few early successes. Doing away with what really made America great, like funding scientific research, assisting the needy throughout the world, investing in the future with clean energy. These cuts will ultimately backfire dramatically. Maybe not right away but over time; it is inevitable. Only a few are baring the brunt right now, in the form of mass firings and deportations. But its still early. This unfortunate lack of foresight will backfire catastrophically in time and we will all feel the pain of chaos and destruction fascism always leaves in its path.
Trump’s plan is to take control of all our treasured institutions, gut them, use the initial savings to fund a booming economy. That’s cruel enough. But his ultimate plan is to use his early success to gain total control of the electoral and other democratic systems, in order to guarantee that he and his loyalists will remain in power, even after the whole house of cards collapses. It’s the oldest game in the world. And shame on us for falling for it again!
This meme was commissioned by an old guard Republican state lawmaker, from the deep south, who is afraid to speak out in public.
A Hungry Monster
The main problem is that fascism is a hungry monster. It thrives on never completely solving the problems it creates. Then, creating more and more problems that also need to be solved. The problems must become bigger and the solutions more and more extreme for the leader to remain relevant. If he solved the problem, there would be no more need for him. Trump won’t let that happen. Mass deportation and the problems it is creating will ultimately lead to mass extermination because at some point mass deportation won’t be enough to solve the problem anymore. There always needs to be a bigger problem requiring an ever more dramatic solution. These are rolled out incrementally, of course, so the people don’t even realize what’s happening. It is as true today as it was in 1940s Germany and in “Patterns of Force.” Those stories live in the past, one real, the other fiction. The past cannot be altered. But this is happening in the present and we have it within our power to stop it before the inevitable happens again. We the people can and must stop it in its tracks.
We All Own This
The truth is we all own it, even us “never trumpers.” We’ve allowed this to happen. If we voted, marched, wrote, posted, contributed, phoned, IT WASNT ENOUGH to stop what’s coming. And what’s coming is so bad yet so surreal we still can’t get our heads around it. Because it is so dark, no dystopian author that ever lived could predict it, except possibly the writers for Star Trek. We have some idea where it is likely going but we won’t believe it till it is fully upon us — all of us. Because he won’t stop until we all have felt his wrath. He’s got a beef with just about everyone.
The Master of Incrementalism
But he’s the master of incrementalism. And we’re like the hapless frogs in the pot of water that’s about to boil. Only some of us are smart enough to know what’s happening and even fewer of us are willing to jump out of the jar and turn off the stove, before its to late. Trump is feeling pressure to accomplish the bulk of his mission before the midterms. Because even though he will have tried his best to fix the election, we still just might be able to flip the House and Senate in the midterms, if enough of us begin to see the light and jump out of that proverbial pot of hot water.
But he’s on a timetable that even he won’t be able to manage. He will have to do too much, too quickly to secure his place after the midterms. He lacks true discipline. There will come a tipping point for even his most ardent supporters. Heaven help us if that comes AFTER the midterms. But that’s how much time we have. The midterms will be our one last chance, the point of no return. After that, we’re in unknown territory.
The Tipping Point
The only way to push him to the tipping point in the little time we have before the midterms, is to keep speaking out until our voices are horse. But still, unbelievably, it’s still too surreal/abstract for most of us to grasp. We must resist the impulse to just watch in shock and awe, like a gawker watches an accident on the freeway. That impulse is why it’s our fault too. We are not speaking out. We’re running scared when we need to be encouraging our like minded friends to join this existential fight. We are pacified by cheap prices and the comfort of the warming water, reassured by all our frog friends. Only when we lose our comfortable footing, when he takes it from enough of us, that we will finally do what it takes to end the madness. Fortunately or not, that is exactly what’s about to happen. The water’s about 120 degrees right now. There’s still a chance to stop the madness. I admit it, Trump scares the hell out of me. As a rapist, he triggers my own Childhood Sexual Abuse. But we must be brave, even in the face of failure. As I often said to my children growing up, “fear is easy. Bravery is where the goodies are.”
Would you like to get inspiration in your inbox, rather than ads for more stuff? Welcome to ManiscalcoGallery.com