When Sarcasm and Fascism Meet

Over the weekend, Marjorie Taylor Greene gave a speech at an event for the New York Young Republicans Club where, speaking about the January 6 Insurrection, she said, among other things, “If Steve Bannon and I had organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, it would have been armed.”

Yesterday, realizing what a horrible mistake she made, she quickly and desperately tried backing off her statement by saying it was just a joke, and that the White House (which had quickly and properly criticized her) should learn how sarcasm works.

The thing is, even if it was a joke (if), excusing oneself with "I was only joking" has no inherent meaning. When the point of the joke is harm, then "the joke" is a statement of interest.  People make mean-spirited, cruel “jokes” all the time that are specifically intended to hurt, that’s their very point.  The “joke” is what is demeaning, belittling.  The “joke” is what elucidates what you mean.   Calling it “just a joke” doesn’t make what you said okay, it clarifies the meaning.

Further, it turns out that she is the one who should learn how sarcasm works.  Because sarcasm is the use of ridicule to say the opposite of what you mean.  So, if she is contending her words were just sarcasm, then she has a lot of explaining to do to her cheering fans that, oh, no, she really didn’t mean it at all. 

However she’s urgently trying to explain away what she said, I'm not sure I have it in me to hear Kevin McCarthy own convoluted explanation of why he's still working with her to give her added importance in the GOP House caucus,  I'm sure we can imagine the spoken gobbledygook answer he comes up with – as well as the unspoken one he doesn’t dare say out loud. Tolerating his response is another matter.

And all this leaves out that the Jan. 6 Insurrection was armed, and there were guns.  And the only reason there weren’t more guns is not because it wasn’t well-organized, but because it was illegal in Washington, D.C., so the leaders of the Insurrection left their guns back at their hotel.

What it leaves out, too, is that this isn’t an isolated “joke” in today’s Republican Party.

Because at that very same New York Young Republicans event, the organization’s president Gavin Wax said, “We want to cross the Rubicon. We want total war. We must be prepared to do battle in every arena. In the media. In the courtroom. At the ballot box. And in the streets.”  To which he added, “This is the only language the left understands. The language of pure and unadulterated power.”

No backtracking from Mr. Wax either that it was just a joke, and nothing more than sarcasm.

We have no idea how much Wax was just going for puffery in order to make himself seem big and tough in front of his people and how much he was pushing for guns and violence.  It may have been a little of both, but either way it was dangerous, anti-American and very clear to his interests in supporting violent Insurrection.

And this is the setting in which Marjorie Taylor Greene make her supposedly “sarcastic” comments.  A roomful of cheering Republicans being exhorted by their leader for “total war” and being “prepared to do battle.”  Even, if need be, “in the streets.”

But the context goes further.

That’s because yesterday, Talking Points Memo reporter Hunter Walker tracked down almost 500 “apocalyptic” text messages between member of Congress and Trump’s then-chief of staff Mark Meadows after the GOP lost the 2020 election.  These were no wound-licking notes and plans to regroup, which one expects in a democracy, especially from elected officials sworn to protect and defend the Constitution.  No, these were hair-on-fire battle cries.  And not from puffed up Young Republicans, but fully mature ones elected to run the country.  Who apparently only want to run it their fascist way.

Texas Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) wrote, "Mark, When we lose Trump we lose our Republic. Fight like hell and find a way. We’re with you down here in Texas and refuse to live under a corrupt Marxist dictatorship. Liberty! Babin."

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) was even more virulent,  which is seems almost incomprehensible.  But he told Meadows that “we are at a point of no return in saving our Republic !!  Our LAST HOPE is invoking Marshall Law!! PLEASE URGE TO PRESIDENT TO DO SO!!"

Perhaps the only thing worse than Insurrectionist Ralph Norman texting the White House Chief of Staff about declaring Martial Law is him calling his fascist dream "Marshall Law."

Was it a typo? Or ignorance? Either way, him explaining which will be a Really Bad Look.

And Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) made even more clear to Chief of Staff Meadows that Republicans should follow the theory pushed by Trump lawyer John Eastman to overthrow the government by having state legislatures change the results.  "Dick Morris is saying State Leg can intervene and declare Trump winner," he wrote. "NC, PA, MI, WI all have GOP Leg."

This, again, is the context in which Insurrectionist Marjorie Taylor Greene was being “sarcastic.” 

But then, it’s much more than QAnon acolyte Greene.  It’s the core of today’s Republican Party.  A party whose leader Trump said the Constitution should be terminated – and almost no Republican officials criticized him personally.  A party whose leader Trump had dinner with violent anti-Semite Kanye West and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes – and almost no Republican officials criticized him personally.  A party whose leader Trump stole classified documents – and almost no Republican officials criticized him personally.  A party who -- and this is just a guess -- almost no Republican officials will criticize one of their own for suggesting "Marshall law".  Not even for spelling it wrong.

That’s today’s fascist and really funny, sarcastic Republican Party.