Florida Nazis Are a Bad Sign

 

American Nazis were strutting their stuff around Orlando Florida this weekend (above photo courtesy Gretchen--tell you what, it's an actual phone number and I don't think my readership is liable to get turned onto National Socialism by calling them as much as prank yank the fuck out of them, so do as you will). It's a bad sign when the fash flash their shit around, but we do have a history of it in this country: your Skokie motherfuckers and a whole rally in MSG.  We've had these folks among us: they just fail to flourish, usually. 

What's messed-up about the Nazi appearance in Florida is the government response. The spokesperson for the Governor's office wanted to straight-up deny they were real. 

She's still in the midst of receiving an education about how to be in public, which is awkward for a person whose career is official spokespersoning. (Her whole deal may be more complicated than just being snotty and conservative, and I only link this because some of you can figure out what to make of it.) I only see fillers, bleach and strident hard-right apology, but that's not so entirely fucked-up for Florida, it's just that normal politicians would want to voice some kind of coherent "We oppose fascism and intimidation of local residents..." messaging, and here she is, not doing that. Probably because she doesn't oppose it and DeSantis is an entire open-face gutless sandwich. 

That doesn't mean he won't posture about it, late and lamely. It just means it wasn't a priority over "Don't Say Gay" bills and book-banning. I learned what bisexuality was in junior high because we did "say gay" back in the 1980s and it helped me know who I was. How in the hell is he and his fellow Republicans trying to roll back the clock to some Puritanical horror before my 1980s? What's next? Outlawing getting Footloose? Putting Baby in the corner? Getting us back to "School Ties" like bigotry over people being Jewish? But here the Republican concern-trolls are, finding a way to reinsert damaging homophobic and racialist nonsense into the schools that all the kids have to go through. 

DeSantis has let us know exactly who and what he is. (View his Broward fuckery.) Don't act surprised with whatever bullshit he coughs up next.

In the meanwhile, just as Trump once again encourages his thuggocracy, Canada had Confederate flags and Swastikas flying, and Trump gave that his approval as well. Because white supremacy recognizes white supremacy, I think. And I don't know if DeSantis is going to latch on, but that media teat won't last forever.

Fascists are going to fash, but what matters is how grown up politicians respond. And when they don't? That's the problem. 

UPDATE: Denouncing Nazis would be a political "gimmee". It's like a open layup. Just say "Nazis are bad." But DeSantis is very special and says mean Democrats trying to smear him (no one called him a Nazi, even if like, I sort of imply it a little) aren't going to bait him into talking shit about Nazis because, well, I guess that's how he rolls. And to prove it, he slammed Rep. Omar who has nothing to do with it. 

So there's your Ron DeSantis, too chickenshit to say "boo" about Nazis.