In The Wizard of Oz Dorothy and her companions walk through the Haunted Forest. Today our forest is haunted by the worst despots in human history. The road is more quicksand-y than quicksand has ever been. Yet too many of us: clueless, keep trying to skip down the road as if it’s no different than any other road. Meanwhile the forest gets darker, more dank, more evil, and I swear those freedom sucking vampires from humanity’s horrific past have turned some of our leaders. I am hoping there’s a way out; some stake to drive in the heart of tyranny. I’m not sure. I have my doubts.
 So many people with such high hopes for post 2018, post 2020, if there are big wins. But even if there is some Deep Impact big wave, do you really think they won’t just resurface, they will just give up? They won’t double, triple, quadruple down? Silly you. You have to know they will not submit, nor go away. You have to know they will push even harder, lie even more, do anything to scare us: even if it means war, martial law. Us winning with out fighting back even more might be the best gift we could give Donald Trump and the Trumpettes.
 Please, please, PLEASE don’t use that as an excuse not to vote, to give up. Use it as a reason to fight harder.
 Of course the most scam-y of scam artists will have more scams. In some ways Trump and the scammers: political or not, remind me of that kid who everyone knew was a BS artist; especially the teacher, but he never gives in, never admits, or if he finally does then he had to, “Wah! Wah! Everyone’s plotting against me! They MADE me do it!”
 Sound like anyone?
 Witness what Saudi-loving Trump did as soon as the Saudis decided to cut apart a journalist while he was still alive? Suddenly Mr. “It’s All a Plot Against Me By Angry Democrats” was all on board with yammering about Russians interfering with our elections? Don’t expect much to come out of that or any rage from the Russian tyrant Trump Monica Lewinskys so often. Putin understands distracting the masses. Once the s… storm surrounding the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi calms down it will be back to one more evil plot against the Orange Deity.
 Trump is so friendly and so accommodating to tyrants because he wants their money, and far more scary he wants to BE them.
 And they are pulling out all plugs in the tub that holds what little freedom we still have. It’s no accident Trump encourages assaulting reporters, urinates all over our allies, is so suck face with tyrants like Kim even when their empty agreement means he’ll double down on nukes while playing Trump. This is what the leaders there have done for YEARS, but that doesn’t matter to Mr. Everything is About ME! ME! ME! Every once in a while a Republican here or there who doesn’t have to be reelected stands up to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if this continues there’s a Wolf’s Lair-like attempt, and one with a similar ending for those who participate.
 This is where we are headed, this is the dark, dank, dangerous forest. Trump is gathering his army of brownshirts, and assaults like at his rallies, driving a car through protesters, the assault on Ben Jacobs… they are just the start. Let’s not be naive’ and think big wins will solve all. The war will have just begun. And it damn well could get very hot. Be ready for the literal fight of, and for, our very lives.
 They will stop at NOTHING unless we stand strong way beyond 2018.
                                                    -30-
Inspection is a column that has been written by Ken Carman for over 40 years. Inspection is dedicated to looking at odd angles, under all the rocks, and into the unseen cracks and crevasses, that constitute the issues and philosophical constructs of our day: places few think, or even dare, to venture.
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Ken Carman and Cartenual Productions
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