by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
Apparently, the Confederate statue controversy is near and dear to MAGA thought leader Jesse Kelly’s heart. So, let’s look at his hot take on this lovely issue.
No. No more monuments taken down. No more history removed. Ever.
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) July 10, 2021
Stop negotiating with terrorists who use your values against you. That’s how we lose. https://t.co/Aqs6pF7FYO
Mr. Kelly gets off on the monument thing because it’s his “in” to a huge swath of Southern white America who barely keeps up with the news. Once he gets their attention by ranting about taking down “history” then he can give them a permission structure for voting for the fascists that he obviously hopes will one day run the United States.
The only way I can spend this much brain power on something so stupid is to be drunk.
But let’s take Mr. Kelly’s bad faith arguments at face value. Apparently, he loves American history so much that he thinks anyone who wants to tear down monuments to traitors are “terrorists.” While I’m glad Mr. Kelly loves American history as much as I do, maybe he would notice that the long arc of (American) history bends towards justice.
It’s very curious that Mr. Kelly takes such pains to defend statues of people who took up arms against the Federal government in an effort to protect human bondage. What gives, bruh?
Anyway. The point is — it’s people like Mr. Kelly who set the boundaries of rhetoric within the Right wing echo chamber. He stakes out a really bonkers, extremist hot take, then it filters down, and is watered down via OAN, NewsMax and FOX News to normal people who should know better but don’t because of negative polarization.
We’re all very fucked. And I’m drunk.
