We have seen enough scary stuff in the last few days that it is risky to throw this out, too – but it is even riskier to have it percolate in darkness.

Rawstory has a deep dive into the history of the far right movement, which for our purposes can be boiled down to this, the only political choices left in America right now are “leftism” (whatever that is, I suppose we can ask Bernie Sanders), “Liberalism” and fascism. The article is an interesting historical read on how “brown people” of any kind became enemy number one to the American Right.

But that wasn’t what jumped out of the article. The article quotes a New York Times piece that features an interview for a former Border Patrol agent turned civil rights activist named Jenn Budd.

Budd discussed the deployment of tactical Border Patrol units into sanctuary cities, a move we probably lamented but didn’t think it would amount to anything more than increased “war” upon illegal immigrants, which is tragic and yet not “new.”

Not necessarily so, says Budd. The Border Patrol sees their “beat” as far wider and far more sinister. Indeed, Budd wonders if the Border Patrol would act as Donald Trump’s secret police force. One can’t be a self-respecting dictator without a private police force, everyone knows:

Read this, and feel deep fear settle in:

Border Patrol does not believe they are a civilian law enforcement agency. They believe they are kin to the Marine Corps. They do not believe they are accountable to Congress, which is why they have no issues lying to them even while under oath.

They believe they are only accountable to … presidents like Trump. Border Patrol believes it is not required to answer to local police, FBI, CIA or any other law enforcement agency. They claim to be the “premiere” law enforcement agency, superior to all others. They say they will become a “national police force” to be used by a president to enforce laws even among citizens.

Whether the law authorizes the Border Patrol to act in such a manner is near irrelevant. In order for the law to “matter,” someone in power must respect the law, and we don’t have that right now. If Trump were to order the “Border Patrol” to quell civil unrest, who would stop them? A judge? These people don’t even believe they are under Congress’s authority, what are they going to say to a judge?

This is how it could actually start. This is how our Cold Civil War could turn hot. A very close election, a Democrat declared a winner, Trump filing suit stating illegal votes were cast, Trump refusing the leave the White House until the “suit” is settled, then refusing to leave because he can’t get a fair hearing. Rioting in the streets, all over the nation. Trump calls out the Border Patrol to squash the riots, and perhaps a Democratic governor calls out the National Guard to protect people from the Border Patrol.

That is how it starts.

Actually, it starts with Donald Trump. None of this was a problem until we put a dictator in office, one that cares only about himself, and nothing about the nation.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom