As the reporter for ABC—not the U.S. version of ABC but the Australian Broadcasting Company—traveled to various MAGA venues, one word popped up repeatedly, like a batch of lewd bricks building a fetid wall encircling and then infusing the entire mean-spirited movement. That one word is f*ck—but spelled out explicitly.
The New Jersey Rally
First, the reporter spent some time at a bustling MAGA event in New Jersey where “F*ck Joe Biden” was the central theme. The “F*ck Joe Biden”—and “Biden and the Ho Gotta Go”—slogans were emblazoned across garish gigantic flags, billowing banners, strident shirts, hokey hats, and even super-hero-type capes.
Had I been there, I think I’d have asked the participants why they were so intent on having a sexual encounter with the current U.S. President—an opportunity the ABC reporter missed. One interviewee had a Christian cross necklace dangling directly in front of the word Joe on her F*ck Joe Biden shirt, which, she said, she wears proudly (and apparently saw no contradiction between the shirt and necklace).
Meanwhile, no one, from the vendors to the attendees to the ex-president, seemed to have any materials related to policy issues. When asked about what issues concerned them, their reply was as predictable as their attire: illegal immigration. And the theme carried through: “F*ck those immigrants—and f*ck Joe Biden for letting them in.” With all the references to coitus, the reporter might have wondered whether he was at a political rally or a porn convention.
On to Arizona
So then, not surprisingly, the report took the investigation from New Jersey to Arizona, ground zero for the immigration clash. There, the reporter zeroed in on an octogenarian who owns a ranch right along the nation’s southern border. Although the report never disclosed how many acres the man owns—or if it did, I missed it—I assume it must be in the thousands because he said the most problematic portion of his ranch was five miles of land he owns where the border wall was down. (The old man had to protect his fortunes from the impoverished families seeking refuge—or just a better life. And how could he protect his vast holdings with no wall to keep out the ragtag rabble?)
Here's how he might keep them out: As the old man took the reporter out to see the problem part of the property, he brought along a high-powered rifle with a scope. So, the two climbed into the old man's huge, new Ford pickup—the kind that runs north of $100,000—and set out to rendezvous with a group of well-armed, self-appointed border guards. Three men managed the posse’s command site: a bunch of picnic tables, communications equipment, food, water, and, of course, a cache of weapons, all under a large canopy that shielded them from the sun's pummeling rays.
The man who spoke with the reporter and who appeared to be the leader of the vigilante border posse was—not surprisingly—ex-military. And across the back of his neck was a crude slogan with that ubiquitous word found throughout the MAGAsphere: f*ck. He made it clear to the reporter and any subsequent audience members that he doesn’t give a “f*ck” what anyone thinks about him; he believes he is doing his patriotic duty.
With this kind of philosophy animating the millions within the MAGA-dominated Republican Party it appears that our nation just might be f*cked.
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