What has changed is social media. There have always been "fires" of racism, fascism, misogyny, etc. burning in America but now we have gallons and gallons and gallons of gasoline being dumped every day on those fires.

That genie can't be stuffed back in the bottle.

If there is anything that has surprised me, though, is that we have not yet had another Timothy McVeigh. Sure we have lots of loser dickheads in their basements wearing cosplay soldier gear while they type out death threats over the internet, but so far they just then log out and go get a bag of Doritos and a Mountain Dew, till their next session of sending out threats... and they have not (as yet) loaded a truck with explosives, etc.

I say this not to heighten the alarm but to point out that social media hoodwinks us all, not just in stoking excessive rage on the right, but also stoking excessive fear on the left.

Sure, I've expressed alarm, anger, and warnings about the threat out there... but part of me sometimes wonders if I've been suckered into fear by gutless little dweebs in their basements, all bark and no bite.

I saw an interview with someone who was part of that doc Against All Enemies, and he did remark that many of these "ex-soldiers" have had no actual combat experience. He described them, quite derisively, as cosplay soldiers. That, to my mind, makes them a bit less terrifying. Of course, he also noted anyone with a gun--even a tin soldier idiot-- is a dangerous person.

Anyway, my long rambling here amounts to this: Somehow, though I do remain alarmed and concerned, I am becoming a little less fearful... if only because it is hard to be afraid of Keystone Kops people so hell bent upon, and skilled at, losing every damn election they possibly can.