The Spanish Civil War in Miniature and Redux at Our State Capital

This weakend witnessed a bloody melee with multiple stabbings on Sacramento’s Capital grounds by neo-Nazis and skinheads vs. anti-fascist protestors and anarchists, many as committed to violence as the other side. The battle lines were also pro- vs. anti-Trump.

Eighty years after, 1936’s Spanish Civil War is still hotly debated. There is a consensus that there were no good guys among General Franco’s fascist zealots, armed by Mussolini and Hitler. No doubt, there were good guys on the other side, but who and how many will never be agreed upon because of the convoluted Machiavellian role of the USSR in supporting the Spanish Republic.

Donald Trump is of course not directly responsible for our new budding mini-civil war. Yet in my view, his pro-forma, belated disavowal of the KKK and David Duke—in contrast to  proactive, passionate denunciations—has made such outrages possible. It’s time for all decent people in and out of the GOP to tell The Despicable Donald: “You’re Fired!”