Marjorie Taylor Greene | First One Through

The New York Times has used the 2022 election year to celebrate left-wing extremists and denounce right-wing political loons. Lost in their “elevated” twisted mindset is that one feeds the other and both are dangerous.

For its Sunday magazine on October 23, 2022, The Times featured Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The cover story with large spread was entitled “The Problem of Marjorie Taylor Greene.” The paper was clear that in their opinion, her insanity is not only bad for the Republican party, but for the nation as well, as her brand of crazy becomes mainstreamed.

The same could not be said of the paper’s handling of another extremist, a member of the left-wing “squad”, Rep. Rashida Tlaib. In March 2022, weeks before the Democratic primary, she was featured in the Times’ Sunday section under “What Rashida Tlaib Represents.” Her story was portrayed as one of courage, referring to her as someone “who has risen from adverse circumstances to play a significant role in American politics, most notably bringing greater awareness to the ongoing conflict over Palestine.” She was hailed as a hero fighting for the underdog, while the paper minimized her noxious anti-Semitism. She was not flagged appropriately as a lunatic nor did the paper convey that her toxic viewpoints are harmfully infecting the Democratic Party.

To be clear, both of these women are vile anti-Semites. Greene calls out the supposed evils of George Soros, the “Rothschilds” and Jew lasers from space starting forest fires. Meanwhile, Tlaib says that Jews in Israel and the United States instigate racism to make a profit. Both are embarrassments to the United States and a threat to the safety of millions.

But the jaundiced media serves red meat to its hungry base, as the vileness becomes so commonplace that congress doesn’t bother to censure it anymore.

The cycle of depravity is in full swing. The election of one extreme feeds the election at the other end of the spectrum in another part of the country. The celebration of Tlaib on the cover section of the Times and her socialist comrade Rep. Ilhan Omar on MSNBC, feeds the extremists of the far right media to their viewers and voters. And vice versa.

We have both Republican and Democratic extremists. Christians and Muslims. Blacks and Whites. Male and Female.

All should be shunned. All should be driven from office and positions of influence.

Alas, decency is in short supply.

Instead, we abandon reality for an exciting fantasy. We’ve allowed the media and social media to manufacture worthy false gods of noble superheroes and evil super-villains supposedly fighting for us and our entertainment, like a script in a Marvel comic book universe. In this version, we get to be avatars in the fiction, with likes and retweets.

To our own crippling detriment.

The adrenaline is now our elixir and desired end-state, as peace and stability have become discarded as outdated fictions that never existed. Tragically, we are woefully watching the destruction of a great society, and rather than demand a sharp pivot to the center, we remain transfixed, scrolling our screens for more.

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There is a growing movement for the U.S. Congress to look much like America. The argument goes that a representative government should resemble its constituents which would be better able to incorporate their perspectives when passing laws.

In the early years of American democracy, the halls of government were populated by White Christian men. Over time, women and Blacks were given the right to vote and ultimately began running for and winning seats in government.

The tapestry of America can be seen in a picture of the 117th Congress.

*Members of 117th Congress being sworn in, January 2021 (photo: Franmarie Metzler)*

In addition to outward appearance is the lived realities of people’s experiences, feelings and emotional state.

There are Americans who are mentally unstable. Who are racists and misogynists. Who are psychopaths, anti-Semites and abusers. These individuals are represented by members of Congress and are also members of Congress. It was true when America was only governed by White Christian men and is true now with people with a spectrum of backgrounds.

America’s government looks and thinks more like swaths of America.

Some of today’s notable anti-Semites in Washington, D.C. are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). While the passions of Jew haters have representation in government, are there enough people to properly represent Americans’ animosity towards Jews?

According to the Anti-Defamation League 2015 poll, 10% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs. With 100 senators and 435 members of the House, the right number of anti-Semites in government should be 53 politicians. The three infamous anti-Semites may stand out because they have to pull above their weight. Americans may crave more voices disparaging Jews. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) seemingly know as much, and are leaning in to be carried by the tailwinds of hate.

A Congress that speaks and votes like the worst parts of America thinks, is being showcased by Representatives Omar, Tlaib and Greene today. They are a mirror of the ugliest parts of our society. That frame will only widen and darken should we fail to collectively change course.