tRump’s Choice of Madison Square Garden for rally
Why is hatred so easily kindled?
So sorry for empty post! I’m still figuring out how Substack works; I hit next in app expecting my second entry was the tagline, but it posted the empty article?? I’m doing this on an iPad, and just realized using the website in a chrome tab works much better for me than the app, because it actually pastes pictures and links that I copy from gmail or other apps, while the Substack app deletes all but text.
Often my morning musings and topical research start as a response to a friend’s email and then after blabbering about my concerns and feelings, and citing other sources & evocative pictures, it occurs to me - I should post this on Substack! duh. 🙄
Please hang with me today as this is a bit long, but topics all connect and reinforce each other. So here’s an outline of how this flows:
Trigger was tRump’s rally plan introduced by Michael Tomasky’s post
Some additional info & video links about American Bund Rally he mentions.
Pivot on question about possible Nazi Symbolism is upcoming rally - were there swastikas in the Scare’s “Nazi” rally scene in The Lion King? IE, we don’t need it to be explicit to get the quotation!
Which leads us to the lyrics of Be Prepared, which echo tRump so eerily:
Be king undisputed
Respected, saluted,
And seen for the wonder I am
Playing to the electorate. Politics, or at least getting elected is a social phenomenon. Sad but true.
Michael Tomasky on the planned tRump Rally at the Garden:
But before we get to that, let’s just pause to note the creepy historical echo of a neofascist rally taking place at Madison Square Garden, because there was one of those before, and it’s the first thing I (and I’m sure many other people) thought of when I heard this news. I mean the famous rally held in the Garden (then a completely different building, but still named Madison Square Garden) on February 20, 1939, by the German American Bund and its leader, Fritz Kuhn.
This is a bit of history all Americans should know about! It garnered 20,000 supporters to attend, filling the big venue.
Uh huh , Pro-American, only for "true" Patriots.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Nazi_rally_at_Madison_Square_Garden
Note the swastikas on the banners framed by the striped banners, and yes, George Washington in the middle. Note the swastikas on the banners framed by the striped banners, and yes, George Washington in the middle.
PBS Short with newsreel footage of rally:
American Bund history / background short:
Be curious to see how much/often the tRump rally at the Garden echos the Bund rally. Reminds me of a scene in The Lion King when Scare rallied the Hyenas to take over the kingdom.
This song fits tRump so, so well! Here’s an a propos excerpt:
Be king undisputed
Respected, saluted
And seen for the wonder I am
Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared
Be prepared
(See below for full lyrics)
The Lion King, Scare presents, Be Prepred:
- only direct quote of Hitler I noticed was the goose stepping of the troops. Beyond that it was just allusions; the red against the black, and the tall vertical staging and perspective, on echoing power.
Be Prepared Song with video of Hitler groups marching:
Be Prepared,
Lyrics
I never thought hyenas essential
They're crude and unspeakably plain
But maybe they've a glimmer of potential
If allied to my vision and brain
I know that your powers of retention
Are as wet as a warthog's backside
But thick as you are, pay attention
My words are a matter of pride
It's clear from your vacant expressions
The lights are not all on upstairs
But we're talking kings and successions
Even you can't be caught unawares
So prepare for a chance of a lifetime
Be prepared for sensational news
A shining new era
Is tiptoeing nearer
And where do we feature?
Just listen to teacher
I know it sounds sordid
But you'll be rewarded
When at last I am given my dues
And injustice deliciously squared
Be prepared
Yeah, be prepared, we'll be prepared
For what?
For the death of the king
Why is he sick?
No fool, we're gonna kill him and Simba too
Great idea, who needs a king?
No king, no king, la-la-la-la-la-la
Idiots, there will be a king
Eh, but you said
I will be king
Stick with me and you'll never go hungry again
Yay, (alright) alright, long live the king
Long live the king
Long live the king
It's great that we'll soon be connected
With a king who'll be all-time adored
Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected
To take certain duties on board
The future is littered with prizes
And though I'm the main addressee
The point that I must emphasize is
You won't get a sniff without me
So prepare for the coup of the century
Be prepared for the murkiest scam
Meticulous planning
Tenacity spanning
Decades of denial
Is simply why I'll
Be king undisputed
Respected, saluted
And seen for the wonder I am
Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared
Be prepared
Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared
Be prepared
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Elton John / Tim Rice
Be Prepared lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company