One more time: It's here, no waiting.

There's only one story. But it goes by many names.

The latest is Chris Christie, or "Sloppy Chris Christy," as the reptilian puerility in the White House calls him. Yesterday the former governor of New Jersey observed — not just said, observed — on ABC's "This Week" that Donald Trump has converted the Justice Department into a Himmlerlike persecution mill. Trump then confirmed Christie's observation by suggesting the governor's "criminal acts" be investigated.

Another name, John Bolton, or "Lowlife." The vulgarity of his persecution was rapidly displaced in the news by the profanity of Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook's persecution. Bolton's crime was, loosely, Christie's crime — the former national security adviser has made verboten observations of staggeringly obvious Social Truth: In the Oval Office there slithers a venomous punk of despotic malignity. Cook's crime — she understands economics and works accordingly.    

As did Erica McEntarfer, now "disappeared" from responsible government. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' former commissioner simply did her job, an unforgivable offense when Stalin's crop yield is less than desirable. The same goes for "obliterations" and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, now the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who, regrettably, could read a satellite-reconnaissance photo.

Others disappeared of late in Kruse's line of work include Gen. Timothy Haugh, who led the National Security Agency, chief of the Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, Naval Special Warfare Commands' Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, and David Allvin, Air Force chief of staff. One was the wrong gender; another was disliked by a social media banshee; others, mere collateral damage, the New Hegsethian Order.    

Moving along, there's Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant illegally deported to El Salvador, then hauled back to the U.S. and now facing removal to ... Uganda. The reason: When a despotic regime botches a targeted persecution, it doubles down. The lives of innocents are destroyed but convicted child sex traffickers helpful to the regime are given maximum consideration. Bang-bang Maxwell, Trump's silvery feather came down upon her head.

Yet others have names we will never remember; today they're in D.C., tomorrow they'll be in Chicago, Baltimore, wherever politics reigns blue — not red, black and white. The nameless are being apprehended for minor transgressions and charged with felonies; this by order of Washington.'s U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News fascist whom a colleague acknowledged was "crazy." Her much larger project, however, is to accustom citizens to the presence of a police state.   

The names of distinguished universities we do know, of course; each — and more to come — persecuted into aligning with Trump's dystopian ignorance. Law firms are threatened into submission and pro bono work; major businesses are extorted and others are being sucked into Trump's economically ruinous system of state capitalism.

All of these stories (and many others) go by different names, but they fall under one: authoritarianism. The America we knew is gone; conscientious Americans should countenance none of this "creeping fascism" horseshit hustled by the milquetoast major press; and inattentive Americans must wake up and ask themselves why it takes an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago to see reality:

"As somebody who bought into American ideals and America’s vaunted Constitution, I can’t articulate how disappointed I am in lawmakers and the American people" — because so many of her fellow citizens are sleeping through the greatest crisis this nation has ever endured.

We shall not break out of it until the American people say Enough. And then do something about it. We can get to the options later. First we must get to that word.

* This piece is cross-posted at my Substack page; subscribe to be notified of new posts, no cost.