Prison Radio
Mumia Abu-Jamal

Several months ago, I mentioned that the Republican Party has been morphed into the Trump Party.

That transformation is now complete.

Forces that stood against the real estate magnate have been silenced, shouted down, intimidated or purged.

When his last challenger, Texas senator, Ted Cruz, dared to suggest Republican voters should “vote [their] conscience”, yells of “Endorse Trump!” were followed by a chorus of boos when he failed to do so.

He and his wife were threatened by angry Trump conventioneers.

Republicans were rushed to the exits by enraged Trumpists.

The Republican National Convention was not a presidential event, but a celebration of ego, anger, bitter resentments and gross wealth.

It is the Party of Trump.

The very fact that he has done so is nothing short of remarkable.

Trump is, to be honest, a fair-weather Republican.

He is more laissez faire than conservative, and his victory over the party is the political equivalent of a hostile takeover in business. You buy a majority of shares, control the board of directors, and fire those you don’t want – or don’t need.

You loot the company—and leave it a corporate shell.

The Republican Party is but a shell of its former self.

It is hollow -an echo chamber of seething hatreds, mass ego, revenge fantasies and white nationalism.

It is the party of Goldwater, the party of Nixon, the party of Agnew, the party of thin-lipped anger at the change that has swept the nation since the 1960s.

The convention, if it showed anything, was the thin veneer of hatred and unity in contempt against Hillary Clinton.

It is united in fear and dread.

It is against everything.

It is for nothing – but he who has bought it, lock, stock, and barrel – Donald J. Trump.