That’s what Iowa Republicans have to offer.
They’re not only trying to sell us snake oil, now they want us to have snake plates. Following George Lakoff’s framing and messaging rule #1 – never present the other side’s images or framing – I won’t post a picture of the snake flag that Iowa Rs want on license plates, you’ve all seen it. If you haven’t you can easily google it.
The Iowa House voted 60-34 to pass House File 2639, which allows the Iowa Department of Transportation to issue custom Iowa license plates with the “Gadsden Flag,” which was designed during the Revolutionary War but also later a symbol for the confederacy during the civil war (which was about slavery). The snake flag was proudly carried by several January 6th insurrectionists, before that the tea party, and now MAGAs everywhere.
The ship came from Savannah, where secessionists had embraced multiple variations on Christopher Gadsden’s Colonial flag after the election of Abraham Lincoln, eager to promote their cause as a second American Revolution.
So of course this is a MUST HAVE for Iowa MAGAs. And aren’t we all looking forward to the daily sightings of Trumpsters driving around showing off their lovely snake license plates, reminding us on a daily basis of what our state has sadly become, a crazy, messed up hellscape, but most of all that we can never for a moment forget THEY ARE IN CHARGE.
Todd Dorman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette had this to say:
But there is something comical about forking over $50 annually to the government to put an anti-government symbol on your truck. Money raised will go for Second Amendment training conducted by the Iowa Firearms Coalition, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association. The coalition is the only group supporting the bill.
Given the power of MAGA Republicans in Iowa, it seems clear. The venom runs in their veins. This is a GOP regime that treads on rights of women and LGBTQ Iowans, wants to dictate school curriculum, ban books and use “religious freedom” to void the freedoms of others. They promote “Don’t Tread On Me” while leaving footprints on the backs of thousands of Iowans.”
My take on it is this.
The plates are a form of propaganda. As observed in the remarkable, award winning documentary about the rise of right wing media in the U.S., The Brainwashing of My Dad, propaganda is a primary tool used by evil scoundrels like Adolph Hitler and Trump. Mass propaganda is important to create a constant impression that the minority is in the majority. That they are not only all powerful but that they are “everywhere.”
I wrote a movie review about the Brainwashing documentary you can read by clicking on the link below. Here is part of the relevant excerpt:
“The film outlines recognizable tactics: 1 – lie and skew; 2 – create confusion and doubt; 3 – blame and divide; 4 – brand and label; 5 – language and framing; 6 – fear mongering and use of emotion; 7 – bullying and shaming; 8 – in your face! (it’s everywhere); 9 – non-verbal manipulation.”
The film describes each of these tactics in detail. If you haven’t seen it yet, now would be a great time to check it out. It is also a book available on Amazon and elsewhere.
Blog For Iowa 
Apart from the other issues, I seriously resent this negative image of snakes. Most snake species in Iowa are officially listed as endangered, threatened, or declining. As a several-decade rural Iowan, I see fewer snakes every year. And most snakes are harmless if they are left alone, and are considered beneficial to humans. Iowa has only a few tiny rattlesnake populations, and I guarantee they aren’t looking for trouble and pay no attention to politics. Seeing this plate on the road will be another reminder of how Iowa is changing for the worse.
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True, Republicans give snakes a bad name.
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