Updated With Answers -- Pop Quiz: Who Said...

The question was, where and when was the following complaint registered?

"...and amazingly, I think we still have a failure of imagination. We still don't believe that it can get so much worse than it is.  And people still see some of the stuff that _________ says as being alarmist and exaggerations.  Well god, you were saying that about everything that has come true for the past _______. And at what point do we finally believe, yeah, it can keep getting worse?  It can be a lot worse than it is right now."

The answer:  it was at The Lincoln Project.

First there comes Dire Warning:

Reed Galen:  There was a guy in Germany -- and we always make connections back to German -- I guy named Martin Niemöller.  And he's most famous for this quotation:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Then comes the time-line

Reed Galen:  So I guess my question here guys is, how do we get Americans fired up about the political process?  That what we're seeing, regardless of what the next outrage is, is worthy of standing up and saying "Absolutely not.  Not one step back.  not one step further back."?  How do we do that?  You know everyone says, "Well, I'm exhausted."  OK.  That's fine.  My guess is you're not as exhausted as an ICU nurse or someone who had to work two shifts at Wal-Mart, but OK, you're exhausted.  I get it.  The last year and a half has been incredibly difficult. How do we get anybody to care?

For some people, Reed -- for a lot of people -- it hasn't been an exhausting year and a half.  It's been an exhausting 20 years or 30 years or 40 years.  Because first they came for the African-Americans, and I did not speak out because Welfare Queens were are a useful political weapon.  Then they came for the mouthy women and the unions and the mooching poor, and I did not speak out because hating them was a politically useful weapon.  Then they came for the Liberals , and I did not speak out because Liberals are icky and hippie punching always works. Then they came for me and suddenly I took this shit seriously.

Also, Reed, if you're going to reach into the rhetoric bag and come up with "Not one step back.  not one step further back", you should share with your listeners that this quote is from Order No. 227 issued by Joseph Stalin, as the Nazis advances into Russian territory. The order also declared, “Panic makers and cowards must be liquidated on the spot."

Then this, from guest Lisa Senecal:  

Lisa Senecal:  Yeah, I mean it's hard.  And people are exhausted.  And I get that, but my god, you can either get more exhausted now and work your ass off between now and the midterm elections, or you can be permanently exhausted watching what has happened to our country and living under the type of laws that are getting passed in Texas.  Or with leaders like Ron DeSantis in Florida.  This is where we're headed.

Then comes an itemized list of the huge failings of the media to report on individual atrocities while refusing to add them all up and talk about what the movement that is driving all it is all about.

Then comes the answer to our pop quiz:

Lisa Senecal:  ...and amazingly, I think we still have a failure of imagination. We still don't believe that it can get so much worse than it is.  And people still see some of the stuff that The Lincoln Project says as being alarmist and exaggerations.  Well god, you were saying that about everything that has come true for the past couple of years. And at what point do we finally believe, "Yeah, it can keep getting worse."?  It can be a lot worse than it is right now.  We have countries we can look at right now and see how much worse it can get... There are so many example of what this turns into.  And I think unless we're painting that picture for people all the time.  This is how bad it can get. This is what the future looks like if we don't stand up. I think people have to understand what the end game is. And we have to make sure that's clear. 

The Lincoln Project complaining that their Dire Warnings are being dismissed as alarmist is hilarious.

But limiting the time horizon for those Dire Warnings being self0evident to "the past couple of years" is what makes it Art.

Burn The Lifeboats