@Builder,
Builder wrote:oralloy wrote:I prefer to not have my civil liberties violated.
Very fortunate that you're not living in Palestine.
Preventing Palestinians from murdering innocent people does not violate their civil liberties.
@hightor,
Another great piece, hightor.
Quote:What matters about Trump, from the perspective of a scholar of rhetoric, isn’t actually that he uses demagoguery. What matters is that his rise to power was fueled by a demagoguery that reflected the racist, xenophobic, misogynist, and authoritarian values of the GOP—values that previously had surfaced only in dog whistles. Trump didn’t bother with the dog whistles. He just said it. And the GOP media machine didn’t condemn him for it. They justified it, promoted it, and repeated it.
Precisely.
@blatham,
The left's tendency to falsely accuse everyone of racism and misogyny is pretty silly.
I've been thinking that maybe folks on the right are onto something in criticizing Hollywood types. This is something of a new idea for me, I confess. But it seems simply undeniable that America began its toilet-trajectory with Reagan.
Ed Kilgore is no dummy
Quote:Trump’s Border Rhetoric Is Overblown, But Democrats Still Need a Solution
...But there is one subtopic where most Democrats have largely been silent (or simply critical of Trump, particularly for his administration’s treatment of minors separated from their families) and may be divided: the surge of migrants, mostly from violence-plagued Central American countries, appearing at the U.S.-Mexico border. Yes, Trump’s apocalyptic rhetoric about the problem is vastly overblown. But he’s not making up the problem itself. And Democrats who might otherwise support steps toward stronger enforcement of the rules governing asylum requests (e.g., more time to hold migrants while processing their petitions) don’t want to look like they are emboldening the administration’s inhumane treatment of migrants, and are vulnerable to angry criticism from other Democrats who believe immigration enforcement needs to be generally relaxed...
NYMag
And of course America is not the only nation facing growing pressure from mass migration. Further, this is only going to get worse as the myriad consequences of climate change increase. I'm convinced that this present turn in the West towards dictatorial regimes (with supporting propaganda mechanisms) is a consequence of these growing pressures. The rise of ethnic nationalism along with growing threats of violence (Breitbart's "I hope the left starts something because we have all the guns" or Trump's recent allusion to soldiers using machine guns at the southern border to handle the immigrant problems) is a very bad sign.
I fear this is all going to get much worse. And unfortunately, where we might have expected or hoped for western notions of democracy, sympathy for the downtrodden and international cooperation to help stave off such authoritarian urges, it is increasingly apparent that many western nations are now themselves worsening the problem.
@blatham,
Quote:it seems simply undeniable that America began its toilet-trajectory with Reagan
You're a slow learner, kid. The MSM has been demonising anyone they're told to by the cabal. The US of A (and Australia) have been conditioned to condemn and hate anyone the cabal tells them to.
Terms like "gook" and "Viet cong" and "slopehead" and "towel head" and "sand nigger" ring any bells for you Blatham?
Movies have been made on these concepts, and glorified as iconic period pieces.
Seems like you're just waking up now.
But then, you're in gory bag's stable, so nothing surprises me about your rhetoric.
@blatham,
Quote: Further, this is only going to get worse as the myriad consequences of climate change increase.
This is one of the points I've been harping on (apologies to A2K) ever since the refugee problem in Europe ballooned into a crisis. It's all nice for the pope to talk about love and brotherhood but fear and racism are only part of the problem. The whole damn planet is about to undergo (in a geological time frame) a radical shift in climate, major extinctions of plant and animal species, rising sea levels, and in a pathetic footnote, human beings will be uprooted and mightily inconvenienced. Asylum laws should be studied and changed where needed. And, as much as I hate to echo Mr. Trump, "birth tourism" deserves a review as well.
Concerning Central America (or the "Mexican nations" as Mr. Trump says) I'd like to hear a politician call for a Marshall Plan to begin undoing the economic and social damage which has been inflicted on these countries by the tragic history of imperial conquest and the ravages of 20th century capitalist exploitation. You know, after we find out what happened to Mrs. Clinton's 30,000 missing e-mails.
Wish I'd seen this article by Robert Reich yesterday....
Today at a Rose Garden ceremony belatedly celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon, President Trump said he regretted that thousands of children were still being held in custody at the U.S.-Mexican border, many without adequate medical care. “It is a tragedy, and I am totally responsible,” he said. He went on to say “I created a crisis at the border solely to fuel my base of supporters, for no reason other than my own political survival.”
After an awkward moment of silence, Mr. Trump said “I have lied again and again to the American people – about voting irregularities in the 2016 election, about the motives of my Democratic critics in Congress, and, yes, about my knowledge of and agreement to Putin’s role in helping me become president.” Wiping his eyes, Mr. Trump then commenced a string of apologies. “I apologize for criticizing the FBI and Justice Department when they were only trying to do their jobs,” he said. “I apologize for calling the press ‘enemies of the people,’” and “I apologize for criticizing judges who I disagreed with but were working honorably within our Constitutional system of checks and balances.”
Mr. Trump went on to express regret for “personally profiting from my presidency, and for appointing people – including my daughter and son-in-law -- who have also profited from their offices.” He also said "I should never have tried to end the Affordable Care Act, on which millions of Americans depend." Turning to foreign policy, he said “I should never have praised blood-thirsty dictators while criticizing America’s traditional friends around the world.”
Then, nearly breaking down, Mr. Trump expressed remorse “for sowing hate and division” in America.” He said “I have put a cloud over this presidency and disgraced this great country, for which I will be ashamed for the rest of my life.” He then announced he was resigning the presidency effective immediately. “I hope my decision begins a process of healing,” he said, brushing away tears. “I hope April 1, 2019 will be remembered as the day I came clean.”
@blatham,
Quote:And the GOP media machine didn’t condemn him for it. They justified it, promoted it, and repeated it.
I resent that more than I resent Trump and that is saying something. I should also add, GOP's in congress and of course, Trump's die hard loyalist who are just like him. It is as though we are living in a comic book and the villains have become the heroes.
@revelette1,
Quote:Congressional Democrats are right to demand the full report – but they are wrong to ask the attorney general to violate the law. Instead, they should learn from the lessons of Watergate and the example of Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski and House Judiciary Chair Peter Rodino. They should demand the full report but only for their own use. They should use it as a road map for their own investigation. And they should not wait.
That would make sense if they were investigating actual wrongdoing. But since they are grandstanding over nothing and there is nothing to investigate, their purposes are best served by throwing loud and public temper tantrums.
@hightor,
Yes. A clear-eyed view of future probabilities has been leading me to actively consider spending my final years in a convent run by the Weed Nuns.
@revelette1,
Oh yes. If it was just Trump, things might be fine. But for so many Republicans/conservatives to backstop this sociopath is damned scary.
@blatham,
Your ancestors are from Berne/Switzerland? (The Bernese are famous for their "slightly" less speedy way of speaking, understanding and getting things done in general...)
Who might have predicted such a thing?!
Quote:Trump Punts, Says GOP Will Unveil Health Care Plan ‘Right After The Election’
TPM
And the suckers are gonna suck it in and exclaim, "This bullshit tastes delicious!"
@blatham,
blatham wrote:
Who might have predicted such a thing?!
Quote:Trump Punts, Says GOP Will Unveil Health Care Plan ‘Right After The Election’
TPM
And the suckers are gonna suck it in and exclaim, "This bullshit tastes delicious!"
Do you think the Democrats are going to present a plan strong enough to wrest the presidency?
