In the wake of the 2016 election, when well-meaning people were trying to understand voters who opted for Donald Trump, a common explanation was economic: Trump voters were people who were economically fragile, worried about job security, etc.
Subsequent research has pretty conclusively disproved that excuse.
As my youngest son said at the time, there were two–and only two–groups of people who voted for Donald Trump: those who shared and applauded his obvious racism; and those for whom his racism was not disqualifying.
Over the past months, as Trump’s dog-whistles have morphed into explicitly racist rhetoric, people in the mental health field have suggested that his recent tweets are evidence of his continuing mental decline. Others disagree; in a recent column, Thomas Edsall suggests it is strategic–that Trump is “ramping up” his racist base.
Democrats heading into the 2020 election need to determine just how monolithically racist the GOP has become. Are there still some Republicans who can be persuaded to leave the dark side, or have virtually all voters who still identify as Republican become part of Trump’s White Nationalist cult?
John Kane, a political scientist at N.Y.U. and a co-author of a new paper, “Ingroup Lovers or Outgroup Haters? The Social Roots of Trump Support and Partisan Identity,” is among the activists and scholars examining these challenges. In an email, Kane described Trump’s lock on a key set of voters: “For Republicans that absolutely loathe and detest” such progressive constituencies as minorities, immigrants and members of the LGBT community, Kane wrote, “an appeal from Democratic Party elite is likely to be dismissed out of hand.”
Among Republicans more sympathetic to these liberal groups, Kane continued, “the share that could, under any circumstances, actually vote for a Democrat is quite small, below 10 percent, and this is likely concentrated among those who only weakly identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.”
“Loathing for progressive constituencies” is academic language for hating “those people.”
Edsell quotes another scholar for the proposition that Trump is campaigning “largely on issues of white identity”–issues that include not just racism, but misogyny, anti-Semitism and homophobia. Fear and hatred of “the other.” (And if you aren’t a Christian white guy, you are definitely “other.”)
All of which helps explain Trump’s shift to rolling back gay and lesbian rights, for example, after many decades of supporting just those causes.
In the midst of the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump described himself as a “real friend” of the LGBTQ community. Since taking office, however, the Trump administration has argued that the 1964 Civil Rights Act rights law does not protect gay workers from discrimination and that transgender people should be barred from military service.
There is an underlying political logic to the switch from Trump’s campaign stance to his policies once he won the White House. As he heads into the 2020 election, his “base,” the voters essential to his re-election, are hostile not only to gay men and lesbians, but to racial and ethnic minorities as well. (emphasis mine.)
Trump’s political survival now depends on catering to — indeed, inflaming — those hostilities.
The studies that Edsell quotes–studies which join the virtually unanimous conclusions of other researchers–confirm that the president’s supporters are driven by hatred of African-Americans, Hispanics, Muslim-Americans, Jews, and the LGBTQ community.
Clearly, Trump benefits immensely from hostility to African-Americans, to Hispanics and to gay men and lesbians. If he is an expert at anything, it is at exploiting and generating hostility. Trump’s relentless derogation of racial and ethnic minorities, his support for the anti-abortion movement and his right-wing appointments to the judiciary, reflect his political dependence on a key bloc of his loyalists, white born again and evangelical Christians.
These voters, in turn, have demonstrated exceptional determination to use the ballot box to protect their beliefs, values and prejudices from liberal challenge.
The 2020 election is shaping up to be a contest between the party of White Nationalists and the rest of us.
As Max Boot–a former Republican– recently wrote in the Washington Post:
There is nothing — nothing — more important in the United States than racism. Where you stand on that one issue defines who you are as a human being. Silence is complicity. All Republicans who stand mute in the face of Trump’s latest racism are telling you who they really are. It’s an ugly picture of a morally bankrupt party that has now embraced racial prejudice as a platform.
We need to listen to what the research tells us. Democrats are not going to peel off votes from Trump’s Republican base. Those voters are lost to us–and to the America we thought we inhabited.
In order to decisively defeat White Nationalism, we have to mobilize the Americans who didn’t bother to vote in 2016.
The haters will vote. We must outvote them–massively.
You don’t beat FASCISM with elections. When did that ever happen?
Mobilize and *unite*. Aside from Russian interference (likely), the one thing that will allow him to win again is a divided left. If progressives insist on the ‘perfect’ candidate, or again dilute our power as a group by voting on principle as in 2016, for green party or other clearly un-electable candidates, it’s another 4 years of this. Uniting at the polls with the sole goal of beating him is imperative, whoever the candidate is. We know that his supporters will vote as a block, and despite their being a clear minority, without a united left, he will win – thanks to our self-righteousness and arrogance… thinking he can’t possibly win… which is exactly how we ended up here in the first place.
We’ve elected a Fascist or worse as our President. Face up to it. The Democratic Party is self-destructing. It is worthless as a defense.
Mobilize and *unite*. Aside from Russian interference (likely), the one thing that will allow him to win again is a divided left. If progressives insist on the ‘perfect’ candidate, or dilute our power as a group by voting on principle as in 2016, for green party or other clearly un-electable candidates, it’s another 4 years of this. Uniting at the polls with the sole goal of beating him is imperative, whoever the candidate is. We know that his supporters will vote as a block, and despite their being a clear minority, without a united left, he will win – thanks to our self-righteousness and arrogance… thinking he can’t possibly win… which is exactly how we ended up here in the first place.
It’s a crying shame that the Jews of Nazi Germany failed to have a resolution passed against anti-Semitism aimed at Adolph Hitler. What a tragic mistake!
The comment that the evangelicals want “to use the ballot box to protect their beliefs, values and prejudices from liberal challenge” does not go far enough. Along with protecting their beliefs goes the imposition of those beliefs on everyone else.
“…there were two–and only two–groups of people who voted for Donald Trump: those who shared and applauded his obvious racism; and those for whom his racism was not disqualifying.”
Racism is a mental condition which feeds off of people’s hatred and fears; Trump has called the worst of them out from under their rocks to appoint to highest levels of power in our government and has enticed the lower levels to support him in his war against Americans who do not share his hatred and fear or meet his qualifications to be worthy of his leadership. His mental instability is recognized by thinking Americans and touted by his screaming White Nationalist supporters as reason to support him…believing he will support them when he is in fact using them to maintain his narcissistic ego and to increase his wealth.
I will again quote from Bandy Lee, M.D., who compiled the book, “The Dangerous Case Of Donald Trump”: “His madness is catching, too. From the trauma people have experienced under the Trump administration to the cult-like characteristics of his followers, he has created unprecedented mental health consequences across our nation and beyond.” “It’s not in our heads. It’s in his.”
“The 2020 election is shaping up to be a contest between the party of White Nationalists and the rest of us.”
“In order to decisively defeat White Nationalism, we have to mobilize the Americans who didn’t bother to vote in 2016.”
I will repeat my election mantra again here and as often in the future anytime and anywhere it MIGHT be heard, understood and heeded. WE CANNOT VOTE IN THE 2020 ELECTION THIS YEAR; WE MUST VOTE IN THE 2019 NOVEMBER ELECTION TO BEGIN CLEARING THE WAY TO ELECT A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. MAINTAINING REPUBLICAN CONGRESS AND REPUBLICAN STATES AT THEIR CURRENT LEVELS WILL NOT ELECT A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT NEXT YEAR.
We cannot rebuild this government from the top – down; we must rebuild it from the bottom- up. That old typing exercise just came to mind; “Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country.”
Marv has a good point but Americans are too fragile to march or revolt against our fascist masters. Hell, the divide and conquer strategies, thanks to our propaganda media still works in this country.
Can you imagine if all the news networks were on the same page??
We might accomplish something. However, they’re not and we’re not.
Joe Biden is great for 2008 but not for 2020. This country has moved past Joe and his Wall Street cronies. We need someone who plans to tilt the needle into the hands of the economically fragile.
Centrists will have to make up their minds…vote for Trump or vote for economic change. There is no middle under fascist rule.
Todd,
“Marv has a good point but Americans are too fragile to march or revolt against our fascist masters.”
When did I recommend march or revolt? You communicate the TRUTH. Deitrich Bonhoeffer would call it CIVIC COURAGE.
We don’t need the Democratic Party to do that. For one thing, they can’t do it. They’re just another arm or tentacle of the ruling oligarchy, ever since the election of Bill Clinton and his “triangulation” strategy.
Kudos to Representative Omar for her response to the crowd chants of, “Send her back!” No one quite captures the essence of our better angels than Maya Angelou.
About 1/3 of us are racists. That should make it easy to defeat a racist, right? Wrong! When 1/3 of us don’t vote, they enable the racists to take control. We have to remember that one person, one vote doesn’t apply to our elections. Right now the system is skewed to the benefit of non-urban America. We have a lot of work to do to fix this.
I see two separate countries emerging from this mess. Why do the Koch Bros. Uphold this as they are Jewish? Do they want the same type of America as Republicans?
I would have hope for us if this wave of fascism was limited to the United States. I would even believe that an election of two would put us back on a course to human advancement. But fascism is on the march everywhere these days as mankind awakens to the deadly mess we have made of our world. Simple answers to complicated problems appeals to millions.
We have over-bred, over consumed, and over weaponized ourselves. Each of the three most powerful countries in the world (China, United States and Russia) are battling to control the others and with that control rule the world. Despite words to the contrary, not one of the great powers has the best interests of the people of the planet at heart.
Alicia,
Are you kidding? The Koch Brothers are the furthest thing from being Jewish. They could sue you for that. You must be thinking of the former mayor of New York who was Jewish.
This “wave of fascism” started in the U.S. We’re responsible for this world-wide mess. Thus, we’re the only ones who can START to change its momentum……. by neutralizing both Donald Trump and Steve Bannon.
We have a serious INTELLIGENCE GAP. Until that gap is “plugged” the present political situation will continue to deteriorate.
Gerald Stinson on a previous discussion here recommended Dr. Jonathan Metzi’s The Dying of Whiteness. I ordered a copy and currently reading. Very insightful.
I don’t blame the resentment that many of you have had against me for the past four years. It probably includes Professor Kennedy. If I were in your shoes, I would be right with you. But I’m not.
I observed this disaster coming since 1961 and have lived my life accordingly. I overheard my father’s telephone conversation with Senator Estes Kefauver from Tennessee, the so-called: FATHER OF CIVIL RIGHTS. Kefauver was making veiled threats against him for breaking the color barrier in college football in the “Deep South. My father was the Selection Chairman for the 1961 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville and convinced the 100 members of his committee to invite Penn State, as an opponent of Georgia Tech, even though they had one Black player: Dave Robinson. I was his strategist.
There never was a good faith effort to integrate and I’ve known that thru all these years. Ultimate fascism has always been the objective from the Koch Brothers, the Bush Family, et al.
Trump and Bannon are just a couple of “lowlife hijackers.” They have no idea of what has transpired in the past which could affect their efforts in a negative way.
So, Marv, what do you propose to defeat/mute Trump & Bannon? If elections don’t stop fascism, what, in this country, is the alternative? Maybe the real assassins of JFK can offer a solution for you.
This statement confirms so much: “John Kane, a political scientist at N.Y.U. and a co-author of a new paper, “Ingroup Lovers or Outgroup Haters? The Social Roots of Trump Support and Partisan Identity,” is among the activists and scholars examining these challenges. In an email, Kane described Trump’s lock on a key set of voters: “For Republicans that absolutely loathe and detest” such progressive constituencies as minorities, immigrants and members of the LGBT community, Kane wrote, “an appeal from Democratic Party elite is likely to be dismissed out of hand.”
There is a retired FBI agent I’ve had the utter displeasure of knowing for the last 10 years who has continuously beat the drum against anything even hinting at liberalism. He has openly hated Obama (While saying what a loving Christian he is) from day #1. As the Trump circus entered the tent, his state of hatred has basically paralleled that of the Trump administration. His attacks on anything and anybody liberal goes back to Teddy Kennedy’s problems at Martha’s Vineyard. If the news cycle doesn’t provide him with fresh meat, he digs into the right wing extremist and white supremacist rubbish and passes it off as gospel (All the while saying what a loving Christian he is.). This guy is the epitome of the ingrained racist hate in this country and especially among those who are (literally, I think) hard-wired to be so. And this asshole is a former law enforcement officer. Beware of the these people. They could become violent at any moment.
So, Marv, what do you propose to defeat/mute Trump & Bannon? If elections don’t stop fascism, what, in this country, is the alternative?
This statement confirms so much: “John Kane, a political scientist at N.Y.U. and a co-author of a new paper, “Ingroup Lovers or Outgroup Haters? The Social Roots of Trump Support and Partisan Identity,” is among the activists and scholars examining these challenges. In an email, Kane described Trump’s lock on a key set of voters: “For Republicans that absolutely loathe and detest” such progressive constituencies as minorities, immigrants and members of the LGBT community, Kane wrote, “an appeal from Democratic Party elite is likely to be dismissed out of hand.”
There is a retired FBI agent I’ve had the utter displeasure of knowing for the last 10 years who has continuously beat the drum against anything even hinting at liberalism. He has openly hated Obama (While saying what a loving Christian he is) from day #1. As the Trump circus entered the tent, his state of hatred has basically paralleled that of the Trump administration. His attacks on anything and anybody liberal goes back to Teddy Kennedy’s problems at Martha’s Vineyard. If the news cycle doesn’t provide him with fresh meat, he digs into the right wing extremist and white supremacist rubbish and passes it off as gospel (All the while saying what a loving Christian he is.). This guy is the epitome of the ingrained racist hate in this country and especially among those who are (literally, I think) hard-wired to be so. And this asshole is a former law enforcement officer. Beware of the these people. They could become violent at any moment.
Vernon,
“So, Marv, what do you propose to defeat/mute Trump & Bannon? If elections don’t stop fascism, what, in this country, is the alternative? Maybe the real assassins of JFK can offer a solution for you.”
I appreciate you removing part of your statement about me. Resentment can make one extremely irrational.
How do I go about removing my recommendation for your book?
Vernon,
Your description of the FBI agent that is extremely hateful while claiming to be a good Christian is exactly the type of repubs that I live among in my rural area of Indiana.
They are the type of people who have caused many of us to leave our churches and have made it very clear to the younger generations that organized religion is full of hateful people that are more interested in controlling others and demeaning anyone who doesn’t fit into whatever bible verses they choose to ignorantly weaponize.
Thank goodness these people are dying off. Unfortunately, that isn’t happening quickly enough to stop the damage they are inflicting on our country.
Pascal de Caprariis @ 7:27 am Accurate comment: > > The comment that the evangelicals want “to use the ballot box to protect their beliefs, values and prejudices from liberal challenge” does not go far enough. Along with protecting their beliefs goes the imposition of those beliefs on everyone else.
There is addition to these “religious beliefs” the nationalistic war mongering, flag waving and the ready solution to violence against those in opposition to them.
One common thread is the boot licking of Male Authoritarian figures and the subservience of females.
From an article I read:
Medicare for All, student debt cancellation, tuition-free college, and a Green New Deal — all policies members of the Squad ( Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar) have championed — are enormously popular with the public, though Trump and Pelosi, for different reasons, have resisted them.
You are not going to turn these evangelicals and other believers in President Agent Orange and Pastor Pence into voting for Democrats. Democrats are the manifestation of Satan on Earth according to the Rabid Right.
The fight will be for Democrats to Vote and Independents to Vote for Democrats. I do not see Corporate Joe Biden generating any enthusiasm his platform is to return to yesterday. The Wall Street Corporate Democrats are not going to give up their power without a fight. The fear I have is Corporate Democrats will undercut the Progressives and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Marv,
It’s nothing personal. I’m as frustrated as you are, but just saying Trump has to go without a cogent solution adds nothing to the conversation.
If you want to remove your recommendation or condemn my book, knock yourself out. I don’t live on my royalties.
Marv; how do you go about removing your recommendation for Vernon’s book? Simply accuse him of veiled threats against you and post another document, page and line numbers, as you have accused John Grisham since the late 1990’s. I watched the movie, “The Chamber”, scenes from the Klan gathering and legal issues are vivid reminders that little has changed regarding law and politics in the south.
I will echo Vernon’s question; what DO you propose to defeat/mute Trump and Bannon? I will add McConnell to that list for he currently holds the power to stop Trump as he did President Obama with his covert White Nationalist denial of Constitutional rights of the President. That scrawny-necked Kentuckian now uses that same White Nationalist power overtly to deny the Constitution to boost Trump’s Fascism.
From Common Dreams Web Site:
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday will deliver a Medicare for All speech calling on 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to join him in rejecting campaign donations from insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists, executives, and PACs.
“You can’t change a corrupt system by taking its money,” Sanders will say in the address.
“Taking the pledge means that a politician or candidate’s campaign will adopt a policy to not knowingly accept any contributions over $200 from the PACs, lobbyists, or executives of health insurance or pharmaceutical companies,” according to Sanders’s website. “The pledge does not apply to rank-and-file workers employed by pharmaceutical giants and health insurance companies.”
According to financial disclosures, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg are among the 2020 presidential candidates who have accepted campaign donations from healthcare executives.
ust hours after launching his campaign in April, as Common Dreams reported at the time, Biden attended a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by Daniel Hilferty, the CEO of insurance giant Independence Blue Cross—a company covered by Sanders’s pledge.
Biden—an opponent of Medicare for All who called support for such a plan a “sin”—has also received large donations from pharmaceutical behemoths Merck & Co. and Gilead Sciences, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/17/cant-change-corrupt-system-taking-its-money-sanders-urges-all-2020-democrats-reject?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email
You don’t defeat hate by getting hate to switch parties. The quarrelsome on your own side must agree to vote against it and that didn’t happen in 2016.
There will be blood! Nationalistic fascism (Nazi-ism) is rampant in the United States. Lebensraum, one of the Nazi tenants was acquired from the United States. Basically that the Aryan race, should have the room to expand, at the expense of all others. Eugenics was not a product of Germany, in the American progressive era (1890s-1920s) eugenics was used to preserve the dominant ethnic group in the United States and purifying it. This was co-opted by the Nazis in Germany later on (many years later). Of course, the United States had a groundswell of Nazis and Nazi sympathizers before the 2nd world war, they were the Bund. The Bund was the Nazi party in the United States, mostly made up of, but not limited to, first-generation Americans and German immigrants. The United turned boatloads full of Jewish immigrants around to their death before the United States entered the 2nd world war. During the 2nd world war the German Bund in the United States disbanded, they didn’t leave the country, where did they go? Those were the seeds of a lot of current white supremacist organizations in this country. And of course, we had the KKK who came to being during the Jim Crow era. Let’s look at the movie birth of a nation which promoted by upper levels of this government including Pres. Woodrow Wilson who after watching the movie at the White House said There will be blood! Nationalistic fascism (Nazi-ism) is rampant in the United States. Lebensraum, one of the Nazi tenants was acquired from the United States. Basically that the Aryan race, should have the room to expand, at the expense of all others. Eugenics was not a product of Germany, in the American progressive era (1890s-1920s) eugenics was used to preserve the dominant ethnic group in the United States and purifying it. This was co-opted by the Nazis in Germany later on (many years later). Of course, the United States had a groundswell of Nazis and Nazi sympathizers before the 2nd world war, they were the Bund. The Bund was the Nazi party in the United States, mostly made up of, but not limited to, first-generation Americans and German immigrants. The United turned boatloads full of Jewish immigrants around to their death before the United States entered the 2nd world war. During the 2nd world war the German Bund in the United States disbanded, they didn’t leave the country, where did they go? Those were the seeds of a lot of current white supremacist organizations in this country. And of course, we had the KKK who came to being during the Jim Crow era. Let’s look at the movie birth of a nation which promoted by upper levels of this government including Pres. Woodrow Wilson who after watching the movie at the White House said There will be blood! Nationalistic fascism (Nazi-ism) is rampant in the United States. Lebensraum, one of the Nazi tenants was acquired from the United States. Basically that the Aryan race, should have the room to expand, at the expense of all others. Eugenics was not a product of Germany, in the American progressive era (1890s-1920s) eugenics was used to preserve the dominant ethnic group in the United States and purifying it. This was co-opted by the Nazis in Germany later on (many years later). Of course, the United States had a groundswell of Nazis and Nazi sympathizers before the 2nd world war, they were the Bund. The Bund was the Nazi party in the United States, mostly made up of, but not limited to, first-generation Americans and German immigrants. The United turned boatloads full of Jewish immigrants around to their death before the United States entered the 2nd world war. During the 2nd world war the German Bund in the United States disbanded, they didn’t leave the country, where did they go? Those were the seeds of a lot of current white supremacist organizations in this country. And of course, we had the KKK who came to being during the Jim Crow era. Let’s look at the movie birth of a nation which promoted by upper levels of this government including Pres. Woodrow Wilson who after watching the movie at the White House said “It’s like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all terribly true.” Unfortunately, the right wing nationalist fascists in Germany (Nazis) used their state church, the German Protestant state-sponsored church to promote their lies and disinformation. Jesus Christ said in reply to a question, “the greatest commandment is to love God with your whole heart soul mind and strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself”. Matthew the 22nd chapter and Mark 12 chapter. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:2, 3 the apostle Paul warned of a great apostasy in Christianity. He discusses in that chapter the composite man of lawlessness. That he sets himself up in the minds of many persons as a godly individual full of devotion. But, in essence he is using this to turn people against their fellow man and Christ himself. It also states that he is a hypocrite and a false teacher that sits down in, (what they claim is), the temple of God. See 2nd Peter 2:10-13. Scripture also discusses the man of lawlessness misleading people by the spirit of his mouth. This, is a repeat almost verbatim of what happened in Germany. They imprisoned not only the Jews, but Catholic priests, those of mixed race, killed the children of mixed race couples, the mentally ill were euthanized, the elderly that were considered a drag on society were euthanized. And let’s not forget the night of the Long knives. It started in Greenville North Carolina last night, people chanting to deport Americans, Donald Trump parroted Adolf Hitler’s rants and the people are gobbling it up. The German Bund is coming out of hiding.
JoAnne -Kathy M; The American Psychiatric Association, Principles of Medical Ethics, does not allow diagnosis of public figures to be made public without actual examination or permission to release their medical information; it is called the “Goldwater Rule”.
F.Y.I. – I would NEVER presume to make a diagnosis without having interviewed the patient. I previously was a licensed professional counselor in my state for 15 years and am well-aware of ethics. I was commenting on something Gerald S. said regarding narcissism and then Vernon felt the need to “correct” me — however I was correct in the information – NOT diagnosis – I wrote.
Seessshhh !!!! You guys can be really nit-picky sometimes!!
There will be blood! Nationalistic fascism (Nazi-ism) is rampant in the United States. Lebensraum, one of the Nazi tenants was acquired from the United States. Basically that the Aryan race, should have the room to expand, at the expense of all others. Eugenics was not a product of Germany, in the American progressive era (1890s-1920s) eugenics was used to preserve the dominant ethnic group in the United States and purifying it. This was co-opted by the Nazis in Germany later on (many years later). Then, the United States had a groundswell of Nazis and Nazi sympathizers before the 2nd world war, they were the Bund. The Bund was the Nazi party in the United States, mostly made up of, but not limited to, first-generation Americans and German immigrants. The United States turned boatloads full of Jewish immigrants around to their death before the United States entered the 2nd world war. During the 2nd world war the German Bund in the United States disbanded, they didn’t leave the country, where did they go? Those were the seeds of a lot of current white supremacist organizations in this country. And of course, we had the KKK who came to being during the Jim Crow era. Let’s look at the movie birth of a nation which promoted by upper levels of this government including Pres. Woodrow Wilson who after watching the movie at the White House said “It’s like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all terribly true.” Lebensraum, one of the Nazi tenants was acquired from the United States. Basically that the Aryan race, should have the room to expand, at the expense of all others. Eugenics was not a product of Germany, in the American progressive era (1890s-1920s) eugenics was used to preserve the dominant ethnic group in the United States and purifying it. The right wing nationalist fascists in Germany (Nazis) used their state church, the German Protestant state-sponsored church to promote their lies and disinformation. Jesus Christ said in reply to a question, “the greatest commandment is to love God with your whole heart soul mind and strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself”. Matthew the 22nd chapter and Mark 12 chapter. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:2, 3 the apostle Paul warned of a great apostasy in Christianity. He discusses in that chapter the composite man of lawlessness. That he sets himself up in the minds of many persons as a godly individual full of devotion. But, in essence he is using this to turn people against their fellow man and Christ himself. It also states that he is a hypocrite and a false teacher that sits down in, (what they claim is), the temple of God. See 2nd Peter 2:10-13. Scripture also discusses the man of lawlessness misleading people by the spirit of his mouth. This, is a repeat almost verbatim of what happened in Germany. They imprisoned not only the Jews, but Catholic priests, those of mixed race, killed the children of mixed race couples, the mentally ill were euthanized, the elderly that were considered a drag on society were euthanized. And let’s not forget the night of the Long knives. The downward spiral, revealed itself in Greenville North Carolina last night, people chanting to deport Americans, Donald Trump parroted Adolf Hitler’s rants and the people are gobbling it up. America’s history is full of lawlessness, callousness, depravity against their fellow man. Any decency is the exception to the rule. History is repeating itself, probably bringing about our END.
Sorry about the earlier post, we had a power outage here and things got glitched pretty bad, didn’t mean to send that.
And regarding using the election to unseat this monstrosity called the “Trump Administration” , it will have to have MASSIVE voter turn out voting AGAINST him and FOR which ever Dem gets the nomination (and NOT for 3rd party side shows) so that the numbers are too big to argue about. Otherwise, Trump & his minions will call “FOUL” and they have enough sycophants in place to make their wishes come true.
I agree that the current Democratic Party, especially the DNC, as an entity leaves a lot to be desired but unless we are ready to put our BODIES on the line (Marv!) what else is there?
Kathy,
“I agree that the current Democratic Party, especially the DNC, as an entity leaves a lot to be desired but unless we are ready to put our BODIES on the line (Marv!) what else is there?”
As a matter of fact, my father put his so-called body on the line and came out “smelling like a rose.” No doubt there is a danger to effectively speaking out; If you misread the environment, there’s a good chance you can get hurt.
Because there is an INTELLIGENCE GAP, very few people can speak out and get away with it.
Until that is closed, Trump will continue his destructive march. I’ve warned about this for years on this blog and the consensus doesn’t want to hear about it. I admit defeat.
I need to put all my energies somewhere else. I’ve finally learned my lesson. I hope.
We can’t give up on half of America.
We must find a way out of this downward spiral of mutual hate.
Peg – Amen, lady!
New DEM House folks in 2018 (other than most of the new adds to the Progressive Caucus) showed they can begin to cleanse the party of career politicians who will only follow the old path. If you follow their proposals and voting record you would see. We just need to do more of that in both House and Senate in 2020 and if someone like Biden is the President, he will follow their lead. He is not a bad dude! Check out most of his record. Better than .400 batting average!
try living in a place that reaks teaparty, trump,gordon kahl.NoDak, home of this very subject. you dont need to live in the bible belt,to enjoy landlocked minds. (but we just voted out the blue law) ( maybe theres hope) 98% of this state will vote to screw themselves,for their imposing ideology. though it is mainly ag, and trump and sonny perdue agree, that industry is seen as just chip in their game. and will now be treated as such. except, the ag welfare check, gotta keep em happy facists voters, eh?
Hey Marv ~ As a matter of fact, my father put his so-called body on the line and came out “smelling like a rose.” No doubt there is a danger to effectively speaking out; If you misread the environment, there’s a good chance you can get hurt.
What are you talking about here? 1930’s workers’ strikes? 1962 Mississippi riots? 1965 Alabama?1968 Dem Convention; Kent State, Vietnam demos?; 1992 LA riots? etc. Tell us more. I want to know what you think it will take. Do you think we are on the verge of civil war? How will it go down in your view?
Thanks
Sheila: I don’t disagree with anything you wrote, but I see Trump somewhat differently: if there is one consistent thing about this aberration of creation, it is his narcissism. He MUST have attention and adulation, and will literally say and do anything to get it. Yes, I do believe that he is a racist, a misogynist, a xenophobe and homophobe, but weakly so. Down deep inside it is his extreme narcissism that drives him. His narcissism also accounts for his racism, xenophobia, islamophobia and homophobia. That narcissism produced an extreme jealousy of Barak Obama and his success, as you have ably covered before. Trump found out that pandering to the racist, xenophobic, islamophobic and homophobic sentiments of non college educated whites (plus a little help from his Russian friends) would get him the position he craves most: POTUS, the most-powerful job on earth. Now, he has to keep it. He has even threatened not to leave the White House if he loses and that he would run for multiple more terms. I’d love to see the optics of federal marshals dragging him from the White House.
Trump attacks the New York Times, the Washington Post and the mainstream media because they report the truth about him. While he claims these media are failing, the truth is, what he wants most is their flattery. He would love it if these historically well-respected media said nice things about him, but that’s never going to happen, so he has Faux News and Rush Limbaugh.
As to his followers, the truth is, he really would prefer prominent academics, well-respected pundits and educated people to kow tow to him, too, but that will never happen. Ignoramus racist whites are really not the crowd he’d like to most associate with, but he’s stuck with them, so he keeps pounding on Hillary Clinton and now Ilhan Omar, always crowd favorites for generating boos and chants. He spent 15 minutes of his vain glory time yesterday, which was originally planned as a rebuttal to Mueller’s testimony that got delayed by a week, going after those 4 Congresswomen of color. No positions on issues, because he really doesn’t have any.
He never has had any health care plan, much less one better than the ACA, but he wants to do away with the ACA because it was Barak Obama’s achievement. No plan to force Mexico to pay for a wall. He created a crisis at the southern border by his erratic threats to close the border, and now, to require proposed migrants to apply for asylum in their home country. Everyone knows they’ll get turned down, so the illegal migration will be even higher than it is now. He and Hypocrite-in-Chief, Evangelist Mikey Pence, are trying to blame Democrats for the deplorable conditions these people are forced to endure because they won’t give Trump a blank check to cover housing the migrants. If the Democrats didn’t demand oversight, Trump would simply take the money and use it for the wall, crowing: “Promises Made…Promises Kept”.
As to Republicans who aren’t the usual low-brow MAGA wearing hats who show up at his rallies, they are here for the beer. They want the tax cuts and roll backs of environmental regulations more than they want to stand for American values.
That leaves the rest of us, patriots. Are there enough of us to stop this madness? For America’s sake, I hope so.
As Trump ramps up the energy in this blog calling out “enemies”, someone else is commenting…Walt Kelly – “We have met the enemy….
commondreams.org,thom hartman piece,, ive been keeping this subject alive for awhile, heres some facts..trojan horse,rewrite our constitution..they only need 28 states to vote on it..
I’m concerned that Senate Republicans blocked looking into security measures for US elections. So it’s up to the States to make sure their elections are legit. Talk about divide & conquer on a cyber level, and each State has to ward off Russian interference on it’s own. WTF is going on?!
Kathy; IF each state wants to ward off Russian interference on it’s own. States Rights, White Supremacy, Sovereignty Commission holdover in the south…not that I am paranoid but I see it as an easy way for southern states to continue to purge voters and blame it on the Russians.
Even without the Russians; the Republicans are interfering in voter registration and purging voters.
Kathy M,
“Hey Marv ~ As a matter of fact, my father put his so-called body on the line and came out “smelling like a rose.” No doubt there is a danger to effectively speaking out; If you misread the environment, there’s a good chance you can get hurt.
What are you talking about here?”
See my 9:21 post. My father’s actions were accomplished in Jacksonville which was then and still, in my opinion, is the most racist city in America. During the Civil Rights era, MLK was fearful to come to Jacksonville, and instead went 30 miles to the south to St. Augustine for his sit-ins. The ’60s were a very dangerous time in the Bible Belt. The head of the Democratic Party in Jacksonville was a Klansman. He owned a newspaper called the “Chronicle.” Everyone was scared not to advertise in his paper including my father. However, sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do. That’s what he did.
How will it go down in your view?” If there is no stopping Trump, then I expect something between the carnage of the Spanish Civil War and the American Civil War.
I don’t know your age. But before my father’s actions, no colleges in the “Deep South” had racially mixed football teams nor would they schedule games against, for example, northern colleges who had Black football players on their teams. That was the importance of Penn State versus Georgia Tech in the 1961 Gator Bowl. It broke the color barrier.
TPT (Turning Point Tragedy): that’s what it is going to come down to. 1963 and 1968 all over again. Assassinations and street riots, but this time blood will fill the streets. Bible thumpers will mow us down. They are armed and ready.
Where are the liberal armories? Where are the liberal cadres? Where are the liberal generals? The chain of command? Where is the plan, the strategy? Do we splash some red paint on a copy of the constitution and tack it above the entrance of our home? Who thinks that will save us?
Our Liberal “resistance” makes France’s 1940 surrender look like the heroics of Lieutenant Audie Murphy at Ramatuelle.
Marv —
Thanks for the clarification. Sorry I missed the 9:21 post — sometimes it’s hard to glean thru all of the chatter on here.
I had no idea about the football thing — I was 10 in 1961 and I don’t follow football anyway. The “Dixiecrats” were hell-on-wheels in their day and who can forget the Boston Democrats fighting bussing in the 1970s?
I agree that this country has a bleak history when it comes to race. I moved to VA from PA in 1973 and have lived in the South since. I will never forget seeing a large sign in a small town in rural SC in 1982 (when I moved here permanently) that said “N****r, Don’t let the sun set on you in this town!” Since that time, I have heard racist comments from people I thought would know better. I recently got banned from my community’s “Crime Watch” FaceBook page after a woman posted there were “suspicious black boys hanging around” the entrance to our subdivision and I asked what made them suspicious besides the fact they were black? Well, that started a shit storm and the woman who started the page told I had no business stirring up “that kind” of trouble and she banned me. So I have seen/heard/been told about many racist occurrences in my hometown for years.
I have said before on this blog that I think we are headed toward civil war AGAIN (and it breaks my heart for my daughter and grandchildren who will be the ones to bear the brunt of such a conflict). Either that or we will descend into a fascist dictatorship where the rule of law will be a memory and that will be equally dark. Either way, I see no way that this will end peacefully unless a great number of people wake up from their consumerist coma and stand up for what is right very soon!
Larry and Kathy M,
Feels good this morning to see not everyone has their “head in the sand.”
” All Republicans who stand mute in the face of Trump’s latest racism are telling you who they really are. It’s an ugly picture of a morally bankrupt party that has now embraced racial prejudice as a platform”
Regardless of how this next election goes there will be unrest…if Trump loses, which I doubt, because he has Wall street, dark money, etc. behind him and McConnell will not back down an inch, so there is nowhere to go but out in the streets. Bannon/Trump/Miller/McConnell are enjoying a unique time in this country’s history in that they have no experience or interest in actual public service. Everyone here knows the problems we are facing and the corruption filled halls where powerful people have enjoyed that power far too long’ and do not want to give it up. These people (mostly white) know their cushy lives and jobs are almost a thing of the past so will hang onto them with everything they have left regardless of what those in front of the cameras say or do. We all pretty much know where we stand and yet the hopeful believe that some magic will happen and the election will go the way of the people; meaning the sensible, reasonable, educated people. Again, one can only hope.
Woops! McConnell does have experience but has his own agenda.