Time will tell if this is a passing mood, or an accurate observation.
Once lowered, does the bar ever rise again?
I'd
really be surprised if this country survives Trumpism.
Remember MOST Americans
were duped into believing Saddam was involved with 9-11 and al-Qaeda. Why
wouldn't they be duped into thinking Trump is making America great?
Look
at the remarks from con-servatives. They are true believers in their moral and
intellectual superiority, all based on nothing but gullibility, arrogance, and
confirmation bias.
As
we watch the US circle the drain, this is clear.
The
economic elites have overthrown what was intended to be a representative
democratic republic. Justice, equality, and democracy are no longer ideals in our ruling class.
The
revolution is over. The Great Experiment has failed. Greed has won.
Ignorance
is strength. Freedom is slavery. War is peace. Trump is president.
We are under one party rule. The rule of law is openly attacked by the party in power.
The opposition party is weak, and their feeble desperate attempt at "resistance" does nothing to remove Wall Street and corporate tentacles from our government.
The darkness is not being lifted by the light of hope and reason.
Instead, "Triumph
of the Will: Part Two" plays out before us at rallies where they chant, "USA!
USA!" and "Lock her up!"
Posts
9 comments:
Good question, Dave, along with astute observations. Both major parties are at fault, and both have contributed to where we are now -- smack in the middle of the corporate state.
I'm reading a book written by two Harvard professors, Levitsky and Ziblatt, who have studied and researched this topic around the globe. The book is How Democracies Die.
There are four key indicators of authoritarian rule that have been compiled from their research, and only Trump meets all four in the history of our nation: 1. Rejection of (or weak commitment to) democratic rules of the game; 2.Denial of the legitimacy of political opponents; 3. Toleration or encouragement of violence; and 4. Readiness to curtail civil liberties of opponents, including media.
As a nation we're in uncharted waters, and things could change on a dime. Read the book ... and keep doing what you're doing.
Too true, I'm afraid. The only thing to see is the mix of races in the commercials now. Too little, too late.
I'm also not sure if we will survive "Trumpism." I actually think Trump is a result of 30 years of Limbaugh, and almost as many of Faux. This has been a coordinated effort to "take back"the country from the masses, and give it back to the elites, and ultimate control of everything. Mix in a couple of terrible Supreme Court decisions, a couple of stolen elections, a whole lot of union busting, and a stolen Supreme Court seat, and here we are. The only way this has succeeded is by using the media to deceive the masses.....thanks Rush!
I agree that both parties are at fault, but definitely not equally....the rethugs are so much worse,and hold a lot more responsibility for this mess. Their mentality is "win at all cost's"...it's really dangerous.
Just convince the average Joe that policies that favor the super wealthy and big business are in his best interest, and you've basically won the battle. The whole 401K BS is a reflection of this way of thinking. Give the average guy a small stake in the stock market, then he starts thinking like a high roller. Then crash the economy, and take away any chance at a safe interest rate return....real nice. Then mix in a whole load of guns, any and all types.Then take away any safety nets. Nice recipe.Don't forget to keep attacking the other side either....turn the actual good guys into the villains.
No wonder everybody is wound so tight in this country.My only hope is that the extremism of Drumpf will actually take the whole rethug party down, and the whole dysfunctional conservatism thing with it....we shall see.
One more comment, I am also disappointed in the Democrats. Definitely too weak in opposition, and too often in agreement with the fascists.For sure the better choice of the two though.
I heard a great clip of FDR on the radio. He actually used the words "Bring it on" to all the wealthy power brokers that absolutely hated him. He welcomed the challenge, and didn't back down from the bullies. They've been trying to dismantle his vision ever since.
JG,
Thanks for the tip. As we know, it's bad enough even without a totalitarian thug in charge. When wealth is free speech and voting is suppressed, democracy is defeated. This fertilizes the CRAP to implement their authoritarian rule.
It saddens me to look into the innocent faces of children these days. What have we done to their future?
Mark,
"To little too late" is a perfect title of the obituary to our struggle against domestic fascism. Thanks for visiting.
Ex Con,
FOX(R) is absolutely the primary propaganda weapon behind our descent into fascism.
We certainly won't see them broadcast FDR's words:
We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace —business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.
Unlike FDR, the Orange Fuhrer will never be accused of being a "traitor to his class".
Most of his brainwashed cult voters have taken that role.
Dave,
Thanks for posting that quote from FDR. Pretty much describes exactly what is happening right now.Unfortunately for us today, that era didn't have the right wing media machine that exists currently. I also totally agree about today's kids, and what they will probably face.
We are surely facing another Great Depression like economic crisis in the near future, thanks to almost 40 years of Reaganomics....it won't be pretty at all. The Gilded Age culminated in the roaring twenties, and ended in a horrible crash, and the worldwide instability helped launch WW2. Unchecked greed leads to terrible things.
"As we know, it's bad enough even without a totalitarian thug in charge. When wealth is free speech and voting is suppressed, democracy is defeated." ~~ Dave Dubya
Not unlike a chemical reaction, the demagogic thug is the catalyst speeding up the process. The numbskulls supporting him unwittingly threw the previously slow[er]-motion coup into a higher gear.
"We are surely facing another Great Depression like economic crisis in the near future, thanks to almost 40 years of Reaganomics..." ~~ Ex Con servative
Many economists and financial experts say it's just around the corner. Obviously those with such views are marginalized and don't get expressed in corporate media.
The government knows -- has for years. The race to war with Iran, and eventually Russia and China -- the prominent perpetrators bypassing the U.S. Dollar as the reserve currency in the world -- has accelerated this urgency.
We have front row seats to the greatest man-made tragedy in the history of the world. Even Shakespeare couldn't have written what's to come.
We survived the Civil War. We survived the lies and divisions over Vietnam. We'll survive Trump.
As Ex Con servative says above, Trumpism is the culmination of malignancies that have been slowly building up and poisoning the system for decades. Trump has made it clear how dangerous and nihilistic those forces are.
Sometimes the abscess has to reach the surface so it can be lanced and drained.
Infidel,
We survived, but have not prospered. Slavery was ended and the Nazis were defeated, but the racism and hate that fed them is still alive.
I'm still not sure we have survived Reagan opening the henhouse to the foxes, far Right corporate media, and Bush's war crimes. The damage is extensive and the consequences have yet to subside.
Your optimism is heartening. I join you in your hope that the movement that spawned Trump will be rejected for the ignorance and evil that it brings.
We are also seeing positive signs out there, like after the Parkland shootings. Students have had enough and are taking up activism.
I hope they become as motivated to get out the vote and work on slowing climate change as well.
While we have positively impacted environmental and social awareness, we Boomers have largely blown our chance to restore and preserve democracy.
Our only hope against the corruption and injustices of a militarist corporatocracy is a massive evolution of consciousness and conscience.
One thing is certain. The struggle against corporate dominance of government, economic elitism, fascism, and racism is the greatest test for humanity. And it will continue to be our fate, until rampant greed and the hate and fear mongering of authoritarianism are no longer tolerated.
Humanity faces a choice between evolution and extinction. We either embrace an evolution of conscience and consciousness, or face extinction, through the overthrow of democratic representative government by the machinery of economic power, run by cold-blooded authoritarians.
In service to the former, I will devote my remaining days on the planet.
Post a Comment