Maybe I’m a fool. Or maybe I’m just a stubborn SOB. Or both, more likely.
At Unabashedly American, our old conservative buddy Darrell found some of my points to be annoying under his post on how mentally unfit and dishonest “pathological liar” Joe Biden is. He is still obsessed with the fictitious Biden crime spree in Ukraine and the ensuing treacherous impeachment. I asked what crime was committed by the Bidens. As with Hillary, no actual crime was disclosed.
Naturally I asked him for a similarly fair and balanced assessment of the president’s honesty and fitness for office. He had once agreed with me that Trump was morally unfit for office.
Turns out, someone changed. Now Trump is merely “bombastic” and “simplistic in his speech”. There was grudging admission that he “lies a lot, but frankly despite your inflated leftist claim of 2 quadrillion documented lies by Trump, they are just that: inflated propaganda.”
Yes, I think I see. Citing facts to call out lies is "inflated propaganda". Or are Trump's lies the "inflated propaganda? Since Darrell isn't fond of answering questions, let's just assume he's offering us "Darrell's inflated propaganda". Anyway, we learn Biden is the real "pathological liar", with his legion of loyal lying journalists who don’t work for FOX(R).
I understand it isn’t pleasant to have one’s beliefs questioned, especially for conservatives. Discussion has been strained over at Darrell’s blog, so I thought I’d publish my last response to his remarks here.
~~~~~
Darrell,
Thank you for responding. I beg your patience one more
time. Instead of dismissing what I say, or summarily accusing me of lies,
accusations, and name calling, you could show me facts that prove your
accusations and claims. You have never supported your accusations with
evidence, and your other “evidence” is always from biased Right wing sources.
I’m going to present you a reasoned, fact based response.
Delete if you must, but please read it.
The demands for justice and protests against racism and
police brutality this past summer have been broad and enduring. Social unrest,
vandalism, beatings, gassing, and shootings have been occurring, but not every
day, and certainly not in most cases. You have rejected the evidence (93% of racial justice protests have been peaceful)I linked
to, and embraced FOX(R) propaganda, showing the same old footage of burning
buildings every day. You also can’t accept the fact Democrats and progressives,
and yes, even the BLM organization, are aligned with most Americans in
condemning the destruction and violence as well as the racism and police
brutality. Now Trump is fanning fears of “low income housing” in suburbs. We
know what the code words mean.
“Michael
Brown tried to take the gun away from an officer in Missouri, got himself shot,
and thus provoked the unrighteous anger of the BLM movement to destroy
Ferguson, Missouri.” Ferguson is still there. Yes, Brown was
aggressive, and was then unnecessarily killed while unarmed. Unfortunately the
“Hands up, don’t shoot” meme got ahead of the facts.
The deeper problem was the systemic racism in the
Ferguson Police Department.
The abuses of the Ferguson Police Department were investigated by the Dept. of Justice:
“The
City’s emphasis on revenue generation has a profound effect on FPD’s approach
to law enforcement... This culture within FPD influences officer activities in
all areas of policing, beyond just ticketing. Officers expect and demand
compliance even when they lack legal authority. They are inclined to interpret
the exercise of free-speech rights as unlawful disobedience, innocent movements
as physical threats, indications of mental or physical illness as belligerence.
Police supervisors and leadership do too little to ensure that officers act in
accordance with law and policy, and rarely respond meaningfully to civilian
complaints of officer misconduct. The result is a pattern of stops without
reasonable suspicion and arrests without probable cause in violation of the
Fourth Amendment; infringement on free expression, as well as retaliation for
protected 3 expression, in violation of the First Amendment; and excessive
force in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Ferguson’s
approach to law enforcement both reflects and reinforces racial bias, including
stereotyping. The harms of Ferguson’s police and court practices are borne
disproportionately by African Americans, and there is evidence that this is due
in part to intentional discrimination on the basis of race.”
It has become abundantly clear that many more law
enforcement agencies share this shameful racist and abusive pattern. There are
far too many unqualified racist cops. Period.
“The
antifa-fascists...” No, they are anti-fascist... “have long been looking for an excuse to
riot.” NO. They are not an organized group with an agenda. They do confront
white nationalists like Proud Boys. Yes, some have vandalized. Right wing
groups also called for vandalism and agitation. Numbers of them were arrested.
Vigilante militia nuts brought weapons to kill and escalate threats and
violence.
“You
have also claimed the violence is not done by the saintly antifa crowd or the
pure BLM participants.” NO. I have said violence was done by
thugs on both sides. You assign guilt by association, or deny the reality of
peaceful protesters. I have shown they are the majority.
“It
is always the fault of racist and abusive cops.”
NO, I never said that. But they lit the fuse and continue their abuses.
“I
don’t excuse the illegal actions on either side and think any violator of the
laws should be held accountable.” I’ve agreed with this all
along, yet you still misrepresent me.
“You,
however, do support the Marxist and often racist BLM organization.” I
have told you I support their protesting racism and police brutality. YOU
imagine that means supporting Marxism and racism. The US supported Stalin, not
Stalinism, to defeat Hitler.
“I
guess your racism is okay because it is politically correct and approved,
right?” Here we go again.
And what racism would that be? (Why does the far Right insist that
opposing racism is “racism”, and opposing fascism is “fascism”? And you wonder
why I say racism isn’t racism to racists...)
In case you missed my point, “Prager U” is a joke, saying Black Lives Matter is "the most racist organization in the country
outside of the Ku Klux Klan".
It is
the same indoctrination that the Right projects on higher education. It has
gotten to the point the Right denies science.
“If
they (QAnon) are bad people, then I will agree with you.”
Trump refused to denounce them. Short version. Pizzagate. Hillary’s “pedophile
ring”. Right wing nut with a gun threatens pizza place. Convicted criminal and
Trump crony Flynn swears oath to QAnon. Got it? Perhaps this is why you still
won’t acknowledge convicted criminal and Trump crony Roger Stone flashing the
white power sign with Proud Boys?
“Sadly the US has its share of authoritarian terrorists
who kill out of bigotry and extremism.” ~ Dubya
“Yep,
including a lot of anarchists, antifa-pajama boys, and BLM organization types.” You
have not given any numbers of victims killed by “anarchists, antifa-pajama
boys, and BLM organization types”. Your numbers will probably not even match
the Charleston church massacre, let alone the El Paso massacre and OK City
bombing. Not to mention the long history of Klan and other racist massacres
like Greenwood in Tulsa.
“I give you the two
officers shot for no reason in L.A. this weekend by such a terroristic ass.”
Killing cops is murder, not terrorism.
“Damn
you’re batting average is horrific.” Maybe
according to a near-sighted umpire, but not according to the facts. On the
other hand, you are batting zero as far as providing facts to show my errors. My
wait continues.
“The
House had the obligation and duty to call witnesses and subpoena evidence...” Yes, but you offered zero facts and only
opinion from “ their politically motivated articles of impeachment...” to ......."the vast majority
of the journalists that fall into that category are enemies of freedom,
democracy, and the people.”
No wonder you are as ill-informed on the charges and
evidence against Trump as you are with the Mueller Report. Trump abused power
and obstructed congress. He acted to obstruct Mueller’s investigation. Any fair
trial would prove these cases. Who knows what insurance and bank fraud he’s
committed. What is he hiding in his tax returns? What about Trump Tower Moscow
and loans from Russia? Your unquestioning faith in Dear Leader is remarkably
cultish.
“…authoritarian Republican state legislators have imposed
numerous impediments to discourage voting.” ~ Dubya
Evidence was cited, and obviously ignored. Voter ID is
only one front in the Right’s war on democracy by voter suppression.
“But
you really don’t care about facts.” Obvious projection, sir.
You rarely, if ever, cite evidence. When I do so, you dismiss it.
“You
want illegals and felons to vote...” NO, it is yet another of your false
accusations totally unsupported by evidence. See the pattern here? Probably not.
“...since
they will expand the leftist big-government Democrats power. That is the real
truth.” NO,
it is not. The real truth is I want government of, by and for the people, with
fair elections and fair representation. I want equal justice under law. I want
my Constitutional rights. I want Constitutional taxation, Constitutional
regulation of commerce, and Constitutional provision for the general welfare. I
want public education and public healthcare for the general welfare.
You certainly have a real problem with that, and have
been indoctrinated to believe that is Marxism.
“You
cannot win an honest election so you hope to manipulate it to cheat. THAT is
the leftist legacy.”
That’s both dishonest and ludicrous projection. Trump
cheated by paying off a porn star. He BROKE THE LAW! And not for the last time.
I’ve seen the Heritage Foundation list. It is mostly
election fraud, and committed by both parties. NONE of the Republican voter suppression tactics reduce election fraud.
It disenfranchises tens of thousands of previously
registered voters, and prevents only a few dozen acts of voter impersonations.
Voter impersonation remains rare and negligible.
Why is it you and Trump call Hillary a criminal, yet
NEVER reveal what her “crime” is? Trump’s crimes are clear. He illegally paid
off a porn star to cheat in the election. He attempted to obstruct every
investigation into his crimes and deals with Russia. He openly solicited a
foreign leader’s help in smearing his election opponent. His administration is rampant with corruption. How would a cult ever
know about these facts when they believe everything news media say about Trump
is “fake news”? He literally can do no wrong, because they reject all
information that doesn’t come from the cult leaders and their fawning media.
Hillary did say Biden should be ready to fight if the
results come back too close to call.
"Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this
is going to drag out, and eventually I do believe he will win if we don't give
an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is."
Democrats are rightfully sick of losing after getting
more votes than Republicans. The slave states’ Electoral College has become an
insult and threat to democracy. There’s good reason no other democracy embraces
such voter inequality.
In contrast, Trump said that the only way he would lose
in November is if the election were rigged. “If Biden Wins, the rioters,
anarchists, and arsonists win.”
This is exactly how a fascist would inflate racial fears
to undermine democracy.
It is heartening to see many Republicans and former
Republicans come out against that man. They also see a tyrant and his cult.
”It
is ironic that the man that has done more to help Americans of color is decried
as the racist, while Biden who didn’t want desegregation of his kids’ schools
to create a “jungle” and has patronized people of color for decades is the
left’s champion.”
Bernie, not Biden, is the Left’s champion. Biden is a
flawed, moderate, and corporate-friendly politician. And he says stupid stuff.
No argument on that.
It is absurdly inaccurate to regurgitate Trump’s boast
that he has “done more to help Americans of color”. His party continues to
disenfranchise eligible Black voters. This is a proven fact upheld by courts.
Just because you choose to ignore the evidence doesn’t mean it’s not so.
You have also ignored the facts from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics about Black unemployment rates and job growth in general: 8.1
million jobs were created in the last three years of the Obama administration.
6.6 million jobs were created in the first three years of Trump.
Aug. 2011 the Bush Recession produced a Black
unemployment rate 16.7%. January 2017, the black unemployment rate was at 7.8
percent. Under Obama the black unemployment rate dropped 8.9%. Trump crows
about a 3.4% drop. The Black president did the heavy lifting and got no credit
from the racist Birther or his cult.
“He should have done been better”, is the only response
given as the facts are dismissed.
Trump has yet to condemn police brutality. He encouraged
it. “Please, don’t be so nice” were his words. He calls Black athletes “sons
of bitches” for protesting police brutality. You know I could list many more
cases of his racism.
These Republicans are able to see what you cannot:
”Over
the course of my career as an undercover officer in the C.I.A., I saw Russian
intelligence manipulate many people. I never thought I would see the day when
an American president would be one of them. The president’s failure to defend
the United States intelligence community’s unanimous conclusions of Russian
meddling in the 2016 election and condemn Russian covert counterinfluence
campaigns and his standing idle on the world stage while a Russian dictator
spouted lies confused many but should concern all Americans. By playing into
Vladimir Putin’s hands, the leader of the free world actively participated in a
Russian disinformation campaign that legitimized Russian denial and weakened
the credibility of the United States to both our friends and foes abroad.” - Will Hurd, Republican congressman from Texas
after Trump’s Helsinki Betrayal
"We're
in a strange place. It's becoming a cultish thing, isn't it? It's not a good
place for any party to have a cult-like situation as it relates to a President
that happens to be purportedly of the same party." -
Former Republican Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker
The Trump Cult is blind to facts and reason, as you seem
to be with everything I’ve said, and to all evidence presented. I am forced to
conclude this is done to maintain hate and animosity toward those who disagree.
The Right needs to embrace self-righteousness and frame dissent as evil. It is
why the Right must spew lies and false accusations to fuel anger, resentment,
blame, and hatred. The Right needs to demonize and smear the opposition, dictate
terms, and define their own reality. It is why dialogue gets shut down by the
Right. They must resort to name calling and false accusations every time.
“Snowflake Marxist Pajama Boy”.
This hate and demonization are the reasons why the body
count from Right wing terrorism is competing with Jihadist terrorism in our
country.
Why can’t you accept that reality? I can’t hate people
who fall into a cult. But I WILL call out their indoctrinated delusions, lies,
false accusations and blame. I WILL oppose them, and defend truth, decency and
democracy. Those are my values they are attacking.
If you are impervious to all of this, and see only lies,
false accusations and name calling, then I give up. You will have succeeded in
shutting gown dialogue and I will go away. It just proves to me good faith
discussion is impossible with the far Right Trump Cult.
Thank you for your patience. I know it isn’t easy to have
your beliefs questioned.
Posts
