Trump Part 18

[Joe P]

Yank,

Do you have a picture of an ostrich with its head up its bum, but instead of an ostrich it’s Mitch McConnell?

Joe

 

[Yank]

 

[Hook]

 

[matthewr]

Even in the pantheon of deplorable politicians, McConnell is a stand out asshole. As we used to say of Thatcher he is worse than 10,000 Hitlers.

 

[tones]

An interesting article on the persistence of Trump:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/...l?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

 

[tones]

Yes, but I suspect it is self-preservation. They probably fear that they’d have little option but to find him guilty if they were exposed to the evidence, so the only way to get through this with any semblance of ‘integrity’ is to not hear the evidence and acquit on a technicality.

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/bor...dering-exactly-what-mitch-mcconnell-is-having

 

[sean99]

An interesting article on the persistence of Trump:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/...l?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

In a nutshell, the US is a pretty brutal, dog eat dog, place for many folk to live. Combine this with very poor public education systems in many parts of the country (not Massachusetts, thank goodness) and you have perfect conditions for politics of intolerance to flourish. Unfortunately for the US (and Brexit Britain is on the same trajectory) this can be a downward spiral as the right wing populists further undercut social safety nets and public education.

 

[wacko]

In a nutshell, the US is a pretty brutal, dog eat dog, place for many folk to live. Combine this with very poor public education systems in many parts of the country (not Massachusetts, thank goodness) and you have perfect conditions for politics of intolerance to flourish. Unfortunately for the US (and Brexit Britain is on the same trajectory) this can be a downward spiral as the right wing populists further undercut social safety nets and public education.

Fast track to fascism... another 5 years of Trump and his crew might do it.

 

[SteveS1]

An interesting article on the persistence of Trump:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/...l?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Same in the UK, the 'traditional' support of the left contain very many that are as culturally right wing as most Tories and worse than many. Farage and co. tapped into it and are still doing so. They either don't 'get' or don't care that they share no other interest.

 

[vuk]

Fast track to fascism... another 5 years of Trump and his crew might do it.

what exactly do you mean by fascism? we've had inverted totalitarianism (corporations controlling government) for several decades now, are you saying that will be flipped on its head or are you suggesting something else?

 

[bob]

Yank,

Do you have a picture of an ostrich with its head up its bum, but instead of an ostrich it’s Mitch McConnell?

Joe

I've heard there are websites that cater to that type of fetish.

 

[tones]

what exactly do you mean by fascism?

If it's the classical meaning (strongly ultranationalist, dictatorial, suppression of opposition and regimentation of society), I'd imagine that even Trump would find it a major job to foist such a system on the USA. But then, the Weimar politicians who allowed Hitler to become Chancellor thought they could control him, and that didn't work out terribly well. However, Hitler had a reasonably well-worked-out ideology, whereas Trump's ideology (if it can be dignified with that label) is whatever benefits Trump and family personally. As I see it, the major danger is not that the USA will become a fascist state, but that it could actually break into several countries (staunchly Democratic California is already the world's fifth-biggest economy, ahead of the UK).

 

[sean99]

As I see it, the major danger is not that the USA will become a fascist state, but that it could actually break into several countries (staunchly Democratic California is already the world's fifth-biggest economy, ahead of the UK).

On the one hand I dream of the US breaking up into multiple countries, but on the other hand I fear the country formed from the former confederacy would be very poor neighbors, as they sank into a mire of their own making.

 

[Yank]

On the one hand I dream of the US breaking up into multiple countries, but on the other hand I fear the country formed from the former confederacy would be very poor neighbors, as they sank into a mire of their own making.

I would have to relocate to be in the "good" part.

 

[Tony L]

I’m impressed by Adam Schiff so far, he is making a very articulate and powerful impeachment case that will hopefully leave a long-lasting smear on the constitution if the Republicans act on purely corrupt partisan lines.

 

[Yank]

I’m impressed by Adam Schiff so far, he is making a very articulate and powerful impeachment case that will hopefully leave a long-lasting smear on the constitution if the Republicans act on purely corrupt partisan lines.

He'll be dismissed by the Right for excessive use of logic and reason.

 

[Nick_G]

I would have to relocate to be in the "good" part.

Remind me, are you in Boston?

I'd imagine if that really did happen and the US split up, I could see it splitting into 3, the NE and West Coast (Democrat-leaning, progressive), and the rest i.e. the SE and Midwest becoming a sort of 'Trumpistan'.

What a scary thought...

 

[sean99]

I would have to relocate to be in the "good" part.

And perhaps buy some winter tires, heavy jackets and snow boots. 10F here the past three mornings :-(

 

[sean99]

Remind me, are you in Boston?

I'm just outside of Boston, MA. Nice place, but v. expensive.

 

[Nick_G]

I'm just outside of Boston, MA. Nice place, but v. expensive.

Thanks Sean. I knew one of you was based in that area.