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Post-Trump: III (decline, further tantrums, legal proceedings, book deals etc)

Nick_G said:
Or just mentalism.
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Certainly at least riding on the coattails of religion. The Founding Fathers were all gentlemen of the Enlightenment and not religious (Thomas Jefferson was notorious for having a version of the New Testament, out of which he'd cut all the miracles, because they couldn't have happened - as a result, the Texas School Board actually tried to write him out of US history!). However, they did know that many of their countryfolk were very religious indeed (so many small and fringe groups had come to the USA from Europe to establish the New Jerusalem), so they were careful to make sure to cater to the needs of these folk. It's not surprising that the major cult groups - Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, along with the latter-day things such as the Branch Davidians and Scientology - sprang up in the USA.

Many of the most enthusiastic proponents of slavery, secession and later Jim Crow were devout church attenders - whether the actual teaching of Jesus ever permeated their conscience is questionable. Many of the segregated park benches and toilets of apartheid (and equally devout) South Africa were imported from the US southern states.

I see a similarity with my Protestant/Loyalist Northern Irish country(wo)men - the religion is simply a sign of belonging to a particular tribe. The tribe suddenly finds that its previously dominant position is under threat, and it reacts defensively. It seems to me that Trump has, by accident or design, struck a rich seam of white resentment, which often camouflages itself in "Christian" clothing. He has played on the wedge issues, such as abortion and homosexuality, neither of which presents any great problem to the nation, but which fires up these religious Conservatives. The embrace of these supposedly very religious people of a thrice-married philanderer and liar, seems to have given them the ability also to lie with a completely straight face. Their current attempt to rewrite the history of the January 6 assault on the Capitol is breathtaking. And the problem is that, aided by the likes of Tucker Carlson, who, I believe, this week is snuggling up to that other fine example of Christian charity and democracy, Victor Orban, it could work, and that the US can look forward to another 4 years of Trump.
 
Will 2024 be the start of the founding of Gilead? Or will the Democrats be able to stop the Endarkenment? It's bloody terrifying.
 
Nick_G said:
Will 2024 be the start of the founding of Gilead? Or will the Democrats be able to stop the Endarkenment? It's bloody terrifying.
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The ultra right wing have been very effective at playing the long game. I think it'll take a blockbuster revelation to slow them down. Maybe a substantial indictment of Trump Organization would help a little.

Demographic changes do not favor the GOP, but their success with anti-democratic measures could forestall their downfall for another generation.
 
matthewr said:
This short thread sums up the essence of the problem facing America.

https://twitter.com/DavidAvromBell/status/1423630783957422087
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My take is slightly different. Some rich people are attempting to get richer by looting the treasury. Since this is broadly unpopular with the electorate these rich folks employ professional politicians, agitators and spreaders of misinformation to play on the fears of older white Americans to trick them into supporting a political party that is solely focused on facilitating the looting.
 
sean99 said:
My take is slightly different. Some rich people are attempting to get richer by looting the treasury. Since this is broadly unpopular with the electorate these rich folks employ professional politicians, agitators and spreaders of misinformation to play on the fears of older white Americans to trick them into supporting a political party that is solely focused on facilitating the looting.
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I’d say this is true in addition to, not instead of, the points above. Fear of democracy by tying it to replacement theory was certainly invented by professional agitators like Gingrich.
 
Don't forget Trump is being sworn in today after Biden and Harris are impeached and removed from office. I will be live blogging the events here based on my CNN feed.
 
matthewr said:
Don't forget Trump is being sworn in today after Biden and Harris are impeached and removed from office. I will be live blogging the events here based on my CNN feed.
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“Tucker Carlson is not much to look at. A little man with a face screwed into the scowl of a junior manager passed over for promotion,”

That’s priceless :D
 
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