It is among the most familiar patterns of the Trump era.
First, Trump says or does something weird, rude or otherwise norm-defying. Some elected Republicans object, and the response from Trump and his minions is to shoot the messenger. The dynamic holds constant whether it’s big (Jan. 6 pardons) or small (tweeting “covfefe” just after midnight).
The essence of this low-road-for-me-high-road-for-thee dynamic rests on the belief that Trumpism is a one-way road. Insulting Trump, deservedly or not, is forbidden, while Trump’s antics should be celebrated when possible, defended when necessary, or ignored when neither of those responses is possible. But he should never, ever face consequences for his own actions.
This was the week Trump’s routine went global.
This asshole is a symptom not the disease. Reconciliation following the Civil War enabled exactly this. It was not enough the south was defeated. Allowing the traitors to continue to fly their piss-soaked surrender flag enabled the losers to pass down their hatred, and now “the south is rising again.” And is currently in charge.
Getting rid of Trump will not be enough. Every one of you knows someone who believes in and voted for what is currently happening. There can be no forgiveness for this. They need to be excised from civilization. All ofthem.
The hardest part is learning so much about fellow people you thought you knew.
I have a close person in my life, we used to organize together, went to rally’s, etc. and this person even claims to be responsible for my politics. But they lost their mind during Covid, went anti-mask and jumped both feet into the medical weirdness. Wound up being a big RFK fan.
Now that all this shit is happening, I keep trying to inspire some action. This person told me they were done, not willing fight, wants to let their kids and other people fight for them, they need to be a breadwinner.
So, just embraced the insanity, then stepped aside just in time for fascism to take over. When the fight matters, they just gave up.
Sucks, but at least I finally got to know the real them.
Sounds like a true leftist there.
Recognizing that straight up genocide or mass incarcerating all of them is not going to be an option, at a bare minimum: disenfranchisement, bar them from any office, confiscate wealth and property, liquidate their businesses, take their guns. Let them spend the rest of their miserable lives dependent on the good graces of society to get by, and if they still refuse to abide, then we opt to remove them from the picture. We’re also going to have to strip our democracy down to the bare bones, keep what was good, bring other parts out of the 18th century, and be vigilant in closing up the loopholes they make for themselves. There’s some that need to be Nuremberg’d, but logistically and realistically we can never bring them all to heel. We just need to do as much as we can to set the example and make sure they don’t adopt a new “lost cause” narrative.
I liked the genocide option better. He just forgot to include their children, grandchildren, and anyone associated with them 5 degrees of Kevin Bacon who voted for Trump.
I wholeheartedly believe that there are many on the left that would go as hard against MAGA and their supporters as Zion goes against the Palestinians. A lot more on the left would be comfortable watching people like ICE and the Proud Boys get back as good as they’ve given. They might fundamentally oppose brutality (and seeing others enjoy dishing it out), but people are fed up and revenge is… pleasing. Long term, sustained, no excuses genocide against every MAGA supporter though? The left would turn on itself if it industrialized eliminating them all. It’s much easier to stomach the idea of a middle aged Oathkeeper getting wiped in a fire fight than it is to toss someone’s MAGA loving granny into the meat grinder because it’s her turn in line.
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I agree with everything you said, which is why I added that every single one of you know someone who approves of what is happening. Legal retaliation can only take us so far. But it needs to happen for the high profile turds. The generic pieces of shit that you live in proximity to need to be dealt with by the public. Maybe it’s time to make grandpa take his stupid octogenarian ass to the doctor himself because gas is too expensive to waste on his idiocy anymore.
I like living in a fantasy land too.
He (and the Republican party) are handing the future to China and making our futures less prosperous.
The Republican party is doing more damage to our nation than any of our adversaries could ever hope to. They are traitors and enemies of our nation.
I showerthoughted the other day a possible explanation: the Republicans are by aggregate reckless, the Democrats feckless. The Republicans cheer any stupid thing Trump does because they are reckless and don’t consider or care about consequences. When the consequences come, the Democrats are too feckless to punish him and simply clean up the mess until Republicans find some new angle to bullshit the people into voting for them. Then the cycle reboots.
Every time the cycle restarts, the Republican gets worse. Reagan was bad, but in the moment his economic recipe worked. Then there was Bush, and he created the double calamity of the Iraq war and the 2008 Great Recession. Then there was Trump #45, and that was all about wealth redistribution towards the richest and enriching himself while his country was dying of COVID. Now we are at #47 and it’s as if we are doing a speedrun towards the cliff.
Right now, it feels as nothing could top this shit show. But I am sure some Republican, somewhere, is thinking to himself, “Hold my beer!”
Every time the cycle restarts, the Republican gets worse.
Yes, there is absolutely a pattern there.
Also, we always think, “This is the worst it can possibly get!” and then history proves us wrong :-(
Makes sense as a Russian operative
How appropriate for Bridge Day.
USA is very close with Russia now, even supporting Órban re-election in Hungary which is also cooperating with Russia
Attacking Iran opened up access to Russian oil.
Why should he care about Americas future? His primary goals are being famous and rich while staying out of prison. If the world burns, unless it concerns Mar-a-Lago, he could not care less.
Stupid god damned red states. Never forgive these morons for this asshole.
I have long thought that the Civil War was a mistake. We could have rid ourselves of them a long time ago and really been a progressive country. The South would have quickly collapsed and become part of the third world.
Even in New York, 1 in 3 voters chose Trump. This is not a isolated thing.
Speaking as someone who is often ashamed to be from the US, I am glad that our global standing is finally dropping like a rock. We have spent a century bullying the rest of the world, but that will not happen anymore. Fortunately, the likely replacements–China and India–seem to be able to think in the longer term and should help create a more stable world.
China and India
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
I sure hope not, but considering China is the fourth largest supplier of arms you are probably right. I am not as worried about India, but Russia scares the hell out of me with their restore former USSR glory garbage.
This is completely unfair to Trump. Trump is not burning bridges, he is blowing them up, to use the materials to build a NEW BRIDGE!!
A much better bigger more beautiful bridge, actually the best and biggest and most beautiful bridge EVER BUILT!!
And he calls it the big beautiful bridge to nowhere. I think it’s supposed to end in the middle of the Atlantic, making it by far the longest bridge ever built.So please people show some respect for the President will you?
he’s also burning through the fucking arsenal. good luck defending taiwan after this shit show.
Remember that we promised to protect Ukraine.
we didn’t just promise, we signed a fucking treaty. same as russia.
it sickens me that we didn’t stop russia on day fucking one
Huge W.
Anything that puts the US farther away from being able to terrorize the world (like they did with Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan and so many more) is a win for Humanity.
Trump is the blooming peyote flower on top of the shit pile of several decades of abusive U.S. foreign policy. Despite what people might want to believe, continuity of policy is maintained regardless of who is in the White House. There’s only one guy that attempted to disrupt this continuity, and the MIC blew his fucking head off in front of the whole world, just to make sure everyone would know that it doesn’t matter who you are, they are in charge.
