As I write this, I am leaving the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. A video at the end states that in 2011, 49% of populations were living in autocracies. In 2021, that percentage has risen to 70%. It continues: “in the last 30 years, many Democratic advances have been eradicated.” Democracy must be fought for or we will lose it. Trump and Netanyahu are textbook examples of leaders who have tried to eradicate democracy. We must remain vigilant at all cost. This very real and painful tour I have just taken is a reminder to all what can happen otherwise. God help us!
I agree with your post. The people in America, for the most part, are completely in denial that we could lose our democracy. And the people who believe that "patriots" resorting to violence would be the solution to our problems are the very people who will cause us to lose our democracy.
“Among the many topics explored — from Americans’ concerns about the direction in which the country is headed to their attitudes towards the leading presidential candidates — the poll found that almost a quarter of Americans (23%) agree that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” This is up from 15% in 2021.”
Is anyone really that shocked? I’d say 23% is a low figure. Neo-Nazi’s and white Supremacists make up more than 23% the US population. I’d like to know what percentage are ex military, current military and law enforcement. If those numbers are high, then we’re truly screwed.
As for Trump, Netanyahu, violence and leading the world to war?
The irony is Trump is a coward. He hates war, but projecting power and strength is his brand. Trump is the no-nonsense law and order candidate, who doesn’t believe in law and order, unless it suits him.
So let me count the ways that Trump has made the world less safe, and has proven to be the perennial hypocrite:
(1) Five deferments from Vietnam Nam.
(2) Constantly disparaging Gold Star parents, veterans and POW’s.
(3) His betrayal of the Kurds in Syria, who were singlehandedly responsible for destroying ISIL, with only 2,500 US special forces in support roles.
(4) His betrayal of America, negotiating a surrender agreement with the Taliban; I mean Doha Agreement, that released 5,800 hardened Taliban and Al Qaeda prisoners with American blood on their hands.
(5) Trump’s inability and willingness to understand or comprehend complex problems, which led him to allow Israel to annex the Golan Heights, and move our embassy to Jerusalem, without Israel making any concessions to the Palestinians and Syrian’s in pursuit of peace.
These policies emboldened Netanyahu and his fanatical government to build more settlements in the West Bank, and enact even more inhumane restrictions and policies in Gaza and the West Bank; leading to the predicament we face today.
Bottom line: another Trump administration will be nothing but chaos; far worse than before, if you can imagine that after COVID.
No more adults in the room; just true believers, which means all the incompetent religious fanatics will be at State, Defense, and running our intelligence apparatus.
If you think it can’t get worse for America, just look at Israel. They are a microcosm of America today. Many Monday Morning Quarterbacks theorize that the Hamas invasion was a failure by Israeli intelligence. Not true. The Netanyahu government was warned over and over again, and he replaced several intelligence chiefs for speaking out against his intransigence.
If Trump is elected, we’ll have the same type of incompetent leadership that Israel experienced prior to the invasion. Let that sink in!...:)
tRump is a sociopath suffering from a severe case of narcissistic personality disorder. In the grand scheme of things, he is the tail wagging the dog. He could keel over tomorrow and the dog will live on and grow a new tail.
Unlike Hitler, tRump does not have the capacity to see beyond his immediate needs - money and fame. Hitler was evil incarnate; tRump is an obsessive grifter with only one goal in life of becoming incomprehensibly rich. He sees the job as president as his best opportunity to achieve this goal. Of course, in politics money begets power and vice versa.
tRump sees himself as a king, not a kingmaker. He's loyal to no one and rules by fear and terror. He admires Putin (one of the richest persons in the world), and envies Kim (a ruthless authoritarian that commands everything.) tRump's business acumen is limited, his successes relatively minor, but his ego blinds him from reality.
It is important to understand that tRump's political prowess is unconventional, but he would be nowhere politically without the uncompromising support of the Republican Party. He incorporated the Republican strategies of creating division and disunity and took it a step further by making MAGA a purity test.
Republicans have no interest in governing, at least within the context of a democratic republic. The Constitution does not represent their vision of the United States. It hasn't since the days of Reagan. Republicans are obsessed with unilateral control of the instruments of government.
We should always keep in mind who and what is behind this worldwide movement toward authoritarianism. Politics and politicians are effectively the 'keys' to the kingdom that the world's wealthiest people seek to obtain and control. As I said, money begets power and vice versa. If we have heard it once, we have heard it a thousand times - follow the money.
Mr Jaffe, I thank you once again for a concise summary of how Trump has made the world unsafe. If only more people would read this and stop listening to Fox and other right wing outlets and the Republicans in Congress would be truthful and constitutional. Thank you again
OMG, everything you write, spot on. Netanyahu and Trumpler brothers from another mother and Israel a dire warning for America. Pay attention to the nuance America!
Our 2024 election, last chance to pull democracy back from the edge. Inky black waters lapping at lady liberty’s shores. Not only does Trumpler (or any fascist GOP at this point) need to be smacked back hard by the electorate in a decisive win, but the curtain must drop on all the crazies in leadership government positions (dog catcher to POTUS). Supermajorities in both chambers required to make massive, principled, systemic changes, plug the many holes in this flawed democracy. Ahem, can we start with electoral college system of NOT ONE VOTE FOR EVERY VOTER and change this archaic system? Next, end filibuster, eliminate corrupt pay-to-play lobbyist system, enact congressional term limits, pack court/repeal Buckley & Citizens United (get money out of our elections). Cannot believe the masses of cultish rubes and lemmings, the self-concerned and tone deaf wealthy, the racists in this nation. Are humans mostly stupid and selfish? I could go on… Feel breathless, sleeping with one eye open, chronically concerned as we watch this thing cave before our very eyes.
This said, relieved when I read wise, informed words of a thought leader. Thank you. My day a dash better in this moment.
Robert, your response is bang on. The additional information you have provided really demonstrates that Trump’s severe flaws that persist to this day will plague us well into the future regardless of whether he is re-elected in 2024. I hope that the depth of the ignorance and depravity that he has demonstrated will never rear their ugly heads again once he has left this world.
I guess I’m concerned with the 23% saying they would resort to violence? That’s all Trumpers. No way are the rest of us going to battle. Really foolish when the crazies get to run our country. Nope, we are going to put all the crazy Trumpers and their hate back into the closet by voting!
How much is bravado and how much is actuality...that's my question. Jan 6 showed us it can be real if allowed, but you need to have the pieces in place to allow--- an Exec Branch not performing their duties.
I guess I’m confused at what u mean by the vote did this? More to the point Trump did this! This is who’s to blame along with his followers who obviously don’t read about recounts and lawsuits to prove the LOSER lost!
The problem with that solution is that the electoral college system allows the crazies a disproportionate amount of power to decide who leads this country...so even if 70% of us do not vote for crazies, if the other 30% who do vote for crazy are in the eight states that decide the election, we’re screwed...and if they also empower crazy in Congress...well...you’re seeing that play out now...
I’m informed and up to date. I vote. I’m engaged in our democracy. I donate to key candidates and causes. I do new voter registration sign ups and get out the vote activities.
I’m not sitting here passively. I’m freaked by what’s going on.
The threat of physical violence often is preceded by oral violence. Take for instance the "wars" at local school board meetings where the narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets (thank you Glen Campbell!) run roughshod over other parents and board members. That violent intercourse is fueled and encouraged by groups such as "Moms for Liberty" (M4L) and "Alliance Defending Freedom" (ADF). The terms "liberty" and "freedom" are not even close to what most of us think when we see those terms. Those two groups alone are intrinsically fascist, where liberty and freedom are tightly administered. They are terms coined to seduce, mislead, and deceive, with control of thought and deed to be held tight and limiting. Those orgs are heterosexist white supremacy driven. More often, they are faux “Christian” evangelicals and fundamentalists. They employ and apply God and Christ as arbiters for hate and intolerance. If one is brown, black, red, yellow, gay, lesbian or any combination thereof, those people are to be kept on the margins of society. Even more threatening is how those white supremacy heterosexists are a growing minority, making their pursuits more urgent (and, militant; dangerous). When anti-freedom militant groups are fed and fueled by the likes of a Leonard Leo of The Federalist Society (architect behind the right-wing Justices) lurking in the shadows with their millions in wealth, it is a major challenge to keep them in check. The ONLY way to keep those societal vigilantes at bay is through the ballot box.
I had seen some of this but not the more detailed comments. Am I surprised? Not at all. Am I concerned? Absolutely. Do I believe this can happen? Yes, but more likely after the 2024 election if the MAGAs do no win. I was actually looking for the armed protests when DJT and his crowd were arraigned in Atlanta, DC and NYC. Those did not occur. I do not know what will occur if he is found guilty in any of them. Or, what may occur if Colorado determines he is guilty under the 14th amendment section 3, and will not be on the ballot.
The difference here is the underlying culture of not "out in the streets" after an election and bullets spraying in all directions. We may go down that road, but it is not our underlying culture / psyche as it is in other societies.
I do hope our cultural norms hold, at least in this case.
You’re rightly concerned about violence after a MAGA loss in 2024. Consider too, what might happen with MAGA victory....... Could real violence be unleashed by the government itself or its sanctioned proxies? Who could be targets? Or, maybe more likely, would a blind eye and deaf ear be turned when violence is initiated by political “followers”? Maybe threats, implicit and explicit might be enough to keep nonbelievers quiet? These thoughts justify my considering a gun purchase, as abhorrent as the thought is.
My reaction this morning? We’re fucked as a species unless we collectively get our heads out of our asses and use some critical thinking and courage to chose leaders who are not narcissistic sociopaths.
The United States is a violent country, so where is the surprise? Sure, DJT stirred the pot, but the pot was there to be disturbed. You have more guns than any country, not because you are the richest but because you are saddled with a violent culture, steeped in secret regard for gunslingers from the past and alarmingly successful thugs from the present. Is it boring to remind you that the number one cause of death in children in America is guns? That only happens in an extremely violent country and how are things settled in a violent country…violently. The other side of the coin is the totally unworthy, uncaring lunatics you have installed in your government so that they might bring everything to a grinding halt, because violent people can get elected in America and don’t give a damn about the people who elected them. What amazes me is that in a violent country, people who are hurting you, don’t care about you, want to rob you of your democracy, your freedom, your very way of life are still standing. The clean up may be violent.
I believe you mischaracterize the United States. In fact, it is not possible to fully characterize the US in these terms because it is so diverse. Because there are a few violent people who commit horrendous crimes does not mean society as a whole is violent. The fact that we have more guns per capita, does not mean that as a society we support the gun culture. Numerous polls indicate the vast majority of people in the country want far greater gun controls because they fear for themselves and their family.
What is unique to the United States is that we have an extraordinary divide between the haves and the havenots which is exacerbated by a focus on material gratification instead of personal growth and values. We have more of everything per capita. More cars, TVs, smartphones, electronics, clothes, houses - you name it, Americans in general have more of everything. One's identity is defined by one's personal wealth or number of possessions. As a result, the havenots are marginalized, excluded and scorned in a society that prizes consumption and goods over personal character and attributes. All of this creates enormous friction as generation after generation of people develop grievances, grudges and prejudices. Tribalism butts heads with diversity. In a society focused on material possessions, there is a natural inclination to blame others for one's personal shortcomings. Success and failure is judged by monetary value.
You are right, tRump and Republicans stir the pot at the behest of the mega-wealthy. Among the haves are the super-haves whose greed is unbounded. The top comment in this thread cited an interesting fact. "...in 2011, 49% of populations were living in autocracies. In 2021, that percentage has risen to 70%." That doesn't surprise me because at the core of every autocracy is a rich strongman like Putin, and/or a strongman propped up by rich oligarchs. Think of the US where the three branches of government, the media, and the financial system is controlled by the wealthiest .01 percent of the population!
Why do we not have gun control in this country? Why do we not have universal healthcare? Why do we not have a minimum wage that pays a livable wage? Why do we not take care of seniors in retirement who have worked all their lives? Why do we not pay for college education, which is required to get a good job? Why cannot millions afford to pay for a roof over their head, food on the table, and basic health care for their children? The wealthy won't allow it!!!
This is a long answer to why you are wrong about the US being a violent people. No, the US is a culture obsessed with consumption and material goods. As a culture and society, many if not most have succumbed to the seven deadly sins, aka the seven cardinal sins. Since the founding of our country, society has become soft and malleable, allowing charlatans and grifters to take over control of our lives in the last century. Apparently, it is happening in other countries as well, as great wealth unleashes their enormous power over us.
Hey Chips. That is a very thoughtful and thorough response and you are right. No question. I will argue a little on the semantics. The country is violent, not so much the people. Most people are non-violent I agree but 400 million guns is not just billionaires. My friend Lisa wrote to me about her gun dealer son selling pink AR15s for women. Disgusting! The culture is sick. Americans think the word Socialist is a swear word, but Socialism pulls the top end toward the bottom end and vice versa. Your wealth disparity is shocking. You need more Democrats to use the tax code and other tools to have the same effect. Back to violence, another mass shooting tonight, this time in benign Maine. No violent country is violent in the majority of its people. It is always a violent minority and you have that. Chances of being killed in the U.S. are something like 4 times the chance in Canada because you have a violent country IMHO. Good luck with that and especially the rest of it. There is much too much poverty in the world’s richest country. Get Republicans far back in your rear view mirror and you will be on your way to better times.
I feel for you Lisa. This remarkable grip of these hideous guns on your culture is devastating while many just think of it as every day. It will take more than our lifetimes to fix this, if ever. In Australia, after one horrible mass shooting the government bought back guns and made very stiff rules. There should be an assault weapons ban in the U.S. again with jail time for owning an AR15. That guns are the number one killer of children should cause every American to fall on their knees in shame.
The irony being, the right is stridently pushing more births. Right to life, my arse! Just bringing more children into a violent world, that are then at risk of being shot. I had cause to look up some stats today, specifically the number of abortions by year, and the number of child gun deaths by year. This research was for different posts, of course. However, I was taken by the fact that abortions have declined sharply in the last few years, and child gun deaths have risen drastically in the same time frame. The numbers on the two trend lines were very different, of course. It was telling, nonetheless.
Oct 25, 2023·edited Oct 25, 2023Liked by Steve Schmidt
Steve, your WARNING "...how politicians like Trump & Netanyahu lead the world to war" is the best and most important one so far -may it go VIRAL so millions of people can see it. Thank you!
Hi Francesca Yes, Trump did this but only because he won the VOTE in 2016. The VOTE has also given you Gaetz, MTG, Gosar, Boebert and all the other freaks who are now trying to shred your government, your country and you. Votes that went to them now need to go elsewhere. We need to pay attention, learn and vote smart as I know you will.
I have a hard time placing blame on one person. tRump would never have gained traction without the help of hundreds of equally deranged people obsessed with power and "fame." Narcissistic behavior in politics rose to a whole other level. Nearly every Republican member of Congress are equally guilty of spreading lies and fear, hate and division. It is a reoccurring mistake to think tRump operated in a vacuum or is somehow a loose cannon. Republicans have a long history of putting party before country in their quest for unilateral control of government. Their manifesto, https://www.project2025.org/ is their playback for establishing a brutal authoritarian regime.
Corruption indeed. Right now, the Republican party is so full of corruption that if they are not eliminated, it will be the end of our democracy and the ushering in of an authoritarian government.
That is the next step to a civil war in America. Vote blue.
Absolutely! I think about this all the time! China, Russia, N Korea, Iran and others in the Middle East are watching this and rubbing their hands together! I have stop myself from thinking of the horrific possibilities we are leaving ourselves open to!
Violence anywhere is violence everywhere. It’s self propagating. Humans have a great potential for love, as well as for violence. I’ve been spending more time meditating on love. We may not be able to change the world but we can change ourselves and one by one, the world will change.
Few people in America have the resources to sustain a $100 a month support for a few let alone one Democratic candidate for the coming election..Nor is there an abundance of people who can afford $5 a month support for one candidate..And then there are those who haven’t $400 socked away for an emergency..They can’t even afford to fund postcard writing to a swing state..
When I consider that there are 12 months until the next election I think about the continuing extremely dangerous threat posed by Trump to the nation and our democracy..and how the small dollar support is just not enough..The threat must be removed from continuing immediately..
This is why the wealthy like our political system. They own the best politicians money can buy. You and I, and the majority of Americans, are sliced, diced, divided and extorted for our penny contributions. Until, or unless, all money is effectively eliminated from politics, we will not have a democratically elected and controlled government. All three branches of government are controlled by the wealthy. Proof is the unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality in America today.
I do agree with the statement, and have repeated from time to time previously. But, these days, the purchased politicians are declining in quality. They are dumber and more obvious than ever, yet they're still getting the job done for the powers that be.
As I write this, I am leaving the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. A video at the end states that in 2011, 49% of populations were living in autocracies. In 2021, that percentage has risen to 70%. It continues: “in the last 30 years, many Democratic advances have been eradicated.” Democracy must be fought for or we will lose it. Trump and Netanyahu are textbook examples of leaders who have tried to eradicate democracy. We must remain vigilant at all cost. This very real and painful tour I have just taken is a reminder to all what can happen otherwise. God help us!
I agree with your post. The people in America, for the most part, are completely in denial that we could lose our democracy. And the people who believe that "patriots" resorting to violence would be the solution to our problems are the very people who will cause us to lose our democracy.
“Among the many topics explored — from Americans’ concerns about the direction in which the country is headed to their attitudes towards the leading presidential candidates — the poll found that almost a quarter of Americans (23%) agree that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” This is up from 15% in 2021.”
Is anyone really that shocked? I’d say 23% is a low figure. Neo-Nazi’s and white Supremacists make up more than 23% the US population. I’d like to know what percentage are ex military, current military and law enforcement. If those numbers are high, then we’re truly screwed.
As for Trump, Netanyahu, violence and leading the world to war?
The irony is Trump is a coward. He hates war, but projecting power and strength is his brand. Trump is the no-nonsense law and order candidate, who doesn’t believe in law and order, unless it suits him.
So let me count the ways that Trump has made the world less safe, and has proven to be the perennial hypocrite:
(1) Five deferments from Vietnam Nam.
(2) Constantly disparaging Gold Star parents, veterans and POW’s.
(3) His betrayal of the Kurds in Syria, who were singlehandedly responsible for destroying ISIL, with only 2,500 US special forces in support roles.
(4) His betrayal of America, negotiating a surrender agreement with the Taliban; I mean Doha Agreement, that released 5,800 hardened Taliban and Al Qaeda prisoners with American blood on their hands.
(5) Trump’s inability and willingness to understand or comprehend complex problems, which led him to allow Israel to annex the Golan Heights, and move our embassy to Jerusalem, without Israel making any concessions to the Palestinians and Syrian’s in pursuit of peace.
These policies emboldened Netanyahu and his fanatical government to build more settlements in the West Bank, and enact even more inhumane restrictions and policies in Gaza and the West Bank; leading to the predicament we face today.
Bottom line: another Trump administration will be nothing but chaos; far worse than before, if you can imagine that after COVID.
No more adults in the room; just true believers, which means all the incompetent religious fanatics will be at State, Defense, and running our intelligence apparatus.
If you think it can’t get worse for America, just look at Israel. They are a microcosm of America today. Many Monday Morning Quarterbacks theorize that the Hamas invasion was a failure by Israeli intelligence. Not true. The Netanyahu government was warned over and over again, and he replaced several intelligence chiefs for speaking out against his intransigence.
If Trump is elected, we’ll have the same type of incompetent leadership that Israel experienced prior to the invasion. Let that sink in!...:)
tRump is a sociopath suffering from a severe case of narcissistic personality disorder. In the grand scheme of things, he is the tail wagging the dog. He could keel over tomorrow and the dog will live on and grow a new tail.
Unlike Hitler, tRump does not have the capacity to see beyond his immediate needs - money and fame. Hitler was evil incarnate; tRump is an obsessive grifter with only one goal in life of becoming incomprehensibly rich. He sees the job as president as his best opportunity to achieve this goal. Of course, in politics money begets power and vice versa.
tRump sees himself as a king, not a kingmaker. He's loyal to no one and rules by fear and terror. He admires Putin (one of the richest persons in the world), and envies Kim (a ruthless authoritarian that commands everything.) tRump's business acumen is limited, his successes relatively minor, but his ego blinds him from reality.
It is important to understand that tRump's political prowess is unconventional, but he would be nowhere politically without the uncompromising support of the Republican Party. He incorporated the Republican strategies of creating division and disunity and took it a step further by making MAGA a purity test.
Republicans have no interest in governing, at least within the context of a democratic republic. The Constitution does not represent their vision of the United States. It hasn't since the days of Reagan. Republicans are obsessed with unilateral control of the instruments of government.
We should always keep in mind who and what is behind this worldwide movement toward authoritarianism. Politics and politicians are effectively the 'keys' to the kingdom that the world's wealthiest people seek to obtain and control. As I said, money begets power and vice versa. If we have heard it once, we have heard it a thousand times - follow the money.
Mr Jaffe, I thank you once again for a concise summary of how Trump has made the world unsafe. If only more people would read this and stop listening to Fox and other right wing outlets and the Republicans in Congress would be truthful and constitutional. Thank you again
If only!
OMG, everything you write, spot on. Netanyahu and Trumpler brothers from another mother and Israel a dire warning for America. Pay attention to the nuance America!
Our 2024 election, last chance to pull democracy back from the edge. Inky black waters lapping at lady liberty’s shores. Not only does Trumpler (or any fascist GOP at this point) need to be smacked back hard by the electorate in a decisive win, but the curtain must drop on all the crazies in leadership government positions (dog catcher to POTUS). Supermajorities in both chambers required to make massive, principled, systemic changes, plug the many holes in this flawed democracy. Ahem, can we start with electoral college system of NOT ONE VOTE FOR EVERY VOTER and change this archaic system? Next, end filibuster, eliminate corrupt pay-to-play lobbyist system, enact congressional term limits, pack court/repeal Buckley & Citizens United (get money out of our elections). Cannot believe the masses of cultish rubes and lemmings, the self-concerned and tone deaf wealthy, the racists in this nation. Are humans mostly stupid and selfish? I could go on… Feel breathless, sleeping with one eye open, chronically concerned as we watch this thing cave before our very eyes.
This said, relieved when I read wise, informed words of a thought leader. Thank you. My day a dash better in this moment.
And here we are…
Thank you..:)
Robert, your response is bang on. The additional information you have provided really demonstrates that Trump’s severe flaws that persist to this day will plague us well into the future regardless of whether he is re-elected in 2024. I hope that the depth of the ignorance and depravity that he has demonstrated will never rear their ugly heads again once he has left this world.
Spot on Robert 👍
Can I copy this, Robert? On target
I'm writing a poem on this topic today and found your insights very helpful.
I guess I’m concerned with the 23% saying they would resort to violence? That’s all Trumpers. No way are the rest of us going to battle. Really foolish when the crazies get to run our country. Nope, we are going to put all the crazy Trumpers and their hate back into the closet by voting!
How much is bravado and how much is actuality...that's my question. Jan 6 showed us it can be real if allowed, but you need to have the pieces in place to allow--- an Exec Branch not performing their duties.
Crazies indeed! The amazing thing to me is their actions are tolerated! Wake up America!
It’s a lovely idea, but the vote did this, so you need a couple of hundred million people to agree with you. I HOPE YOU FIND THEM.
I guess I’m confused at what u mean by the vote did this? More to the point Trump did this! This is who’s to blame along with his followers who obviously don’t read about recounts and lawsuits to prove the LOSER lost!
The problem with that solution is that the electoral college system allows the crazies a disproportionate amount of power to decide who leads this country...so even if 70% of us do not vote for crazies, if the other 30% who do vote for crazy are in the eight states that decide the election, we’re screwed...and if they also empower crazy in Congress...well...you’re seeing that play out now...
Absolutely chilling.
I’m informed and up to date. I vote. I’m engaged in our democracy. I donate to key candidates and causes. I do new voter registration sign ups and get out the vote activities.
I’m not sitting here passively. I’m freaked by what’s going on.
The threat of physical violence often is preceded by oral violence. Take for instance the "wars" at local school board meetings where the narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets (thank you Glen Campbell!) run roughshod over other parents and board members. That violent intercourse is fueled and encouraged by groups such as "Moms for Liberty" (M4L) and "Alliance Defending Freedom" (ADF). The terms "liberty" and "freedom" are not even close to what most of us think when we see those terms. Those two groups alone are intrinsically fascist, where liberty and freedom are tightly administered. They are terms coined to seduce, mislead, and deceive, with control of thought and deed to be held tight and limiting. Those orgs are heterosexist white supremacy driven. More often, they are faux “Christian” evangelicals and fundamentalists. They employ and apply God and Christ as arbiters for hate and intolerance. If one is brown, black, red, yellow, gay, lesbian or any combination thereof, those people are to be kept on the margins of society. Even more threatening is how those white supremacy heterosexists are a growing minority, making their pursuits more urgent (and, militant; dangerous). When anti-freedom militant groups are fed and fueled by the likes of a Leonard Leo of The Federalist Society (architect behind the right-wing Justices) lurking in the shadows with their millions in wealth, it is a major challenge to keep them in check. The ONLY way to keep those societal vigilantes at bay is through the ballot box.
I had seen some of this but not the more detailed comments. Am I surprised? Not at all. Am I concerned? Absolutely. Do I believe this can happen? Yes, but more likely after the 2024 election if the MAGAs do no win. I was actually looking for the armed protests when DJT and his crowd were arraigned in Atlanta, DC and NYC. Those did not occur. I do not know what will occur if he is found guilty in any of them. Or, what may occur if Colorado determines he is guilty under the 14th amendment section 3, and will not be on the ballot.
The difference here is the underlying culture of not "out in the streets" after an election and bullets spraying in all directions. We may go down that road, but it is not our underlying culture / psyche as it is in other societies.
I do hope our cultural norms hold, at least in this case.
You’re rightly concerned about violence after a MAGA loss in 2024. Consider too, what might happen with MAGA victory....... Could real violence be unleashed by the government itself or its sanctioned proxies? Who could be targets? Or, maybe more likely, would a blind eye and deaf ear be turned when violence is initiated by political “followers”? Maybe threats, implicit and explicit might be enough to keep nonbelievers quiet? These thoughts justify my considering a gun purchase, as abhorrent as the thought is.
Agree. I hate guns. Have always said, NO GUNS NO GUNS NO GUNS, but find myself considering the possibility. Head exploding that this is where we are.
My reaction this morning? We’re fucked as a species unless we collectively get our heads out of our asses and use some critical thinking and courage to chose leaders who are not narcissistic sociopaths.
Won’t happen. We’re screwed.
The United States is a violent country, so where is the surprise? Sure, DJT stirred the pot, but the pot was there to be disturbed. You have more guns than any country, not because you are the richest but because you are saddled with a violent culture, steeped in secret regard for gunslingers from the past and alarmingly successful thugs from the present. Is it boring to remind you that the number one cause of death in children in America is guns? That only happens in an extremely violent country and how are things settled in a violent country…violently. The other side of the coin is the totally unworthy, uncaring lunatics you have installed in your government so that they might bring everything to a grinding halt, because violent people can get elected in America and don’t give a damn about the people who elected them. What amazes me is that in a violent country, people who are hurting you, don’t care about you, want to rob you of your democracy, your freedom, your very way of life are still standing. The clean up may be violent.
I believe you mischaracterize the United States. In fact, it is not possible to fully characterize the US in these terms because it is so diverse. Because there are a few violent people who commit horrendous crimes does not mean society as a whole is violent. The fact that we have more guns per capita, does not mean that as a society we support the gun culture. Numerous polls indicate the vast majority of people in the country want far greater gun controls because they fear for themselves and their family.
What is unique to the United States is that we have an extraordinary divide between the haves and the havenots which is exacerbated by a focus on material gratification instead of personal growth and values. We have more of everything per capita. More cars, TVs, smartphones, electronics, clothes, houses - you name it, Americans in general have more of everything. One's identity is defined by one's personal wealth or number of possessions. As a result, the havenots are marginalized, excluded and scorned in a society that prizes consumption and goods over personal character and attributes. All of this creates enormous friction as generation after generation of people develop grievances, grudges and prejudices. Tribalism butts heads with diversity. In a society focused on material possessions, there is a natural inclination to blame others for one's personal shortcomings. Success and failure is judged by monetary value.
You are right, tRump and Republicans stir the pot at the behest of the mega-wealthy. Among the haves are the super-haves whose greed is unbounded. The top comment in this thread cited an interesting fact. "...in 2011, 49% of populations were living in autocracies. In 2021, that percentage has risen to 70%." That doesn't surprise me because at the core of every autocracy is a rich strongman like Putin, and/or a strongman propped up by rich oligarchs. Think of the US where the three branches of government, the media, and the financial system is controlled by the wealthiest .01 percent of the population!
Why do we not have gun control in this country? Why do we not have universal healthcare? Why do we not have a minimum wage that pays a livable wage? Why do we not take care of seniors in retirement who have worked all their lives? Why do we not pay for college education, which is required to get a good job? Why cannot millions afford to pay for a roof over their head, food on the table, and basic health care for their children? The wealthy won't allow it!!!
This is a long answer to why you are wrong about the US being a violent people. No, the US is a culture obsessed with consumption and material goods. As a culture and society, many if not most have succumbed to the seven deadly sins, aka the seven cardinal sins. Since the founding of our country, society has become soft and malleable, allowing charlatans and grifters to take over control of our lives in the last century. Apparently, it is happening in other countries as well, as great wealth unleashes their enormous power over us.
Hey Chips. That is a very thoughtful and thorough response and you are right. No question. I will argue a little on the semantics. The country is violent, not so much the people. Most people are non-violent I agree but 400 million guns is not just billionaires. My friend Lisa wrote to me about her gun dealer son selling pink AR15s for women. Disgusting! The culture is sick. Americans think the word Socialist is a swear word, but Socialism pulls the top end toward the bottom end and vice versa. Your wealth disparity is shocking. You need more Democrats to use the tax code and other tools to have the same effect. Back to violence, another mass shooting tonight, this time in benign Maine. No violent country is violent in the majority of its people. It is always a violent minority and you have that. Chances of being killed in the U.S. are something like 4 times the chance in Canada because you have a violent country IMHO. Good luck with that and especially the rest of it. There is much too much poverty in the world’s richest country. Get Republicans far back in your rear view mirror and you will be on your way to better times.
I feel for you Lisa. This remarkable grip of these hideous guns on your culture is devastating while many just think of it as every day. It will take more than our lifetimes to fix this, if ever. In Australia, after one horrible mass shooting the government bought back guns and made very stiff rules. There should be an assault weapons ban in the U.S. again with jail time for owning an AR15. That guns are the number one killer of children should cause every American to fall on their knees in shame.
Yes, and MAGA continues to incite violence in our culture. More children will die.
The irony being, the right is stridently pushing more births. Right to life, my arse! Just bringing more children into a violent world, that are then at risk of being shot. I had cause to look up some stats today, specifically the number of abortions by year, and the number of child gun deaths by year. This research was for different posts, of course. However, I was taken by the fact that abortions have declined sharply in the last few years, and child gun deaths have risen drastically in the same time frame. The numbers on the two trend lines were very different, of course. It was telling, nonetheless.
Steve, your WARNING "...how politicians like Trump & Netanyahu lead the world to war" is the best and most important one so far -may it go VIRAL so millions of people can see it. Thank you!
Hi Francesca Yes, Trump did this but only because he won the VOTE in 2016. The VOTE has also given you Gaetz, MTG, Gosar, Boebert and all the other freaks who are now trying to shred your government, your country and you. Votes that went to them now need to go elsewhere. We need to pay attention, learn and vote smart as I know you will.
I have a hard time placing blame on one person. tRump would never have gained traction without the help of hundreds of equally deranged people obsessed with power and "fame." Narcissistic behavior in politics rose to a whole other level. Nearly every Republican member of Congress are equally guilty of spreading lies and fear, hate and division. It is a reoccurring mistake to think tRump operated in a vacuum or is somehow a loose cannon. Republicans have a long history of putting party before country in their quest for unilateral control of government. Their manifesto, https://www.project2025.org/ is their playback for establishing a brutal authoritarian regime.
Corruption indeed. Right now, the Republican party is so full of corruption that if they are not eliminated, it will be the end of our democracy and the ushering in of an authoritarian government.
That is the next step to a civil war in America. Vote blue.
Absolutely! I think about this all the time! China, Russia, N Korea, Iran and others in the Middle East are watching this and rubbing their hands together! I have stop myself from thinking of the horrific possibilities we are leaving ourselves open to!
Violence anywhere is violence everywhere. It’s self propagating. Humans have a great potential for love, as well as for violence. I’ve been spending more time meditating on love. We may not be able to change the world but we can change ourselves and one by one, the world will change.
Few people in America have the resources to sustain a $100 a month support for a few let alone one Democratic candidate for the coming election..Nor is there an abundance of people who can afford $5 a month support for one candidate..And then there are those who haven’t $400 socked away for an emergency..They can’t even afford to fund postcard writing to a swing state..
When I consider that there are 12 months until the next election I think about the continuing extremely dangerous threat posed by Trump to the nation and our democracy..and how the small dollar support is just not enough..The threat must be removed from continuing immediately..
This is why the wealthy like our political system. They own the best politicians money can buy. You and I, and the majority of Americans, are sliced, diced, divided and extorted for our penny contributions. Until, or unless, all money is effectively eliminated from politics, we will not have a democratically elected and controlled government. All three branches of government are controlled by the wealthy. Proof is the unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality in America today.
I do agree with the statement, and have repeated from time to time previously. But, these days, the purchased politicians are declining in quality. They are dumber and more obvious than ever, yet they're still getting the job done for the powers that be.
Do not forget that there is a solution..A fish rots from the head..cut off the head the body withers and dies..