Feel free to watch this segment, in which I take a look back at the history of the Republican Party, from its noble roots with Abraham Lincoln all the way to wannabe strongman Donald Trump. I walk through the path of the Democratic Party becoming more of a party of the people, while the GOP was led astray by a media conglomerate and its leader: Fox News and Roger Ailes. The Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity’s of the world had already broken the Republican Party before Donald Trump took hold, but he certainly drove them over the cliff.
Any history of the Republican Party must include a reading of David Corn’s “American Psychosis”. Roger Ailes had a great sense of what sells in that Party, and why. He learned much during his time with Richard Nixon, and the southern strategy was already firmly in place, thanks to Nixon and Ronald Reagan, when Fox came along. The Party didn’t have to become the party of American fascism; it chose to.
Wow! After Rachel Maddow's Ultra, David Corn's American Psychosis, and now your video which really does summarize the very scary mess this country is in, my first instinct was to burrow somewhere and pull the blankets over my head. But that solves nothing. Unfortunately I see a solution that may or may not save us, the prosecution, trials and convictions of ALL those involved in the 1/6 attempted coup. I capitalize ALL, because getting a conviction and imprisonment of trump may not solve the problem, the RNC itself is infected with the "psychosis" to use David Corn's word, and to some degree, all "conservative" "Republicans" are as well, simply by being members of that party. It goes deeper than "guilt by association", into guilt by acceptance of the insanity of trump and the leaders of the Magaites. Unfortunately, the old adage is true -- repeat something often enough and long enough, it will be believed as truth, even though (I hope) more of them can see through the b.s.
I do believe that President Biden is trying in every legal and ethical way possible to make things not only better for all citizens, but to right so many of the wrongs committed during trump's tenure in office. He is aware of the acute danger we face as a country, and as a civilization worldwide. It is up to us, the little guys to find our voices and figuratively, non-violently, beat the hell out of these bullies trying to intimidate and subdue us. I will not be intimidated, nor subdued, I've been on this planet 80 years now, and I just pray that I not only live through this, but will be able to see us truly reunited into a sane, rational United States of America. I will call a spade a fucking shovel if necessary, and I hope continue to write in the same vein.
It's seemed to me that Jan 6 was the 2nd in a series of attempted coups. The initial coup was the Civil War. We didn't properly put the Confederates down then, either. They kept their churches and social hierarchies, and they mostly kept their racism.
Thank you so much for these teachings of history and connecting that history to where we are now. I read you and listen every day and am always learning ~ important facts however scary they may be ~ that we will never hear on the mainstream media in such depth. I do follow MSNBC which seems to be a decent source for standing against all the big lies ~ but no time on cable to get such depth. I hope you never question how important this work of yours is, Steve.
I think your tracing of the historical arc of the Republican party is well thought out, but beyond that I would have to say that the seeds of fascism were always within U.S. conservatism. Nothing in this world, not in the animal, vegetable, or human kingdom, becomes what isn't already inherent in it. The Republican party as the representative of conservative ideology was always going to grow into poisonous authoritarianism.
Fabulous summation of the history of the Republican party and the challenges faced by this nation due to its current illiberal iteration. Thank you, Steve.
Wasn't Rush Limbaugh frequently called the "leader of the Republican Party?" Yes, he was. Steve, Ailes and Fox are not the only media problem. Viewers of this message who are not familiar with the entire right wing media sub-culture can conclude that if Fox is defeated, exposed, rejected then the path forward will be clear. Not true. Actually, broadcast radio is equally powerful, though less recognized by non-members of the sub-culture. Salem Media's right wing/evangelical radio powerhouse has now been reported on by the On The Media program produced by WNYC radio. The big stars of radio are syndicated by other companies, over 1000 radio stations combined. Regional and local radio hosts abound, like Mike Pence on 17 stations in Indiana long ago. And then there are the local TV news channels of Sinclair Broadcasting, in nearly 50% of TV markets. None of those broadcast entities were conceived and directed by a Republican operative and owned by a far-right billionaire, like Fox was and is on cable TV. But, the killing of the Fairness Doctrine under Reagan and the media consolidation permission that was signed by Bill Clinton apply to broadcast media, not cable. It is more likely than not that the contagion which has swept politics and society would not have been as lethal as it is today without Fox on cable. But, now that the body politic has been weakened, the opportunistic infections that I describe above would persist even if the Ailes-Murdoch virus were wiped out. And I haven't even mentioned the internet. Everything in your piece here is true, but only part of the current threat to the beliefs of the public. Available to confused and historically unaware swing voters every day, broadcast media and the internet are a formidable propaganda force.
Thank you for writing this excellent essay! It's taught me a lot that I didn't know about the history of the USA especially about Republican politicians.
Just WOW!, Steve . . . I guess we're not in Oz anymore . . . the American Dream has dully morphed into the American Nightmare, and we've all become the new native Americans, living on the edge of domestic terrorism, staring down the barrel of a loaded, neon napalm breathing fire stick that Little Jackie Paper invented when he realized Puff was the kind of magic he could never harness.
Any history of the Republican Party must include a reading of David Corn’s “American Psychosis”. Roger Ailes had a great sense of what sells in that Party, and why. He learned much during his time with Richard Nixon, and the southern strategy was already firmly in place, thanks to Nixon and Ronald Reagan, when Fox came along. The Party didn’t have to become the party of American fascism; it chose to.
Wow! After Rachel Maddow's Ultra, David Corn's American Psychosis, and now your video which really does summarize the very scary mess this country is in, my first instinct was to burrow somewhere and pull the blankets over my head. But that solves nothing. Unfortunately I see a solution that may or may not save us, the prosecution, trials and convictions of ALL those involved in the 1/6 attempted coup. I capitalize ALL, because getting a conviction and imprisonment of trump may not solve the problem, the RNC itself is infected with the "psychosis" to use David Corn's word, and to some degree, all "conservative" "Republicans" are as well, simply by being members of that party. It goes deeper than "guilt by association", into guilt by acceptance of the insanity of trump and the leaders of the Magaites. Unfortunately, the old adage is true -- repeat something often enough and long enough, it will be believed as truth, even though (I hope) more of them can see through the b.s.
I do believe that President Biden is trying in every legal and ethical way possible to make things not only better for all citizens, but to right so many of the wrongs committed during trump's tenure in office. He is aware of the acute danger we face as a country, and as a civilization worldwide. It is up to us, the little guys to find our voices and figuratively, non-violently, beat the hell out of these bullies trying to intimidate and subdue us. I will not be intimidated, nor subdued, I've been on this planet 80 years now, and I just pray that I not only live through this, but will be able to see us truly reunited into a sane, rational United States of America. I will call a spade a fucking shovel if necessary, and I hope continue to write in the same vein.
Great video Steve... scary but great!!
It's seemed to me that Jan 6 was the 2nd in a series of attempted coups. The initial coup was the Civil War. We didn't properly put the Confederates down then, either. They kept their churches and social hierarchies, and they mostly kept their racism.
Thank you so much for these teachings of history and connecting that history to where we are now. I read you and listen every day and am always learning ~ important facts however scary they may be ~ that we will never hear on the mainstream media in such depth. I do follow MSNBC which seems to be a decent source for standing against all the big lies ~ but no time on cable to get such depth. I hope you never question how important this work of yours is, Steve.
The Republican Party: we saved the union in the 19th century; we’re destroying it today.
Excellent synopsis, true but totally horrifying
I think your tracing of the historical arc of the Republican party is well thought out, but beyond that I would have to say that the seeds of fascism were always within U.S. conservatism. Nothing in this world, not in the animal, vegetable, or human kingdom, becomes what isn't already inherent in it. The Republican party as the representative of conservative ideology was always going to grow into poisonous authoritarianism.
Fabulous summation of the history of the Republican party and the challenges faced by this nation due to its current illiberal iteration. Thank you, Steve.
Wasn't Rush Limbaugh frequently called the "leader of the Republican Party?" Yes, he was. Steve, Ailes and Fox are not the only media problem. Viewers of this message who are not familiar with the entire right wing media sub-culture can conclude that if Fox is defeated, exposed, rejected then the path forward will be clear. Not true. Actually, broadcast radio is equally powerful, though less recognized by non-members of the sub-culture. Salem Media's right wing/evangelical radio powerhouse has now been reported on by the On The Media program produced by WNYC radio. The big stars of radio are syndicated by other companies, over 1000 radio stations combined. Regional and local radio hosts abound, like Mike Pence on 17 stations in Indiana long ago. And then there are the local TV news channels of Sinclair Broadcasting, in nearly 50% of TV markets. None of those broadcast entities were conceived and directed by a Republican operative and owned by a far-right billionaire, like Fox was and is on cable TV. But, the killing of the Fairness Doctrine under Reagan and the media consolidation permission that was signed by Bill Clinton apply to broadcast media, not cable. It is more likely than not that the contagion which has swept politics and society would not have been as lethal as it is today without Fox on cable. But, now that the body politic has been weakened, the opportunistic infections that I describe above would persist even if the Ailes-Murdoch virus were wiped out. And I haven't even mentioned the internet. Everything in your piece here is true, but only part of the current threat to the beliefs of the public. Available to confused and historically unaware swing voters every day, broadcast media and the internet are a formidable propaganda force.
A tour de force. Insightful and right on the money.
Fantastic summary and cogent warning you've given, Steve.
Thank you for writing this excellent essay! It's taught me a lot that I didn't know about the history of the USA especially about Republican politicians.
So we’ll said.
It saddens me that you were part of this craziness, by believing that Sarah Palin was the right running mate for John McCain .
Powerful oratory, Steve, as always.
Just WOW!, Steve . . . I guess we're not in Oz anymore . . . the American Dream has dully morphed into the American Nightmare, and we've all become the new native Americans, living on the edge of domestic terrorism, staring down the barrel of a loaded, neon napalm breathing fire stick that Little Jackie Paper invented when he realized Puff was the kind of magic he could never harness.