Trump Is Betting That Indecency Can Win in America

[hedda_foil]

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/andrew-sullivan-trump-betting-indecency-can-win-in-america.html

Andrew Sullivan:

In the deeply disturbing moments after Donald Trump invoked a three-minutes-of-hate session toward Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Wednesday night, and the crowd erupted with chants of “Send Her Back! Send Her Back!”, a protester yelled something inaudible, and caused a commotion. As security was called, the crowd chanted “USA! USA!” and eventually the young man was handcuffed and led out of the stadium, to the mob’s vocal derision and pleasure. In those moments, you can see Trump pause to allow the mob to vent against the dissenter. Frenzied participants gleefully whipped out their phones to take photos of the man, who was holding up pictures of Jeffrey Epstein and Trump together and wearing a “Native Trash” T-shirt — a defunct Charlotte band but also presumably a reference to all those who surrounded him.

Trump smiled that wide, satisfied, toothless grin of his, as the man was forcibly ejected, jutting his chin in the air, and strutting around the podium, inhaling the fumes of mob fervor like some two-bit Mussolini. He had formed an umbilical psychic bond with these people, a mastery of the mob few ever attain. He had tweeted only days before that Omar should “go back” to Somalia, and now his followers had created a chant to echo him. His claim yesterday that he tried to restrain the crowd, or was not happy with the chant, is belied by the tape, and by the thrilled tweet he issued afterward, actively touting the enthusiasm of his followers.

Yes, we have seen rallies not unlike this in the past, from George Wallace’s candidacy, for example. We have gone through periods in which minorities have been subliminally targeted in presidential rhetoric, along the Lee Atwater principle of using ever-more-coded racism to rally white support. We have had intense nativist phases during waves of mass immigration similar to the one we are now experiencing.

But neo-fascist rhetoric in huge stadiums designed to demonize dissent? New. Targeting specific nonwhite, female political opponents for deportation by a sitting president a year away from the party conventions? Unprecedented. An American president who delights in seeing mobs isolate and torment lone dissenters? I can’t recall any previous one so enthralled with such power. A president basking in chants to deport his political foes? As shocking and as anti-American as running in 2016 on a platform of putting his opponent, Hillary Clinton, in jail. Both chants —“Lock Her Up!” and “Send Her Back!” — invoke powers no president in a liberal democracy should have or want. They reek of racism, nativism, and misogyny. And they are chants for a strongman to replace the rule of law with the rule of Trump. The mob in North Carolina rhetorically wanted to give back to the Executive branch the power of attainder that monarchs once invoked to persecute their enemies. All of this is new. All of it is deeply menacing.

--- More---

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/andrew-sullivan-trump-betting-indecency-can-win-in-america.html

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I'm beginning to understand how Hitler came to power.

This is getting scary.

[Moostache]

3. Getting? I have been on a razor's edge of depression since November 2016!

It is so far beyond scary for me that I am nearly paralyzed with fear of what is going to happen in 2020 when he loses...he'll declare the elections null, and then what? Impeachment with the same worthless Senate and criminally insane GOP? Riots in the streets? Armed insurrection to remove him physically?

I am not so sure we will even be allowed to have a fake election in 2020 at this rate. He may decide to declare martial law and suspend habeas corpus for kicks...

[Brawndo]

9. If that happens...

then a minority population (Republicans) will have willingly given up the protection that the Rule of Law afforded them. Not a good long-term survival strategy when you are ridiculously outnumbered. Don't despair, they don't have enough people to prevail.

[lpbk2713]

2. Trump embodies all negatives.

Cowardice, perversion, treason, avarice ...

The list goes on and on.

[Bettie]

14. I've always said that he is what you'd get

if you did a focus group on what the attributes of the very worst possible person would be.

[saidsimplesimon]

4. hedda,

It is my (perhaps singular)opinion that the fat clown craves publicity. Ignore him or tear apart the facade, never mention his name, imo

[Thekaspervote]

7. I like your idea!! Where do I sign up for training?

[saidsimplesimon]

13. I just posted my opinion in GD.

[uponit7771]

5. No, ... no .. please .. stop, Trump is a racist ... he does and says racist things. ... PERIOD!!!

[Bettie]

6. I'm beginning to think he's right

all of my religious relatives adore him. They say that he was chosen by god to rid the world of the liberals. Their pastors told them so.

One of them gave me a long explanation about how he has to pretend to be a terrible person in order to keep Jesus' people safe. He's actually saintly for making himself the target and taking it off the backs of the persecuted Christians in our country!

Yes, she believes that White Christians are persecuted and that black Christians are not really Christians...and Latinx are all Catholic, so not really Christian at all.

I try to tell myself she's old and probably doesn't understand what she's saying.

[Thekaspervote]

8. Wow! I always knew this.. but to see it in writing as plainly as you have described ...just wow

[hedda_foil]

11. There is only one way to rid the country of liberals, POC, Muslims, Jews et al.

Last edited Fri Jul 19, 2019, 08:11 PM - Edit history (1)

His people are being prepared and it sounds like some are ready.

[Wellstone ruled]

10. Trump has a couple of

enablers in the names of Steve Miller and Steve Bannon. My guess is,these two plus Tucker Carlson are the dreamer uppers of these attacks.

Had a Great Grand Mother who fled Germany about 1940 for Switzerland for safety once her Neighbors were vanished as she said. She said the Nazi acceptance was a slow moving thing,they just wore the people down with the hate propaganda every day after day. From the photos she brought to the states in 47',one could see how this NAZI thing moved over the years. The faces told you a very ugly story.

[kentuck]

12. It's an alternate reality...

... that does not match the accepted reality that most Americans accept as "normal". They believe in an alternate reality that matches what they desire, rather than what actually is. They block out those ideas or thoughts that are in conflict with their desires and wishes. They are willing to accept everything as true, if it is validated by their leader. They are under deep illusions.