Last night, Joe Biden - transforming himself into Joe Truman - told us American democracy is under attack, in plain language, leaving no doubt about either the dire nature, or the source, of the threat. He named names - most importantly, Donald Trump. He took a political risk and spoke the hard truth: a significant number of citizens of the United States of America, concentrated in the rotted-out shell of the Republican Party, have become extremists who are engaged in anti-constitutional opposition to the system of government under which we have lived for the past 235 years.
I feel it took too long to call these anti-American, anti-democracy nut jobs out.
I’m relieved Biden did.
It was a political gamble….he knew he’d get this stupid backlash.
But WHATEVER!
I’ve found that Biden does not let his ego get in the way of what is good for our country and democracy. Getting out of Afghanistan is a perfect example.
He paid DEARLY in political points for that and I’d bet he was advised he would pay.
But, he didn’t care. It was more important that he take our sons and daughters out of that war.
Just like last night’s speech. He knew he’d get flack, but went with his conscience and the advice of historians.( maybe others too)
I am not sure where this post might be going, but I will give it a try.
The Republican Party is a complicated thing. It has always been the home of the uncompromising absolutists. When it got started, that was a good thing. It’s good that the Republican Party would not compromise on slavery, unlike the Democrats of that time. It has also always been the home (until 6 years ago) of finance capitalism, which curiously works hand-in-glove with abolition but that’s too complex a topic for here.
After the Civil War, without slavery to focus on, the Republicans’ absoluteist instincts were directed towards finance capitalism. Maintaining economic hegemony became so important to the Republicans that they even gave up Reconstruction in order to maintain their hold on the executive branch (the Tilden-Hays debacle), so that they could continue to pursue the development of capitalism. In the ensuing years, anyone who opposed their economic program were socialists, people to be shunned and oppressed. Oddly, the unreconstructed southerners were using the same language to oppose the franchise for blacks, claiming that blacks were just voting for government handouts and thus essentially socialists.
The GOP and unreconstructed southerners moved in tandem for a couple generations, never quite merging but using the same frame of reference for discussing economic matters. This started to change with the civil rights movement in the 1950s and the southern claim of states rights. Within the GOP there was a certain sympathy with the state rights concept as it resonated with the GOP desire to circumscribe the role of government in economic matters. The GOP and unreconstructed southerners started to merge, however, when Kevin Phillips and Richard Nixon realized that the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1965, would allow them to peel off the South from the Democratic Party coalition, aided in part by the common framing for economic matters used by the GOP and southerners.
In the decades that followed the absolutist party become ever more dependent on the Southern white diaspora for electoral victory. The same party that would throw blacks under the bus to keep the Presidency became dependent on people who would throw blacks under the bus just for sport. Honestly, it’s no wonder that the GOP has proven to be such a threat to democratic process. It is a party with absolutist tendencies to begin with that is now dependent upon those people who have the least regard for a broad franchise. It is a toxic combination that on a good day embraces authoritarianism, and on a bad day is proto-fascist.
it's funny that you mentioned that "anti-Semitic myth" about all Jews being smart. as a card-carrying Jew, I have to admit to more or less sharing tht point of view, along with a notion that--with the exception of about ten people who did stuff like edit "Commentary" or whatever--pretty much all Jews are left-of-center. then one day, I clicked on the name "Ben Shapiro" and my world began to shatter. my oldest friend had a Ukrainian Jewish grandma whose favorite verbal meme was "I love my Jews," occasionally adding to that something like "we even have the best anti-Semites." if she were still around, I wonder if she'd have graduated to "we even have the best Nazis." I'm thinking she might have.
in 2009, Kim Phillips-Fein published a terrific book called "Invisible Hands," in which she traces what was THEN being called the horrible myth pushed by Hillary Clinton about a "vast right-wing conspiracy" back to the 1932 Repug campaign against FDR. it was the same people, same money, and, astonishingly, the same rhetoric, to an extent that I found astonishing.
I bought a few pre stamped postcards from USPS. One is going in tomorrow’s mail with a message to the White House in appreciation for the great speech.
Paraphrasing: "All it takes for evil to thrive is for good men to stand aside and say nothing."
In Joseph Biden Jr. you have so much more than just a good man. He risks all for his belief in what is right and good and true. The man for this hour. It was, perhaps, a very good thing that Hillary & Bernie were bettered. Meant to be for this very reason?
Oh, and the other guy's petulant pouting puckered sphincter of an oral orifice, a dollar please for every time that thought crossed my mind.
I feel it took too long to call these anti-American, anti-democracy nut jobs out.
I’m relieved Biden did.
It was a political gamble….he knew he’d get this stupid backlash.
But WHATEVER!
I’ve found that Biden does not let his ego get in the way of what is good for our country and democracy. Getting out of Afghanistan is a perfect example.
He paid DEARLY in political points for that and I’d bet he was advised he would pay.
But, he didn’t care. It was more important that he take our sons and daughters out of that war.
Just like last night’s speech. He knew he’d get flack, but went with his conscience and the advice of historians.( maybe others too)
This is my analysis.
I am not sure where this post might be going, but I will give it a try.
The Republican Party is a complicated thing. It has always been the home of the uncompromising absolutists. When it got started, that was a good thing. It’s good that the Republican Party would not compromise on slavery, unlike the Democrats of that time. It has also always been the home (until 6 years ago) of finance capitalism, which curiously works hand-in-glove with abolition but that’s too complex a topic for here.
After the Civil War, without slavery to focus on, the Republicans’ absoluteist instincts were directed towards finance capitalism. Maintaining economic hegemony became so important to the Republicans that they even gave up Reconstruction in order to maintain their hold on the executive branch (the Tilden-Hays debacle), so that they could continue to pursue the development of capitalism. In the ensuing years, anyone who opposed their economic program were socialists, people to be shunned and oppressed. Oddly, the unreconstructed southerners were using the same language to oppose the franchise for blacks, claiming that blacks were just voting for government handouts and thus essentially socialists.
The GOP and unreconstructed southerners moved in tandem for a couple generations, never quite merging but using the same frame of reference for discussing economic matters. This started to change with the civil rights movement in the 1950s and the southern claim of states rights. Within the GOP there was a certain sympathy with the state rights concept as it resonated with the GOP desire to circumscribe the role of government in economic matters. The GOP and unreconstructed southerners started to merge, however, when Kevin Phillips and Richard Nixon realized that the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1965, would allow them to peel off the South from the Democratic Party coalition, aided in part by the common framing for economic matters used by the GOP and southerners.
In the decades that followed the absolutist party become ever more dependent on the Southern white diaspora for electoral victory. The same party that would throw blacks under the bus to keep the Presidency became dependent on people who would throw blacks under the bus just for sport. Honestly, it’s no wonder that the GOP has proven to be such a threat to democratic process. It is a party with absolutist tendencies to begin with that is now dependent upon those people who have the least regard for a broad franchise. It is a toxic combination that on a good day embraces authoritarianism, and on a bad day is proto-fascist.
Paradically? Imagistic? At least reify is a real word although I had to look it up for a definition. Not sure how if fits into his rant.
reify rē′ə-fī″, rā′- transitive verb
To regard or treat (an abstraction) as if it had concrete or material existence.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
That rotted out shell is going to fester like an infected wound if we allow it. I'll not allow it.
it's funny that you mentioned that "anti-Semitic myth" about all Jews being smart. as a card-carrying Jew, I have to admit to more or less sharing tht point of view, along with a notion that--with the exception of about ten people who did stuff like edit "Commentary" or whatever--pretty much all Jews are left-of-center. then one day, I clicked on the name "Ben Shapiro" and my world began to shatter. my oldest friend had a Ukrainian Jewish grandma whose favorite verbal meme was "I love my Jews," occasionally adding to that something like "we even have the best anti-Semites." if she were still around, I wonder if she'd have graduated to "we even have the best Nazis." I'm thinking she might have.
in 2009, Kim Phillips-Fein published a terrific book called "Invisible Hands," in which she traces what was THEN being called the horrible myth pushed by Hillary Clinton about a "vast right-wing conspiracy" back to the 1932 Repug campaign against FDR. it was the same people, same money, and, astonishingly, the same rhetoric, to an extent that I found astonishing.
TC, my nephew Colin tells me he just signed up! He loved the two war history posts of yours!!!
I bought a few pre stamped postcards from USPS. One is going in tomorrow’s mail with a message to the White House in appreciation for the great speech.
Here's how Wikipedia defines fascism. It describes today's GOP pretty well. They are at least neo-fascists: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism
Paraphrasing: "All it takes for evil to thrive is for good men to stand aside and say nothing."
In Joseph Biden Jr. you have so much more than just a good man. He risks all for his belief in what is right and good and true. The man for this hour. It was, perhaps, a very good thing that Hillary & Bernie were bettered. Meant to be for this very reason?
Oh, and the other guy's petulant pouting puckered sphincter of an oral orifice, a dollar please for every time that thought crossed my mind.