Wednesday, February 8, 2017

A Quick Note to a Facebook Friend:

Michael Lumish
Here is the thing from my perspective.

Because the Left has thrown so much continual hatred toward Trump from before he became the Republican nominee - up to and including charges of enjoying "golden showers" in swanky Russian hotel rooms - it has become almost impossible to separate a chronic hatred for the guy from genuine and fair criticisms.
The opponents of Trump are doing their cause a disservice by encouraging this degree of hatred.

By this point, anyone who is not already persuaded to despise the man will increasingly tune-out the white noise of ideological malice.

31 comments:

  1. Great post and so true. The boy who cried wolf and all that. There is lots to criticize about Trump and his administration; the malice just gets in the way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The hatred pre-existed Trump, and is not only directed at him, but he is the vessel through which it has surfaced.

    Although there are many examples, Ashley Judd most recently comes to mind, just listen to Clinton's fateful words.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0oAwxBRqw

    Hopefully, it will continue to backfire and all but the most extreme will leave the hatred behind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that was horrific. I had never heard language quite like that come from the mouth of a major party candidate for president before. She called them "irredeemable" in a country which traditionally holds redemption almost as a birthright. In the American story everyone is redeemable.
      Hillary Clinton: a real political asshole (with "hatred in her heart").

      Delete
  3. We are lectured about tolerance and bigotry.

    http://www.dailycal.org/2017/02/07/violence-self-defense/

    We are told to fear the KKK.

    Imagine how they love Israel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, since they're justifying violence against their political opponents - just like our friends in the shiny black boots did once upon a time - does this mean that they no longer need "safe spaces"?

      Delete
    2. They are protecting their safe spaces from the violence of words.

      Glad to be raised in an age when sticks and stones were violence.

      What's Orwellian is they believe they're tolerant, which gives them the right to be repressive.

      They would give the Cultural Revolution a run for the money.

      Delete
    3. But it's okay to tweet, "The Theater must always be a safe and special place."

      Delete
    4. Sar Shalom, I do not understand your comment.

      Delete
    5. Being a bit facetious. Trump tweeted that when Pence got a less than warm reception at Hamilton. Haven't heard any responses to that like what the responses to the left's calls for safe spaces.

      Delete
  4. Jeez, Trudy. Don't sugar coat it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This political moment is toxic and here is why.

    Issues of race, gender, and class are real issues, but the Democrats turned them into a political club with which to beat their opponents into submission.

    Because this weapon was so succesful they swung it with ever great frequency throughout the Obama administration and then went completely crazy during the run-up toward the general election.

    And it was only then that suddenly Hillary started talking about this new white nationalist, Nazi-like menace that virtually no one had ever heard of before known as the "alt-right"?

    I mean, really, how many people ever even heard of Steve Bannon or Breitbart News (not to mention the diceased Breitbart, himself) until the Democrats weaponized them against Trump?

    And then, the next thing we know, the whole country has Nazi Mania! Fascism is everywhere!

    This is some dangerous nonsense, I'm telling ya.

    It's responsible for that poor kid getting tortured in Chicago and those people beaten up in the streets of Berkeley.

    We're at a point now where not only will sensitive and good-hearted progressives silence your ability to speak on college campuses, but may even beat the holy hell out of you if you so much as wear a red cap on BART into the city.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's a bit of fascist rhetoric from one of the anti-fascist organizers.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPrRLyFTzSU

      Ahhh, the progressive mind. Will be so happy when it's fully repudiated and liberals can come out of the closet.

      Delete
    2. Typical little fascist tart. First she's proud of the whole incident. Then she passes the responsibility for the mess onto the UC Berkeley Chancellor. Hilarious! Or is riotous the better description?
      Then she says the Chancellor needs to go because there was a safety issue. But was the safety issue? She and her people!
      She's a shakedown artist! These people operate like the mafias. It's right out of murder incorporated.
      They start a riot, then come around and say, "I hear your having problems at your university. I can help you with that."

      I hear she's a teacher. How would you like indoctrinating your kids.
      It seems that every time I start missing the Bay Area, someone like pops up out of the flotsam and jetsam.
      Good old KTVU.

      Delete
  6. http://twotermstrump.com/

    How Trump will win again. A compendium of the Liberal and Leftwing stupidity, misjudgement and errors that will ensure a second term for President Donald Trump – unless something changes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. O/T Sorry I haven't been around much. I was extremely sick all week.

    Two articles in Tablet on Jewish indignity to the land of Israel:

    http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/224254/bellerose-aboriginal-people

    and

    http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/224256/aboriginal-rights-jewish-people?utm_source=tabletmagazinelist&utm_campaign=ddebb57754-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_09&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c308bf8edb-ddebb57754-207583601

    ReplyDelete
  8. Trump loses in court. It's not even a close case and Democrats must know it. Just like the shenanigans with the Cabinet. And Sessions is the Grand Wizard of the KKK to hear some say it. So many games. What about the issues?

    As much as Republicans opposed Obama, Democratic antics are far beyond, and more destructive to democracy than realized. Which shows how liberalism has been purged from the progressive powers that be.

    Seeing how Democrats have reacted to the election is scary, undemocratic, and hopefully that is not a minority opinion.

    So much is caused by love of technology, not seeing the destructive aspects on society and the culture. Convenience is great, but at the expense of self-reliance and independent thought?

    Not to mention the vulgarity of people to one another. Things are upside down, and the way we interact only makes it worse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are not liberal. They're progressive - like a disease.

      Delete
    2. "As much as Republicans opposed Obama, Democratic antics are far beyond, and more destructive to democracy than realized."

      Could you explain how that is so? Have the Democrats denied Trump's right to fill government positions at all? Not challenging his choice of who would fill those positions, but of the notion that such positions should be filled at all. Have the Democrats gone beyond likening creating a right to health care to Nazism? Perhaps equal, but beyond?

      "And Sessions is the Grand Wizard of the KKK to hear some say it. So many games. What about the issues?"

      Sessions has a history of working against the Voting Rights Act. Is opposition to his carrying on in that vein disregard of the issues? Is questioning whether someone should be foreclosed out of their home because of a 27 cent debt disregard for the issues? Also, personnel is policy, so you can't claim that opposition to who would fill the positions is disregard for the issues.

      Delete
    3. If you can't see it, then you're probably looking elsewhere.

      It started with 1/3 of them boycotting the inauguration, and has continued.

      OK, so you apparently think Sessions is KKK, too? Policy differences does not ruen him into the Grand Wizard. Sorry.

      Rationalize the antics as just another day at the office. Pretend as if there is not obsession over games. It's just part of the problem that was mentioned, and in the end we are all worse off.

      Delete
    4. Perhaps he's not KKK. But that's not a very high bar. He clearly is not a supporter of civil rights, and that is plenty of reason to do whatever is feasible to stop him from ascending to a position where he can stymie civil rights.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    6. Perhaps he's not KKK? Thank you for evidencing the point being made.

      It's not about Sessions. It's about progressive Democrats that call him KKK, and the other things they are doing. Far in excess of what has happened before.

      Delete
  9. Be careful what you wish for. I'd like to see the federal government take them at their word. Micro chip all the illegals and 'refugees' and stuff them into every true blue sanctuary in the left coast. Track them, contain them and make them their hosts' problem. Portland I'm sure is nice. Or San Francisco. If those states governors object, simply round up the micro-chipped people put them on planes and buses and ship them out to wherever they came from. The 9th Circus stay only talks about letting them in, not keeping them here or making them leave.

    See one of the beauties of devolving into the Confederacy and nullifying federal law is that you can't really do anything about the laws you ignore and nullify. It's kind of a catch-22

    ReplyDelete
  10. Have any of you read or listened to any of the arguments against Trump from Sam Harris or Bill Maher? Still feel that you disregard anyone from the left, how about David Frum, Robert Kagan, John Podhoretz, Max Boot, William Kristol, Reuel Marc Gerecht, or Michael Totten?

    Or is just easier to focus on the rants by the latest (Michael) Mooron?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure, but you need to get more specific. Harris, for example, opposes the temporary ban because he believes that it is counterproductive to the war on ideas within Islam.

      Delete
    2. I wasn't referring to any one specific argument. While your post didn't do so, the comment thread seemed to portray opposition to Trump as purely a closed-minded leftist phenomenon. It's one thing to account for the rightist and non-PC leftist opposition to Trump and conclude that the alternative was still worse and something entirely to disregard that case.

      Delete
    3. I think the irrational unhinged opposition to Trump is what is in play here, Sar. That has kind have been a theme around here since the beginning no matter the subject. Mere opposition to Trump in a calm reasoned manner is, of course, expected and a good thing in a free society.

      Delete
  11. The post, as opposed to some of the comments, was basically spot on. How would one get through to these people that the strength of a Democratic candidate should be measured not be the volume of cheers in San Francisco, but the the degree of acceptance in places like Ellicott County, Kent., Monroe County, Ohio, and Iron County, Missouri?

    In the meantime, suggest that your friend check out these sources from the NeverTrump right, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/how-to-beat-trump/515736/ and from the anti-PC left, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA_AxTzBBvI and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3-uNxmNj5o

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the link.

      I'll check it out.

      Delete
    2. Sure. The anti-Trump right. Just don't forget to read it with some healthy skepticism. They've been cultivating a movement for many, many decades, and Trump is not a part of it. Doesn't mean he's good, but doesn't mean they're right.
      re: Sam Harris, I'm not sure I understand why a 90 ban to review and establish better vetting procedures is detrimental to moderates and reformers.
      What I believe though, is that the spread of Islam into the West is having a deleterious effect, even though possibly from a minority, on western society and values. So far, this is a one way train. What needs to change?
      As far as cabinet appointments, there can be no argument that it has been going obstructionist slow when compared to appointments by previous administrations, yet these many, even the majority of these would be picks by any conservative administration.
      We are never going to really know the direction this administration is going to take until it is fully formed. Trump simply has no long political track record. Most of what we read is speculation, a lot of second guessing with an agenda. I try to always keep this in mind. All I'm sure of, is that he's like nothing I've ever seen before in a politician. I just wish people could act with a bit more restraint.

      Delete
    3. The anti-pc video is the Sam Harris video Mike posted right here a few months ago.

      Delete