by William Skink
Alternative Radio featured Thomas Frank this evening speaking about the America that elected Trump. I appreciate Frank because he understands, historically, how Democrats willfully transformed their party into the hot mess it is today. One of the central rationalizations driving the decision to abandon the working class for the professional class was the need to keep pace, dollar for dollar, with the deep pockets of Republican backers. How else could Democrats be expected to compete, they argued.
Thanks to Trump, that rationalization is now gone. Hillary’s war chest was immense, but despite the money propping up the Clinton brand, the branding failed.
Another part of Frank’s talk that resonated with me was his zeroing in on the most consequential missed opportunity of the first Obama term; a disastrous decision that doomed Democrats and set this country on the path to another global war: the bailout of Wall Street.
The real enemies threatening the livelihoods of Americans walked in to that infamous meeting with the incoming Obama administration ashen faced, said Frank, and left smiling. The moment to address the rot that metastasized after the Clinton administration successfully killed Glass-Steagall passed and now we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It’s true I’ve spent the majority of my blogging time over the years railing against Democrats. But before Trump I didn’t know how truly contemptible these party loyalists would become.
The Russia hysteria enrages me beyond words. These smug, tantrum-throwing losers once offended by conspiracy theories about birth certificates to delegitimize a president now believe any anonymous-sourced swill coming from their beloved papers of record. These are the same people who breathlessly warned us about Trump supporters not accepting the results of an election that was sure to enthrone their ceiling-shattering candidate.
While the Russia hysteria continues unabated, despite a persistent lack of tangible evidence, acts of war are escalating. In just the last 24 hours America’s illegal presence in Syria, fighting a war not declared by Congress, kicked up a notch after a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane, then there’s Iran’s missile strike targeting ISIS in Syria.
(I used the NYT and Slate for sources so Democrats know this is really happening and not just fake news planted by Trump to distract from his treasonous collusion with Putin)
Syria is a cauldron of conflict that could easily spark a wider war, and there is absolutely no substantive political force in America positioned to give voice against the madness of escalation. That fact could not have been more clear with the recent 97-2 vote for more sanctions against Russia.
Neither of those two dissenting votes came from a Democrat.
Going all-in on Russiagate is easily, imho, the second worst decision perpetrated on the American people by the Democratic political machine. Because there is more at stake than delegitimizing a president and stoking right-wing racism, I find this tactic deployed against Trump worse than what the birthers tried to do against Obama.
What will Trump have to do to prove he isn’t a stooge of the Kremlin? Start WWIII?
JC
Today Russia basically called the U.S. military in Syria fair game, after we downed a Syrian government fighter jet. I think the game of chicken is quickly escalating from a proxy war into a hot war.
I’ll link to Zero Hedge, because, you know if it ain’t in the NY Times, it didn’t happen. So the ostriches can keep on disbelieving.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-19/russia-halts-cooperation-us-syria-will-intercept-any-aircraft-russian-areas-operatio
I found this interesting;
I found the only two comments even more interesting.
>>>The Philosophy Of Tool3 days ago
Comrade David and other marxist chavistas comrades: Be strong, be united, we will all united destroy not only Donald Trump, but the whole imperialist capitalist oligarchic narco-plutocratic terrorist world.<<>>The Philosophy Of Tool
The Philosophy Of Tool3 days ago
Thanks a lot for this video. Indeed, people should destroy the capitalist system, and lead the world toward a marxist world, toward a communist world. Marxism is the only salvation for the world !!<<<
I froze the the video a couple times to count the audience. Looks to be about 50 in attendance.
I think you especially Swede could benefit from what Dave calls “Refining practical techniques for the successful recognition of bullshit!”
But that ship, in your case, may have already sailed, never to dock again. Some skills aren’t easily absorbed by older folks. David is correct that we need to teach it to young people.
i also though his analysis of Trumps impeachables was spot on, as were his comments about the non-salience of the Dems approach.
David Swanson has for decades been one of the most dependable and intelligent of political activists.
Intelligence would take a lot of brain power, right Steve?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XDvEdBxrVHY/UbPDHU8KJJI/AAAAAAAAc1g/wH1TiEmRkQQ/s1600/fat-code-pink1-2-789518.jpg
The more I look at that photo, the more I suspect it was Photoshopped. The sign looks odd. They do that a lot, Swede, and have since the camera was invented. It takes intelligence to see through it.
Behind that hedge in the background is the grassy knoll.
She is obviously too big to be carrying a sign and marching. That distended belly looks like a serious illness. I would sympathize with her, maybe offer some comfort if I were near her. The people who Photoshopped the sign into the photo are very mean spirited.
It is interesting to me how easily fooled people are by photographs. You’re easy pickings for the elite classes who own your mind and control your thoughts.
If Russian involvement in the Trump campaign is a hoax, it’s kind of weird why the FBI (not exactly a Democratic Party loyalist machine) is investigating. Also, why would Trump tell Comey to back off investigating Flynn if it was a hoax to begin with?
meanwhile…
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-18/stunning-footage-americans-crumbling-infrastructure
With friends like these, do democrats even need to pretend they’re better than republicans?
https://theintercept.com/2017/06/23/democratic-lobbyists-donald-trump-mottur-podesta-comcast-prudential/