It has long amazed me how the far right uses lies and fearmongering as weapons not against their adversaries but against their supporters. Look at Trump's faithful. He takes them for a ride - on tax breaks for the rich and on dismantling their Affordable Care medical insurance - and they clap their flippers like trained seals.
Also interesting is, when Trump campaigned, he promised blue-collar tax relief but when tax reform came before Congress, the Republican caucus turned that instead into tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest segment, the richest of the rich.
Trump promised "repeal and replace" health care reform that would extend better coverage to nearly all Americans. Yet what Congress set out to do was scrap Obamacare with no replacement. McCain stopped that but they're about to do it again and Trump's faithful will cheer as their own healthcare goes up in flames.
All this can be achieved with "dog whistle" bigotry. Lyndon Johnson summed it up: "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
As we have seen time and time again, Mound, people truly are their own worst enemies. It perplexes me that they seem to prefer responding to the dog whistle rather than critically examining who is blowing it.
.. the salamanders keep pointing at entrenched political Parties & sold out, 'whipped' or lazy cut n paste Mainstream Media. Yes there are the huge & growing social media factions - on Facebook, Twitter, plus the troll factories-hives .. all usually, incredibly partisan. The common sense folk likely outnumber and can easily outthink such failures.. but the fact remains that Media Is The Message today.. it drowns out critical thought.
But surely we know that any putsch, conspiracy, takeover etc involves taking over national communication centers - media - at the same time as the center of legal governance. Elections are 'run', are a farce or not even allowed. Corruption for personal gain is rife.. its an 'inside game', a kind of pretend democracy in Canada. In the USA they don't even bother pretending.
Yes we have some valid journalists, some valid politicians.. and a still believing population & electorate in Canada, but essentially, at the core, media and politics are diseased, archaic & rotted.. and very appealing to those who whether we like it or not.. are ignorant or unhappy, confused or distorted.. or just plain angry at life as they see it.. the 'blamers' I see them as.
An example ? How about the astonishing gaffe of Justin Trudeau, as Grassy Narrows First Nations protesters were ejected from his event. His supporters must have laughed as he ridiculed the First Nations.. 'Thank you for your donation, its much appreciated.. to The Liberal Party of Canada' .. Obviously knowing nothing it seems re Minimata Disease - mercury poisoning.. Well perhaps he'll get it via Johnny Depp, portraying my lifetime hero.. a legendary photo journalist & an exemplar and humanitarian of the highest order. My entire freelance photographic career was turned on its ear & attuned by that man's breathtaking work, courage & drive.
To see & hear tone deaf Trudeau gush glib, smart assed ignorance was humiliating.. I actually felt sorry to see such abject failure.. I'm sure his surviving brother was beyond mortified.. and Pierre rolled over in his grave
It has long amazed me how the far right uses lies and fearmongering as weapons not against their adversaries but against their supporters. Look at Trump's faithful. He takes them for a ride - on tax breaks for the rich and on dismantling their Affordable Care medical insurance - and they clap their flippers like trained seals.
ReplyDeleteAlso interesting is, when Trump campaigned, he promised blue-collar tax relief but when tax reform came before Congress, the Republican caucus turned that instead into tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest segment, the richest of the rich.
Trump promised "repeal and replace" health care reform that would extend better coverage to nearly all Americans. Yet what Congress set out to do was scrap Obamacare with no replacement. McCain stopped that but they're about to do it again and Trump's faithful will cheer as their own healthcare goes up in flames.
All this can be achieved with "dog whistle" bigotry. Lyndon Johnson summed it up: "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
As we have seen time and time again, Mound, people truly are their own worst enemies. It perplexes me that they seem to prefer responding to the dog whistle rather than critically examining who is blowing it.
Delete.. the salamanders keep pointing at entrenched political Parties & sold out, 'whipped' or lazy cut n paste Mainstream Media. Yes there are the huge & growing social media factions - on Facebook, Twitter, plus the troll factories-hives .. all usually, incredibly partisan. The common sense folk likely outnumber and can easily outthink such failures.. but the fact remains that Media Is The Message today.. it drowns out critical thought.
DeleteBut surely we know that any putsch, conspiracy, takeover etc involves taking over national communication centers - media - at the same time as the center of legal governance. Elections are 'run', are a farce or not even allowed. Corruption for personal gain is rife.. its an 'inside game', a kind of pretend democracy in Canada. In the USA they don't even bother pretending.
Yes we have some valid journalists, some valid politicians.. and a still believing population & electorate in Canada, but essentially, at the core, media and politics are diseased, archaic & rotted.. and very appealing to those who whether we like it or not.. are ignorant or unhappy, confused or distorted.. or just plain angry at life as they see it.. the 'blamers' I see them as.
An example ? How about the astonishing gaffe of Justin Trudeau, as Grassy Narrows First Nations protesters were ejected from his event. His supporters must have laughed as he ridiculed the First Nations.. 'Thank you for your donation, its much appreciated.. to The Liberal Party of Canada' .. Obviously knowing nothing it seems re Minimata Disease - mercury poisoning.. Well perhaps he'll get it via Johnny Depp, portraying my lifetime hero.. a legendary photo journalist & an exemplar and humanitarian of the highest order. My entire freelance photographic career was turned on its ear & attuned by that man's breathtaking work, courage & drive.
To see & hear tone deaf Trudeau gush glib, smart assed ignorance was humiliating.. I actually felt sorry to see such abject failure.. I'm sure his surviving brother was beyond mortified.. and Pierre rolled over in his grave
'Nation Building' .. ya.. right ..
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/first-look-johnny-depp-as-war-photographer-w-eugene-smith-minamata-1181585
You said it, all, Sal, and thanks for the link.
Delete