“It can’t happen here? My friends, it is happening here.” So says New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia near the end of the “The Plot Against America,” the Philip Roth novel from 12 years ago that re-imagines American history if the isolationist, Hitler-sympathizing anti-Semite Charles Lindbergh had defeated Franklin Roosevelt for the presidency in 1940. And so “the right-wing saboteurs of democracy–the so-called patriots and the so-called Christians” of the Republican right, Roth writes, make their march “under the sign of the cross and the flag.”
“It Can’t Happen Here” was the title of Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 novel that imagined a fascist senator who beats Roosevelt to the presidency on a promise to, you guessed it, make America great again: “To you and you only I look for help to make America a proud, rich land again,” the imaginary Buzz Windrip tells a crowd that includes his paramilitary “Minute Men,” who beat up dissenters and open fire on them. (The paramilitary vigilantes who still “patrol” the Mexican-American border on this side of paradise also call themselves the Minutemen.)
The two books are somewhat fictional. Only somewhat, because they draw on a strain of either violent or repressive impulses that, like the roils of magma under a volcano, have always been present in America’s political culture, at times more overtly than others. The years of the Alien and Sedition Acts in the early republic, the KKK, the Red Scare, Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II, the John Birch Society—whose founder thought Eisenhower was a “dedicated, conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy”—McCarthyism, the more muddled racism of the tea party movement and now Trumpism, its more fascist mutant, are all part of that toxic lineage.
If the poison has always been around, it’s never been enough to poison the entire country. Sinclair Lewis himself thought America too strong a democracy to allow a fascist take-over. He’s right, for now. Donald Trump isn’t going to win in November. By then the hordes of Bernie Sanders supporters who are making Hillary Clinton’s negative numbers look almost as bad as Trump’s will have fallen in line.
As unappealing as Clinton can seem, especially if you tune in to the hysterics of reactionary propaganda—the same machine that managed to turn John Kerry’s war heroics into treachery and Ronald Reagan’s administration, the most corrupt since Ulysses Grant’s, into a paragon of conservative values—she’s in a league of her own. Comparing her in any way to Trump isn’t apples and oranges, two quite evolved fruits. It’s more like comparing a human being to a single-cell organism, with Trump’s single cell defined by one thing: his vengeful racism.
Two things struck me about the Republican reaction to Trump declaring Judge Gonzalo Curiel unfit to preside over his case for being “Mexican.” The first is that even as people like House Speaker Paul Ryan call it “the textbook definition of a racist comment,” they are standing by Trump. As Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, tweeted, “Official position of the Republican Party: Trump is an inexcusable bigot, and Trump must be our next president.” (Kristol is leading a campaign to dump Trump and draft Mitt Romney again.)
Appeals to bigotry have never been far from national campaigns: Al Smith was demolished for his Catholicism in 1928, John Kennedy almost was in 1960, Nixon and the first Bush couldn’t have been elected without coded appeals to prejudices against blacks, McCain and Romney couldn’t anymore do the same with Obama and get away with it so they did the next-best thing, calling him a terrorist sympathizer, a foreigner, a Muslim. But the appeals were more tactical than central to campaigns, rather like paying tribute to a base of barnacle Republicans whose bigotry is as encrusted as their dependable votes. In Trump’s case, racism is the overriding allure, the buxom gravity center of his says-it-like-it-is charisma. His supporters deny it. They have to, like drunks who haven’t yet owned up to 12-stepping. But take away the racism, the Mexican-bashing, the dehumanizing of immigrants, the insults to a world of Muslims, the ultra-nationalism, and there’s not much left beside the Mussolini-like jabbing jaw and that hair, the only thing on Trump’s body that defies gravity, his imagination included.
The second thing that struck me was that even as a few Republicans denounced Trump over his Curiel insult, it was only then that Trump was assailed for exhibiting textbook racism. But he’s been exhibiting it in worse ways since the day he announced his candidacy, when he compared Mexicans to rapists and criminals, and since went on to propose closing the borders to all Muslims. I don’t know how that’s not the textbook definition not just of racism, but of fascism. As Robert Paxton, author of “The Anatomy of Fascism” put it in an interview about Trump in February, “the use of ethnic stereotypes and exploitation of fear of foreigners is directly out of a fascist’s recipe book.”
But even the media has betrayed a double-standard in its treatment of Trump in its handling the Curiel attacks as opposed to slurs on immigrants and Muslims. The difference is that Curiel is American. Trump’s attacks on Mexicans and Muslims were directed at people either beyond the borders or beneath American citizenship. The racism, in other words, is not Trump’s alone, or his supporters’. Even the media is playing into the caste of narratives, which shows to what extent the culture has become either inured to the unacceptable or willing to make its accommodations with it. Ryan did: he calls Trump’s racism “unacceptable,” yet he accepts it.
That’s ultimately the danger of Trump’s candidacy—not that he will win, but that even in losing, he is corroding that buffer against the unacceptable. He is making what Roth in “The Plot Against America” called “the unfolding of the unforeseen” possible.
Trump will fade. Trumpism may not. And the longer the Republican establishment is willing to appease him—to make its Munich with him—as a better alternative to Clinton, the more it legitimizes his racism as an acceptable American value at the very moment when white America is fading to minority status.
It can’t happen here? My friends, Trump or no Trump, it is happening here.
Pierre Tristam is FlaglerLive’s editor. Reach him by email here or follow him @PierreTristam. A version of this piece aired on WNZF.
Mark says
You hope he fades. I guess you are voting for the “sleezey” one?
Common Sense says
Great article Mr. Tristam and unfortunately so true.
Knightwatch says
I don’t believe Drumph is a fascist. I don’t believe he has any ideology. Certainly no values save wealth and influence. He seems to be driven by a pathological need to be praised and admired as the smartest, the biggest, the best. But he is merely an infantile braggart and serial liar, and a racist, bigoted bully who will say whatever he believes his audience wants to hear. Then deny those very words to the next audience and insult those who question his hypocrisy.
But I don’t blame Drumph… he’s not alone. The Republican Party is full of Drumphs. The Donald is just the loudest and most crass of the lot. No. I don’t blame the messiah, I blame the conservative flock that cheers him on. I blame the ignorance, the hatred and the fear of conservative Republicans (is there any other kind these days?) of anything and anybody not white, christian. anglo-saxon American. I blame their their inability to cope with, and rejection of, a bewildering, complex and rapidly changing world. So rather than learning and growing, they wish only to turn back the clock to better times. Back to their coal mines, their steel mills, their family farms, their “made in America” days. You know, the “good ol’ days” that are gone and will never come back.
Republicans will lose this election because their candidate is wholly incapable of leading America forward.
Dave Sullivan says
Pierre. Your article is a new low in yellow journalism full of half truths
and racism in reverse. Articles like yours do nothing to put forward
A reasonable policy based discussion on the current Election for President.
Having said that you have every right to state your unbelievably biased
point of view but I am afraid that all you will do is prove that those from the hard
left side of the fence should not be taken seriously by anybody.
Dave Sullivan
Pierre Tristam says
Dave, the piece is not about Trump’s or Clinton’s policies–we’re not there yet, and it’s a different column–but about his racism, which even leaders of your own party have conceded is “textbook.” I’m making the argument that Trump’s candidacy is dependent on that racism, and that it is in many ways textbook fascism, providing independent documentation and some historical context for the claim. I’ve tried not to make statements without providing at least some evidence. Your response in contrast adds up to: ”you suck.”
I don’t mind it from run-of-the-mill commenters saying that, Pavlovs will be Pavlovs, but as the former chairman of our local Republican Executive Committee, you might have given us a more evolved response, though this response is no different than those you give me every time we speak in person or electronically. You never actually present a reasoned argument. You just go personal, as you do here, avoiding to address the points raised in the piece. Then again, you couldn’t bring yourself to condemn even Mark Richter, one of your party minions, when he went Trump on my Arab ass a couple of years ago, sticking instead to safer generalities about not tolerating “unfounded personal attacks” (a point you seem to have dispensed with in your comment here, of course) . Still, I’d like you to explain if you can how you defend Trump’s racism about Muslims, about Mexicans, about Curiel–or how you consider it not racism, if that’s what you think. That’s the issue here, and it’s by no means out of left field, as the debates even within your own party–elsewhere, not in party-purity Flagler–indicate.
Vote Trump says
The only candidate who is not part of the problem. The media is doing everything and anything to stop him, but we thd people see thru the media’s bulls hit and we have spoken. We the people are who made Trump the GOP nominée and he will be our next President.
Anonymous says
cause Obama didn’t use race to benefit his election?
did we forget about acorn suddenly?
ScotchRox says
Pierre,
You get bat-shit crazier by the day…
NortonSmitty says
It’s not just the racism, not just the Nationalism, not just the usual envy of the Rich that is fueling this dirtbags popularity. And it’s not just the stupid supporting him, although if you polled those with an IQ of under 100 he would surely get about 85%. It would be close to 100% among those morons who are white. But personally I know many fairly intelligent people who are enamored with the man. And I don’t get it.
Support from common people who say we need a successful businessman when he has failed by bankrupting dozens of ventures. A self-Made man who inherited his wealth and by all accounts would be richer if he had put his Fathers money in a savings account. A strong leader who dodged the draft. A champion of the poor who steals from his workers. And a man of Virtue who has traded in wives like we do cars.
Not to mention a serial liar, tax dodger, land raper and insecure bastard who cannot take criticism from anybody without whining like a little girl.
And common people seem to relate to him, even though they have more in common with the guy who picks up their garbage than they ever will with this asshole. I’m baffled.
r&r says
Trump says a lot of thing other people want to but doesn’t have the guts. He WILL make an excellent president.
Ken says
Mr. Tristam, this column, as well as your established proclivity for Progressive Liberalism, is really what’s wrong with our country. You have used pretzel logic and inappropriate comparisons to frame your own progressive narrative. It’s you and people like you who have actually brought the “Trumps” and “fascists” out of the margins of our society. You should be ashamed.
Perhaps you should stick to commenting on local area issues and leave your opinions on national politics to those better suited.
Steve says
Pierre- I can’t imagine anyone believing any thing you say anymore. How much father to the left can you get? All of the bull spewing from your mouth is downright laughable. But attacking Ronald Reagon and Eisenhower is not. Why is it you can attack these 2 people that did make America great. Reading your articles convinces me that you are un-American which is why you are pro Hil liar y. You say the Republican party is willing to appease him? Don’t you watch your liberal news stations. They don’t even want him as the nominee. But when you have the democrat establishment and the republican establishment against him, you know you have the right man. You probably won’t post this like you didn’t post my last 2 comments.
Donald Trump's Tiny Fingers says
Trump’s candidacy is a wonderful thing, regardless of whatever dangers you think are present due to his mainstreaming of racism. Everything that comes out of his mouth originated either in the GOP, fox news, or one of the handful of mainstream talk radio hosts. What’s wonderful about that is the fact that he’s openly voicing these opinions as the defacto Republican nominee. It’s awesome. They have to own everything that comes to of his mouth.
another vet says
300 million people in this country and our choices are a reality tv star rich guy or a chronic liar and professional office seeker God help us
patriotism is alive says
its like the race for sheriff you gotta choose between the lesser of two evils and hope they dont f*cked it up any worse than it is.
Biker says
Fascism – a political system headed by a dictator in which the government controls business and labor and opposition is not permitted. Sounds a lot like our current administration.- just saying l
Rich Mikola says
Anybody but Hillary. She lies and he (Bill) had an intern perform a sex act on him in the Oval Office. The man’s a pervert.
Ron says
Loved this article. Perfect.
Dave Sullivan says
Pierre As usual you must comment by trying to attack others by association
using information non founded on any honest facts. My point was that your article
was just as racist as any of the half truths you associate with Donald Trump.
Selectively sorting out only information that supports your position is not
called journalism but hate speech as far as your article goes. Basically you are
calling all the millions of voters that voted for Trump in the primary racists which
appears to be the only argument the left has to try and stop the anti big government
movement sweeping the country. Taking on your article sentence by sentence would
be a waste of time for me. It’s the old “when did you stop beating your wife” political
ploy used by writers like you since the beginning of the Republic.
Dave Sullivan
App
Pierre Tristam says
Hopeless. Dave, I don’t like dealing in generalities. I’m not asking you to go line by line. Just point to one dishonest fact in the piece and address it. Address the issue of Trump’s racism. Nothing to do with big government or all other diversionary talking points. Explain how what he said of Curiel isn’t racist, without hiding behind the inapplicable beat-your-wife evasion, since Trump explicitly said what he said, and has been disavowed for it by a number of your distant colleagues. But don’t accuse me of refusing to have a reasonable discussion only to then call any such discussion a waste of time. I’m focused on Trump. You’re being personal, without once addressing the piece on its merits. How disingenuous. Like I said. Hopeless.
DaveT says
Trump might not win, but it will not be at the hands of poor journalism Pierre. It will be because Trump does not listen to his staff, he is flying by the seat of his pants and speaking the truth,. He is immature in the world of politics. One thing Trump has done, it has caused people to vote, it has caused people to start looking at the issues in America, immigration, racism, showing bias towards females. So Trumps mouth has woken up America. And then you have Hillary who has lied, is dishonest and will works for big money.. Hillary will win but it will not be from my vote. What we have heard is the best of the worst America has to offer for the office of President of these United States.
Geezer says
Those of you dissenters: do some research, gather up your sources, and start your own local news blog.
You compliment Trump for speaking his mind, and criticize the editor of this site when he does the same.
Donald Trump is heavily dependent on racists’ votes. That is the simple truth. Why deny it?
How sad that in the USA, the best we could come up with are Clinton and Trump for presidential candidates.
How tragic, and embarrassing for our country!
YankeeExPat says
Something is familiar with Il Duce
https://youtu.be/Ar9Tu07cwyg
https://youtu.be/fz6chamRoPM
Jon Hardison says
Good god! What a train wreck!
Anonymous bravely asks, “cause Obama didn’t use race to benefit his election?”
Implying that discussing racism, a long standing American social issue, is an opportunistic ploy?
He was working on becoming the first Black American President of the United States! Of course it was going to come up!
And everyone else, particularly Dave Sullivan:
This post is about Trump’s racism and fear-mongering.
Trump is a PROUD RACIST and you support him. That’s fine!
You’re not arguing that fact. You’re just stating your contempt for the author of an article that discusses this fact? None of you are making any sense.
Yes. We all know that you’ll never have any headspace for anyone with a more “liberal” viewpoint than your own. Stating this fact over and over in lieu of a little honesty doesn’t add anything to the conversation.
How about taking a lesson from R&R who seems to be the only person on here with any balls at all!
“Trump says a lot of thing other people want to but doesn’t have the guts. He WILL make an excellent president.”
R&R ripped off the band-aid and basically said, “Yeah. I want preference and power ever everyone that isn’t white and/or doesn’t have money.”
You guys aren’t boneheads. You know what Trump wants and you SURELY know what you want!
Just fuckin say it already! Sitting in your armchair complaining about those reporting Trump’s quotes is ridiculous. “Yeah, he said all that shit, and I support him 100%, but man this article is one sided!”
No. No it isn’t. It’s one sided because you guys “doesn’t have the guts” to actually talk about the side you’re defending. Man up. Say what you mean. If it’s time for us to go through a second civil rights movement lets do this thing and quit sneaking around.
I don’t wanna hear this, “I’m voting for Trump because Hillary is soooo terrible and scary.”, bullshit.
You’re support for Trump because he’s the bigot you wish you could be.
I can disagree with R&R all day long. We can sit and talk for days and we’ll probably never agree, but you know what? I’d talk to him. Know why? Cuz he’s not a total coward. (He’s a bit of a coward cuz he can’t put his name to his words), but at least he says WTF he means.
Dave Sullivan says
Pierre. Donald Trump is not a racist but at times has made statements then are then taken out of context to do damage to his character. He never said all Mexicans are rapists and crooks, he said many Mexians entering the Country illegally are criminals and he strongly favors legal immigration to the USA. Facts support his contention that many, not all illegal aliens not only commit crimes in the USA but return for the same purposes time after time, As an example the young woman who was shot by an illegal Mexian alien in the Sanctuary city of San Francisco.
As for Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, born in Indiana and a full natural born citizen of the United States. He is a member of the San Diego Chapter of the California La Raza Association of lawyers. One of the Judge Curiel’s fellow fellow chapter members stated: “I am calling for California to be turned into an Hispanic
State and whites should go back to Europe”. So if you are Donald Trump fighting a court case where this Judge will be making the decision and the fact that he was appointed to be a Federal Judge by President Obama you might be concerned about how fair he would be to you. Judges excuse themselves for cases like this all the time to show complete fairness that the Law will be followed properly. That was the concern that Trump was expressing and he probably should have been a little clearer in the point he was making.
Having said all that I contend that Donald Trump is not a racist and your original article did not portray the facts fairly.
Thanks for calling me Hopeless, I guess I am hopeless in my love for this Country and what it stands for.
Dave Sullivan
Pierre Tristam says
Dave, I wish you’d started off with this response rather than the two preceding ones. At least now we can talk. I disagree with your interpretation, but that’s beside the point: I’m more interested in the anatomy of disagreements than I am in mere agreement, since we don’t progress or learn much from unanimity—which, ironically, is what I think has weakened the GOP so much: that 11th Commandment from its Dear Leader doesn’t help it in the long run, it only inhibits self-criticism. Anyway, the Trump reference to Mexicans as rapists was not as out of context as it’s been made out to be by his apologists: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems…they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” That’s pretty damning, and careless. Of course he didn’t say all Mexicans are rapists and so on. But he didn’t have to. He was sending a message, and it was very well received. But even putting that aside as a misstep, his decision to ban all Muslim entry into the United States, however temporary, was no out-of-context slip. I linked in the article to his original statement, which is unambiguous, and unambiguously racist, affecting 56 Muslim-majority nations and, essentially, any Muslim anywhere, though you did not address it in your response. It’s no different than saying Jews or Hindus or Shintos should be temporarily blocked from entering the country—something we’ve already done as a nation when we blocked immigration of “Orientals,” as we called them back then, at the beginning of the 290th century, thus building up a hefty dose of resentment among the Japanese, who paid us back at Pearl Harbor. In the Curiel case, you’re painting him with the same broad-brush that you accused me of in a previous comment: by association. You then suggest that no Obama appointee could be fair to Trump, which is absurd, and allude to the statement by Mario Obledo, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a man who achieved more for Hispanics in the United States than most Anglo-Americans put together. He did not say what you quoted him as saying. He said California would be a majority-Hispanic state soon, and that those who didn’t like it “ought to go back to Europe.” Beside the fact that I get told to go back to where I came from almost daily from your party members, I won’t argue that it’s an inelegant and even stupid thing to say, but if it’s context we’re looking for—he was on a talk show–it’s somewhere along the lines of Ali’s triumphalism (“I’m the greatest”) rather than a malicious premeditated attack, let alone part of a documented pattern, as it’s been with Trump. More to the point: it has nothing to do with Curiel. Finally, I had not meant to call you hopeless. What I meant was that the attempt at discussion with you was hopeless. I wasn’t clear. And anyway that’s no longer true, though the way you took the meaning of hopeless can also apply, but no less to you than to me.
Common Sense says
What is there to admire about Trump?
Over 3500 lawsuits from businesses with unpaid bills.
Serial affairs.
Four bankruptcies.
Eight failed businesses.
No government experience.
No foreign policy experience.
Has insulted, Latinos, gays, women, the Pope, blacks, Muslims, other Republicans.
Says he believes one thing and days later says the opposite.
What makes anyone think this man is the right person for President of the US?
VOTE TRUMP says
The Clinton’s were the biggest embarrassment in the white-house that I can remember in my life time. I can’t imagine the white house being occupied by the Clinton’s again. If we don’t want to go backwards and repeat the past, we must move forward and go with TRUMP. We already know what we will get with a Clinton in the white house. They were a package deal then and are now. I believe the American people have realized that we need some change of stopping the circulation of the same politicians and that is why TRUMP is moving forward with more support than ever. It is all politics that Hillary hasn’t faced consequences for the email scandal. I am surprised she hasn’t taken another fall and came up with another excuse to not have to talk about it. She won’t release her speeches Bernie spoke of to Goldman Sacks because she knows if she did it would do her in. She is deceitful and not what this county needs. VOTE TRUMP!!!!!!!
William Moya says
Dave Sullivan underscores the tragedy befallen America, millions of our fellow Americans and neighbors will be voting for a racist, a fascist, and an all around ignoramus. But this american are not innocent dupes that are confused by what going on, instead is the culmination of years of a major political party being partly sold out and taking over starting in the 1960’s by Nixon and the penetration of the Dixiecrats and the Know Nothings in the Republican party.
One doesn’t have to go much further than what the Republican leadership is saying about Trump, although this is exactly what the Tea Party expressing in 2010, but then they were all too eager to bring this new passion and vigor into the party.
One final point, Pierre, I’m not too sure that the scenario that this wont happen in the U.S. is necessarily so. Sometime ago one of a fellow contributor to the comments on this page, unfortunately i don’t remember his name, in a very succinct and poignant way that an event in late summer early fall involving another terror attack would be the catalyst to “make America white again” come true.
History doesn’t repeat itself as much as it morphs into a different strain, and then we are in an unknown dark room searching for the light switch.
Geezer says
William Moya:
I enjoy your comments – you’re quite an intelligent fellow.
Keep ’em coming!
Bc. says
More trash from Pierre-you are so far left and anti American Can’t wait till November when the AMERICAN people elect Mr trump the next Potus. You will have so much egg on your face and look to all of your readers like the racist that you are this artical is filled with racism
IMO says
Hillary wants to bring 65,000 Syrian refugees into this nation. That’s 5x the number originally planned for.
Each of these refugees will cost the taxpayer $20,000 and then they will be immediately eligible for Welfare Cash, Food Stamps and Housing subsidies.
Donald Trump wants to take that money and apply it to creating jobs for Black inner City Youths who are suffering an unemployment rate of 47%.
Now tell me which idea is most correct and which group should be #! on this nation’s priority list.
By advising Hillary wants to spend billions on Syrina refugees and leaving our African American youth with no hope, no jobs and no way out of the nation’s ghettos it is quiyte obvious she and not Trump is the
racist.
Ask any Teacher in our Elementary and Middle Schools just how desperate many American Black families in FLagler County and “IN YOUR HEART YOU KNOW TRUMP IS RIGHT.”
Then take a good look at Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York. parts of Georgia, New Orleans etc and ask yourself JUST WHERE AND TO WHOM SHOULD OUR RESOURCES BE GOING.
Yellowstone says
Dave and the gang –
Just a few, small quotes from other’s view of the ‘facts’:
Trump sayings about folks like us on the Internet and his view of our 1st Amendment right: “Somebody will say, ‘Oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people.'”
Fox News’ Shepard Smith: Regarding Trump, “the worst, darkest part of all that is America.”
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham: “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot”
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley: “fascist demagogue”
House Speaker Paul Ryan said: “this is not conservatism,”
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke: Trump just wants to “preserve the heritage of this country.”
Vanguard News Network: “Trump is beginning to sound like a white nationalist, even more so than before.”
So, this guy Trump is who (what) you want to have as the USA’s spokesman to the rest of the world? To represent the values and freedoms of all American’s? Shameful!
I don’t think so . . . .
Geezer says
I just dialed 9-1-1 for the Grammar Police! Capital crimes observed, comma, colon, dash, and period
laws were noted as well. Hurry!
David B says
Probably pass up this election. Neither one of them are efficient to hold the highest office in the world
Jon Hardison says
Where? Where is the racism BC? Point it out. Copy and paste it here.
William Moya says
Geezer, thank you but is all a function of old age and retirement frankly, i.e. I have no fear. And to all of you also, thanks, many of your writings are thought provocative.
Jon the badguy says
Senator Clinton no. Mr.Trump no. I don’t think she is a true liberal, more like a scandalous progressive. He is most definitely not a true conservative. I consider myself a conservative and find him repulsive. I love to read Pierre’s columns for the literary value. I don’t agree with him most of the time but I do learn things! This article taught me that I am a bigoted, fascist, racist even though I neither support nor will be voting for Donald Trump, but simply because I am a conservative in 2016. Thanks for the clarification. It will certainly make life less confusing now that I realize I’m a monster based on a moniker. Everyone’s concern over left and right blinds them to the true power brokers that control all the politicians on both side of the aisle. I would assume it boils down to the mighty $$. The 2 major parties are deeply flawed and the horrible traits of Trump portrayed in this article are present in members of both parties. Maybe we could start a New party. We could call it The Human Party!! The problem with politics is still the same since the beginning of civilization: who’s Rights are more valuable and important then who’s, and Who is qualified to assess that decision and make the correct, fair choices. Hey what do I know?? I ‘m just a rambling racist
Donald Trump's Tiny Fingers says
HAHAHA oh man, flaglerlive, thanks for these articles. Each post by a trump supporter is like a new competitor in the special Olympics, in which the reward is that you’ve got a gold star but you’re still retarded.
Algernon says
Does anyone remember the old saying that if you say something often enough and long enough, true or not, that people will believe it’s true?
People, primarily Republicans, have been bashing Hillary so long, that some of their lies have gained lives of their own. Keep that in mind and take a look at this:
http://www.hillarymen.com/latest/great-american-brainwash
Sherry says
Excellent Article! Pierre is completely correct! Would the Oxford dictionary do?
RACISM- “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior”.
By this definition. . . it is NOT necessary to disparage every single person of another race. By this definition, Trump is most certainly a racist. . . as are many who comment on this site.
FASCISM- “An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
(In general use) extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practices.”
By this definition. . . most certainly NOT the Obama administration!
You are all welcome!
Lin says
Fascism
Governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry and commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and racism.
Dictionary.com
I guess the president is not fascist since the nationalism definition is missing
DaveT says
We have NO president only a puppet pretending he is the president. Until we change the term limits in Congress to say 12 years, our government will never get things done to benefit the people that elected them. All we have is a lot of Life time employees getting rich while US citizens are getting poor and the middle class is going broke.
michael murphy says
TRUMP 2016
Trump 2016 says
The KKK returned to their roots, they endorsed Hillary or didn’t CNN or MSNBC tell you? Cause that’s how “racist” Trump is!! Lol.
Mikhail Okun says
Nothing more than a hit piece.
Trump is what this country needs to bring us back from the brink. It’s time to swing the pendulum the other way.
Ben Hogarth says
Pierre,
Why do you bother engaging the handful of bigots that clearly only have the time in the world to spew their message of hate and ignorance? Don’t you remember the proverb – “When a wise man and a fool argue, onlookers can’t tell the difference” ?
We always see the same group of idiots coming to this comment forum to express themselves (claiming to be the “silent majority”) simply because if they said what they actually believe in public – a mob of people would punch their lights out – and for good reason. These people are cowards, I can certainly agree to that as some other responders have commented… but why engage them? What does that accomplish but a little personal satisfaction?
Would it not just be easier to allow their hate-filled, idiotic rants to go unanswered? At least that way the dark void, the black hole of existence that is their thoughts and words, may choke on its own echo. Pierre, you know I am a historian by trade and you know that we historians get to write history. These folks who rant on your forum will fade from existence and the story of their ignorance will be written for the majority of future Americans to shake their heads at – as their 7th grade American History teacher discusses “idiocracy” in its full form
Sherry says
Regarding the complete “TRASH” regarding the endorsement of Secretary Clinton by the KKK. . . check SNOPES before spreading more and more lies, lies, lies:
“So while it’s true that The Telegraph reported (and other outlets disseminated) Quigg’s claim that the KKK was now supporting Hillary Clinton and had donated $20,000 to her campaign, that assertion was widely deemed not to be credible by sources familiar with such groups. Moreover, Quigg neither presented proof of his claims nor discussed them seriously”.
Sherry says
Here is the derivation of the word fascism. . . from the renowned Oxford dictionary:
The term Fascism was first used of the totalitarian right-wing nationalist regime of Mussolini in Italy (1922–43); the regimes of the Nazis in Germany and Franco in Spain were also Fascist. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach.
Origin
1920s: from Italian fascismo, from fascio ‘bundle, political group’, from Latin fascis (see fasces).
Most certainly describes Trump and the complete obstructionist Tea Party wing of the Republican party.