And yet, now that the MAGABomber has lived up to his nom de Twitter (or, at least, his van did), we are left with a question of "what now?" Trump recently called himself a nationalist--contrasted to globalists--which he describes in dry geopolitical terms.
Of course anyone who knows anything about history (including recent history) and the alt-right lower-case-n nazis in America knows that the term globalists means Jews (or their political pawns). As the Omnivore writes, a Synagogue is getting shot up. Initial reports are that this guy believes in MAGA but thinks Trump is a globalist--meaning that Trump is not de-Jewing the government fast enough) and is an alt-right warrior.
This is a movement that is sufficiently organized and draws emotional support from the highest levels of government (there is ample evidence that Trump's administration considers them a valid voting bloc and is interested in throwing them rhetorical bones to keep them on his side). Trump's voting base is bathed in conspiracy theory. It is powered by ginned up political outrage--and thus it is a fertile recruiting ground for the kind of people who want to find soldiers.
Worse, if you can stomach it, this is what the Trump supporters voted for. Every Trump supporter knew that Trump's support from the nazis was historic in its dimensions. His message--and method of campaigning was purely on the table. These people understood what they were doing (at least the ones The Omnivore talks to) and simply dismissed it.
The Omnivore argued with a Trump-sympathetic voter that there was a rise in these hate-crimes: the guy denied it--forcefully even as the data continued to roll in. He simply couldn't conceive of a world where Trump's actions could lead to real-world violence.
At the same time, a #WalkAway march at the capitol has a singer serenading the (fake) ex-Democrats with a song that goes "Arm yourself to the teeth, prepare your eyes for blood." The people being sung to are, of course, MAGA wearing culture-warriors.
This won't penetrate the MAGA-sphere as Fox won't cover this stuff (or, at least, not the troubling parts of it) and the followers, once armed with talking-points, will be psychologically immunized against feeling any responsibility for their continuing promotion of this political illness.I’m at the #walkaway march today in DC, a group of ex-Democrats who say they’ve left the party for Trump. Will tweet if there’s anything interesting. pic.twitter.com/QkGryGkGCv— Will Sommer (@willsommer) October 27, 2018
What's The Way Out?
Glad you asked. There isn't one.
The entrenched nature of partisan politics is reinforced by a wall of non-reality that is impossible, under current conditions, to penetrate. Why should a MAGA-Hat feel responsible for the bombings when they are told it was likely a false-flag set up by Democrats (a point of view that now counts as mainstream Republican dialog with Lou Dobbs embracing it for a time on his national TV show).
The underlying affinity for this non-reality is, of course, an emotional need to deny their darker impulses (the children in cages don't matter because they are not Americans, the Saudi torture and murder of a person with residence in America doesn't matter because he's not American, the Proud Boys assaulting protesters in NYC doesn't matter because they had it coming, etc.).
Trump's method is to play to the darkness while giving it a shiny cover of patriotism (America First!)--it's a powerful cocktail and you probably won't know anyone who gets killed.
The Omnivore got an email from someone he used to respect, gloating about Kavanaugh a few days ago--if the results of Trump were just the judges, this wouldn't be a problem--but it isn't. It's the degradation of the nation. It's people shot going to church (remember, this isn't the first time). It's stadiums full of people baying for the blood of the press and fixated on the threat of a caravan of wretched people 1000 miles from our border under the racist lie that there might be "Middle Eastern" people in it (not even ISIS or terrorists--just "Middle Eastern" people).
At this point we've got mail-bombs and alt-right warriors shooting up Synagogues and a couple hundred marchers in DC swaying to calls for blood. The people who are MAGAing at this point have already made their peace with all this.
We should too.
As anyone who worked for him will confirm, I was very critical of Obama. I never got threats I get now. So, yes, I hold Trump responsible for promoting, legitimizing, normalizing, and empowering hate & division. He's the conductor of this orchestra. Until he stops, it won't stop.
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) October 26, 2018
Donald Trump behaves as he does for the simple reason that it’s worked for him, for his entire wretched life. Comparing his current “performances” with video from 20+ years ago makes it easy to believe that he may be in the early stages of dementia as well. But he has always been a crook, a narcissist, an opportunist, a bully, and a coward — and the quality of unpredictability serves bullies well.
ReplyDeleteYes, he’s playing with fire all right, but what does he care? The consequences won’t fall upon him; as always, it will be everyone else who has to pay the price when the bill comes due.
As it must.
You will not find a better example of moral hazard.
-- Ω