Joe Biden:
"Does anyone believe there'll be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected?"
Bess Levin, NY Times:
"What Biden didn't say, but which was perhaps implied, was that Americans have a very simple decision to make: Do they want a sane, relatively lucid individual running the country, or would they like second helpings from the batshit buffet."
Trump is stepping up the crazy.
Donald Trump is making news, and then stepping all over the news he was making. In a two hour and fifteen minute period early Sunday morning he posted or reposted one every 90 seconds. The tweets attacked the news media, including "the Failing and Crooked (but not as crooked as Hillary Clinton) @NYTimes"; the "20,000,000 Witch Hunt"; Hillary's emails; Hillary's server. Trump called to imprison NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, he defended the 17 year old Kenosha shooter, and blasted Portland Mayor Wheeler. And more. There were 89 tweets. Manic.
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| Trump, on Laura Ingraham |
Among them were tweets about a conspiracy idea that he is floating: "People you've never heard of. People that are in the dark shadows."
Donald Trump gave an extraordinary interview with Laura Ingraham, the Fox News host. Fox News is so friendly a venu Trump loses any self protective filter. Even Laura Ingraham tries to warn him off the crazy--watch it, Mr. President, you are sounding kookie--but Trump forges ahead.
He appears to be remembering and re-purposing a Facebook rumor that circulated early this summer. The fear was that busloads of Antifa terrorists in black would descend on small towns to terrorize them. In Klamath Falls, Oregon, about 70 miles east of my home in Medford, armed civilians showed up one evening to protect the town from an invasion rumored and circulated on Facebook. I wrote about it here in June, under the title "Facebook Rumors, Alcohol, Men with Guns" Click The feared invasion never came, interpreted in Facebook posts as a victory--the enemy having retreated without engaging.
Trump did what Trump does. He made up a story and kept it vague. Here is a transcript:
Trump: And Biden—well Biden is—I don’t even like to mention Biden, because he’s not controlling anything. They control him…
Ingraham: Who do you think is pulling Biden’s strings? Is it former Obama officials…?
Trump: People that you’ve never heard of. People that are in the dark shadows. People that…
Ingraham: What does that mean? That sounds like conspiracy theory. Dark shadows, what is that?
Trump: No. People that you haven’t heard of. They’re people that are on the streets. They’re people that are controlling the streets. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that. They’re on a plane…
Ingraham: Where—where was this?
Trump: I’ll tell you sometime, but it’s under investigation right now, but they came from a certain city, and this person was coming to the Republican National Convention, and there were like seven people on the plane like this person, and then a lot of people were on the plane to do big damage. They were coming for…
Ingraham: Planning for Washington?
Trump: Yes, this was all—this is all happening.
He appears to be remembering and re-purposing a Facebook rumor that circulated early this summer. The fear was that busloads of Antifa terrorists in black would descend on small towns to terrorize them. In Klamath Falls, Oregon, about 70 miles east of my home in Medford, armed civilians showed up one evening to protect the town from an invasion rumored and circulated on Facebook. I wrote about it here in June, under the title "Facebook Rumors, Alcohol, Men with Guns" Click The feared invasion never came, interpreted in Facebook posts as a victory--the enemy having retreated without engaging.
Trump did what Trump does. He made up a story and kept it vague. Here is a transcript:
Trump: And Biden—well Biden is—I don’t even like to mention Biden, because he’s not controlling anything. They control him…
Ingraham: Who do you think is pulling Biden’s strings? Is it former Obama officials…?
Trump: People that you’ve never heard of. People that are in the dark shadows. People that…
Ingraham: What does that mean? That sounds like conspiracy theory. Dark shadows, what is that?
Trump: No. People that you haven’t heard of. They’re people that are on the streets. They’re people that are controlling the streets. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that. They’re on a plane…
Ingraham: Where—where was this?
Trump: I’ll tell you sometime, but it’s under investigation right now, but they came from a certain city, and this person was coming to the Republican National Convention, and there were like seven people on the plane like this person, and then a lot of people were on the plane to do big damage. They were coming for…
Ingraham: Planning for Washington?
Trump: Yes, this was all—this is all happening.
--- --- ---
We have seen Trump do this before, laying out a claim and keeping details secret. It was how he handled the Birther attack on Obama, saying that investigators were finding amazing stuff, stuff that would shock you, but no, he isn't ready to lay it out. Polls showed a majority of Republicans bought it. Where there is so much smoke there must be fire.
We saw the retreat to vagueness and secrecy again when he was asked about his favorite Bible verse, where his rambling answers calls up memories of school children, standing to give a book report on a book they said they had read, but had not. Here is comedian Sarah Cooper's version of Trump's actual words. "The Bible means a lot to me, but I don't want to get into specifics."
The new conspiracy of mysterious men in black plotting a coup against him has just enough anecdotal evidence to get currency with people who want to believe. The summer has brought out young men--and some women--eager to act out, both on the political right and political left. There are left anarchists who defend violence as a form of political speech to break through the inertia. There are Proud Boys and informal militia members like the ones showing up to defend Klamath Falls and Kenosha, people like Kyle Rittenhouse. Each side has a costume, black or militia. They are part of something bigger than themselves. They meet like minded people.
Antifa terrorists are not descending on planes to overthrow America, but some people somewhere will say or do violent things, and the media will cover it, and it if fits the narrative, Fox will put it on a loop.
Antifa terrorists are not descending on planes to overthrow America, but some people somewhere will say or do violent things, and the media will cover it, and it if fits the narrative, Fox will put it on a loop.
Donald Trump is spinning out a scare story as part of his larger theme that he is under relentless attack by dark, mysterious forces who actually pull the strings on Biden, on Democrats, and on Americans. He cannot be proven wrong, and men in shadows is a better story for him than that 1,000 Americans are dying every day from complications relating to COVID, two filled jumbo jets crashing every day. Conspiracies of dark forces, men in black, are dangerous ideas to spread. Presidents have status and credibility. People believe. Brave, impressionable people like Kyle Rittenhouse act on it.
Most dangerous, though, is that a war against invisible, dark forces can take place invisibly and extra-judicially. Secret enemies require secret police. If institutions imbed enemies then institutions cannot be trusted. A country like that needs a strong, bold leader. It is the moral justification for the end of democratic self government.
7 comments:
The person who identifies himself as "Curt" is an excellent example of the Trump-believing conspiracy-oriented voter who are a segment of the GOP base. Curt references unknown people, George Soros, and the notion of organized groups paid and "shipped" to places to riot.
This blog does not need to invent examples of the faithful and gullible. They reveal themselves. "Curt's" concerns about the cosy relationships within the City of Medford are undermined by his gullibility over parallel conspiracies floated by Trump. As soon as "Curt" references the George Soros anti=Semetic trope, a big share of his potential credibility falls away. "Curt" is transformed from whistleblower into kook.
If this "Curt" is, in fact, Curt Ankerberg, then "Curt" has been a perennial office seeker who loses because he undermines his own credibility by fusing crony relationships locally with his belief in Trump-sourced and anti-semitic conspiracies that circulate within right wing and white ethnonationalist groups.
Curt -
Get a grip on yourself. This is Trump’s America. It has been for the last 3+ years. He is directly responsible for the hate and violence we see on the streets. Nowhere do we see Trump try to bring the country together. He is infecting you and all his supporters with free-floating anxiety. If you look for evil all you see is evil. Trump talks about the dark forces taking over. Trump should know he is leading them!
If I heard a prisoner talk like that I would have referred him or her to the psychiatrist and would have a diagnosis of rule out delusional disorder.. I suspect dementia is involved
Trump is reading from the old Joe McCarthy playbook. Older readers such as myself will remember "I have here in my hand a list of 275 card-carrying Commies in the State Department." Just plug in a large number and a department of government and away you go!
Sandford Borins
Curt makes several claims here, none of which are substantiated.
"George Soros has a history of financing insurrection. You know that. You can't deny it. That's not a conspiracy. Soros could be funding Antifa, or it could be a foreign country like Russia or China who wants to see rioting here during the election. Some other group or person is financially behind Antifa. It costs money to riot and ship rioters around the country."
George Soros financed a group called America Coming Together that I worked for briefly in 2004. It was a peaceful, carefully scripted group of people going door to door for John Kerry for President. Nope, no violence. And absolutely no evidence that Soros is behind anything!
Curt claims that this rioting and looting is caused by Antifa. There is plenty of evidence that these groups may be connected to right wing extremist groups, and not Antifa. This is a trump (and Rand) claim, too. Unsubstantiated.
In Kenosha, there is now a lawsuit that the Black lives Matter protestors were arrested for violating curfew, but not a single right wing armed vigil ante person was arrested.
Trump and his cult followers are off the rails with all of this!
It may be true that the Russian trolls are fanning the flames on the social media.
Anti fascists are against fascism which, if I recall, is what we fought against in WWII...meaning that we, as a nation, held a common belief that government was of, by and for the people...not free-wheeling, monopolistic corporations. Having said that, I do not see the logic in destroying your own credibility by destroying property. Having said that, I do not rule out for a moment agent provocateurs from the Right (most of whom are getting played by the corporate oligarchs).
Trump is once again capturing the media attention by being as outrageous as he was on reality TV. MSM, even liberal MSM (like NPR) does a disservice by focusing on him and even repeating his statements. This country is ADDICTED TO DRAMA. George Lakoff has to be rolling his eyes. What if I tell you to not think of a pink horse? What are you thinking of, cowboy? We need to shun Trump and maybe feel a little sad and compassionate for folks like Curt and some liberal centrists that I can think of that keep getting played by the duopoly...two inauthentic choices...the system works perfectly for them. Get angry at the right people, find common ground (there's plenty) or risk civil war (from which only the wealthy benefit...they'll sell you the weapons; you bury your sons and daughters).
Andy Seles
Andy, I suspect you do more damage to progressive politics than does "Curt." Curt is understood to be a Trump loving apologist for Trump-style corruption and a simple parrot of the Trump approved message. I publish his comments so readers in a liberal bubble are exposed to Trump's tools.
Andy, you are more dangerous because you urge Biden to do unpopular things, while claiming to speak for the people. You don't. Majorities don't agree with you. Your policies could only be implemented by undemocratic means, a leftist coup, perhaps, or a strong-man authoritarian who takes advantage of of national crisis.
You have work to do. Sell your policies, make them popular. They aren't. Bernie did not win his elections. He got his niche, nothing more. The proof of the pudding is that neither you personally, nor others with your policies, are running for election and winning in any place but tiny o political microclimates. You call on Democratic politicians to run, die gloriously advancing policies that you haven't made anywhere near popular, and in so doing, elect Trump and Trump lookalikes. Get real. Try running for County Commissioner. Try running a Democrat-bashing Socialist for State Rep. and prove your case by winning an election or two in places other than Queens, Berkeley, or Vermont, then implement some policies by convincing majorities among your colleagues to enact your policies. Put up..
Until then, your comments are lucid and welcome here, again as an example of a way of thinking. But your "perfect" is the enemy of the better and of reform and incremental progress Which might actually get implemented, which makes you the tool of Trump, right along with Curt.
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