Of course Republicans love Russia now that it's become a fascist authoritarian mafia state that serves it's wealthy over it's own people. When it was communist, Republicans hated it because it represented the idea of a state that served all of its citizens over the wealthy, though obviously never realized. Republicans will all scream - no we hated it because it was a dictatorship, etc. Bullshit. They have no problem with dictatorship, as long as its in the service of capitalism and wealth.
Stunned progressives see a president-elect and his followers cozying up to a previous foreign nemesis, but it's really not surprising. Birds of a feather. I doubt that Trump is actually racist or nationalist or Christian - I'm sure he's fine with wealthy people from anywhere, of any race or religion (or lack thereof). He's classist, he's a fascist, he just used the language of racism, nationalism and the U.S. form of evangelical Christianity that embodies the first two elements along with its intolerance of other belief systems to take advantage of voters' darkest impulses to benefit himself and those of his hyper-wealthy class.
The great conflict today is not between the U.S. and other nations, or between races or religions - it's between fascists and progressives. Fascists want government that serves the wealthy above any other principles. Progressives want democratic government that serves all people. For a few decades of the 20th century, probably for the first time in history, progressives had the advantage and fascists had to play by our rules, and at least pay lip service to principles of democracy, rule-of-law, secularism, economic fairness and so on. For a little while, the two sides shared a few principles and we had a functioning two party system that was capable of bipartisan agreement. When Trump says he wants to make America great again, this is the period most of his followers are thinking of. They are thinking of that golden age when the will of the wealthy was held in check by the good of the society, not vice versa as it is today. The irony is that he will of course deliver exactly the opposite.
Nationally and internationally we are splitting into two irreconcilable sides. In the middle are those without a coherent political philosophy who are confused about what to choose so simply vote for whatever is different than what they currently have. Many in the working class have wrongly mistaken Trump for a strong leader who will fight the government to restore their dignity. In reality, he is a fascist who will destroy the parts of the government that look out for them, while strengthening the aspects of government that have the potential to repress them and serve capitalists.
Mainstream Democrats tried to straddle this divide and serve wealth and capitalism while continuing to represent the laboring classes as a way to win elections after the Reagan years. It did not work, or rather it only worked in the short term, and then it backfired, badly. Now Republicans are able to accuse Democrats of serving capital, which is just accurate enough to distract from the fact that the Republicans serve ONLY capital.
Democracy has led us into the jaws of fascism, through misunderstanding brought about by the confusion and outright lies sowed by the right that the left was unable to undo. The media empire created by the right is a real democracy destroyer that somehow our democratic system failed to stop. Our commitment to freedom of speech has been perverted into tolerance for dangerous propaganda. The problem is - where do you draw the line and who draws it? Do you rely on the intelligence of the citizenry to differentiate between news and propaganda? What if the propaganda advances a system that makes the citizenry less intelligent and less able to make those judgment calls? What if the propaganda advances an agenda that is contrary to the principles that allowed it to exist in the first place? I don't know the answers, but I do know that what we currently have is incompatible with the intelligent public discourse that democracy relies on.
I wish I could say there was some bipartisan common ground...but what is it? I don't see Republicans believing in or supporting democracy. I see them doing everything they can to disenfranchise and discredit democracy. I don't see them supporting the rule of law - just look at Governor LePage refusing to honor the referendums. I don't see them supporting truth. Look at the media empire they've created based on undermining the very idea of truth by presenting hyperbole and lies as on par with or even superior to fact-based journalism. Or their rejection of scientific truth when it conflicts with wealth accumulation. And they definitely don't support civility. As they've shown over and over, they will break all precedent of cordial governing to screw progressives any way they can, even if progressives insist on continuing to play nice. It's a war, I'm afraid.
I will go protest, ask the Republican Electors to do the right thing, ask my Republican representatives to do the right thing, but I have little faith they will. The Republican Party has morphed into something that has no respect for these principles that the left would like to think we all still share. People who continue to identify as Republican either don't value these principles, or have so much invested in the left/right historical battle that they can't admit their side has changed into something they probably should't be part of. There is no common ground, just an electorate that we failed to communicate to and get them to realize in time that we are the ones actually on their side. I hope we get another chance, but I fear that we won't anytime soon. The entire concept of a genuine electorate is anathema to Republicans and the Russian government alike, and they hold all the cards for now.
Stunned progressives see a president-elect and his followers cozying up to a previous foreign nemesis, but it's really not surprising. Birds of a feather. I doubt that Trump is actually racist or nationalist or Christian - I'm sure he's fine with wealthy people from anywhere, of any race or religion (or lack thereof). He's classist, he's a fascist, he just used the language of racism, nationalism and the U.S. form of evangelical Christianity that embodies the first two elements along with its intolerance of other belief systems to take advantage of voters' darkest impulses to benefit himself and those of his hyper-wealthy class.
The great conflict today is not between the U.S. and other nations, or between races or religions - it's between fascists and progressives. Fascists want government that serves the wealthy above any other principles. Progressives want democratic government that serves all people. For a few decades of the 20th century, probably for the first time in history, progressives had the advantage and fascists had to play by our rules, and at least pay lip service to principles of democracy, rule-of-law, secularism, economic fairness and so on. For a little while, the two sides shared a few principles and we had a functioning two party system that was capable of bipartisan agreement. When Trump says he wants to make America great again, this is the period most of his followers are thinking of. They are thinking of that golden age when the will of the wealthy was held in check by the good of the society, not vice versa as it is today. The irony is that he will of course deliver exactly the opposite.
Nationally and internationally we are splitting into two irreconcilable sides. In the middle are those without a coherent political philosophy who are confused about what to choose so simply vote for whatever is different than what they currently have. Many in the working class have wrongly mistaken Trump for a strong leader who will fight the government to restore their dignity. In reality, he is a fascist who will destroy the parts of the government that look out for them, while strengthening the aspects of government that have the potential to repress them and serve capitalists.
Mainstream Democrats tried to straddle this divide and serve wealth and capitalism while continuing to represent the laboring classes as a way to win elections after the Reagan years. It did not work, or rather it only worked in the short term, and then it backfired, badly. Now Republicans are able to accuse Democrats of serving capital, which is just accurate enough to distract from the fact that the Republicans serve ONLY capital.
Democracy has led us into the jaws of fascism, through misunderstanding brought about by the confusion and outright lies sowed by the right that the left was unable to undo. The media empire created by the right is a real democracy destroyer that somehow our democratic system failed to stop. Our commitment to freedom of speech has been perverted into tolerance for dangerous propaganda. The problem is - where do you draw the line and who draws it? Do you rely on the intelligence of the citizenry to differentiate between news and propaganda? What if the propaganda advances a system that makes the citizenry less intelligent and less able to make those judgment calls? What if the propaganda advances an agenda that is contrary to the principles that allowed it to exist in the first place? I don't know the answers, but I do know that what we currently have is incompatible with the intelligent public discourse that democracy relies on.
I wish I could say there was some bipartisan common ground...but what is it? I don't see Republicans believing in or supporting democracy. I see them doing everything they can to disenfranchise and discredit democracy. I don't see them supporting the rule of law - just look at Governor LePage refusing to honor the referendums. I don't see them supporting truth. Look at the media empire they've created based on undermining the very idea of truth by presenting hyperbole and lies as on par with or even superior to fact-based journalism. Or their rejection of scientific truth when it conflicts with wealth accumulation. And they definitely don't support civility. As they've shown over and over, they will break all precedent of cordial governing to screw progressives any way they can, even if progressives insist on continuing to play nice. It's a war, I'm afraid.
I will go protest, ask the Republican Electors to do the right thing, ask my Republican representatives to do the right thing, but I have little faith they will. The Republican Party has morphed into something that has no respect for these principles that the left would like to think we all still share. People who continue to identify as Republican either don't value these principles, or have so much invested in the left/right historical battle that they can't admit their side has changed into something they probably should't be part of. There is no common ground, just an electorate that we failed to communicate to and get them to realize in time that we are the ones actually on their side. I hope we get another chance, but I fear that we won't anytime soon. The entire concept of a genuine electorate is anathema to Republicans and the Russian government alike, and they hold all the cards for now.
