Trump's choice for Speaker of The House has been granted the imperial nick name. MAGA Mike Johnson.
Of course.Speaker Johnson was and is an election denier and was one of the architects of the plan to overturn the election of President Biden. Johnson is against LGTBQ Rights, Civil Rights and is apparently a christian dominionist.
Take a moment, if you have not, Go read Agenda 47. Trump's published plan- sorry, really, "plan" for his final term. Granted, most such "plans" rarely survive, like battle plans, engagement with the opposition. But it is well worth your time. There are videos, but there is also text.
It's basically about rolling back every social change in this nation since the fifties. Stop Green policies, forget about climate change, destroy public education and "agendize" the Bowdlerization of our history in favor of the heroified history as mis-taught by people who were afraid of an educated US electorate pushing back against the right wing agenda of that time. Slavery? Wasn't that _good_ for black people? Got them out of Africa, taught them skills? Women? Shouldn't they be working at home, raising a strong family, not working and interfering in politics. There's also union busting and concentration camps for the homeless and other undesirables.
And the Speaker of The House, who controls the sort of legislation that Congress creates- he's a supporter. The Speaker of The House can also manipulate the certification of the next presidential election, he's a supporter.
So. Centrist, are you? Both sider? Think that politics should be about compromise, and the US should be a _global_ partner in things?
We agree. Democrats and republicans, pro and re gressives ought to work together. Maybe WE don't get an assault weapons ban, but maybe THEY don't get their goddamned concentration camps.
And let's be perfectly fucking clear. Dedicating swaths of cheap land across the nation for camps for homeless people- no matter what kinda support you pledge?
Can they leave?
Take a moment, if you have not, Go read Agenda 47. Trump's published plan- sorry, really, "plan" for his final term. Granted, most such "plans" rarely survive, like battle plans, engagement with the opposition. But it is well worth your time. There are videos, but there is also text.
It's basically about rolling back every social change in this nation since the fifties. Stop Green policies, forget about climate change, destroy public education and "agendize" the Bowdlerization of our history in favor of the heroified history as mis-taught by people who were afraid of an educated US electorate pushing back against the right wing agenda of that time. Slavery? Wasn't that _good_ for black people? Got them out of Africa, taught them skills? Women? Shouldn't they be working at home, raising a strong family, not working and interfering in politics. There's also union busting and concentration camps for the homeless and other undesirables.
And the Speaker of The House, who controls the sort of legislation that Congress creates- he's a supporter. The Speaker of The House can also manipulate the certification of the next presidential election, he's a supporter.
So. Centrist, are you? Both sider? Think that politics should be about compromise, and the US should be a _global_ partner in things?
We agree. Democrats and republicans, pro and re gressives ought to work together. Maybe WE don't get an assault weapons ban, but maybe THEY don't get their goddamned concentration camps.
And let's be perfectly fucking clear. Dedicating swaths of cheap land across the nation for camps for homeless people- no matter what kinda support you pledge?
Can they leave?
When they want to?
Camp. Open air prison.
The thing to be wary of, here? Two things, actually.
One. The people who seem to be ascendant in our government, local, state and federal? They're not compromisers. They're my way or the highway, I'm right, you're wrong, burn it all down, scorch the earth and salt the ground so nothing ever grows types. Most believe that their version of god favors it. Most believe that they are on the verge of being exterminated if they falter in pushing for it.
Two. The political powers that were, the pundits- everyone underestimated the MAGA movement. They belittled it and they cast scorn on it. There was a lot of "people can't be this stupid" denial thrown around, and a lot of "they can't" sprinkled on top.
Some of these people are, in fact, dumber than a post pounded into cow shit. Watch Jordan Klepper's Daily Show segments, where he goes out and asks fairly simple questions at MAGA rallies, Trump rallies.
Holy mother of GOD, he finds some winners.
But they aren't _all_ dumb. Not at all. I have friends who support MAGA, and they aren't morons. They're just wrong. And they've bought into a belief system that supports what they feel has gone wrong in our society. That provides what are, to them, acceptable solutions.
Same as you and me, Spanky. Same as you and me.
The problem isn't so much what they believe as it is the inflexibility of that belief.
And they are not going to be easily defeated or pushed back against or handled.
Okay, then. What's a reasonable sort of lefty/progressive/centrist to do?
I'm not going to give you a plan here. I am sure there are plans floating around all over the place, find one you like.
But I do want you to be aware of what you're up against when you do plan. And I do want you to take these people seriously. They want what they want, and they look at you as an enemy to be crushed and driven into the nearest sea.
Camp. Open air prison.
The thing to be wary of, here? Two things, actually.
One. The people who seem to be ascendant in our government, local, state and federal? They're not compromisers. They're my way or the highway, I'm right, you're wrong, burn it all down, scorch the earth and salt the ground so nothing ever grows types. Most believe that their version of god favors it. Most believe that they are on the verge of being exterminated if they falter in pushing for it.
Two. The political powers that were, the pundits- everyone underestimated the MAGA movement. They belittled it and they cast scorn on it. There was a lot of "people can't be this stupid" denial thrown around, and a lot of "they can't" sprinkled on top.
Some of these people are, in fact, dumber than a post pounded into cow shit. Watch Jordan Klepper's Daily Show segments, where he goes out and asks fairly simple questions at MAGA rallies, Trump rallies.
Holy mother of GOD, he finds some winners.
But they aren't _all_ dumb. Not at all. I have friends who support MAGA, and they aren't morons. They're just wrong. And they've bought into a belief system that supports what they feel has gone wrong in our society. That provides what are, to them, acceptable solutions.
Same as you and me, Spanky. Same as you and me.
The problem isn't so much what they believe as it is the inflexibility of that belief.
And they are not going to be easily defeated or pushed back against or handled.
Okay, then. What's a reasonable sort of lefty/progressive/centrist to do?
I'm not going to give you a plan here. I am sure there are plans floating around all over the place, find one you like.
But I do want you to be aware of what you're up against when you do plan. And I do want you to take these people seriously. They want what they want, and they look at you as an enemy to be crushed and driven into the nearest sea.
