Why Are Republicans At War With Reality?

backseatLover12

Why Are Republicans At War With Reality?
April 22, 2015
http://www.mintpressnews.com/MyMPN/why-are-republicans-at-war-with-reality/3007/

Reality has a well-known liberal bias. –Stephen Colbert

Before we really get started we should clarify our terms, things like “liberal” and “reality,” because American English is so freighted with euphemisms and constantly changing circumlocutions that it is easy to get lost in the fog. For example, when I was a boy North Korea would have been described as a “red state” … now Texas is.

Let us begin with “liberal.”

In American English “liberal,” depending on who is saying it can mean anything from mildly progressive to the “Weather Underground” … However liberal’s universal or classic, “proper English” meaning is to be favorable to free trade, “laissez faire,” economics, low taxes, “right to work” laws and deregulation … that makes Maggie Thatcher a “liberal.”

So since we are speaking murky “murkin,” by liberal we mean the left. So Stephen Colbert is basically saying that reality has a notably left-wing bias. This takes us to “reality.”

The reality I will be talking about can be pretty well summed up in two popular and contemporary books: Thomas Picketty’s “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” about inequality; and Naomi Klein’s “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate,” whose title speaks for itself.

To brutally simplify, “reality” as described by Piketty/Klein means that our planet earth is literally well on its way to being uninhabitable thanks to a tiny group (0.01%) of unimaginably wealthy individuals, who have grown wealthier and wealthier, even as the middle class has withered, an oligarchy who expect to live forever, and live forever very well indeed, probably in some gated community in what is now Antarctic

The growing consciousness of this “reality” is causing many individuals who come from many very different social stratae, races, sexual orientations etc. to grow restless and dissatisfied with the present system and find themselves “at last compelled to face with sober senses (their) real conditions of life, and (their) relations with (their) kind.”

In short, it is “us” versus “them.”

This restless and dissatisfied state is often referred to, especially by those who deplore it, as “populism.”

What does that mean?...

...More at link above.

brianlux

To brutally simplify, “reality” as described by Piketty/Klein means that our planet earth is literally well on its way to being uninhabitable thanks to a tiny group (0.01%) of unimaginably wealthy individuals, who have grown wealthier and wealthier, even as the middle class has withered, an oligarchy who expect to live forever, and live forever very well indeed, probably in some gated community in what is now Antarctic

Thank you, Piketty/Klein!

Sorry a very hasty post here but this really jumped out at me. I'll read further and more thoroughly when I have more time.

I expect we'll get some good discussion on this.

BS44325

Bruce Jenner came out as a Republican tonight

Halifax2TheMax

BS44325 said:

Bruce Jenner came out as a Republican tonight

So?

brianlux

The caption to the links photos says:

"In this April 17, 2015, photo, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, center, mingles at a “Politics and Eggs” event, a breakfast fixture for 2016 presidential prospects at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. Bush is preparing to embark on an experiment in presidential politics: delegating many of the nuts-and-bolts tasks of seeking the White House to a separate political organization that can raise unlimited amounts of campaign cash."

I'm punch drunk tired so at first I thought I might have been I'm missing something here, but Jeb really is talking about buying the presidency. That's rather a bizarre thought but not totally shocking.

But then things really start to get dicey when we see how that quote ties in with where the author is going here. This really is worth taking a close reading.

chadwick

brianlux

Chadwick!

Gern Blansten

Bill Maher refers to the GOP as "living in a bubble" where the only news they believe is tailored to their scripted little world. Anything that makes sense is either communism, socialism, anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-war, etc.

You really have to stand in awe of the ignorance sometimes

mookeywrench

Gern Blansten said:

You really have to stand in awe of the ignorance sometimes

Yes....Yes you do.

brianlux

This is the part that I think really invites some serious thought and reading between the lines (keeping in mind the caption below the photo in the link):

"This all finally led to 4,200,000 Germans being killed in WWII (we are leaving out the 6,000,000 Jews and the 20,000,000 Russians), and of course Germany was a smoking ruin, filled with widows and orphans, but these industrialists like the Krupps and the Thyssens made money leading up to the war, during the war (using slave labor), and after the war and the Krupps and the Thyssens are still some of richest families in Germany today. Like Naomi says, the staterooms on Noah’s Ark are limited.

Every nation has its own idiosyncrasies, for example Germans wear lederhosen and Americans wear cowboy hats, so I don’t imagine we’ll be seeing torchlit parades of roman saluting, brown shirts, goosestepping down the broad avenues of Washington, or African-Americans being loaded onto boxcars either, for that matter.

American fascism will, like everything else American, have its own inimitable style, but I would argue that the beginning and perhaps more than the beginning is unfolding right before our very eyes."

BS44325

Fascism is a completely left wing phenomenon. I don't think you have to worry about it coming from republicans.

brianlux

Fascism:
noun
1.
(sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

rgambs

BS44325 said:

Fascism is a completely left wing phenomenon. I don't think you have to worry about it coming from republicans.

Ummm wrong... The original Fascist state was Italy which opposed liberalism and Marxism, the same applies to the Nazi regime. Both were ushered into power by reactionary fear of Bolshevik Marxism, or communism as we call it today.

InHiding80

BS44325 said:

Bruce Jenner came out as a Republican tonight

His family is disgustingly made of capitalism in the worst way a la Donald Trump. Are you really surprised?

InHiding80

BS44325 said:

Fascism is a completely left wing phenomenon. I don't think you have to worry about it coming from republicans.

Both parties suck, though. Dems are just rethuglican lite posing as liberals and cons are right of Atilla. Been a green convert for 2 years since they don't kiss corporate wall street and Monsanto ass like DINObama and Sillary. I support indie and peace/freedom as well, though. Lewis Black said it best, "Democrats are dumb and republicans are stupid."

callen

InHiding80 said:

BS44325 said:

Fascism is a completely left wing phenomenon. I don't think you have to worry about it coming from republicans.

Both parties suck, though. Dems are just rethuglican lite posing as liberals and cons are right of Atilla. Been a green convert for 2 years since they don't kiss corporate wall street and Monsanto ass like DINObama and Sillary. I support indie and peace/freedom as well, though. Lewis Black said it best, "Democrats are dumb and republicans are stupid."

Really DINObama?

How far do you think your dream candidate would make it with house or senate let alone even have a shot of being on presidential ballot. Under current political climate Obama's been able to do more LIBERAL stuff than anyone in many years. Wars environment equal rights war on marijuana, I CAN NOW GET HEALTHCARE!!!

And all this with full white power of the Christian white cracker fighting him the whole way.

BS44325

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

Fascism is a completely left wing phenomenon. I don't think you have to worry about it coming from republicans.

Ummm wrong... The original Fascist state was Italy which opposed liberalism and Marxism, the same applies to the Nazi regime. Both were ushered into power by reactionary fear of Bolshevik Marxism, or communism as we call it today.

Nazis were by definition National Socialists. Mussolini was for state control as well. You should read Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg for some context. The battle between Russia and Germany post Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was far more about power then it was about ideology. Both believed in total state control.

BS44325

brianlux said:

Fascism:
noun
1.
(sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

Correct. Like Venezuela. A phenomenon of the Left.

badbrains

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

BS44325

badbrains said:

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

Of course you would. However...Bush actually got congressional approval to start a war while Obama went to Libya on his own. Bush also never used the IRS to go after his opponents the way Obama did. Obama used reconciliation to pass the ACA, uses the EPA to get around environmental law, tries to pass trade agreements and negotiate treaties without oversight, and essentially re-writes immigration law on his own.

So...

InHiding80

Gern Blansten said:

Bill Maher refers to the GOP as "living in a bubble" where the only news they believe is tailored to their scripted little world. Anything that makes sense is either communism, socialism, anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-war, etc.

You really have to stand in awe of the ignorance sometimes

You are to ignorance what Vizzini is to inconceivable. smh

InHiding80

BS44325 said:

badbrains said:

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

Of course you would. However...Bush actually got congressional approval to start a war while Obama went to Libya on his own. Bush also never used the IRS to go after his opponents the way Obama did. Obama used reconciliation to pass the ACA, uses the EPA to get around environmental law, tries to pass trade agreements and negotiate treaties without oversight, and essentially re-writes immigration law on his own.

So...

Where was your outrage when Dubya was for immigration? Oh, I forgot. He's white and republican so he's above the law.

Of course badbrains would say it. It's called reality. Keep chugging the blue pill.

BS44325

InHiding80 said:

BS44325 said:

badbrains said:

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

Of course you would. However...Bush actually got congressional approval to start a war while Obama went to Libya on his own. Bush also never used the IRS to go after his opponents the way Obama did. Obama used reconciliation to pass the ACA, uses the EPA to get around environmental law, tries to pass trade agreements and negotiate treaties without oversight, and essentially re-writes immigration law on his own.

So...

Where was your outrage when Dubya was for immigration? Oh, I forgot. He's white and republican so he's above the law.

Of course badbrains would say it. It's called reality. Keep chugging the blue pill.

Why would I be outraged? I agreed with Dubya's position on immigration. The point we are discussing is "fascism". Obama's actions on immigration are unilateral and possibly illegal...it is in the courts now. One can support comprehensive reform by Bush and Obama yet be against Obama's executive action. Try some nuance some day...you might like it.

badbrains

InHiding80 said:

BS44325 said:

badbrains said:

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

Of course you would. However...Bush actually got congressional approval to start a war while Obama went to Libya on his own. Bush also never used the IRS to go after his opponents the way Obama did. Obama used reconciliation to pass the ACA, uses the EPA to get around environmental law, tries to pass trade agreements and negotiate treaties without oversight, and essentially re-writes immigration law on his own.

So...

Where was your outrage when Dubya was for immigration? Oh, I forgot. He's white and republican so he's above the law.

Of course badbrains would say it. It's called reality. Keep chugging the blue pill.

Thanks! I like to think I live in reality. Some others, not so much. Haha

Edit- and the Canadian sure has a lot riding on us policy.

BS44325

badbrains said:

InHiding80 said:

BS44325 said:

badbrains said:

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

Of course you would. However...Bush actually got congressional approval to start a war while Obama went to Libya on his own. Bush also never used the IRS to go after his opponents the way Obama did. Obama used reconciliation to pass the ACA, uses the EPA to get around environmental law, tries to pass trade agreements and negotiate treaties without oversight, and essentially re-writes immigration law on his own.

So...

Where was your outrage when Dubya was for immigration? Oh, I forgot. He's white and republican so he's above the law.

Of course badbrains would say it. It's called reality. Keep chugging the blue pill.

Thanks! I like to think I live in reality. Some others, not so much. Haha

Edit- and the Canadian sure has a lot riding on us policy.

The whole world does

badbrains

BS44325 said:

badbrains said:

InHiding80 said:

BS44325 said:

badbrains said:

I'd say Bush was more fascist then Obama. Just saying

Of course you would. However...Bush actually got congressional approval to start a war while Obama went to Libya on his own. Bush also never used the IRS to go after his opponents the way Obama did. Obama used reconciliation to pass the ACA, uses the EPA to get around environmental law, tries to pass trade agreements and negotiate treaties without oversight, and essentially re-writes immigration law on his own.

So...

Where was your outrage when Dubya was for immigration? Oh, I forgot. He's white and republican so he's above the law.

Of course badbrains would say it. It's called reality. Keep chugging the blue pill.

Thanks! I like to think I live in reality. Some others, not so much. Haha

Edit- and the Canadian sure has a lot riding on us policy.

The whole world does

True, but the whole world doesn't agree with the policy you're dying for.

brianlux

Just to back track a moment here- the article ends with this staement:

"American fascism will, like everything else American, have its own inimitable style, but I would argue that the beginning and perhaps more than the beginning is unfolding right before our very eyes."

I'm not sure the author was talking strictly about dems or reps here.

BS44325

brianlux said:

Just to back track a moment here- the article ends with this staement:

"American fascism will, like everything else American, have its own inimitable style, but I would argue that the beginning and perhaps more than the beginning is unfolding right before our very eyes."

I'm not sure the author was talking strictly about dems or reps here.

Well it's such a poorly written article but the author is insinuating that America is heading the way of Nazi Germany via the Republicans and their corporate backers. Get him a Ten Club membership and he'll be right at home.

backseatLover12

Gern Blansten said:

Bill Maher refers to the GOP as "living in a bubble" where the only news they believe is tailored to their scripted little world. Anything that makes sense is either communism, socialism, anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-war, etc.

You really have to stand in awe of the ignorance sometimes

I have been blasted in this forum for stating most of this country lives in a bubble.

brianlux

BS44325 said:

brianlux said:

Just to back track a moment here- the article ends with this staement:

"American fascism will, like everything else American, have its own inimitable style, but I would argue that the beginning and perhaps more than the beginning is unfolding right before our very eyes."

I'm not sure the author was talking strictly about dems or reps here.

Well it's such a poorly written article but the author is insinuating that America is heading the way of Nazi Germany via the Republicans and their corporate backers. Get him a Ten Club membership and he'll be right at home.

That's now how I read it. The author says in simple English, "American fascism will, like everything else American, have its own inimitable style."

backseatLover12

...with republicans leading the way.