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| #trump2016 |
it's the kind of thing that happens at circuses all the time, after all. and if the pie turns out to be made of acme bird seed... well, you know. oops.
because while trump is a clown, suddenly his act has taken a dark turn, with a combustible momentum all its own.
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recapping the past week, the leading GOP contender has said if he were president he would:
* set up a database and ID system to track muslims in the U.S.
* close houses of worship
if that were not enough to fan intolerant flames, trump also falsely claimed "thousands of new jerseyans cheered the 9/11 attacks," and said that protesters at one of his rallies "should have been roughed up," after a black lives matter demonstrator was punched, choked, and kicked by trump fans. (yes, he calls them "fans.")
trump's incendiary week was capped off by this particularly wild-eyed exchange about muslims in america:
"But anyway, we have training camps growing where they want to kill us,” the man said. “That’s my question: When can we get rid of them?"
“We’re going to be looking at a lot of different things,” Trump replied. “You know, a lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening. We’re going to be looking at that and many other things.”
yes, bad things are happening. but they're not going on in secret camps: they're happening on camera, for the whole world to see. which is why, for the first time in a particularly seedy GOP campaign season, donald trump is being called a "fascist".
since the beginning of his campaign, trump has incrementally raised the bar on low-minded rhetoric. but what started as boorish insults has degenerated to inflammatory talk appealing to the easily stampeded. and with each sexist, racist, inhumane, anti-american quip and proposal, his numbers have gone up.
what this says about trump is self-evident. what it says about the faction of america embracing his latest raving is disgusting and disquieting.
trump's "message" (if by message you mean "the deranged swagger of the incompetent and incoherent") resonates with the same dark underside of america that crawled out to shout inarticulately for george w. bush ~ and the war crimes that helped make daésh possible.
too many times (and too easily) in recent history, americans have been whipped into a frenzy by current events. instead of responding with measured courage and resolve, we surrendered to irrational fear. which led to gratuitous war, torture, and the debasement of america's reputation at home and abroad.
where once we unwaveringly said, "never again," and "that could never happen here," we now shake our heads and say, "what's next?"
with donald trump, and too many others we've actually elected to uphold america's values, the red flags are flying in plain sight.
what's next?
as always, for good or ill: whatever we choose.
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"Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair!"
~ the joker
too many times (and too easily) in recent history, americans have been whipped into a frenzy by current events. instead of responding with measured courage and resolve, we surrendered to irrational fear. which led to gratuitous war, torture, and the debasement of america's reputation at home and abroad.
where once we unwaveringly said, "never again," and "that could never happen here," we now shake our heads and say, "what's next?"
with donald trump, and too many others we've actually elected to uphold america's values, the red flags are flying in plain sight.
what's next?
as always, for good or ill: whatever we choose.
***********
“We’re going to have to do things that we never did before. And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule. And certain things will be done that we never thought would happen in this country..."
~ the joker
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