Democracy is becoming another word like liberal that’s losing its meaning. If one looks at the nations characterized as Democratic, one sees that the majority deprives their people of agency, that the will and well-being is ignored as a rule. In other words, they’re not actually democratic outside of appearances. Even here, we have an extractive economy where a large minority of full time workers are denied a living wage, that the dominant response to a global pandemic is to oppose responding to it, and the highest court in the land acts predominantly like a repressive authoritarian junta.
Trump is in the mold of Bongbong and Sara, who have come back to power after his family's detailed history of crime, corruption and deadly repression. Like Bongbong and his father, Trump so far is getting away with his crimes and corruption and he is also getting lots of help from the usual right wing politicians and media outlets like FNC that constantly bombard millions of loyal listeners in the base with disinformation and propaganda including vile talk of replacing white people with immigrants so whites lose their political power. The myth of making America great again speaks directly to this white racial anxiety. And to insure a win, Trump is purging out RHINOs and replacing them with his loyalists who will zealously subvert democracy on the state and federal level to help him steal a Presidential election in 2024. Its a slow moving coup.
Thank you for this historical insight. It sure is an argument for classes in critical thinking skills beginning in grade schools, high schools and beyond. It's stunning to comprehend how they've walked back into this.
I wonder if Manafort, Stone & co had anything to do with this again, it does connect to their mob paymasters. Tell me again why Manafort was let out of jail on the false pretenses of covid or Stones & all those pardons.
I was stationed at Clark AB from 1982 - 1986 and witnessed the People’s Power Revolution first hand in Manila. At that time I was quite frustrated with the US support for Ferdinand Marcos. Yes the base at Clark and Subic were strategically important, but the US knew that Marcos and his cronies stole the majority of the millions of dollars of financial aid intended for the poor there. Not to mention his was a dictatorship with no free elections. Since that time it has been fascinating to watch the cast of characters who have been elected President. Duterte was sort of a Marcos wantabe, but apparently there is amazing infrastructure development happening as well as Clark City. It seems the Philippines would like to compete with Singapore and Hong Kong. Corruption has been so rampant and widespread for so long it’s hard to see that changing. There seems to be a preference for the strongman type. I don’t know much about Bong Bong. I just hoping the PI can somehow become like a South Korean economy. They have the young fairly well educated demographics to succeed. Typically whoever has the best bribes, China or the US, will have the most influence.
Fascinated to hear on the radio that Marcos Jr. was relieved that his margin was so large because he'd presumed that there would be massive fraud. Read: If I lost, I was positioned to claim fraud. I win = fair elections. I lose = fraud.
I may have heard then about Stone/Manafort but now really know who they are and that their entire vocational history (along with the likes of Steven’s Miller/Bannon) has been shaped by corruption, disruption & destruction. What a legacy to leave your children. Like you said, in the alternative world of dark fantasy it’s a ‘badge of honor’. When Trump was ‘elected’ the first thing I said to my husband was “the cicadas have risen”. Here we are.
Replacing the name "Marcos" by "Trump" could well be what the future of USA could look like.
Democracy is becoming another word like liberal that’s losing its meaning. If one looks at the nations characterized as Democratic, one sees that the majority deprives their people of agency, that the will and well-being is ignored as a rule. In other words, they’re not actually democratic outside of appearances. Even here, we have an extractive economy where a large minority of full time workers are denied a living wage, that the dominant response to a global pandemic is to oppose responding to it, and the highest court in the land acts predominantly like a repressive authoritarian junta.
Trump is in the mold of Bongbong and Sara, who have come back to power after his family's detailed history of crime, corruption and deadly repression. Like Bongbong and his father, Trump so far is getting away with his crimes and corruption and he is also getting lots of help from the usual right wing politicians and media outlets like FNC that constantly bombard millions of loyal listeners in the base with disinformation and propaganda including vile talk of replacing white people with immigrants so whites lose their political power. The myth of making America great again speaks directly to this white racial anxiety. And to insure a win, Trump is purging out RHINOs and replacing them with his loyalists who will zealously subvert democracy on the state and federal level to help him steal a Presidential election in 2024. Its a slow moving coup.
Thank you for this historical insight. It sure is an argument for classes in critical thinking skills beginning in grade schools, high schools and beyond. It's stunning to comprehend how they've walked back into this.
I wonder if Manafort, Stone & co had anything to do with this again, it does connect to their mob paymasters. Tell me again why Manafort was let out of jail on the false pretenses of covid or Stones & all those pardons.
I was stationed at Clark AB from 1982 - 1986 and witnessed the People’s Power Revolution first hand in Manila. At that time I was quite frustrated with the US support for Ferdinand Marcos. Yes the base at Clark and Subic were strategically important, but the US knew that Marcos and his cronies stole the majority of the millions of dollars of financial aid intended for the poor there. Not to mention his was a dictatorship with no free elections. Since that time it has been fascinating to watch the cast of characters who have been elected President. Duterte was sort of a Marcos wantabe, but apparently there is amazing infrastructure development happening as well as Clark City. It seems the Philippines would like to compete with Singapore and Hong Kong. Corruption has been so rampant and widespread for so long it’s hard to see that changing. There seems to be a preference for the strongman type. I don’t know much about Bong Bong. I just hoping the PI can somehow become like a South Korean economy. They have the young fairly well educated demographics to succeed. Typically whoever has the best bribes, China or the US, will have the most influence.
Fascinated to hear on the radio that Marcos Jr. was relieved that his margin was so large because he'd presumed that there would be massive fraud. Read: If I lost, I was positioned to claim fraud. I win = fair elections. I lose = fraud.
I may have heard then about Stone/Manafort but now really know who they are and that their entire vocational history (along with the likes of Steven’s Miller/Bannon) has been shaped by corruption, disruption & destruction. What a legacy to leave your children. Like you said, in the alternative world of dark fantasy it’s a ‘badge of honor’. When Trump was ‘elected’ the first thing I said to my husband was “the cicadas have risen”. Here we are.