Democrats like James Carvill have claimed for many years that Americans do better economically with Democrats in office. Yet the belief persists that Republicans know best how to lead us to prosperity. University of Virginia Professor David Shreve (no relation) confirms that Democrats do better for the economy.
Trump’s CV of Destructive Behavior
There is nothing you haven’t heard about many times before in the NYT review of the ruination and failure that characterizes Donald Trump’s life. I’m not surprised that we are inured. So many scandals, so many lies, so much of other people’s money lost. This it the man who seeks a second try at the Presidency.
Grim Message
Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder, and anyone else who isn’t inside of the cult of Trump sees the message that the Madison Square Garden rally blasted out. It’s tyranny’s classic playbook. Both the venue chosen and the event’s content are a loud signal, a terrible message to America and the world. Trump and his inner circle intend to seize power by any means they can. Most of the GOP is still going along to get along including our own congressman, Brian Fitzpatrick. Those folks with Trump signs on their lawn? They are endorsing fascist hate and sedition.
The news cycle has been flooded with Trump madness for most of the campaign. The goofy old man dancing, the McDonald’s stunt, the demented rambling rants, the zone flooded with lies . . . all of it bad publicity, but all of it seeming to prove the maxim, “There is no such thing as bad press so long as they spell your name right.”
Next month, God help us, we’ll find out if it worked.
January 6: Not Over, Not Yet
Everybody who’s not emotionally shutdown or inside the cult is anxious. You aren’t paranoid when the threat is a real and present danger to all that you love and respect. The best journalists that I read see it clearly. TPM spells it out.
And, this is the culmination of a much longer historical progression of actions that subvert democracy.
Peter Wehner Speaks My Mind
The nominee for the Republican Party, Donald Trump, is a squalid figure, and the squalor is not subtle. His vileness, his lawlessness, and his malevolence are undisguised. At this point, it is reasonable to conclude that those qualities are a central part of Trump’s appeal to many of the roughly 75 million people who will vote for him in three weeks. They revel in his vices; they are vivified by them. Folie à millions. ~ Peter Wehner, writing in The Atlantic.
What gets your attention gets you,
and what holds your attention is your god. ~ Willis Elliott, Thinksheet #1814
Zombie Economic Myth
I believed, when I was a Republican, that Democrats would ruin the country with their tax and spend mindset. Ronald Reagan, the great communicator, told us that government was the problem. Supply side economics would bring us lower taxes and a thriving economy. The reverse proved to be the case.
Here’s what history says about the myths that still dominate GOP economic orthodoxy.
Political beliefs, reinforced by groupthink, trump reason and critical analysis. Even when objective evidence contradicts those zombie beliefs, they continue to influence the political faithful.
Cutting Through the Fog
Vote for Democracy
If you are a Republican, you probably are dismissing headlines like this as political hype. Think again. There is a long list of level-headed history-aware journalists who don’t think it is any exaggeration. Years ago, more than half a century ago, I was a wannabe engineer. Many people joked about the lack of basic liberal arts education, the norm for technical degrees. “Four years ago I couldn’t spell enjuneer and now I are one!” It was a funny gag because it was partly true. Today, it’s not just engineers; most adults have never taken a civics course. Many would have a hard time explaining the differences between a socialist, a fascist, and a communist.
Our media are intimidated by the fear that bold attacks on anti-democracy movements will cause them to loose both advertisers and subscribers. The proliferation of high quality journalism on Substack and other subscriber supported digital media reflects the reality that advertising funded media is struggling to be objective and bold.
David Kurtz’s Talking Point Memo should be on your regular reading list if it isn’t already. Here’s a sample.
Killer Mendacity
As Hurricane Milton bears down on Tampa Bay and central Florida, those who know are urging people to evacuate to safety. But Florida has been pickled in politically motivated misinformation (intentional lies) for years. Consequently, there are many people who distrust the advice they are receiving. They have believed for some time that climate change is a hoax and that the warnings are hyped up. Some of them will die.
Reality is cruel when denied. During the COVID-19 crisis, many in Florida believed that the rules established to reduce contagion (masks, social distancing, avoiding crowded venues) were all part of an elaborate hoax. In Key West, a respected local politician lost his wife and daughter to COVID after they attended a crowded victory celebration when he was elected to office. Arguably, they died because of willful ignorance and/or misinformation about the risks.
Satistical analysis of mortality among progressives versus conservatives during COVID resulted in estimates that a hundred-thousand more conservatives died, presumably because they scorned masks and vaccines.
Will there be an awakening? Frankly, I doubt it. The right avoids admitting its mistakes. And when it does see the error of its ways, it changes course without acknowledging that anything was learned.
Heather Cox Richardson, ever the historian, documents the evolving tragedy of pernicious mendacity.
Democracy, Rule of Law, and Reality
Lee Atwater spent his last days repenting for the damage he did as a political hit man. He often proclaimed that perception was reality. He meant that if he made the public believe something, the truth wouldn’t matter. People act on their beliefs as if they are reality. This precept has increased in dominance in the GOP political strategy. The GOP believes it so ardently that they feel no shame in publicly admitting it. Indeed, Vance cried foul when the debate moderator fact-checked him. He also dodged the question of whether Donald Trump won the 2020 election. (To answer in the affirmative is a test of solidarity with the party.)
Huge amounts of money are in play in the effort to prosecute crimes motivated by the political lie that the election was stolen. The January 6th riot cost the lives of more than four people, and injured more than 200 of those who defended the Capitol. The GOP’s political orthodoxy is looking more like a cult and less like loyal opposition with each day of the campaign.
In addition, to the vast waste of time and treasure, there is moral injury of epic proportions. More than a third of the adult US Population is in deep denial about what has happened to them personally and to their friends, and their spiritual leaders.
Truth will out. The test of our beliefs is utility; our collisions with reality are often epic fails.