Impeachment, Take Two (and Other Trump News)

[Fox Lokison]

Exactly, it's like imagining Bolsheviks and the Liberal party working hand in hand on the same side in the UK or Sweden a hundred years ago and trusting each other. Both of them had been working towards the goal of "one man, one vote" (the Bolsheviks having been a small fringe group within the Social Democrat party,/Labour party) - but once that had been achieved and there had been revolutions, they went poles apart.

Yuuup. The Republican party is getting what it deserves, for playing ball with these guys. And I mean that sincerely - if a party is willing to take the vote of genuine fascists just to beat another party, they deserve their party's dissolution. You don't let wild animals into your home, then get surprised when you get bit. These guys were barely concealing their desires. They were openly fascist, authoritarian, white supremacists who called for violence against minority groups and political opponents. The GOP is foolish for ever thinking they had that dog on a leash. But their stupid pride and need to win overpowered their common sense.

Honestly, fuck the two party system, it's just rife for breeding extremism from all axes.

[TheGlyphstone]

Let's not cheer victory until 2024 though. If the pattern continues and they pass enough voter suppression laws to essentially squash the opposition, they still win. If Cheney gets ousted, Romney is definitely next on the chopping block, until either you're a loyal Trumper or you are excommunicated.

[Oniya]

If they split party, they both become minority. And, democrats would be majority? I dont think, corporate masters donating their money to republicans, want paying for this.

Historically, this has happened with party splits.  When Teddy Roosevelt formed the 'Bull Moose' party, it split the Republican vote between him and (incumbent) Taft, allowing Woodrow Wilson to become President. with 41% of the popular vote.

[Haibane]

Let's not cheer victory until 2024 though. If the pattern continues and they pass enough voter suppression laws to essentially squash the opposition, they still win. If Cheney gets ousted, Romney is definitely next on the chopping block, until either you're a loyal Trumper or you are excommunicated.

Yes, this is what worries me. Manipulation of the state voting laws to slant whatever advantage they can get, then Trump resurgent in 2024. Its a scary and real possibility.

I don't feel like there is a GOP any more, its history, its now just Trump and his fascist, conspiracy loving psychopaths and if they get into power again, then God help America.

[Haibane]

Liz Cheney ousted.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57090202

[Laughing Hyena]

Liz Cheney ousted.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57090202

This isn't helping me at all feel comfortable. I imagine it will get worse before it gets better.

[Haibane]

And as expected the Trump loyalist Elise Stefanik has been appointed in her place.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57121629

I fear the Democrat party will have to form a very solid strategy in 2024 to ensure that Trump doesn't get back in.

[Fox Lokison]

Please forgive me for the awful source, but as it stands, most folks I found reporting on this were right wing shills...

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/more-120-retired-military-officials-sign-open-letter-warning-america-deep-peril

More than 120 retired American military officials have signed an open letter warning that America has veered left under Democratic control and that the nation's survival is on the line.

"Under a Democrat Congress and the Current Administration, our Country has taken a hard left turn toward Socialism and a Marxist form of tyrannical government which must be countered now by electing congressional and presidential candidates who will always act to defend our Constitutional Republic. The survival of our Nation and its cherished freedoms, liberty, and historic values are at stake," the letter states.

Some of the signers include retired Army Brigadier General Donald Bolduc, who is running to serve as a U.S. Senator from the state of New Hampshire, and retired Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, the executive vice president of the Family Research Council.

"Flag Officers 4 America" seemed a bit sketchy, so I did some digging - they've got a website here, and I gotta say, the look of it isn't making this feel less sketchy. The full letter is there as well, in PDF form.

[Oniya]

As I recall, Family Research Council is one of those dodgy ultra-conservative think-tanks.

*checks on that*

Yeah - designated as an anti-LGBT hate group, and Josh Duggar was involved with them for a couple of years before his child-molesting came to light.

[Fox Lokison]

Yuuuuup.

The whole thing reeks.

[TheGlyphstone]

Swift Boat Veterans For Truth 2: Electric Boogaloo?

[Fox Lokison]

I've been checking the paper lately, since one of the guys is running in NH. Haven't seen anything so far, but we'll see. Just what we need. Another conspiracy theorist paranoid about marxists taking office in NH.

[Haibane]

If right-wing Americans think Biden is a Marxist, I truly wonder how they classify Boris Johnson... or even Sir Keir Starmer. Do they think all of Europe is still under Stalin's boot heel? Its bizarre. I'm convinced the rhetoric is just insults, these people don't really think Biden is a socialist do they?

[Fox Lokison]

Red Scare propaganda wasn't very accurate. Neither are the remnants or the revival. They are persuasive as fuck, however, considering the seeds of them are everywhere.

[TheGlyphstone]

If right-wing Americans think Biden is a Marxist, I truly wonder how they classify Boris Johnson... or even Sir Keir Starmer. Do they think all of Europe is still under Stalin's boot heel? Its bizarre. I'm convinced the rhetoric is just insults, these people don't really think Biden is a socialist do they?

They don't actually know anything about socialism, or Marxism, or anything else even vaguely left-leaning. They just know that it's evil and bad and wrong, and so Biden must be one because he is evil and bad and wrong like all the Democrats and their radical socialist Marxism.

[Fox Lokison]

If right-wing Americans think Biden is a Marxist, I truly wonder how they classify Boris Johnson... or even Sir Keir Starmer. Do they think all of Europe is still under Stalin's boot heel? Its bizarre. I'm convinced the rhetoric is just insults, these people don't really think Biden is a socialist do they?

That guy from above, running for office in New Hampshire, thinks that teaching about racism and other "divisive concepts" will elevate one race above another and harm America as a whole.

His words, not mine.

Somehow, I don't think he's the most objective individual to speak on what's Marxist.

[Skynet]

If right-wing Americans think Biden is a Marxist, I truly wonder how they classify Boris Johnson... or even Sir Keir Starmer. Do they think all of Europe is still under Stalin's boot heel? Its bizarre. I'm convinced the rhetoric is just insults, these people don't really think Biden is a socialist do they?

American conservatives define any form of government program that isn't the police or military as a form of socialism. Thus more countries that rely on state intervention in daily life are thus more "socialist/communist." Anything short of complete anarchy or a military junta with a decaying infrastructure is socialism in their eyes.

[TheVillain]

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with Republicans the last - well, decades? But it's particularly bad these days.

I'm not saying everyone has to be a fan of Socialism, but it's super-rare to find a detracter who knows what they're talking about.

[Oniya]

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with Republicans the last - well, decades? But it's particularly bad these days.

I'm not saying everyone has to be a fan of Socialism, but it's super-rare to find a detracter who knows what they're talking about.

I went back through the list of Republican presidents, and Eisenhower was the last one that had 'good-guy' vibes (Mostly for his actions in WWII).  Ford was just - there.  Reagan popularized 'trickle-down economics', and we've been trickled on ever since.

[Fox Lokison]

Speaking of scary Marxism and Trump era things....

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/05/15/politics/space-force-lohmeier-fired-after-comments/index.html

A Space Force lieutenant colonel has been removed from his command after appearing on a conservative podcast criticizing the United States military.

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier joined The Steve Gruber show to discuss his new book, "Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military," which alleges that Marxist ideologies are becoming widespread within the armed forces. He expounded on those concerns in the podcast.

"Since taking command as a commander about 10 months ago, I saw what I consider fundamentally incompatible and competing narratives of what America was, is and should be," Lohmeier said. "That wasn't just prolific in social media, or throughout the country during this past year, but it was spreading throughout the United States military. And I had recognized those narratives as being Marxist in nature."

[TheVillain]

I went back through the list of Republican presidents, and Eisenhower was the last one that had 'good-guy' vibes (Mostly for his actions in WWII).  Ford was just - there.  Reagan popularized 'trickle-down economics', and we've been trickled on ever since.

I do tend to cut Ford a little slack. He’s arguably a bad guy because he pardoned Nixon, but he thought he had to to help the country heal. Otherwise, I kind of president that was just kind of there didn’t actually do much is a good one. :P

[Oniya]

I do tend to cut Ford a little slack. He’s arguably a bad guy because he pardoned Nixon, but he thought he had to to help the country heal. Otherwise, I kind of president that was just kind of there didn’t actually do much is a good one. :P

Yeah, I'm not too harsh on Ford.  I even understand his reasons for pardoning Nixon.  I just really barely remember him.  If you asked me for 'events of the Ford presidency', I'd have to actively look, unlike the more recent Republicans.  (Nixon was before my time, but at least he had press-clippings that made it into the history books.)

[gaggedLouise]

Caught this on CNN last night and it is really alarming: during his last months in office, Trump repeatedly attempted to bypass the entire military chain of command and shortcut orders of his own into large-scale military operative decisions, acting as the singlehanded Commander-in-Chief cum CEO of the American armed forces.

The things he tried to push through were mostly about troop pull-outs, from Afghanistan. Somalia, serious cuts in Europe etc - but imagine if it had been about an order to bring an unprovoked bomb raid onto Tehran or North Korea ("we got Fire and Fury for you"), assist a military coup in another country, or deploying the military against ordinary people in the US, on home soil, to save his own bacon and remain president?  "I have a bigger Red Button than you"...

https://www.axios.com/off-the-rails-trump-military-withdraw-afghanistan-5717012a-d55d-4819-a79f-805d5eb3c6e2.html

[The Lovely Tsaritsa]

Yeah, I'm not too harsh on Ford.  I even understand his reasons for pardoning Nixon.  I just really barely remember him.  If you asked me for 'events of the Ford presidency', I'd have to actively look, unlike the more recent Republicans.  (Nixon was before my time, but at least he had press-clippings that made it into the history books.)

There is the old Vulcan proverb, “only Mr Nixon, could go to China.” :-)

[gaggedLouise]

There is the old Vulcan proverb, “only Mr Nixon, could go to China.” :-)

Ten years ago I saw this one on twitter - it's weirdly to the point:

1949 - Only Communism could save China
1979 - Only Capitalism could save China
1989 - Only China could save Communism
2009 - Only China could save Capitalism


(continued 2019/20: Only China could stop modern Capitalism ?) ;)