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I know we all hate Trump, but seriously, why personify what is really a "vast, right-wing conspiracy.?" It has infected our whole society and turned us all against each other (present company excluded).
It's the ultra-rich/corporation CEOs
conspiring to do this to us, to divide us and thus conquer us, so we won't rebel and unite against them.
It's really that simple.
So let's talk about that more, and less about the red-haired clown they're using as a distraction to prevent us from what is really going on.

Storm1752 8 Mar 28
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I tend to think like a historian, because that was my first field and it is how my mind works. What are the causal factors? What is the wider context? What led to X or Y, thinking beyond contemporaneous thinking?
So, the more I think about Trumpism, the more I put my historian hat on.

I've come to think that the broad macro economic factors are the changes in American capitalism over the past 40 years, globalization, the creation of a great economic divide, the creation of a kind of underclass with a class grievance, which has mutated into the dreaded Trump Cult base, of which we all despair.

But I also believe that while many of us rejoiced when Obama became President, because he was the first black President and because it seemed a wonderful correction after 8 years of the dim witted GB Bush Presidency, a great many in the US Ruling Class -- the corporate privileged elite and their instruments -- saw something very different. They feared the end of white rule in America. They saw non white America finding its voice and its power. They set about to thwart this trend. Never mind that Obama was nothing more than a corporate democrat, with little or no real progressive change agenda. Look at the Steve Bannons, and right wing forces around him, and you see what happened. They needed a populist, white grievance exploiting front man. They found one in a shonky businessman and reality show conman. The rest is history.

As Trump destroys US credibility, structures and systems, the class behind him don't care. As more Americans die needlessly due to this virus due to Trump and co's incompetence they don't care. Yes, the US needs a massive populist progressive movement to rise up and do battle. Bernie has one, but they have scuttled that, through Obama and his ilk. Will this virus catastrophe bring about a popular uprising? I don't know. I hope so, or the US is finished.

Well reasoned, and scary as hell. Never in my 71 years did I think I would devoutly wish for a benevolent military coup!

White privilege is part of it. A LOT of things are part of it. The ROOT cause is, as usual, money and the lust for it. Money, of course, buys happiness, freedom from servitude, luxury, everything anyone could want to live a wonderful life. The endless commercials pound that into our psyches. Every notice how ecstatic everyone in commercials are? And why not? They have everything they could possibly want! Nice cars, beautiful homes, all the latest products and gadgets to make things beautiful and easy! They don't appear to work very hard, if at all. And beautiful? Omg! Most women came out of a fashion magazine! Most of the men are handsome and have great jobs!
Yes, life is great IF you fit into this fantasy scenario. This is what you must strive for! THIS is what life is all about!
No wonder the "privileged few" go to such great lengths to hoard as much as possible for themselves, because the more money, the more of everything worth having you can have!
So "white privilege" is really "personal privilege," in my eyes. The fact you're white is beside the point. "White privilege" only works if you are rich! After all, there are plenty of poor whites, slaving away at hopelessly dead-end jobs, behind in the bills, no health care, no nothing! So they look around for scapegoats, and political leaders will offer many (you know the list), EXCEPT the one that matters: themselves and their denial of their own greed. Because who needs scapegoats if one is happy?
And WHY is one not happy?
Not enough money.
People like us are different, though.
We want EVERYBODY to be happy. We want everybody to have roughly the same amount of material things. A teacher makes 1/10,000th of a CEO? It's not fair. It's not. A janitor makes pennies while the administrator makes hundreds? In what universe is this okay?
So this makes us radicals. We're criticized for not getting with the capitalist program. Everybody is rewarded according to their worth, don't we know that?
Lies. We are surrounded by an ocean of them. The hypocrisy is thick and suffocating.
When the truth is, we want equality. We want what THEY have.
So all this political and ideological posturing boils down to this simple, inescapable, and perfectly understandable fact.
We should have it, too. We deserve it.
How do we get it? More taxes and bigger, more efficient government, of course.
By the way, what did 'Jesus' do for a living, the fictitious 'god' we're all supposed to emulate so much?
Nothing, unless you count spouting a lot of meaningless platitudes. Oh, and performing 'miracles!' So, why is HE so privileged?
Now, if he'd have REALLY saved people by creating a better financial system in which EVERYBODY was rich, hey, I'd be the first one in church every Sunday!
Ah, the mysteries of life indeed!

@AnneWimsey Who'd lead it?

Nailed it. We are back in 1900's America as far as in equality stands. I remember when Kennedy was running for president. I heard some of the adults at the kitchen table say they were fearful of a Catholic in the WH. The pope would dictate. 'Course they knew nothing about the Kennedys. My mother was raised Methodist and so believed Catholics were the devil. Never got involved with the church myself so it was a surprised when I met others raised Methodist that got the same message. EYE ROLL!!
Langston Hughes to Colin Kapernick - America is for the white male previledged. 25% of the population is non-white and by god they are going to keep it that way if not lower it. I too liked the idea of a black president but knew it would not go well. I knew racism was just below the surface in this country - yes, certain areas were out front and proud - for the most part tho just resting quiet. If we do not turn this ship democracy in America is doomed for anyone not white and not in line with the pogrom.

@Storm1752 how about that Army Corps of Engineers guy that was on Madd9w? Lt . Colonel Semonite?

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trump is just so f...ing blatant about breaking laws.

Oh, so you want someone less blatant?

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"It's the ultra-rich/corporation CEOs
conspiring to do this to us, to divide us and thus conquer us, so we won't rebel and unite against them." An accurate statement and something I have been aware of for sometime. I've called my reps, they all all dems but of course the dems are part of th problem also. The marketing that is used to get people elected is a powerful machine how do you educate people? How do you get them to give up propaganda porn? I have no idea.

50 years ago we all got a good grounding in Ruke of Law, Bill of Rghhts, Constitution & compromise as the foundation of our country. One of the reasons evangelicals wanted home schooling & "christian" schools funded by tax $$ was to undermine that understanding of how our country is supposed to work....you can find very very few people under 30 who do!

Propaganda porn?
I love it.
Just turn on the TV and wait a second...there it is!

@Storm1752 massage your mind with less than satisfing biased information. I think it was Tobin Smith ex fox pundit who coined the term for what fox puts out.

@Storm1752, @AnneWimsey HOW do we educate? Most of us here on agnostic have "seen the light" and realize our government co-opted religion a long time ago. IT's sad that those who believe and decide to not take the advice of doctors may prolong this pandemic. The rest of the world will get back to normal and we will be the pariah. I know starting at the local level to get better city, county and state officials is vitally important.

@AnneWimsey Not that this country was that great to begin with!

@Storm1752 If you are part of the white male elite it's great!! hahahahah So many of us see the inequality and while we stand against it the tide seems overwhelming. The pandemic here has a ways to go before it is finished with the level of ignorance in America.

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