Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[alexw]

The same is happening in some Florida cities/counties with a handful of mayors openly critical of DeathSantis and defying his ban on mask mandates. Glad there's a line somewhere, but I think it's too little; too late.

EDIT: Links for those interested:

Local mask mandates pop up in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning COVID-19 restrictions
Some Florida School Districts Issue Mask Mandates Defying DeSantis' Order

Correct. The people who are entering hospitals now are the people who got infected 2-3 weeks ago, and the Delta variant is far more infectious to start with so there are a hell of a lot more people due to get really sick in 2-3 weeks time. On top of that the covid deniers are dug in now and won't be changing their minds either.

At least the one potential upside might be that DeathSantis' political career might be destroyed.

[Edge-]

At least the one potential upside might be that DeathSantis' political career might be destroyed.

I hate that thousands will die, and far more will suffer for this. But hey, they voted for him. You reap what you sew, and he was a transparent fuckin moron from the get-go.

[Elegiac]

I hate that thousands will die, and far more will suffer for this. But hey, they voted for him. You reap what you sew, and he was a transparent fuckin moron from the get-go.

To be fair, given the sheer degree of voter suppression in the South it's hard to tell who actually has a popular mandate. It may very well be most Floridians didn't vote for DeSantis.

[Edge-]

To be fair, given the sheer degree of voter suppression in the South it's hard to tell who actually has a popular mandate.

I imagine the tens of thousands of older residents dying, plus plenty others suffering from the virus or seeing their friends die around them, might impact the next Republicans chances of winning (Crist's numbers are going up!). But given the Republican electorate, that's not something I'd place money on.

[Elegiac]

I imagine the tens of thousands of older residents dying, plus plenty others suffering from the virus or seeing their friends die around them, might impact the next Republicans chances of winning (Crist's numbers are going up!). But given the Republican electorate, that's not something I'd place money on.

If it does they'll likely just drop the pretense and jettison any attachment to democracy or America entirely like they did back in the 1860s.

Which we're seeing currently, even to the level of rooting against the US' own athletic teams.

The Olympics are typically a boom time for jingoism: patriotic fervor heightening among Americans of all stripes with each gold medal for Team USA. But this year, we’ve seen an unlikely faction of Americans rooting against our athletes: conservatives.

During a late July rally, President Donald Trump claimed that “Americans were happy” about the women’s soccer team losing to Sweden — a loss that he blamed on “wokeism” turning the squad “demented.” Tomi Lahren called Team USA “the largest group of whiny social justice activists the Olympics has seen in decades,” accusing them in a Tuesday Fox News segment of engaging in “typical leftist so-called activism.” And after the men’s basketball team lost to France, Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield said he “took pleasure” in their defeat.

“The team is filled with anthem kneelers — and I find it ironic that they’re willing to put USA on their chest when, in the not so distant past, they would kneel for the anthem. Somebody ought to go up there and just rip USA off their chest,” said Stinchfield, who briefly went off the air earlier this year after insinuating that Jewish Americans are foreigners during a monologue.

These attacks on Team USA are not just culture war red meat; they are a reflection of a rising tendency in the conservative movement to reject America itself. In this thinking, the country is so corrupted that it is no longer a source of pride or even worthy of respect. In its most radical versions, you even see cheerleading for revolution or civil war.

Conservative anti-Americanism still pays lip service to love of country: Its proponents declare themselves the true patriots, describing their enemies as the nation’s betrayers. But when the cadre of traitors includes everyone from election administrators to Olympians to the Capitol Police, it becomes clear that the only America they love is the one that exists in their heads. When they contemplate the actual United States — real America, if you will — they are filled with scorn.

“They see no role or place for themselves in America now,” says Paul Elliott Johnson, a communications professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies conservative rhetoric.

And ironically enough, that's one of the few things they get right: there is no role or place for fascists in modern America.

[YUPPIE]

It’d be sad if there weren’t so many people who buy his bullshit.

manipulation and charisma go a long way. I've seen people here repeatedly rebuke this saying Trump supporters are just stupid though, that it has nothing to do with any of the former. But whether you see it as bad or meaningless, Joe Biden has no skills in rousing speeches.

[Belize]

Trump supporters are just stupid

That's right.

[YUPPIE]

We get it, you love Trump and have no critical thinking skills. Good luck with that.

no I don't, I'm just pointing out why Trump has supporters at all. Compare the loud voice and big boasts to Biden's really low pitched no-nonsense speeches

[Elegiac]

no I don't, I'm just pointing out why Trump has supporters at all. Compare the loud voice and big boasts to Biden's really low pitched no-nonsense speeches

Falling for style over substance is a hallmark of stupidity. You're not refuting anything.

[swiftowner]

That's right.

And it’s a damn shame. You look at his supporters, and try to reason with them, but you can’t fix stupid.

[Benggaul]

I hate that thousands will die, and far more will suffer for this. But hey, they voted for him. You reap what you sew, and he was a transparent fuckin moron from the get-go.

I would agree except children can't vote and there's going to be a lot of them dying or left with long COVID because the adults didn't do the right thing. Also, "sow".

I imagine the tens of thousands of older residents dying, plus plenty others suffering from the virus or seeing their friends die around them, might impact the next Republicans chances of winning (Crist's numbers are going up!). But given the Republican electorate, that's not something I'd place money on.

The elderly population in Florida is probably the most vaccinated demographic in the state. I mentioned this a while ago, but at some point the GOP there realized it was killing off their prime demographic so they had a really focused vaccination drive for the elderly there (which is why Florida has the "best of the worst" vaccination rate of 59%--21st in the nation not counting Puerto Rico or DC). Other states I won't speak for, but they probably have enough younger dumbfucks that killing off the elderly wouldn't dent their numbers too much. Well, I mean, except it's killing off the younger folks too, which they belatedly realize on their deathbeds.

[Nurasu]

Imagine if Democrats initiated a nationwide lockdown before Republicans killed or disfigured all of our kids, or maybe all of us by incubating new variants. I wished Trump had done it, and now I especially wish Dems would do it with Delta.

[Slirith]

Imagine if Democrats initiated a nationwide lockdown before Republicans killed or disfigured all of our kids, or maybe all of us by incubating new variants. I wished Trump had done it, and now I especially wish Dems would do it with Delta.

They don't have the balls to do it

[YUPPIE]

Imagine if Democrats initiated a nationwide lockdown before Republicans killed or disfigured all of our kids, or maybe all of us by incubating new variants. I wished Trump had done it, and now I especially wish Dems would do it with Delta.

The problem with trying to enforce another lockdown is you'll get American citizens rampaging across the streets in protest claiming they're being oppressed, killing and burning everything they see, and forcing military intervention.

[Benggaul]

Imagine if Democrats initiated a nationwide lockdown before Republicans killed or disfigured all of our kids, or maybe all of us by incubating new variants. I wished Trump had done it, and now I especially wish Dems would do it with Delta.

Nationwide lockdowns will never work because "MUH STATES RIGHTS" so Republican-governed states would never do it. What WOULD have helped is not having a whole shitload of misinformation, downplaying of the pandemic and outright buffoonery at the start by Trump and his administration. What hurt with the current administration was the CDC telling people who were vaccinated they don't have to wear masks and a general premature lifting of precautions in a lot of areas. We weren't at the finish line yet but a lot of people decided in the face of all evidence that we were.

[Elegiac]

The problem with trying to enforce another lockdown is you'll get American citizens rampaging across the streets in protest claiming they're being oppressed, killing and burning everything they see, and forcing military intervention.

Okay, and?

[Nurasu]

The problem with trying to enforce another lockdown is you'll get American citizens rampaging across the streets in protest claiming they're being oppressed, killing and burning everything they see, and forcing military intervention.

I'd rather militarily intervene before they literally kill me.

[YUPPIE]

Okay, and?

you know, there have been a lot of posts recently pretty open to the idea of just massacring civilians in droves if they warrant it. Like, not too long ago, I asked if it would be alright if the military just killed waves of violent Trump rioters if they attacked in protest of his arrest. People said that's fine because they are "terrorists" now. So in the same sense here, would they be terrorists for inciting violence in protest of a lockdown?

It'd make America look bad above all else.

[Nurasu]

Nationwide lockdowns will never work because "MUH STATES RIGHTS" so Republican-governed states would never do it. What WOULD have helped is not having a whole shitload of misinformation, downplaying of the pandemic and outright buffoonery at the start by Trump and his administration. What hurt with the current administration was the CDC telling people who were vaccinated they don't have to wear masks and a general premature lifting of precautions in a lot of areas. We weren't at the finish line yet but a lot of people decided in the face of all evidence that we were.

We're at the point now that Delta is widely circulating and there's no putting that genie back in the bottle. I guess we can just keep waiting and hope it's only Republicans and their kids that die, but that (1) still isn't very palatable, and (2) isn't very likely.

[Elegiac]

you know, there have been a lot of posts recently pretty open to the idea of just massacring civilians in droves if they warrant it. Like, not too long ago, I asked if it would be alright if the military just killed waves of violent Trump rioters if they attacked in protest of his arrest. People said that's fine because they are "terrorists" now. So in the same sense here, would they be terrorists for inciting violence in protest of a lockdown?

It'd make America look bad above all else.

Because a bunch of ignorant and privileged people taking to the streets committing acts of violence over a temporary public health measure wouldn't already make America look bad. Sure, Jan.

I've no issue with it for the same reason I'd have had no issue with Reconstruction continuing for as long as it was warranted. Fascism is a cancer and it requires aggressive measures to excise.