Thursday, July 18, 2019
Political Mayhem Thursday: Love it or Leave it
This has been a pretty terrible week for civil discourse. And the fault lies at the feet of President Trump, who has been focused on race-baiting and whipping up his followers against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and others. It's ugly.
I'm appalled that it has worked, too-- Republicans who know better are defending him, and at a rally last night his followers changed "Send her back!"
One trope that Trump has revived is that there are two choices: either refrain from criticizing the United States and its government, or leave the country. It used to be summed up on bumper stickers that said "America- Love it or Leave It!"
That (along with "better to ask forgiveness than permission") is one of my least favorite sayings of all time.
What makes America great is freedom of dissent. And, of course, those people bleating about "love it or leave it" are the same ones who spent eight years of the Obama administration criticizing our country and its government. They didn't "leave."
What bugs me the most is that this is a put-down that substitutes for any actual discussion of issues. It is a tactic of bullies. And I am really really sick of those.
I'm appalled that it has worked, too-- Republicans who know better are defending him, and at a rally last night his followers changed "Send her back!"
One trope that Trump has revived is that there are two choices: either refrain from criticizing the United States and its government, or leave the country. It used to be summed up on bumper stickers that said "America- Love it or Leave It!"
That (along with "better to ask forgiveness than permission") is one of my least favorite sayings of all time.
What makes America great is freedom of dissent. And, of course, those people bleating about "love it or leave it" are the same ones who spent eight years of the Obama administration criticizing our country and its government. They didn't "leave."
What bugs me the most is that this is a put-down that substitutes for any actual discussion of issues. It is a tactic of bullies. And I am really really sick of those.
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The president is a horrible, ugly man. Every example of moral turpitude we always said we despised about politicians is true of that man. I really do feel like a complete hypocrite when I recall my vehement and sincere character arguments for Bush-41 over Bill Clinton or the experience of John McCain over Barack Obama. I apologize to my friends who voted Democrat in those instances. I totally get it now. I understand American politics completely differently today than I did then. I understand myself completely differently today than I did then. None of these insights give me hope.
Well-- there were legitimate character arguments for Bush 41 over Clinton, and certainly for McCain's experience. It would be consistent to make a legitimate character or experience argument for any number of democrats over Trump in the coming election.
Right. I think maybe every candidate for the Dem nomination (the top 10 for sure) are demonstrably people of higher character and more extensive public service and experience than the incumbent. It would be very consistent. And that is my tragic self revelation. I won't be consistent. I will pick policy preferences and governing philosophy over character and experience. Which is why I owe my 1992 and 2008 friends an apology for being overly judgmental back in the day. Policy and Philosophy trump almost everything. I live in a much darker world than I did back when I was a wide-eyed believer.
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