How do people live their lives being against everything -being against everyone- being against science being against humanity being against women being against inclusion -I mean seriously-do they have red blood in their veins or is it some sort of oily sludge?
"The core thing that needs to be understood is that the right has never been in the right on these things. On every single battle for equal and human rights in the entire history of the United States and the world, conservative forces have been on the wrong side of the equation."
Yes.
"But what needs to be understood is that the wrongness of conservatism is not self-evident. That is the mistake that liberalism makes far too often. We assume because it is clearly wrong and because it has failed in the past that it will just fail and collapse under its own weight."
Also yes.
"A war of ideology has to be fought and to sit on the sidelines, assuming victory, is to provide aid and comfort to the darkest forces in society."
Oh hell yes.
Let's add-
We all, each of us, need to take seriously the implications of these propositions.
That means, we need to take a long look at the relationships we maintain-- with family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues-- who by their vote, demonstrate alignment with the fascists.
Are they welcome in our homes? In our lives? Do we provide material or economic or emotional support to them?
At some point, we need to realize that there can be no 'friends and family' exceptions to the 'don't associate with fascists' rule. There can be no public setting in which they feel welcome, or eventually, they will eliminate every vestige of our pluralistic democracy. The notion of 'setting aside the politics so we can all just enjoy the picnic' is precisely what has allowed fascism to metastasize into the book banning trans terrorizing abomination we say before us.
Shame, shun, exclude.
Every last one of them.
************
'"But are there not many fascists in your country?"
"There are many who do not know they are fascists but will find it out when the time comes."
Thank you! One of several things that is continually unsettling is the 'wait! This already happened! We heard this in another guise. Almost exactly! And it was BULLSHIT Do you have amnesia?'
Besides the lies is this disorientation. How can we have this mashup of Islamaphobia, antisemitism, racism, homophobia. The same 'civilization is ending ' and 'we are in constant danger' ...'You can't believe the experts.' 'Threat from within.' And the media reporting it like 'citizens remain concerned about the Black/gay/Jewish/Muslim/transgender threat. Let's hear their views." Insert a different one here. You get 'the doctors lie' conspiracy as well. And the New York Times reports this?
Maybe it's also supposed to make normal people crazy in addition to all the other stuff it's supposed to do.
Another example I'm sure you're aware of, which I try to remind people all the time: I remember up through Doug Williams winning the Super Bowl the bigots claimed Black athletes had unfair bone and muscle advantages, and they're saying the same thing about trans women athletes now.
How do people live their lives being against everything -being against everyone- being against science being against humanity being against women being against inclusion -I mean seriously-do they have red blood in their veins or is it some sort of oily sludge?
"The core thing that needs to be understood is that the right has never been in the right on these things. On every single battle for equal and human rights in the entire history of the United States and the world, conservative forces have been on the wrong side of the equation."
Yes.
"But what needs to be understood is that the wrongness of conservatism is not self-evident. That is the mistake that liberalism makes far too often. We assume because it is clearly wrong and because it has failed in the past that it will just fail and collapse under its own weight."
Also yes.
"A war of ideology has to be fought and to sit on the sidelines, assuming victory, is to provide aid and comfort to the darkest forces in society."
Oh hell yes.
Let's add-
We all, each of us, need to take seriously the implications of these propositions.
That means, we need to take a long look at the relationships we maintain-- with family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues-- who by their vote, demonstrate alignment with the fascists.
Are they welcome in our homes? In our lives? Do we provide material or economic or emotional support to them?
At some point, we need to realize that there can be no 'friends and family' exceptions to the 'don't associate with fascists' rule. There can be no public setting in which they feel welcome, or eventually, they will eliminate every vestige of our pluralistic democracy. The notion of 'setting aside the politics so we can all just enjoy the picnic' is precisely what has allowed fascism to metastasize into the book banning trans terrorizing abomination we say before us.
Shame, shun, exclude.
Every last one of them.
************
'"But are there not many fascists in your country?"
"There are many who do not know they are fascists but will find it out when the time comes."
—Ernest Hemingway, "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Here, in the deep red south, it's ingrained from the time a child is old enough to start
understanding, within the family. Willful ignorance and
bigotry for far too many.
I'm a long ago transplant to the south, due to my family being stationed here. Not all
of it is bad and I know quite
a few good, open minded people who are not bigots
to anyone.
Slowly, mostly with the younger generation, things
are starting to change and
we are hoping to move forward for all. To knock down these terrible walls
that divide and harm.
Our standard is: Take it to them. Call them out and
combat their hate with facts.
Thank you! One of several things that is continually unsettling is the 'wait! This already happened! We heard this in another guise. Almost exactly! And it was BULLSHIT Do you have amnesia?'
Besides the lies is this disorientation. How can we have this mashup of Islamaphobia, antisemitism, racism, homophobia. The same 'civilization is ending ' and 'we are in constant danger' ...'You can't believe the experts.' 'Threat from within.' And the media reporting it like 'citizens remain concerned about the Black/gay/Jewish/Muslim/transgender threat. Let's hear their views." Insert a different one here. You get 'the doctors lie' conspiracy as well. And the New York Times reports this?
Maybe it's also supposed to make normal people crazy in addition to all the other stuff it's supposed to do.
Wow. Many dots just connected in a way they had not connected before. Thank you! And please give the puppy an extra treat for me.
I’m with you on emergency puppies. I keep two as close as possible. Lowers blood pressure for me.
Another example I'm sure you're aware of, which I try to remind people all the time: I remember up through Doug Williams winning the Super Bowl the bigots claimed Black athletes had unfair bone and muscle advantages, and they're saying the same thing about trans women athletes now.