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I can no longer tell the difference between the US Republicans and a doomsday cult.
Evangelicals have been talking about the 'End Times' since the 1980s.
I can't remember the TV preacher's name, but I'd see him on the TV talking about the Book Of Revelation every week, and every week he told us that Russia was the Kingdom of the North the Bible spoke of. Then The Berlin Wall came down and suddenly it was Iran who was the Kingdom of the North.
Yes, these tricks are old and familiar. Nevertheless, US (right wing) politics seems to be adopting a lot of the workings of cults these days. I'm just surprised that US civil society is allowing this to happen. I'm from Germany and here, too, there are openly fascist parties that are gaining strength again and using the same ol' strategies. But we don't just put up with it, we take to the streets. Why are there no massive protests in the USA against Trump, against his fascist ideas and the fact that he is still at large after an anti-democratic coup attempt and countless criminal activities? He is even a presidential candidate. You can't be serious.
Why are there no massive protests in the USA against Trump, against his fascist ideas and the fact that he is still at large after an anti-democratic coup attempt and countless criminal activities?
A full third of our country want his coup to succeed. Another third just doesn't care.
We have plenty of food and cheap entertainment. Life is too good for most Americans to want to protest, and for the rest they either belong in the previously mentioned group above, or they're working too much just trying to survive that they can't protest (which is by design, obviously).
We have guns and we have right-wing militarized police forces.
That's clear. But it doesn't help much, does it? I don't think you have to be a prophet of doom to foresee that another Trump presidency would very likely have catastrophic consequences for America and subsequently for the whole "democratic world". I just think that you obviously can't rely on your institutions. I'm just an observer without much interest in US politics. But even I can see from the news about your constitutional court, for example, that a lot of things are seriously wrong here. Nevertheless, I don't have the impression that US civil society has too many objections. That surprises me, given that so much is at stake. Maybe I'm not well informed, but that's how it seems to me anyway. I just think that the time for cynicism is over and it's high time to actually do something about all this.
I don't have the impression that US civil society has too many objections.
A lot of us do have major objections! I could talk about what we should or shouldn't do but I have a far more crucial point to make.
I hope that people like you around the world will spend the time to thoroughly understand the complex story of how the US got to this point. Or you will be here sooner than you realize.
Though our culture has been inundated with cautionary tales about fascism and authoritarianism since WWII ended, those stories all occur in the end game, right before the baddies win. When it is almost certainly too late.
You see, the best time to do something about all this was thousands of times over the last half century that the Republicans have been plotting and subverting little by little. They've been slowly and methodically preparing the way for total control this whole time.
They eroded and twisted education, formed propaganda outlets (Fox "News", Rush Limbaugh), decimated corporate regulations, legalized political corruption, appointed judge after judge, gerrymandered their way to power, cut taxes for the rich, kneecapped anti-trust, allied with right wing religion, and so on. They have think-tanks and foundations to strategize and prepare right wing leaders, like Kavanaugh, and draft plans like Project 2025.
And pro-corporate Democrats probably helped this glacial takeover through action and inaction as much or more than they actively hindered it, because what's good for corporations tends to be terrible for democracy.
So beware the plodding, insidious, small, multitudinous power grabs and fight every one of them tooth and nail, if you don't want to see right wing extremism rise to power again in your own country.
As I said, I'm from Germany. In this country, unfortunately, we know from painful experience how fascists take power. Please be smarter than the Germans in 1933 - the circumstances are shockingly similar to those back then; not only in America. The Nazis were able to seize power in the Weimar Republic because the economy, conservatives and other opportunists played along with their game. Perhaps they thought they would be able to put a stop to them later if things got too bad. This plan did not work out and millions fell victim to an inhuman idology. I simply mean, take the opportunity to defend what is left of your democracy - if necessary, even together with those who are seemingly in the wrong camp. It is perhaps the last chance before you are no longer allowed to express your opinion freely.
I wished more of my fellow citizens recognized what Trump was in 2015 when I did. And recognized the parallels with history.
Even though it was obvious to some of us in 2015, even now, some young voters don't seem to get how precarious the political situation is.
a dubious timeline at best
Much longer than the 1980s, or even the 1880s. It just became prevalent again relatively recently because the post-war boom made “The world is ending!” sound absolutely ridiculous, until austerity kicked in.
Organized religion is such an effective political tool and con.
I wonder if it was ol' psycho-eyes Copeland. He did some fire and brimstone as I recall. Maybe Pat Robertson. He was big stuff back then.
The difference is one is capable of self fulfilling prophecy.
Same picture.
I think Shrub called it "some weird shit" seven years ago this past January 20th. But, really what he's doing is working with US cynicism to deride the country which only he can save.
Abba’s Dancing Queen, Elton John’s Rocket Man, Queen’s We Are the Champions
New rule: Republicans are only allowed to play Wagner, Stadium Country and 1940s polka.
Can't have the music of people with deep roots in LGBTQ+ culture until they stop vilifying everyone who's not a far right cishet white Christian.
TL;DR: I got really angry writing this. Anyone not in the US: please send help.
I get the mixed messaging this sends, but it actually fits in with their whole social philosophy.
This mob is all about hierarchy. A deep, entrenched, white rich guys at the top, caste system complete with a robust underclass with a palatable amount of slavery thrown in.
In this scheme, "Undesirables" are allowed to have their place as long as they maintain a low station in society. Black musicians, gay comedians, non-binary authors, all great as long as they don't disrupt the status quo, sway the masses, attempt to run anything, or otherwise fail at being a good punching bag. The key takeaway here is that everyone has a predestined station in this disgusting hierarchy they've dreamed up, and everything is fair game for those on top.
There's also a subtext of "thinking is for those in charge", so reading into things when consuming media is just not how this works.
So within this framework, co-opting music written by people of a lower station is fine, including re-contextualizing the message to line up with the performance and not the author. And like the people that produce such media, the media itself is disposable and will be replaced when it is convenient since this group also doesn't value personal integrity or consistency over time.
Evangelicals are all for the apocalypse but isn't the anti-Christ the one who ushers it in?
And Trump is the antichrist. They know what horse they're backing, and they'd all go to hell with their false prophet if any of those fairytales were reality... But, in reality, we're greedy, selfish, talking chimps who are parasitically destroying our host, while killing each other over dumb shit.
It wasn't that surprising. The right wing base supports him so much.