Assessing
the Trump phenomenon
Seemorerocks
I
have decided to forget the rest of the world for a while and take a
little while to assess, or rather, reassess, the Donald Trump
phenomenon.
What
I have observed is that, apart from a tiny minority, people base their
opinions on a simplistic basis based on a visceral response based on
a dualistic good vs.evil basis.
The
trouble with such analysis based on ‘what is right’ practised,
from what I can see, by all liberals, is that it is almost NEVER
correct.
I
will give it to the detractors that the administration of Donald J.
Trump is bad in a way that we have never seen before.
Three
quotes (all from Guy McPherson) come to mind:
Damned
if you do and damned if you don’t
Each
president of the United States is worse than the one that preceded it
Donald
J Trump is a perfect reflection of American society.
Now,
of course, with the help of the entire lamestream media's constant
propaganda, as well as censoring of alternative views, we are seeing a
rewriting of history.
I
would like to recommend that you listen to Debbie Sane Progressive as
a reminder of certain facts.
The
disasters of Afghanistan and Iraq were brought to us by George Bush
Jr.and now continued by his successors. He also brought us
extraordinary rendition and torture as well as the Patriot Act.
Obama
brought the catastrophes of, first Libya and then Syria. He was the
first to jail more whistleblowers than anyone before him. He also
brought in indefinite detention-enshrined in law and the concept of a
weekly meeting to decide who he was going to murder-by-remote
control.
Finally
the one hope that Americans might have had was dashed when Bernie
Sanders’ campaign was destroyed by electoral fraud and endless
lies described so well by Sane Progressive.
The ensuing election brought about the defeat of Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump was elected instead.
The ensuing election brought about the defeat of Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump was elected instead.
The
Trump phenomenon was the revenge of the working class in America, who
have seen their jobs and living standards destroyed by NAFTA and
neo-liberal policies of the past 25 years or so.
The
cry was ‘make America great again.’
Of
course that was always a delusion. America was never (and IS never)
going to be a great again.
America is a rapacious empire that spends about 90 percent of its budget on ‘defence’ and about 10 times what its nearest rivals, Russia and China, spend.
America is a rapacious empire that spends about 90 percent of its budget on ‘defence’ and about 10 times what its nearest rivals, Russia and China, spend.
It
is an empire that is on the way out.
Looking
from the outside, there were some things that were fascinating and not entirely negative. That this
was a uniquely American-style revolution that was setting out to
‘clear the swamp’ was no bad thing, at least in theory.
Trump was also unique in pointing out that the economy was in “terrrible
shape,” to use his words.
But
the main thing was that at a time when it looked as if things
couldn’t get any worse on the geopolitical front (which, as an
outsider, I am most interested in), Trump
was promising to speak to Putin and the Russians and make common
ground on the fight against ISIS. It was this that had rational
analysts like Prof. Stephen Cohen at least partially onside.
None
of us could ever have foreseen the reaction from the political elite
(Republican and Democrat), the media and the Deep State and the ease
with which they were able to bring about a “soft coup” which left
Trump in power but totally neutralised and powerless.
Never
has there been such a rapid counter-revolution in history.
I
have been following this coup for several months now and that has led
me to listen to voices from the ‘alt-right’ - not because I ever
supported them, but because they brought certain truths to the table
that should be listened to in an attempt to make a realistic analysis
of events.
Trump
was always a narcissist and not really qualified to govern - at least
from the point-of-view of the ruling elite and ‘Deep State’.
The
warnings were there back in April or so when Trump bombed the Syrian
army to look tough and then hobnobbed with the worst-of-the-worst,
the Israelis and the Saudis.
We
could hardly have foreseen that Trump would be so easily neutralised
and essentially ruled by what could be seen as a Junta of generals
that he himself brought in.
Next
was his nazi-like outburst at the United Nations threatening
the regime of Kim Jong-un with destruction through sanctions if
possible, by nuclear war if necessary, accompanied by aggressive
actions against the Russians in recent days and threats against the
Iranians.
Now Trump has truly beocme someone who is, to the extent it is possible, the worst of all options and is liklely to take take us to Oblivion
To the extent that this has anything to do with Trump, I should have paid more attention to what he said about North Korea and Iran and somewhat less about ‘doing business’ with Vladimir Putin.
To the extent that this has anything to do with Trump, I should have paid more attention to what he said about North Korea and Iran and somewhat less about ‘doing business’ with Vladimir Putin.
Especially
after events at Charlottesville, and after certain folk bought the
idea that a handful of KKK nazis were the greatest danger facing the
nation and adopting Antifa was the answer, I have lost some significant
‘friends’ whom I have not heard from in some time.
Then still more, after the controversy that has surrounded Guy McPherson in recent weeks has led to me shedding still more 'friends'.
Then still more, after the controversy that has surrounded Guy McPherson in recent weeks has led to me shedding still more 'friends'.
The
atmosphere is febrile and very polarised (the very stuff of civil
war) and I can detect that there are people who have bought into the
rewriting of recent history and are receding into a position
supporting the fascists of the “Left” against the “nazis” of
the Right.
At
the moment I am looking as a somewhat horrified-but-unengaged
observer from afar that (apologies to my American friends) looks
forward to an end to the American Empire – and that means the
collapse, politically, socially and economically, of the United States
itself.
Once
that happens, of course the consequences will come immediately to the
Edge of Empire.
Now
we are observing the horrors that come with the rapid disruption of
the world climate and the quick destruction, one-after-another, of
several islands of the Caribbean, most recently the US territory of
Puerto Rico.
That
has given us a chance to see Trump in action as the person he
always was – narcissistic, uncaring and a liar - who when finally
persuaded after a week that some action needed to be taken, was self-
congratulatory, even while people are dying as they have, before
that, in Texas and Florida.
I
have looked in recent days for even a single word of compassion or
anything else from the likes of Alex Jones or anyone from the
‘alt-right’. Instead they have been obsessed with football and
whether people are standing or kneeling for the national anthem.
FFS!!!
The response from the other side is equally false and nauseating.
The response from the other side is equally false and nauseating.
I
have changed many of my views and view certain things – such as the
collapse of the industrial economy - as inevitable but have not, up to
now, lost the dual qualities of compassion and empathy.
Unfortunately
I can see that such attitudes are becoming as extinct as the dodo.
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