Trump never has had a legitimate message. His support has come from the manipulation of the downtrodden, the disgruntled, the anti-suit masses who have been down for too long and lost for sake of an apparent antithesis to the 'Washington swamp."
Those who, in delusion, have followed and supported Trump are, in my view, mostly not 'bad' or 'stupid' people, though many may not be highly educated, articulate or capable of more than relatively simplistic analysis and a strong susceptibility to peer group pressure and what seems to be a movement in line with their grievances. However, there is much validity underlying their despair and feelings of being left behind or used. They have been conditioned for decades to a belief in the great American dream, prosperity, (of a sort), and pride in a nation that, (apparently), stood for decency, freedom and 'right' in a World of dictators, autocrats and such.
In reality, the mirage that Trump created for them in 2016 and is trying to replicate is the worst of what he does and represents for it deliberately creates hope and belief and even excitement of anticipation only to then abuse and misuse the trust given him. The reality is that he has been and would again be a demagogue, indeed an even greater one than in the past for, after his stacking of the Supreme Court and the appalling decisions made in relation to presidential immunity, should he be elected, the size of his ego will know no bounds. - Then, (though I have no religion so no belief that there's any chance of it), God help us all.
Unfortunately, even many well educated and knowledgeable people have chosen to support Trump. Not least, of course, virtually the entire Republican Party and its representatives, whether federally or at state level. Ironically, this fact is the very evidence that ought to convince anyone of how fraudulent and unrepresentative any Trump administration would be. I say that because it clearly demonstrates that at least the majority of those Republicans place themselves over their responsibility and duty to the people they are supposed to represent and, what may be even worse, place themselves over the principles on which American democracy was founded and the Constitution.
Unfortunately, the nation has become so polarised by Trump's political adventures and perfidy that it has diverted attention from what is the real issue. It is not Trump. It is not the apparent madness, ignorance, anger, aggression or irresponsibility of Trump supporters. The real issue is the historical setting, cultural degeneration, false values and ever widening disparity between 'haves' and 'have nots' that has created a fertile environment for this polarisation and the perversion of judicial and economic systems to come about.
I am now even reading critics of the joy and jubilation that is the Democratic Convention. These critics are suggesting that this is wrong and even representative of uncaring, unsympathetic, lack of compassion and such, because the Biden Administration has continued to supply arms and backing to Israel. I am appalled at that, too. There is no doubt in my mind that regardless of the wrong perpetrated by Hamas fighters on 7th October 2023, the response of Netanyahu and his cohorts has been and is a crime of much greater malevolence and atrocity than that of Hamas in October 2023. That the USA has continued to support Israel by supplying arms is beyond the pale.
That, however, is not in my view a valid justification for the interpretation of the Democrat Convention as callous and uncaring. I don't know but I doubt very much that there would have been any significant difference in US policy towards Israel had Trump been in power during the last ten months.
Leaving aside the likelihood or otherwise of that possibility, the fact is that this venomous outrage at the jubilation exhibited by those at the Democrat Convention is effectively the common confusion of correlation as causation.
Yes, we should protest against arming and defending Netanyahu's genocide. However, surely it is reasonable for the Democrats, within their own convention, to feel boosted, optimistic and celebratory that they now have a solid chance of preventing the demagogue Trump from becoming the dictator president that he inevitably will be should he be elected. Surely it is not irresponsible for them to feel good that they now have a fighting chance to preserve the best of American democracy, restore the rights of women to control their own bodies and place the nation above the desires of a small elite.
No, the election of Harris will not introduce a sudden Utopia. There will always be positive and negative in any administration. Lincoln's famous comment aptly summed up that reality. There is much work needed to rectify racism, inequity, gun violence, injustices and more that exist across the nation. However, Biden attempted to bring people together to achieve that after inheriting the appalling disaster of a Trump presidency. His administration has achieved many successes. That it has not stopped Israel ought not to negate all the good that his administration has achieved.
The nomination of Harris and Waltz is probably the best news the nation has had in the last decade. That the Democrats choose to celebrate it is not unreasonable. I celebrate it, too, yet if I had the power I would have had Netanyahu arrested when he arrived in the US to address Congress and I would have stopped any support for Israel's military aggression and undoubted attempt at genocide against the Palestinian people.
Trump never has had a legitimate message. His support has come from the manipulation of the downtrodden, the disgruntled, the anti-suit masses who have been down for too long and lost for sake of an apparent antithesis to the 'Washington swamp."
Those who, in delusion, have followed and supported Trump are, in my view, mostly not 'bad' or 'stupid' people, though many may not be highly educated, articulate or capable of more than relatively simplistic analysis and a strong susceptibility to peer group pressure and what seems to be a movement in line with their grievances. However, there is much validity underlying their despair and feelings of being left behind or used. They have been conditioned for decades to a belief in the great American dream, prosperity, (of a sort), and pride in a nation that, (apparently), stood for decency, freedom and 'right' in a World of dictators, autocrats and such.
In reality, the mirage that Trump created for them in 2016 and is trying to replicate is the worst of what he does and represents for it deliberately creates hope and belief and even excitement of anticipation only to then abuse and misuse the trust given him. The reality is that he has been and would again be a demagogue, indeed an even greater one than in the past for, after his stacking of the Supreme Court and the appalling decisions made in relation to presidential immunity, should he be elected, the size of his ego will know no bounds. - Then, (though I have no religion so no belief that there's any chance of it), God help us all.
Unfortunately, even many well educated and knowledgeable people have chosen to support Trump. Not least, of course, virtually the entire Republican Party and its representatives, whether federally or at state level. Ironically, this fact is the very evidence that ought to convince anyone of how fraudulent and unrepresentative any Trump administration would be. I say that because it clearly demonstrates that at least the majority of those Republicans place themselves over their responsibility and duty to the people they are supposed to represent and, what may be even worse, place themselves over the principles on which American democracy was founded and the Constitution.
Unfortunately, the nation has become so polarised by Trump's political adventures and perfidy that it has diverted attention from what is the real issue. It is not Trump. It is not the apparent madness, ignorance, anger, aggression or irresponsibility of Trump supporters. The real issue is the historical setting, cultural degeneration, false values and ever widening disparity between 'haves' and 'have nots' that has created a fertile environment for this polarisation and the perversion of judicial and economic systems to come about.
I am now even reading critics of the joy and jubilation that is the Democratic Convention. These critics are suggesting that this is wrong and even representative of uncaring, unsympathetic, lack of compassion and such, because the Biden Administration has continued to supply arms and backing to Israel. I am appalled at that, too. There is no doubt in my mind that regardless of the wrong perpetrated by Hamas fighters on 7th October 2023, the response of Netanyahu and his cohorts has been and is a crime of much greater malevolence and atrocity than that of Hamas in October 2023. That the USA has continued to support Israel by supplying arms is beyond the pale.
That, however, is not in my view a valid justification for the interpretation of the Democrat Convention as callous and uncaring. I don't know but I doubt very much that there would have been any significant difference in US policy towards Israel had Trump been in power during the last ten months.
Leaving aside the likelihood or otherwise of that possibility, the fact is that this venomous outrage at the jubilation exhibited by those at the Democrat Convention is effectively the common confusion of correlation as causation.
Yes, we should protest against arming and defending Netanyahu's genocide. However, surely it is reasonable for the Democrats, within their own convention, to feel boosted, optimistic and celebratory that they now have a solid chance of preventing the demagogue Trump from becoming the dictator president that he inevitably will be should he be elected. Surely it is not irresponsible for them to feel good that they now have a fighting chance to preserve the best of American democracy, restore the rights of women to control their own bodies and place the nation above the desires of a small elite.
No, the election of Harris will not introduce a sudden Utopia. There will always be positive and negative in any administration. Lincoln's famous comment aptly summed up that reality. There is much work needed to rectify racism, inequity, gun violence, injustices and more that exist across the nation. However, Biden attempted to bring people together to achieve that after inheriting the appalling disaster of a Trump presidency. His administration has achieved many successes. That it has not stopped Israel ought not to negate all the good that his administration has achieved.
The nomination of Harris and Waltz is probably the best news the nation has had in the last decade. That the Democrats choose to celebrate it is not unreasonable. I celebrate it, too, yet if I had the power I would have had Netanyahu arrested when he arrived in the US to address Congress and I would have stopped any support for Israel's military aggression and undoubted attempt at genocide against the Palestinian people.
As I've
Thank you for your commentary of the convention. Have also been following Heather Richardson. Found you on Medium. Am following you off