I don't post here as much as I used to, because it does get exhausting and I have (arguably) better things to do. But I do keep an eye on things. I've been meaning to post a thread like this for a while, and reading through the bullshit that whimsy and FOUser#4510856320198a have been spraying all over the board in the last 24 hours has finally motivated me.
trump isn't the problem, he's just a vile piece of shit that's profiting off the problem. The real problem is the republican party, and the far right that seems to be resurgent in many western nations. They reject expertise, they deny facts, they celebrate ignorance and baseless hatred. Trying to reason with them is pointless, as anyone on this board will surely understand. They've drawn their line and nothing will bring them back across it. If anything, their line keeps receding while they argue that that's where it always was. If we really try to crystallize the problem, it might not even be the far right, rather willful ignorance and rejection of the truth that has brought us climate change deniers, anti vaxxers, flat earthers, and now trump supporters. But of all these manifestations of the problem, I think the far right is by far the most dangerous.
So how does it end??? That's what I want to know. We can get rid of trump, but that doesn't get rid of his cult, which is global (yes, there are MAGA bumper stickers here in Australia, unfortunately, the USA doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity and cowardice). At some point, those of us that are trying to move forward, to advance society, and continue on the trajectory of increasing knowledge, freedom, and standards of living for all humankind, are going to bump up against the immovable, recalcitrant right, and realize that not only are they holding us back, but they are the biggest threat to our future.
They can't be argued or reasoned with. They can't be left alone and lived alongside, because they won't stop until they've forced everyone to live by their rules. So what the fuck do we do with/about them???
I've read that the resurgence of the far right is just a death throe, that they are on the verge of becoming extinct. It's a nice thought, but I have a hard time putting my faith in the hope that they're just going to fade away. They've managed to completely subvert US democracy in only a few decades, so obviously they're a threat that can't be ignored.
I don't know if there can be a peaceful way forward from here. Another US civil war to shut down these rowdy rednecks for a couple more centuries might be the only option.
Does anyone see any realistic way to bring these extreme right wingers back into the fold? Because I sure don't.
trump isn't the problem, he's just a vile piece of shit that's profiting off the problem. The real problem is the republican party, and the far right that seems to be resurgent in many western nations. They reject expertise, they deny facts, they celebrate ignorance and baseless hatred. Trying to reason with them is pointless, as anyone on this board will surely understand. They've drawn their line and nothing will bring them back across it. If anything, their line keeps receding while they argue that that's where it always was. If we really try to crystallize the problem, it might not even be the far right, rather willful ignorance and rejection of the truth that has brought us climate change deniers, anti vaxxers, flat earthers, and now trump supporters. But of all these manifestations of the problem, I think the far right is by far the most dangerous.
So how does it end??? That's what I want to know. We can get rid of trump, but that doesn't get rid of his cult, which is global (yes, there are MAGA bumper stickers here in Australia, unfortunately, the USA doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity and cowardice). At some point, those of us that are trying to move forward, to advance society, and continue on the trajectory of increasing knowledge, freedom, and standards of living for all humankind, are going to bump up against the immovable, recalcitrant right, and realize that not only are they holding us back, but they are the biggest threat to our future.
They can't be argued or reasoned with. They can't be left alone and lived alongside, because they won't stop until they've forced everyone to live by their rules. So what the fuck do we do with/about them???
I've read that the resurgence of the far right is just a death throe, that they are on the verge of becoming extinct. It's a nice thought, but I have a hard time putting my faith in the hope that they're just going to fade away. They've managed to completely subvert US democracy in only a few decades, so obviously they're a threat that can't be ignored.
I don't know if there can be a peaceful way forward from here. Another US civil war to shut down these rowdy rednecks for a couple more centuries might be the only option.
Does anyone see any realistic way to bring these extreme right wingers back into the fold? Because I sure don't.