Robert Reich: Sunday thought: The problem ISN'T that we're "divided and polarized"

[FakeNoose]

Link: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-thought-the-problem-isnt-that

I keep hearing that one of America’s biggest problems is we’re “divided and polarized.” For example, New York Times columnist David French: “We’ve known for a long time that America is deeply polarized, and we’ve known the problem is only getting worse.”

This is bullsh*t. The problem is not that we’re divided and polarized. The problem is that a significant portion of America is buying Trump’s violent, hateful, lawless crap. Some of those buying it are white supremacists. Others are conservative fundamentalist Christians. Others are xenophobic nationalists.

I feel compassion for those who’ve been seduced into supporting Trump after being brutalized and mistreated for years by employers, big corporations, Wall Street, and America’s oligarchs. As I warned 32 years ago, widening inequalities of wealth, income, and opportunity would eventually persuade some on the losing side to support a demagogue.

But an explanation for why some of Trump’s followers have bought into his neofascism isn’t a justification for them to do so. And it’s certainly no reason for us to put aside our differences and compromise with them.

As you undoubtedly know, Trump has created a violent police state inside America. He is conducting an illegal war abroad. He has usurped the powers of Congress and defied court orders. He is taking bribes. He’s criminally prosecuting his enemies and pardoning his criminal supporters (he has even set up a slush fund to compensate them). He has gotten his Justice Department to immunize him and his family from any future tax audits. He is silencing critics. He is fomenting racism and bigotry.

None of us should fall for the false equivalency between this, and opposition to it. The contest today is not between “right” and “left,” as the two sides have traditionally been understood in America. It’s not even between “Republicans” and “Democrats,” as we’ve defined the two major parties over most of the past century.

No, the contest today is between democracy and authoritarianism. It’s between tolerance and bigotry. Between a multiracial, secular, inclusive society and one that believes in white Christian nationalism. Between the rule of law and neofascism.

- more at link -

Wow, this is so good, and so right on! Please read the rest on Robert Reich's substack (OP link.)

[tanyev]

1. Yes, and most of our media refuses to call out Trump's violent, hateful, lawless crap for what it is,

preferring to hide behind the safety of "divided and polarized".

[JustAnotherGen]

2. He has shown me his true face

[Diamond_Dog]

3. Rec

“But an explanation for why some of Trump’s followers have bought into his neofascism isn’t a justification for them to do so. And it’s certainly no reason for us to put aside our differences and compromise with them.”

Excellent.

[relogic]

4. To my

dying day those punctuating items he lists had they been perpetuated against the people of the USA by any Democratic President all your maga/repuke friends, relatives and creatures would have hounded you and demanded justice and patriotism to abolish these crimes of our corrupt party.

“Trump has created a violent police state inside America. He is conducting an illegal war abroad. He has usurped the powers of Congress and defied court orders. He is taking bribes. He’s criminally prosecuting his enemies and pardoning his criminal supporters (he has even set up a slush fund to compensate them). He has gotten his Justice Department to immunize him and his family from any future tax audits. He is silencing critics. He is fomenting racism and bigotry.”

How do you cope with such people? Their utter lack of integrity deserves no respect or in my world of values- no compassion and love.

[FakeNoose]

5. They are all in the cult ... together

I don't think Chump is smart enough to do this on his own. He has puppet-masters who are pulling his strings, in the same way that he pulls other people's strings. It's all a cult and only a few extremely wealthy, horrible people are getting most of the benefits from it. Everyone else is being used.

[Bayard]

6. Big K&R