Politics of Hate category archive

At the Portland Press-Herald, Doug Zlatin suggests that the Constitutional guarantee of “freedom of speech” should not be interpreted as a freedom to screech.

At the Idaho State Journal, Leonard Hitchcock considers Donald Trump’s Veterans Day speech and wants to know.

But it’s not the word “vermin” in Trump’s speech that interests me: it’s the paradoxical fact — in my view — that he includes in his list of deadly enemies of the “American Dream” not just ‘”Communists” and ‘Marxists“ (always dependable objects of hatred), but also “fascists.” And yet, if there is one American who has conspicuous fascist traits and attitudes, it’s Donald Trump himself.

Follow the link for his musings.

That’s not scripture. That’s Republican policy.

Michael in Norfolk sums it up. Here’s a bit from his article:

Three things are consistent with Donald Trump: (i) he will lie incessantly, (ii) he cares only for himself and will happily throw under the bus, and (iii) he will claim any attempt to hold him accountable for crimes is a “witch hunt” or that he is being persecuted. The MAGA base is also consistent in that it (a) ignores objective reality and facts and (b) it keeps itself in the bubble of right wing media as a means to avoid facing the reality that it has been duped and continuously played for fools.

Also, along the same lines . . . .

Image via Juanita Jean.

The Fox News strategy: If the truth hurts, hurt the truth.

Thom hears echoes of the past in oue present.

To echo Maya Angelou, when someone tells you who they are, believe them.

Afterthought:

My father did not fight fascism in the Ardennes so that today’s Republican Party could embrace fascists.

Honest to Pete, if Ev Dirksen or Nelson Rockefeller came back today, they would be appalled at what their party has become. (Richard Nixon, maybe not so much . . . .)

Furrfu.

At Above the Law, Liz Dye reports on Donald Trump;s efforts to protect his freedom of screech.

I linked to this yesterday, but, really, Gene Collier nailed it.

Mona Charon discusses how threats of violence, both implicit and explicit, have come to pollute our polity coincident with rise of Trump. A snippet:

I have often stressed that in 2016 it required only political courage to stand against Trump, but by 2020, due to the decay of decency in the GOP, it required physical courage, too. If some critical mass of Republicans had demonstrated the requisite political courage in 2016, it would never have come to this — that in the United States, political and other figures must think about their physical safety before deciding how to speak or vote.

Follow the link for her supporting evidence.

At the Idaho State Journal, Jesse Robison marvels at how Donald Trump inspires so much loyalty when, if you look closely, you will see that there’s no there there. A snippet:

For a man who shows loyalty to no one, it is puzzling how former President Donald Trump has been able to maintain his voter base. He knows how to sling catchy political phrases, but if one digs there’s no substance behind his political messaging.

Follow the link for his reasoning.

Afterthought:

Methinks it’s not the promises that attract the Trumpettes.

It’s Trump’s giving them permission to hate in public.

History teaches us that, all too often, hate sells.