MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
Trump Timeline ... Trumpocalypse
- Thread starter CdnGuy
- Start date
Here’s a jarring thought experiment: If the United States had done merely an average job of fighting the coronavirus — if the U.S. accounted for the same share of virus deaths as it did global population — how many fewer Americans would have died?
The answer: about 145,000.
That’s a large majority of the country’s 183,000 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths.
No other country looks as bad by this measure. The U.S. accounts for 4 percent of the world’s population, and for 22 percent of confirmed Covid-19 deaths. It is one of the many signs that the Trump administration has done a poorer job of controlling the virus than dozens of other governments around the world.
The specific numbers are only estimates, of course. They are based on virus statistics that are unavoidably incomplete. Most scientists believe the real U.S. death toll is higher than the official numbers indicate, and undercounting of deaths may be even greater in some other countries.
The conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump pushed on Monday that a plane “almost completely loaded with thugs” was set to disrupt protests was almost identical to a rumor that went viral on Facebook three months ago.
In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump claimed that “we had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that.”
He then claimed the matter was “under investigation right now.”
There is no evidence of any such plane flight. When Ingraham asked for more information about the flight, the president said, "I'll tell you sometime."
Before mentioning the dark uniformed men who allegedly boarded a plane, Trump claimed that there are “people that are in the dark shadows” and “people that you haven’t heard of” controlling Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Ingraham pressed the president for more details and said it sounded like he was alleging a conspiracy.
“They’re people that are on the streets. They’re people that are controlling the streets,” Trump said.
Lots of folks are finally paying attention to the rise of authoritarianism here in the US. They are right to be concerned.
Scholars have seen worrisome signs all along. Trump has dismissed nonpartisan career officials and replaced them with loyalists. He has fired the independent inspectors general. He denies Congress’s right and duty to investigate members of the Executive Branch. He has used the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement officers of the Executive Branch as a private army. He has packed the courts.
He has used the government to advance the interests of himself and his family, which he has installed into government positions. He has solicited help from foreign governments to get reelected. And he and his cronies are trying to undermine our election by preemptively saying the Democrats are committing fraud and by slowing down mail service when voters need to be able to mail in their ballots.
Now, Trump is clearly trying to change the national narrative from his disastrous response to the coronavirus and the economic crash to the idea that he alone can protect white Americans from their dangerous Black neighbors.
Stoking violence is a key tool in the authoritarian’s toolkit. The idea is to increase civil disorder. As violence increases, people will turn to a leader who promises “LAW & ORDER,” as Trump keeps tweeting. Once firmly in power, an authoritarian can then put down his opponents with the argument that they are dangerous criminals.
Trump is advancing just such a strategy. ...
It is important to remember that Trump’s apparent power play is a desperate move.
More than 180,000 Americans have died of Covid-19 on his watch. We have far more deaths per capita than other advanced countries, and we still have no national testing program. The White House is now apparently taking the position that we will all just have to live with the disease and that schools and businesses should simply reopen, but Americans are not happy about Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. Today he tried to help his numbers by retweeting a thread from a far-right website saying that, in fact, only around 9000 people have died in the US of Covid-19, because the rest had co-morbidities and were going to die anyway. The argument is so far off the mark that Twitter flagged it for violating rules.
AFTER TRUMP
After Trump
During the Obama presidency, when a leader and members of his administration spoke in complete sentences, Republicans accused the president of being the most divisive in American history. A conservative colleague of mine wrote repeatedly about how divisive Obama was. But seeing that my friend and Republicans don’t use that term in regards to Donald Trump, I’m having trouble trying to figure out what was so divisive about President Barack Obama.
It can’t be his use of executive orders because Trump has done that. It can’t be how often he played golf because Trump has topped that. It can’t be that Obama went on an “apology tour” because Trump has insulted our nation (“what, you think we’re so nice?”). It can’t be because he lost our nation respect because world leaders literally laugh at Donald Trump. It can’t be because he coddles fascist regimes because Donald Trump is sending “love letters” to Kim Jong Un and takes Vladimir Putin’s word over our own intelligence agencies. It can’t be because he weighed in on domestic legal matters because Donald Trump is praising a kid who shot three people killing two. It can’t be because Barack Obama praised Nazis because he never did that but Donald Trump has. It can’t be because several members of his administration were indicted because none were but a whole bunch of Trump’s goons have.
It can’t be because he feuded with every celebrity with a Twitter account, asked foreign nations for election help, rewteeted Nazis, hired his kids, kept his businesses, threw money at his businesses, violated emoluments, tried to get summits and golf tournaments at his resorts, said POWs aren’t heroes, feuded with Gold Star families, or said, “Grab them by the pussy.”
So what the hell was so divisive about President Obama? Was it the tan suit? Was it mustard on a cheeseburger? Fox News freaked out over both but I don’t think that’s it. Actually, the answer is obvious.
When Barack Obama was elected, the racists in this nation could barely contain themselves. In fact, most failed. The day after the election in 2008, an angry woman called The Free Lance-Star, where I worked, and said she was dropping her subscription because we put that, and I’m quoting here, “N-word terrorist” on our front page. Today, Donald Trump is defending a terrorist.
Most conservatives attempted to hide their racism but would occasionally trip on it. Usually, they’d try to go after Obama with their racism while poorly trying to conceal it. Look at the birther movement.
Was it divisive that Barack Obama was elected to the presidency despite being born in Kenya? No, because he was born in the United States. But, that conspiracy theory was championed by the next president (sic), Donald J. Racist as a motherfucker Trump.
Donald Trump is a racist and he’s guilty of just about everything conservatives ever accused Obama of. All we need for a complete list is to discover Trump was born in Kenya. But, the one thing the fraudulent election of Donald J. Trump did was give racist mofos a champion to rally behind. It gave racists clearance to come out of their racist holes and make themselves known.
Shortly after Trump’s election, there was a white nationalists conference at his Washington Hotel where attendees felt free to sieg heil. The Ku Klux Klan threw a parade for Donald Trump. New hate groups formed, such as Proud Boys. Nazis marched into Charlottesville chanting, “Jews will not replace us” and “blood and soil.” Violence against minorities increased. White assholes felt free to point their guns at black people for walking down their street. Racist decided to drive trucks through Portland, Oregon and shoot paint balls at black people, knowing a president (sic) would defend them. And a kid named Kyle Rittenhouse took a long rifle and went hunting for black people in Kenosha.
The worst people in the United States came out of their holes and screamed and hollered. They don’t like facts. They abandoned all principles clinging to just one platform which is “hail Trump.” They follow their orange troll and believe every lie he tells, which is over 22,000 so far. They believe and spread conspiracy theories. People follow those conspiracy theories and attempt murder. Mass shooters publish manifestos praising Donald Trump. They will risk their children’s lives by sending them to school because Trump says so. They will ride into Sturgis and contaminate each other. They will risk their own lives and die for Donald Trump which is what Herman Cain did. They will accuse anyone who disagrees of wanting open borders, being a communist, and of hating America.
These are the most vile, racist, hateful, and dumbest people in the nation. They’re selfish and entitled. Also, they’re 99% white whose grievance is that minorities may get some of their civil liberties. These white people believe being white and Christian is under attack.
The truth is, they are the minority in this nation. There is no silent majority. The majority of citizens of this nation want Donald Trump removed. But, Trump might just stay because of the electoral college. But, what if he is removed? What happens to his hateful base? What becomes of the troglodytes? Where do the assholes go?
Trump supporters are not going to go away. They’re not going back into the holes where they came from. They’re not going to be silent. Most of all, they’re not going to become enlightened. They will continue to poison the atmosphere. They will continue to spread hate and fear. They’ll continue to gather on the dark web. They will continue to engage in conspiracy theories. Donald Trump will continue to lead them. If Donald Trump loses the election, no matter how bad he’s beaten, Trump and his racist base will spread the lie he was cheated.
If Joe Biden wins the election and we can actually pry Donald Trump out of the White House, there will be a lot of work to do. There will be a lot of damage to repair. And while we’re trying to rebuild this nation and our standing in the world, we’ll be doing it while being attacked repeatedly by Trump and his racists.
The only answer to this is, we have to be better. And here’s the thing, kids: We already are. History will not look kindly at today’s Trump supporters. History books will label them for the stupid racists they are. Hell, maybe even future history books in Texas.
Trump and his racists will continue to spread hate, fear, and lies. They will continue to cause problems for ordinary people. They will continue to be stupid. And you know what they say about stupid.
You can’t fix stupid.
After Trump
During the Obama presidency, when a leader and members of his administration spoke in complete sentences, Republicans accused the president of being the most divisive in American history. A conservative colleague of mine wrote repeatedly about how divisive Obama was. But seeing that my friend and Republicans don’t use that term in regards to Donald Trump, I’m having trouble trying to figure out what was so divisive about President Barack Obama.
It can’t be his use of executive orders because Trump has done that. It can’t be how often he played golf because Trump has topped that. It can’t be that Obama went on an “apology tour” because Trump has insulted our nation (“what, you think we’re so nice?”). It can’t be because he lost our nation respect because world leaders literally laugh at Donald Trump. It can’t be because he coddles fascist regimes because Donald Trump is sending “love letters” to Kim Jong Un and takes Vladimir Putin’s word over our own intelligence agencies. It can’t be because he weighed in on domestic legal matters because Donald Trump is praising a kid who shot three people killing two. It can’t be because Barack Obama praised Nazis because he never did that but Donald Trump has. It can’t be because several members of his administration were indicted because none were but a whole bunch of Trump’s goons have.
It can’t be because he feuded with every celebrity with a Twitter account, asked foreign nations for election help, rewteeted Nazis, hired his kids, kept his businesses, threw money at his businesses, violated emoluments, tried to get summits and golf tournaments at his resorts, said POWs aren’t heroes, feuded with Gold Star families, or said, “Grab them by the pussy.”
So what the hell was so divisive about President Obama? Was it the tan suit? Was it mustard on a cheeseburger? Fox News freaked out over both but I don’t think that’s it. Actually, the answer is obvious.
When Barack Obama was elected, the racists in this nation could barely contain themselves. In fact, most failed. The day after the election in 2008, an angry woman called The Free Lance-Star, where I worked, and said she was dropping her subscription because we put that, and I’m quoting here, “N-word terrorist” on our front page. Today, Donald Trump is defending a terrorist.
Most conservatives attempted to hide their racism but would occasionally trip on it. Usually, they’d try to go after Obama with their racism while poorly trying to conceal it. Look at the birther movement.
Was it divisive that Barack Obama was elected to the presidency despite being born in Kenya? No, because he was born in the United States. But, that conspiracy theory was championed by the next president (sic), Donald J. Racist as a motherfucker Trump.
Donald Trump is a racist and he’s guilty of just about everything conservatives ever accused Obama of. All we need for a complete list is to discover Trump was born in Kenya. But, the one thing the fraudulent election of Donald J. Trump did was give racist mofos a champion to rally behind. It gave racists clearance to come out of their racist holes and make themselves known.
Shortly after Trump’s election, there was a white nationalists conference at his Washington Hotel where attendees felt free to sieg heil. The Ku Klux Klan threw a parade for Donald Trump. New hate groups formed, such as Proud Boys. Nazis marched into Charlottesville chanting, “Jews will not replace us” and “blood and soil.” Violence against minorities increased. White assholes felt free to point their guns at black people for walking down their street. Racist decided to drive trucks through Portland, Oregon and shoot paint balls at black people, knowing a president (sic) would defend them. And a kid named Kyle Rittenhouse took a long rifle and went hunting for black people in Kenosha.
The worst people in the United States came out of their holes and screamed and hollered. They don’t like facts. They abandoned all principles clinging to just one platform which is “hail Trump.” They follow their orange troll and believe every lie he tells, which is over 22,000 so far. They believe and spread conspiracy theories. People follow those conspiracy theories and attempt murder. Mass shooters publish manifestos praising Donald Trump. They will risk their children’s lives by sending them to school because Trump says so. They will ride into Sturgis and contaminate each other. They will risk their own lives and die for Donald Trump which is what Herman Cain did. They will accuse anyone who disagrees of wanting open borders, being a communist, and of hating America.
These are the most vile, racist, hateful, and dumbest people in the nation. They’re selfish and entitled. Also, they’re 99% white whose grievance is that minorities may get some of their civil liberties. These white people believe being white and Christian is under attack.
The truth is, they are the minority in this nation. There is no silent majority. The majority of citizens of this nation want Donald Trump removed. But, Trump might just stay because of the electoral college. But, what if he is removed? What happens to his hateful base? What becomes of the troglodytes? Where do the assholes go?
Trump supporters are not going to go away. They’re not going back into the holes where they came from. They’re not going to be silent. Most of all, they’re not going to become enlightened. They will continue to poison the atmosphere. They will continue to spread hate and fear. They’ll continue to gather on the dark web. They will continue to engage in conspiracy theories. Donald Trump will continue to lead them. If Donald Trump loses the election, no matter how bad he’s beaten, Trump and his racist base will spread the lie he was cheated.
If Joe Biden wins the election and we can actually pry Donald Trump out of the White House, there will be a lot of work to do. There will be a lot of damage to repair. And while we’re trying to rebuild this nation and our standing in the world, we’ll be doing it while being attacked repeatedly by Trump and his racists.
The only answer to this is, we have to be better. And here’s the thing, kids: We already are. History will not look kindly at today’s Trump supporters. History books will label them for the stupid racists they are. Hell, maybe even future history books in Texas.
Trump and his racists will continue to spread hate, fear, and lies. They will continue to cause problems for ordinary people. They will continue to be stupid. And you know what they say about stupid.
You can’t fix stupid.
Similar threads
