[worry]

One of the reasons they voted for Trump is because he offered them a reason to. It's a grift, obviously, but it was the only offer on the table. HRC failed to even do that. I think there's plenty of reason to be mad at Trump voters -- they did, after all, fall for a bald-faced liar and throw everyone else to the lions in the bargain -- but classist insults are off base (as Gorefest said), tactically unwise if you're forward-thinking, and cruel to people who are genuinely hurting (scapegoats are worthless without a problem to blame on them, after all).

If anyone is still interested in post-mortems of the election, but w/ thoughts about the next four years, the one I'd recommend most is this one: https://www.jacobinm...icans-trumpism/

It's the sharpest view on both campaigns, it lets nobody off the hook, and it doesn't mistake the symptoms for the disease.

[worry]

On the other hand, these guys got the other half of Trump's message loud and clear.
https://www.theatlan...ech-npi/508379/



It's real. They exist. They're not unicorns. And they were welcomed to the fold.

[Tiste Simeon]

Can someone explain what is this meeting where people are shooting Hail Trump? Who are they? This isn't your average neo-Nazi group did in a field in the deep south somewhere...

[worry]

That guy speaking is the guy who coined the term alt-right. Because neo-Nazi has obvious baggage. It's the exact same philosophy though. If there's any distinction it's that the alt-right is the Web 2.0 wing of the movement. They funnel Stormfront ideas into other areas of the web, like Reddit, 4chan, and of course Breitbart (and the comment sections of any news site that has one). They're also, for example, the racist wind in GamerGate's sails (as much as you can distinguish it from the MRA/PUA/lonely-boy types).

It's a mistake to think this is a Southern USA problem alone. It exists in all 50 states (well, I'm not 100% sure how it could in Hawaii), and all levels of society. And they're not usually scary as a group--I'm not sure they're big enough an interest group, and I don't think they tilted the election. What is scary is that we know they've been welcomed with open arms by Trump, regardless of what he says during 60 Minutes interviews, because of who he lets have his ear. I think he could have won the election without them, looking back, but that just makes his continued relationship w/ them that much worse.

[Mezla PigDog]

UK news is currently frothing about Trump suggesting we make Farage our ambassador to the US. I know taking out Trump is going too far but y'know. All those guns lying around. Couldn't one accidentally go off in Farage's direction? He's a nobody really, it would be forgotten about in a week or two.

[Tiste Simeon]

Ugh Farage needs to go away forever... Though I can see why Trump likes him, them both being bigoted narcissistic fascists and all...

[EmperorMagus]

death rattle, on 21 November 2016 - 11:24 PM, said:

On the other hand, these guys got the other half of Trump's message loud and clear.
https://www.theatlan...ech-npi/508379/



It's real. They exist. They're not unicorns. And they were welcomed to the fold.

I literally had a bout of nausea after watching that.
I use literally in the literal sense.

I understand from a scientific viewpoint why these views have supporters; but it's still positively horrifying that nazi ideology is so casually accepted.
https://en.oxforddic...f-the-year-2016

[Gorefest]

I already thought something was up with him when he developed that hoarse whisper.

[worry]

Haha maybe this is why you get misread sometimes, BK. Your first post after half a page of discussion regarding a neo-Nazi rally starts off "What a great ceremony!" I almost spit out my drink before reading the next sentence and inferring you were talking about something else entirely.

[amphibian]

death rattle, on 22 November 2016 - 10:01 PM, said:

Haha maybe this is why you get misread sometimes, BK. Your first post after half a page of discussion regarding a neo-Nazi rally starts off "What a great ceremony!" I almost spit out my drink before reading the next sentence and inferring you were talking about something else entirely.

He's kinda fucked up on meds and permanent pain plus Ambien, so his posting tends to be a little scattershot and short, while not always linking into what's currently being discussed by others. But he does sorta listen to what's going on.

So give him a little latitude this time around.

[worry]

I know I know. I did check out the Ellen part of the medal ceremony afterward and it was really touching (haven't seen much about the rest yet).

All I'm saying is if I spit all over my laptop I'm sending BK the bill!

[Malankazooie]

Just saw some highlights of the ceremony myself (Presidential Medal of Freedom awards). Obama has got a sharp sense of humor and boy is that going to be missed with the next administration to say the least. His quip about Michael Jordan and Space Jam and the crying Jordan meme was quite funny.

[amphibian]

Jordan hates the crying Jordan meme. He hates it so much that it's actually funny.

[worry]

Apparently Hannity is now talking about the "alt-left", as if that's a real thing that exists. Normally I'd kinda chuckle at the effort but now I'm waiting for it to actually catch on. I don't know if this is meant to paint anyone left of him an extremist, or if it's meant to normalize the alt-right in cable news's usual "two sides means balance" racket. Probably both. Let's see if we start hearing it thrown around more and more though.

[MTS]

death rattle, on 23 November 2016 - 04:04 AM, said:

Apparently Hannity is now talking about the "alt-left", as if that's a real thing that exists. Normally I'd kinda chuckle at the effort but now I'm waiting for it to actually catch on. I don't know if this is meant to paint anyone left of him an extremist, or if it's meant to normalize the alt-right in cable news's usual "two sides means balance" racket. Probably both. Let's see if we start hearing it thrown around more and more though.

Hannity has this uncanny ability to make me viscerally upset whenever I watch him speak. He never disappoints!

Hannity has always painted everyone left of him as an extremist, so this is pretty familiar territory. All he's doing is reverting back to the same talking points that dominated in the Bush era - 'these radical leftist protesters (read: Democrats) are un-American crybabies undermining our democracy!' People ate it up back then and they probably will now. The vocab is just different.

[Aptorian]

Alt-left = Communist Bernie Supporters?

[MTS]

Apt, on 23 November 2016 - 10:36 AM, said:

Alt-left = Radical Communist Bernie Supporters?

Democrats be radical, yo.

Seriously though, it's a code for Black Lives Matter, Bernie supporters, and anyone who calls conservatives racist bigots.

This post has been edited by MTS: 23 November 2016 - 10:48 AM

[Primateus]

Apt, on 23 November 2016 - 10:36 AM, said:

Alt-left = Communist Bernie Supporters?

Also, people like you and me. Y'know, Eurotrash.

[Mentalist]

Apt, on 23 November 2016 - 10:36 AM, said:

Alt-left = Communist Bernie Supporters?

I'm not too familiar with the discourse, but I'd assume that "classic left" would be worker's rights + more government regulation (primarily economic), whereas the "alt-left" will be the "social justice warriors" and "too-PC" crowd.

The kind of politicians who say kids in schools should call their parents "parent 1 and 2" instead of "mother and father", so as not to alieanate the kids from LGBT families. I've heard plenty of otherwise decently tolerant (for Euro-immigrants) people go pretty berserk about that topic.

[worry]

She's a right-wing billionaire, and historically a major backer of school vouchers, which means she's gonna be a vampire sucking the life out of public education. There's few people who'd be a bigger nightmare for the poor/working class, public school educators, people with disabilities, etc. Here's a quick rundown on Twitter (from a journalist source, not a rando): https://twitter.com/...489442544427008
Features special mention of Louisiana btw!

Also her brother is Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater. You know that tree in Poltergeist that tries to eat the little boy? It was played by her family tree.