10-29-2018, 01:06 PM
(10-29-2018, 11:13 AM)gabrielle Wrote: Trump Is the Glue That Binds the Far Right
Quote:… The end of Trump’s unchecked presidency, whether it comes through electoral, political, or constitutional means, will not solve this problem in the near term. In fact, it will probably further consolidate the far right around his personality and leadership, at least temporarily. Almost any imaginable circumstance under which Trump leaves office is likely to coincide with a wave of violence even greater than what we are currently experiencing. This has gone too far; there is no easy way back.
But there is no way back at all that leads through the status quo. The gravitational field of the presidency is unparalleled in U.S. culture—arguably unparalleled in the world. For as long as the center holds, the alt-right’s component parts and adjacent movements will continue to be drawn into Trump’s orbit, with an increasing sense of empowerment and license to act. Until the tide stops rising, their boats will continue to sail. The past week was just a taste of what that dystopian future could look like.
And this is the challenge. Opposing Trump and the alt-right only motivates them, their followers and fellow travelers. Ignoring them puts the general, unaffiliated public asleep in the face of even wore to come. This election will tell the tale. Either the forces opposing this nonsense are adequate to the task or they aren't … and heaven help us if the latter is true. It's hard to know how far down the bottom really is.
Intelligence is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom, but they all play well together.