Presidential election, 2016

[TeacherinExile]

(10-28-2016, 10:03 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: CNN's Gregory Krieg wrote a piece, "Trump's supporters and their bloody words of war".  

It was accompanied by a bunch of links to other articles and videos...  Trump Reporter verbally attacks CNN reporter, Trump supporter appears to hit protester at rally, Hillary Clinton: Donald Trump is ‘inciting violence’, Ex-congressman defends violent tweet, Sheriff Clarke: Pitchfork and torches time in America, Joe Biden: I wish I could take Trump behind the gym, Trump: I’d love to fight ‘tough guy’ Biden".

We all emphasize different elements of turning theory.  One of my areas of interest is spirals of rhetoric and violence.  While part of the above would be media trying to stir up ratings, the incidents behind the articles seem real enough.

I do note a trend to mention archaic weapons when the Republicans are using inflammatory language.  They speak of pitchforks, torches and muskets, not high powered semi automatic weapons with large magazines.  This seems to be a trick of plausible deniability, a way of pretending they are speaking metaphorically rather than actually inciting violence.  To me, they are recklessly escalating the spiral of rhetoric without concern for the possible carry over into the spiral of violence.

Joe Walsh Wrote:"On November 8th, I'm voting for Trump. On November 9th, if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket," Walsh wrote to his more than 78,000 followers. "You in?"

Remember, remember the ninth of November?

Anyone with an interest in how a spiral of hateful rhetoric can spark actual violence against "The Other," I would highly suggest the book The Eliminationists by David Neiwert.  It was published some years ago during the George W. Bush administration, but his book is no less apropos today.  As evidenced by some of the hateful rhetoric--and small-scale violence--on display at some of Trump's rallies and at the RNC Convention, we are witnessing glimmers (and I stress, glimmers only, so far) of what has preceded the Holocaust and the Rwanda massacre.  Let us hope that, once Trump is dispatched on Election Day, such rhetoric does not escalate...