QOTD -- "The American Age Is Over"

 

"... Understand this: There is no going back.

"If, tomorrow, Donald Trump revoked his entire regime of tariffs, it would not matter. It might temporarily delay some economic pain, but the rest of the world now understands that it must move forward without America.

"If, tomorrow, Donald Trump abandoned his quest to annex Greenland and committed himself to the defense of Ukraine and the perpetuation of NATO, it would not matter. The free world now understands that its long-term security plans must be made with the understanding that America is a potential adversary, not an ally.

"This realization may be painful for Americans. But we should know that the rest of the world understands us more clearly than we understand ourselves.

"Vladimir Putin bet his life that American voters would be weak and decadent enough to return Donald Trump to the presidency. He was right.  [snip]

"We have a deeply stupid government—from our economically illiterate president to our craven and foolish secretary of state, from the freelancing billionaire dilettante who is gutting American soft power to the vaccine-denying health secretary who is firing as much talent as he can. From the senior economics advisor who thinks comic books are good investments, to the senators who voted to confirm this cabinet of hacks, to the representatives who stumble over themselves justifying each new inane MAGA pronouncement.

"But also, we have the government we deserve.

"The American age is over. And it ended because the American people were no longer worthy of it." -- Jonathan Last, in The Bulwark, on "The American Age is Over."  This is a sobering essay worth saving for posterity, as it defines a clear moment in our history when America forever ceased to be the America it was just a few short months ago.  We've said it before, but today it takes on a more encompassing meaning: Sic transit gloria, America.

Dems' Rules For The Next Four Years

In a perceptive article in The Bulwark by Jonathan V. Last a few days ago, he gives Dems a few thoughts on how to proceed in the coming years with the Malignant Fascist:

"1. Irrelevant.

Democrats in Washington are, as a matter of governing, irrelevant for the next year.

They cannot pass or propose legislation. They cannot hold hearings. They are in no position to stop the Trump administration from doing whatever it wants.

The job of the Democratic party, then is to get into position to get into position. That job comes in two parts.

First: Do not help Republicans. Not in any way. On any issue. Republicans can’t pass a budget, or raise the debt ceiling? Tough luck. Do not provide them any bailout votes on any issue. Period, the end.

Second: Make Donald Trump own every bad outcome that happens, anywhere in the world while paying special attention to areas where Republicans are particularly vulnerable. Like housing and Ukraine." (our emphasis)

For example, Last notes that the housing industry's labor force has a sizable undocumented immigrant component (25% national average, higher in some red states like Texas-- 60%) that the MF wants to deport, leading to an economic disaster. So does the agriculture, service / hospitality industry, restaurants, hotels, etc., and many more.

Make absolutely certain that the blame for such catastrophes falls on the head of the MF and his party / cult. The article continues:

"2. Prediction: Pain

The job of an opposition party is to impose political pain. The point of political pain is to make the president unpopular. By driving up the president’s unfavorable numbers, you make him a millstone for his party’s congressmen and senators as they prepare for midterm elections. To the extent that the president becomes an electoral liability for members of his party, it curbs the ability of his coalition to govern. Which, in turn, takes his marginal agenda items off the table.

I feel silly even saying this because it’s Politics 101. It’s like explaining to a fish that water is supposed to be wet.

But Democrats aren’t acting anything like an opposition party. Joe Biden is bragging to USA Today about how Trump said something nice about him. Merrick Garland is deferring to Aileen Cannon. John Fetterman is vouching for Kash Patel’s sacred honor. Chuck Schumer is playing footsie with Trump’s Gulf of America nonsense.  (our emphasis)

What is wrong with these people? (our emphasis)

With the exception of conservaDem Sen. Fetterman, the Dem offenders are norm-following institutionalists, whose kumbaya / work across the aisle ethos will always fail against elected MAGA fanatics, but they haven't come to terms with that yet. The sad, jarring image of Biden and past Dem Presidents sitting on Monday's inaugural platform as the sociopathic MF lies while excoriating their policies will only serve as a reminder of their misunderstanding of their bases' desire to push back on MAGA, and of their irrelevance.

BONUS: Jason Linkins has more thought along these lines at the New Republic.

(photo: "Welcome back" indeed)

 

QOTD -- "Law And Order" Republicans

 

"... In 2023, [Texass Gov. Greg] Abbott and the Republican Texas legislature passed a law which allows the state to remove from office 'rogue' locally-elected district attorneys.

"The public justification for the law was that some DA’s were too lenient on crime. Today the state is looking into removing José Garza, the DA who prosecuted Perry.

"While pardoning Perry, Gov. Abbott claimed that Garza had 'demonstrated unethical and biased misuse of his office in prosecuting Daniel Scott Perry.'

"Texas Republicans are not content to allow Perry’s murder of Garrett Foster. They also want to send a message that even using the law to bring charges against members of the ingroup who kill members of the outgroup is verboten.

"That is what 'law and order' means to Republicans. And it is all perfectly legal."  -- conservative Jonathan V. Last, in The Bulwark, on what Republican "justice" means, as recently demonstrated by the pardoning of racist murderer Daniel Perry. "Bringing charges against members of the ingroup who kill members of the outgroup is verboten" is a corollary of Wilhoit's law (i.e., “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”).

QOTD -- High Water

 

Jonathan Last wonders if we're seeing "the high- water mark of Trumpism":

... Do you think Republican voters are likely to become more comfortable with Trump the more they see of him over the next 10 months? I do not. Historically, Trump’s approval numbers have moved inversely to the magnitude of his public presence.  

I expect that once there is a real race, with Biden actually hitting Trump where he is softest, and Trump is in everyone’s face, we are likely to see some erosion of Republican support for Trump at the margins. Not a huge decline—but enough to measure. Enough to be dispositive.

Finally: Do you think Democratic voters are likely to become more disaffected with Biden over the next 10 months? I do not, for two reasons.

First, because the objective economic facts continue to improve and filter through the electorate. Second, because as we approach the election, not supporting Biden transforms from being a signal of dissatisfaction with his administration to an act of concrete support for Trump. On this score, I suspect we are near the high-water mark for Biden discontent among those Democratic groups and that they will gradually return to their party’s fold.

All of which is to say that it is hard to see why Trump could move any further ahead and not difficult to see why Biden’s standing could/should improve...

Well, we'll see (said the blind man).  To paraphrase from the original German, "The Republican Party is Trump;  Trump is the Republican Party."  "Trumpism" is both the id and ego of the Christofascist base of the party.  It's always existed in one form or another and to one extent or another throughout American history.  It's not going away.  It simply has to be defeated at every opportunity if we're to survive (even barely) as a democracy.