President Trump: Making America Great Again...

[Northwestcoug]

Touting the glories of collectivism. Rent control. Government run grocery stores.

It's the closest thing I have seen in US politics in my lifetime. Surely you can appreciate why people make the connection.

since communism, socialism and less hard left democrats all reside on the same side of the political spectrum, sure. But words matter, man. Especially when a term so loaded like communism is thrown around. The president and some GOP leaders are now leveling that term on fellow Americans. The country has seen that before...

By the way, like many other cities some form of rent control has existed for decades in NYC. That accusation in and of itself doesn't mean anything, certainly not communism.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Same way the other side can recognize authoritarianism creeping in (don't you dare say fascism or you're a traitor to America!)

I am also OK calling certain things fascist.

[falafel]

I am also OK calling certain things fascist.

What about "the closest thing to fascism I have seen in US politics in my lifetime"? Just wondering.

[Jeff Lebowski]

What about "the closest thing to fascism I have seen in US politics in my lifetime"? Just wondering.

Oh yeah. I would definitely agree with that.

[Moliere]

Not communists.

Rail all you want about hard left dems who veer into socialism, and I'll let it slide. But c'mon. Communists?!?



Not communists.

They are as communist as Trump is fascist.

[BigFatMeanie]

Don’t we have a poster on this board that openly admits to raising a commie child? Now I’m wondering if that kid is a “real” commie or not when the technical definitions are applied?

[PaloAltoCougar]

Feel free to ignore another prolix post from me, but after a long conversation today I wanted to get this off my chest…

One of my students is finishing up a two-month visit to her home in Beijing. We’ve continued to meet once a week via Zoom. She’s met with several friends who like to talk to her about her experience in America the past several years (she loves it and is thriving here). But she said, “They keep asking me what happened to the lighthouse? I didn’t know what they meant by that at first but was reminded that throughout our school and college years, all of us saw the United States as a lighthouse that showed us the way we should be going. But not anymore.” They have observed, like most of us, that Trump is focused solely on what he thinks will benefit him and the U.S., with no concern for the rest of the world. He cares more about looking tough and rich than kind or magnanimous (her word for the week).

When we finished, I pulled up and read to her Reagan’s final speech as President. One can differ with some Reagan’s actions, but one longs for the rhetoric and tone that are worlds apart from Trump’s. Here’s the conclusion:

The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the ``shining city upon a hill.'' The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

Unless we make a course correction, the lighthouse or city on a hill will become quaint phrases from a fading past.

[falafel]

Don’t we have a poster on this board that openly admits to raising a commie child? Now I’m wondering if that kid is a “real” commie or not when the technical definitions are applied?

That seems like a Robin Flinderson story.

[Northwestcoug]

They are as communist as Trump is fascist.

I'll begrudgingly allow this with a caveat. Trump has shown he has the will and the followers to get us closer to fascism than we ever have been before. It is by the grace of the constitution that is hanging by a few threads that we aren't into fascism with a capital F.

No doubt that there are socialists on the other side that would enforce it more than most of us are comfortable with. We haven't seen them rise to national prominence yet.

Don’t we have a poster on this board that openly admits to raising a commie child? Now I’m wondering if that kid is a “real” commie or not when the technical definitions are applied?

I've joked that my oldest daughter is a commie. She is hard left and very disillusioned with US capitalism, but in fairness to her, she's seen shit in the last decade of her education/training that I've never experienced personally. She'll be making welder money in a year, so we'll see how ideologically pure she remains when she has filthy lucre.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I'll begrudgingly allow this with a caveat. Trump has shown he has the will and the followers to get us closer to fascism than we ever have been before. It is by the grace of the constitution that is hanging by a few threads that we aren't into fascism with a capital F.

No doubt that there are socialists on the other side that would enforce it more than most of us are comfortable with. We haven't seen them rise to national prominence yet.



I've joked that my oldest daughter is a commie. She is hard left and very disillusioned with US capitalism, but in fairness to her, she's seen shit in the last decade of her education/training that I've never experienced personally. She'll be making welder money in a year, so we'll see how ideologically pure she remains when she has filthy lucre.

Commies to the left of me, fascists to the right, here I am…

[Pelado]

That seems like a Robin Flinderson story.

That's who I thought of.

[dabrockster]

since communism, socialism and less hard left democrats all reside on the same side of the political spectrum, sure. But words matter, man. Especially when a term so loaded like communism is thrown around. The president and some GOP leaders are now leveling that term on fellow Americans. The country has seen that before...

By the way, like many other cities some form of rent control has existed for decades in NYC. That accusation in and of itself doesn't mean anything, certainly not communism.

This is where you lose the argument. There are PLENTY of posts where I despise and have been outwardly vocal on Trump and his shit policies and actions.

Yet, here you are, rationalizing what is in fact happening. Hell, even Frankie’s can acknowledge to some degree. Albeit with a volley of Trump and facisism in the GOP plug.

When the guy who used to scare the hell out of me as an extreme left is sounding an alarm. That should tell you something. But again..

[dabrockster]

Feel free to ignore another prolix post from me, but after a long conversation today I wanted to get this off my chest…

One of my students is finishing up a two-month visit to her home in Beijing. We’ve continued to meet once a week via Zoom. She’s met with several friends who like to talk to her about her experience in America the past several years (she loves it and is thriving here). But she said, “They keep asking me what happened to the lighthouse? I didn’t know what they meant by that at first but was reminded that throughout our school and college years, all of us saw the United States as a lighthouse that showed us the way we should be going. But not anymore.” They have observed, like most of us, that Trump is focused solely on what he thinks will benefit him and the U.S., with no concern for the rest of the world. He cares more about looking tough and rich than kind or magnanimous (her word for the week).

When we finished, I pulled up and read to her Reagan’s final speech as President. One can differ with some Reagan’s actions, but one longs for the rhetoric and tone that are worlds apart from Trump’s. Here’s the conclusion:



Unless we make a course correction, the lighthouse or city on a hill will become quaint phrases from a fading past.

A little personal story I thought from yours.

We have a former exchange student from over 10-years ago who is from China. We are very close and still chat weekly. she still calls us Brock-Dad and Kelly-Mom. She came to stay with us her Senior year and then attended Kansas University for her undergrad and masters. Graduated amidst COVID and was unable to get a job here so she moved back home.

She and some friends came to stay with us for a period of time during COVID. She has since married the guy who came. He is a very nice man. They just got married and she is pregnant. They are coming to stay with us here in August all the way through January or longer. They plan to have their baby here. Now, she has been Americanized and even after returning to China, she can see the difference of freedom and what it is like there. We are super excited to have them here and are converting our basement into a room for them and their baby. Also getting a bathroom built too. We are also excited to have a baby in the home. Our own grandbaby (Not by birth). Her husband and her have asked us to give her an American name. We love her. She is like our second daughter.

I can only assume they wish for their child to be a citizen and their goal is to find jobs and hopefully be granted to stay. Either way, the lighthouse is not dim just yet and people still long for what we have.

And for you lefties, I am sure this will make your head explode, as you think anyone who rebuffs your constant gnashing of teeth is of trivial shit makes then a Trumper.

[Jeff Lebowski]

A little personal story I thought from yours.

We have a former exchange student from over 10-years ago who is from China. We are very close and still chat weekly. she still calls us Brock-Dad and Kelly-Mom. She came to stay with us her Senior year and then attended Kansas University for her undergrad and masters. Graduated amidst COVID and was unable to get a job here so she moved back home.

She and some friends came to stay with us for a period of time during COVID. She has since married the guy who came. He is a very nice man. They just got married and she is pregnant. They are coming to stay with us here in August all the way through January or longer. They plan to have their baby here. Now, she has been Americanized and even after returning to China, she can see the difference of freedom and what it is like there. We are super excited to have them here and are converting our basement into a room for them and their baby. Also getting a bathroom built too. We are also excited to have a baby in the home. Our own grandbaby (Not by birth). Her husband and her have asked us to give her an American name. We love her. She is like our second daughter.

I can only assume they wish for their child to be a citizen and their goal is to find jobs and hopefully be granted to stay. Either way, the lighthouse is not dim just yet and people still long for what we have.

And for you lefties, I am sure this will make your head explode, as you think anyone who rebuffs your constant gnashing of teeth is of trivial shit makes then a Trumper.

That is very cool. I am happy that you have that relationship.

[Northwestcoug]

This is where you lose the argument. There are PLENTY of posts where I despise and have been outwardly vocal on Trump and his shit policies and actions.

Yet, here you are, rationalizing what is in fact happening. Hell, even Frankie’s can acknowledge to some degree. Albeit with a volley of Trump and facisism in the GOP plug.

When the guy who used to scare the hell out of me as an extreme left is sounding an alarm. That should tell you something. But again..

Dabrockster, frankly I do not care about the sum total of your pro and con arguments about Trump and everything that surrounds him. I do care enough to respond about how you're misreading my posts. I'm not rationalizing anything. Irrespective of how far left away I am from you politically, I am stating a fact that there is distance between socialism and communism. And when you conflate the two, especially in the US currently, I gotta be honest, I can't take your argument seriously. Of course there are commies on the fringes of the left. But you are overinflating their influence on the democrats. You sound like Trump and some GOP leaders who are trying to make political hay with calling democrats communists. Do yourself a favor and stick with the more solid conservative argument against socialist-lite policies.