Trumpism is a sign that faith in the American civil religion is collapsing

[JackLuis]

Trumpism is a sign that faith in the American civil religion is collapsing

Even more worrying than the candidate himself, is the violent specter of Trumpism. Protesters have been forcibly ejected from Trump’s rallies, reporters have been assaulted, supporters have screamed out racial slurs to the approval of the candidate. Use of the term “fascist” to describe Trump in earnest started to proliferate this past fall. It then increased after he refused to condemn the support of David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan, and other white supremacist groups. As if to directly mock the concerns of everyone from establishment Republicans to the progressive left, Trump had his supporters at a rally in Florida last Saturday raised their right hands in an “oath” (to him, not the United States) whose ominous parallels to Hitler’s “Sieg Heil” seemed obvious, and intentional.

I’ll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions on how appropriate the designation “fascist” is for Donald Trump. A good place to start is the classic and brilliant essay “Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt” by the recently deceased Italian literary critic Umberto Eco. He identifies “Ur-Fascism” as being defined by things like a “cult of tradition,” a sense of “action for action’s sake,” a “fear of difference,” “contempt for weakness,” and “selective populism.” You can go through and check off the similarities yourself. Trump’s omnipresent (and meaningless) call to “Make America Great Again” certainly evidences the cult of tradition, his contention that the United States has “become very weak and ineffective” shows both the contempt for weakness and a belief in action for actions sake – even to the point of abandoning the American values of due process, free speech, and constitutional rule of law which made America great in the first place. In his defense of economic policies which are traditionally read as more liberal, we see the selective populism of a candidate who doesn’t disparage the goals of the welfare state, but believes its bounty should only be shared by certain segments of the population. Eco even claims that the fascist will transfer his “will to power to sexual matters,” which we all saw during the bizarre spectacle of a major political candidate bragging about his penis size during the middle of a televised debate. In the short space of half-a-year we’ve gone from a man who was widely understood as a type of snake-oil-salesman, a huckster, and a carnival-barker, to fascist-like salutes at rallies.

The author goes on to suggest that Trumpisim shows that the American civil religion, that of the Bill or Rights, Equal Justice, Separation of Church and State, etc. Has collapsed as Americans become separated from American Principles and see Politics as Soap Opera played on a large stage.

No matter who you side with in this election cycle, do you agree that we have allowed our system to degenerate rather than develop?

 

[RUlookingup]

Trumpism is a sign that faith in the American civil religion is collapsing



The author goes on to suggest that Trumpisim shows that the American civil religion, that of the Bill or Rights, Equal Justice, Separation of Church and State, etc. Has collapsed as Americans become separated from American Principles and see Politics as Soap Opera played on a large stage.

No matter who you side with in this election cycle, do you agree that we have allowed our system to degenerate rather than develop?

I call absolute bullshit here. More media hysteria. One redneck grandpa throws an elbow at a finger waver and the whole system is in jeopardy. Stop the BS!!! People are tired of being told what to think.

 

[Busybody]

Trumpism is a sign that faith in the American civil religion is collapsing



The author goes on to suggest that Trumpisim shows that the American civil religion, that of the Bill or Rights, Equal Justice, Separation of Church and State, etc. Has collapsed as Americans become separated from American Principles and see Politics as Soap Opera played on a large stage.

No matter who you side with in this election cycle, do you agree that we have allowed our system to degenerate rather than develop?

yawn!

 

[BotanyBoy]

The author goes on to suggest that Trumpisim shows that the American civil religion, that of the Bill or Rights, Equal Justice, Separation of Church and State, etc. Has collapsed as Americans become separated from American Principles and see Politics as Soap Opera played on a large stage.

I can see that POV....makes sense.

No matter who you side with in this election cycle, do you agree that we have allowed our system to degenerate rather than develop?

Oh for sure...but we might be coming to the bottom of the trough. Development might be just ahead!

Or we could end up with Rubio/Clinton and not.....

 

[about_average]

I call absolute bullshit here. More media hysteria. One redneck grandpa throws an elbow at a finger waver and the whole system is in jeopardy. Stop the BS!!! People are tired of being told what to think.

He didn't just think about sucker punching they guy.
Telling supporters to assault others isn't telling people what to think.

 

[Busybody]

TRUE. AMERICANS DON’T LIKE BULLIES. Richard Cohen: Anti-Trump Protesters May Just Get Trump Elected.

 

[AlexVega]

The collapse of America started when Obama entered office. Reason being, the entitlement initiative tat was put in place. Sadly, most American's are too stupid to realize nor do they care what Hillary Clinton is.

What does this mean?

Working American's, are not working for the welfare class.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Trumpism is a sign that faith in the American civil religion is collapsing



The author goes on to suggest that Trumpisim shows that the American civil religion, that of the Bill or Rights, Equal Justice, Separation of Church and State, etc. Has collapsed as Americans become separated from American Principles and see Politics as Soap Opera played on a large stage.

No matter who you side with in this election cycle, do you agree that we have allowed our system to degenerate rather than develop?

How can you take seriously anything written by an extremely biased writer and published on an extremely biased site?

 

[Boxlicker101]

TRUE. AMERICANS DON’T LIKE BULLIES. Richard Cohen: Anti-Trump Protesters May Just Get Trump Elected.

Americans don't like bullies, Remember that professor in MO and the BLM assaulting reporters who were trying to cover a public demonstration.

 

[phrodeau]

How can you take anything seriously anything written by an extremely biased writer and published on an extremely biased site?

Let's ask busybody that question some time.

 

[JackLuis]

How can you take anything seriously anything written by an extremely biased writer and published on an extremely biased site?

How can you take anything seriously that poses a complex question Box?

Do you need a serving of Rethuglican pablum, so as to not stress the few brain cells you have left?

 

[BotanyBoy]

How can you take anything seriously anything written by an extremely biased writer and published on an extremely biased site?

Says the guy who laps up everything he sees on The O'reilly Factor!! LMFAO!!

 

[RobDownSouth]

How can you take anything seriously anything written by an extremely biased writer and published on an extremely biased site?

Got any evidence to support your claim that the writer is "extremely biased", other than the fact that you obviously didn't like what he had to say and lack the intellectual capacity to refudiate his commentary?

#SeeGrampaWhine
#WhineGrampaWhine

 

[lovecraft68]

The collapse of America started when Obama entered office. Reason being, the entitlement initiative tat was put in place. Sadly, most American's are too stupid to realize nor do they care what Hillary Clinton is.

What does this mean?

Working American's, are not working for the welfare class.

And Trump is the direct result of the obama created sense of entitlement among the welfare leaches and punks who think society owes them everything.

That and the out of control PC mob

Trump would have never gotten where he is now eight years ago, maybe even four. But now people, the average working class middle class(what is left of it) has had it with immigrants, #blacklivesmatter, 'peaceful muslims' and a spineless gutless government who has made us a world laughing stock and is populated by people who'd rather have a hand out than a hand up

People like the majority of GB whiners here.

 

[BotanyBoy]

And Trump is the direct result of the REAGAN created sense of entitlement among the welfare leaches and punks who think society owes them everything.

FYP~! You're welcome!

Yes I agree that's the baby boomers fault at large, especially the richest of them.....

Congratulations super rich baby boomers, you destroyed America!

 

[sr71plt]

And Trump is the direct result of the obama created sense of entitlement among the welfare leaches and punks who think society owes them everything.

Trump is the result of the "do nothing but say no" behavior of the Republican establishment. It doesn't really have much to do with Obama considering that the Republicans refused to move on anything to the extent they could. The revolution in the Republican party can be laid to the doorstep of the Republicans, not the Democrats. The Democrats have their own revolution going on Obama not getting liberal-enough laws through. That's a different kettle of fish.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Got any evidence to support your claim that the writer is "extremely biased", other than the fact that you obviously didn't like what he had to say and lack the intellectual capacity to refudiate his commentary?

#SeeGrampaWhine
#WhineGrampaWhine

Just read the link in the OP and note the words used and the way the writer takes isolated incidents and blows them out of proportion.

 

[JackLuis]

And Trump is the direct result of the obama created sense of entitlement among the welfare leaches and punks who think society owes them everything.

That and the out of control PC mob

Trump would have never gotten where he is now eight years ago, maybe even four. But now people, the average working class middle class(what is left of it) has had it with immigrants, #blacklivesmatter, 'peaceful muslims' and a spineless gutless government who has made us a world laughing stock and is populated by people who'd rather have a hand out than a hand up

People like the majority of GB whiners here.

Oh LC, your arguments are irrelevant to the subject. You like the Rethuglican RWNJ mob don't want to talk about why we can not have a discussion of real issues, you only want to wave RWNJ talking points to obscure the issues so people don't have rational conversations.

Give me one reason to believe the Trumpisim line? He spouts shit and says he will make everything Yooge and Wonderful, but never says how. When asked he says he will hire the best minds to work it out after he is elected. Obama has done the same thing, how is Trump any different that a Hopey Changey, grifter?

If you want to talk about welfare Queens, let's talk about Big Oil, GE, Monsanto, and the other tax dodging corporations who buy Congressmen with our money!

 

[BotanyBoy]

Just read the link in the OP and note the words used and the way the writer takes isolated incidents and blows them out of proportion.

Says the guy who laps up everything he sees on The O'reilly Factor!! LMFAO!!

 

[RobDownSouth]

And Trump is the direct result of the obama created sense of entitlement among the welfare leaches and punks who think society owes them everything.

That and the out of control PC mob

Trump would have never gotten where he is now eight years ago, maybe even four. But now people, the average working class middle class(what is left of it) has had it with immigrants, #blacklivesmatter, 'peaceful muslims' and a spineless gutless government who has made us a world laughing stock and is populated by people who'd rather have a hand out than a hand up

People like the majority of GB whiners here.

Speaking of hand outs....
You're the guy who makes a living from his eBay store.
Does that make enough profit to pay your health insurance premiums?
Or are you and your wife on Medicaid?

 

[BotanyBoy]

how is Trump any different that a Hopey Changey, grifter?

He's not owned by the same folks who own Clinton and President Hope n' Change himself.

If you want to talk about welfare Queens, let's talk about Big Oil, GE, Monsanto, and the other tax dodging corporations who buy Congressmen with our money!

Well that would be socialism....they deserve the welfare because Reagan! The trickle down will be here any day!! Don't you get it??


LMFAO!!

 

[JackLuis]

He's not owned by the same folks who own Clinton and President Hope n' Change himself.

LMFAO!!

You don't know that. He's a shill for someone, otherwise he'd be pushing daisies in New Jersey.