In a profile of Matt Taibbi by Ross Barkan at New York Magazine, essentially a lament that he’s now training his fire at the major media and progressives rather than reserving it for corporate moguls and Republicans, there’s this nugget:
But what if Trump wasn’t a fascist, after all? What if he was just a lousy, unhinged Republican president? When do journalists slam the emergency button? “During that early Trump period, I felt continually that I was put in the difficult position of having to either co-sign an erroneous piece of anti-Trump propaganda or be accused of being a Trump-lover,†Taibbi said. “I certainly lost a lot of audience during those years, and like Glenn was the subject of a lot of criticism from within the business, for not being sufficiently aggressive in my coverage of Trump. However, that had nothing to do with how I felt about him, and everything to do with an increasing unease with the way he was being covered.â€
which encapsulates my view pretty well. I never liked and could never vote for him for any number of reasons not the least being that I am deeply wary of people who grew up rich, have always been rich, and don’t really know anything else. As F. Scott Fitzgerald put it, the rich are different from you and me. I don’t think he should have been president but I also don’t think that John Kennedy should have been president. The ultra-rich are just too different.
I’m also struck by how many of the people accusing other people of being fascists themselves are fascists by any reasonable definition. It’s a Humpty-Dumpty world. I don’t think that Trump is a fascist; I think he’s a jerk. I don’t think most of his supporters are authoritarians; I think they support him because of his combative style. They’re tired of nice, temperate accommodating Republicans like Mitt Romney, tired of them knuckling under to progressives.
I also think that most people being called socialists these days are probably just about as socialist as the people calling them that. I think that today’s Democratic Party is composed of Fabian socialists, old-fashioned machine Democrats, and a remarkably large number of social conservatives, most of them black and Hispanic while today’s Republican Party is composed of Chamber of Commerce Republicans, anarcho-capitalists, and social conservatives including a handful of white supremacists.
Trump was a bad President. The Deep State ran rings around him, and he couldn’t even control his own staff.
But Hilary Clinton is Biblically evil. She has a long sordid history of soliciting bribes and trading on her political ties. She might even be implicated in several murders. And she played(s) footsie with various pedophiles.
A vote for Hilary is inexcusable, actually indecent. That Biden is a demented pedophile is obvious to everyone. So a vote for Trump last time is at least the lesser evil.
I hope Trump does not run again. But I will keep voting Republican regardless of the candidate (even Trump) until the Democrats can nominate a decent person, meaning morally decent.
PS. I would have voted for JFK, but I was too young. I would have voted for RFK, but he was dead. I did vote for Carter and Clinton (once), but all the other times the Democrat nominee was some sort of lunatic and I voted Republican.
which is much what I said when he was running. As I’ve said before we are faced with a very difficult situation. Outsiders don’t have enough understanding of the workings of government and insiders don’t want to mess up a good thing.
Matt Taibbi has been on the same page as Glenn Greenwald in criticizing those on his side of the political ledger, especially in the media. The fact people such as him can step aside from an ideological POV and simply report on factual content is rarely seen these days. Even more difficult is a journalist’s ability to separate the dislike they may have for a president, focusing instead on the effects of their leadership and the politicized atmosphere created around this person that either hindered or helped their presidency. Both Taibbi and Greenwald were able to accomplish a fairer assessment of a man they didn’t necessarily “like.†Consequently, I give them much greater credence when reading their published pieces.
As for using wealth to downgrade a person’s qualifications for being president, I find no merit in such a measurement of their worthiness. Using Trump as an example – yes, he was raised in a well-to-do family, but did not disassociate himself from the working class because of his status as the employer/boss. He walked the jobs, took advice and promoted those on the ground floor of his projects. He was gender-neutral in these promotions too. His language was down-to-earth, even though his lifestyle was lavishly lived. In many stories described by others, Trump preferred shaking the hands of the help, while dismissing those in the suits. I think this is why he seemed to relate to the needs of common, working people so well, as those were the people he naturally gravitated towards and listened to in his life as a developer.
What really took Trump down more than his combustive, combative personality was that he was an “outsider,†a non-conformist to the traditional give-and-take actions expected by establishment politicians, not only on the right/left side of the aisle here, but also abroad. Wanting fuller monetary participation from NATO allies, dumping the Iran deal and the one-sided Paris Climate Accord ruffled feathers. Cutting regulations, expanding fossil fuels to achieve energy independence, having endless meetings with working people at the WH, daily taking angry questions from the press, moderating illegal border crossings – all which may have advantaged the people, but made enemies of many of his congressional peers. Hence, the enormous, continuous push back exercised to get Trump out of the way in order to return DC back to it’s normal ways of operation – making back room deals, enriching themselves, not listening to the populace, forcing policies down people’s throats they didn’t want.
Finally, describing the characteristics of today’s political parties: the standard republican abides by a weakened version of conservative values, as they put more energy into their re-election campaigns; the current democrat has hardened itself from being an advocate of workers, and instead takes money from rich donors, in exchange for increasing their power, while giving empathetic lip service and money to the poor enabling them to be forever serfs of big government. On the sidelines, however, is a populist contingency, surging quietly and tenaciously on the Republican ticket, but acting in concert to thwart governance they don’t want – unlawful mandates, CRT education, open borders, secretive transporting of illegals, devastating foreign policy maneuvers like Afghanistan, abusive trillion dollar stimulus bills, rampant inflation and so on.
Hopefully the populist movement will gain ground, more seats in government in order to save ourselves from what we are becoming – a subservient pawn in the clutches of an intolerant central government powerhouse.
Yeah, there’s nothing like boarding school and starting out in the C-suite to give you a sense of the lives of most people in the country.
Taibbi was sometimes interesting in the past but often a bit over the top. He still is. Also a bit of self-righteousness. He is correct that Trump was not a fascist. Not that many people claimed that anyway. He was a jerk with narcissism an order of magnitude worse than other politicians. Long history of corruption with NYC and NJ political connections. So I can understand people not liking Clinton and not wanting to vote for her and that as their reason for voting for Trump. Will never understand the cult that has grown up around him.
Steve
I think they’re imagining Trump to be someone he never was.
“Yeah, there’s nothing like boarding school and starting out in the C-suite to give you a sense of the lives of most people in the country.”
LOL As has often been noted, intellect and wisdom are not the same. Nice snark, epic fail. As if the Average Joe The Plummer is so stupid he/she is incapable of assessing his own self interest, and needs the intelligentsia to tell him. How’s that been working out the past 50 years?
I was fortunate enough to attend a rather intimate gathering with Trump in Naples, FL. It was in a private residence, and there couldn’t have been more than 20-25 people. As has often been remarked upon by others, in person, Trump is warm and engaging…….and funny. If it suits your rigid ideology, you can say it was all an act and he cares not for the Average Joe. I say bullshit. As one might imagine, I’ve never attended a Clinton or Obama event, but I am told they are the most cold and self important people one could imagine.
I’m a practical person. Did the Average Joe do well under Trump or not? Compared to All-About-Me Obama, or the current impaired Chief Executive? Just the facts, mam.
Let the excuses and rationalizations flow…………
All one has to ask themselves is the middle class, the blue collar worker, the non-college worker, women, minorities better off in 2019 or 2021?
Plus, is it better being born with a silver spoon childhood, but still able to understand, articulate and respond to the real concerns of the common working public. Or, is an average person, maybe one already in debt like the Obamas, who enrich themselves in and after leaving office, through dubious foundations and foreign money laundering, having accomplished little for the people, a better leadership fit for this country just because they didn’t start out rich?
There are demonstrably false lies such as claiming military service in order to clothe a candidate in false honor, on the other hand there’s puffery.
“I‘ll make the best dealsâ€.
“I’ll win for America, so much winning you’ll get tired of winning.
On the other hand there are campaign promises not kept, not properly categorized as lies.
Other, more subtle forms of deception,
Trump donning an unfamiliar ball cap to connect with the working class, Hoffa rolling up his sleeves for a speech, Hillary attempting to imitate African American dialect to connect with an audience.
These are tools of the trade and of the above, only Hoffa was really good at lt.
The need, the vacuum if you will, exists it American politics for a middle class hero, plain spoken and blunt, tough and honest. Biden has spent 50 years doing an imitation of this man, but he’s only that. He basks in the approval of the coastal elites, as Obama basks in their adulation.
I think of Trump as only the first iteration, imperfect, but illuminating the outline, policy and personality voters are
Looking forward to.
Include the entire 4 year Trump presidency then ask yourself if you were better at the end of his presidency. Also, what is Trump doing with all of the money he is gathering in donations now?
“As has often been remarked upon by others, in person, Trump is warm and engaging…….and funny”
Well golly. A guy born rich, who has hung around rich people all of his life knows how to be nice to other rich people, who are giving him money. I am so surprised.
Basking in adulation? See Drew’s comment.
Steve
I think that Grey Shambler has it right:
I don’t think that either an American aristocracy is the right direction for us or the kakocracy that Jan describes but I thin there are other alternatives but they’ll take some serious measures. I think that term limits and restrictions on lobbying, especially by former elected officials, are among them. More difficult yet will be convincing people to expect less from government, particularly the federal government.
“Also, what is Trump doing with all of the money he is gathering in donations now?”
Do you think he’s in a position to hide anything now?
Better off:
Either kept us out of, or didn’t instigate, war.
Clinton as well kept US troops out of Bosnia.
There are people who believe what they see in movies, that enough firepower can stop wars, when in fact firepower accelerates war and ultimately, wars are won through attrition, another word for death.
Dave, you apparently look at Trump’s leadership as a “kakocracy†– had to look that term up. I smiled, after reading the definition, for I think such a label describes Biden and his administration of fools far more than his predecessor. For, “The rule of government by the worst of people†fits Biden like a custom glove.
BTW, did you happen to catch the G20 photo? Normally an American president is front and center, designating the prominence, respect and importance the U.S. has among world leaders. In this recent gathering, though, Biden was shuffled off to the far end side of the photo, somewhat separated from the other leaders, and said to be talking to himself. Bad leaders reflect badly on the country they lead. Consequently, the negative image, being cultivated around the world, is due to Biden’s inept, corrupt, misdirected, embarrassing, disliked administration – period!
IOW, Biden embodies what a current day kekocracy looks like.
No, what I was referring to was your characterization of Obama:
which applies equally well to the Clintons and Bidens.
“Better off:
Either kept us out of, or didn’t instigate, war.”
One of his few positive accomplishments. Of course he didnt get us out of Afghanistan as he said he would.
“Do you think he’s in a position to hide anything now?”
Yes, he has good lawyers. So care to answer the question rather than change the subject?
Steve
Steve
Dave,
your response was clarifying.
Steve,
of course the fact Trump was weaning us out of Afghanistan, and other parts of the world, choosing instead to create the Abraham Accords, giving the ME an opportunity to establish their own commerce and Geopolitical relationships, flies right by you. The fact Trump finally had a plan in place to pull out of Afghanistan, wanted to meet with Biden’s team to collaborate during the transition period, but was shunned by them, seems irrelevant to you. The final fact that Biden blew right by Trump’s plan, haphazardly enacted his own “glorious†departure that was a dismal, devastating failure, leaving upwards of 500 Americans behind, many dead, and billions of assets left behind for the Taliban – well I’m sure you’ll be able to rationalize and put a spin on that too.
As for donations to Trump, why not talk about the dark money both Obama and Biden were accused of raking in. Or, the suspicious sums of money Terry Mcauliffe is being investigated for. Not lost, to me at least, is the fact Trump donated his annual presidential salary to charity, gave checks to people privately in need (without fanfare), lost money during his 4 years in office (wealth was downgraded by Forbes), while Dems seemed to make it out of office richer – becoming ever wealthier afterwards by speeches, books, entertainment industry deals etc. Maybe some of the donations are going to rallies Trump is still giving, or media platforms where censorship is not practiced. I’m sure, though, intensive research will be done as to the legality of any dollar he comes in contact with, unlike what happens to so many democrats who indefinitely seem to throw their power around DC (like the Obamas, who immediately bought a home walking distance to the WH, that was politically set up with Valeria Jarrett to throw monkey wrenches into Trump’s agenda for 4 years).
“So care to answer the question rather than change the subject?”
My apologies counselor. The answer is no. I was four years younger and 30% more vigorous.
I took the liberty of interpreting your interrogation to mean better or worse as a result of the Trump presidency.
I do believe that the nation is much, much worse off now.
Potential presidential candidates who are qualified, vetted or no, now understand that they must have a nod from the permanent Washington Administrative class before tossing their hat in the ring or they risk financial and social catastrophe for themselves and their families.
But I may be wrong, because those men who signed the Declaration of Independence risked everything, including their lives, and that may be exactly the vetting process this country will need to find the leaders we need to survive as a nation.
Offers of commissions on Billions in equities trades, threats of hundreds of millions lost if entertainers don’t please CCP censors are just the beginning. You see if you are for sale, you are for sale, after that is established, we’re only quibbling over the price.