Such a horrific, gruesome persecution of women and minorities would have been unimaginable before Mitch McConnel in 2015 betrayed the people of the US, stole the Supreme Court, and ever since has supported unspeakable evil. It breaks my heart to see all the progress for human rights, which we have fought for and made over decades, destroyed.
A fish rots from the head down! When a bunch of unelected bureaucrats become as corrupt as the man America voted to put in power, then our system of government no longer exists or can function properly.
A man like Trump was conjured from thin air. He’s the malignant cancer that has metastasizing for decades; and just the end result! Misogyny always existed. White Supremacy always existed. Crooked politicians always existed. Racism always existed. Xenophobia always existed.
What’s changed is the fact that these people and ideas have always been considered fringe; until Reagan gave them a seat at the table. And it’s been downhill from there.
Additionally, another critical change was the rule of law and how it’s applied. Bush v Gore, which illegally handed the presidency to a man, without a constitutionally mandated recount being completed. Dark money in politics used to be illegal; now it’s legalized bribery! And no place is more corrupt than SCOTUS (million dollar vacations, Free Winnebago’s, confirmed sexual assaulters, clear conflicts of interest, etc..).
Furthermore, the gutting of the Voter Rights Act increased voter suppression. Gerrymandering also increased voter suppression. And other recent rulings like Chevron and OHSA which have been gutting worker right protections for decades. Not to mention, all the Shadow Docket opinions done in secret.
Let’s face it, even without Trump, SCOTUS has been destroying our Constitution for the last 24 years; it’s been a slow, painful death, by a thousand judicial cuts! IMHO!…:)
Apparently 53% of white women support toxic men; that’s the percentage who voted for DJT this time according to a recent AP story. The percentage wasn’t much different in 2020 when Biden won. Social media the past 3 weeks has been black women expressing their anger at white women; 92% of them voted for Harris. So yes, men let women down—but the majority of white women who voted are complicit as well.
Is it all that surprising that a majority of white women vote against what some of us see as "their own interests"? They don't see it that way. This is not new. In the late 19th and early 20th century, white women assumed leadership roles in the anti-suffrage movement. I'm old enough to remember their political descendants, Phyllis Schlafly and others, fighting hard (and successfully) to block the ERA and to undermine Roe v. Wade after it was decided.
This society remains both patriarchal and racist, and the ongoing efforts to undermine both continue to generate an ever-escalating backlash. Many white women continue to identify with white men (and *still* take their husband's name when they marry)? I've long wished that those stats separated out straight women from women who identify as bisexual or lesbian, because I have this hunch that would be revealing.
Black women know better than to trust white men. Unfortunately the white men and (some) women leading the Democratic Party take their support for granted and even on occasion (looking at you, Bill Clinton) are willing to throw them under the bus.
Ha! I'd almost forgotten about her. In the very late '70s (probably 1979) when I was living in D.C. I was part of a mostly gay/lesbian march around the Washington Hilton when Anita was staying there. Very raucous and very fun. I once had a big orange button that said "California oranges don't care what else you eat." Bryant struck me as very lightweight politically. Schlafly OTOH was a political pro.
P.S. I'm still thinking about that possible "Christian nationalist" connection. I'm wary of retrofitting current ideological labels onto people who wouldn't have applied those labels to themselves. Those labels can come in handy for sure, but they can distort and at least oversimplify what those earlier people believed, while making the ideology look more monolithic (and ahistorical) than it is. Schlafly in particular comes from a long U.S. conservative tradition (think the anti-suffrage movement and the opposition to the New Deal) that predates the label "Christian nationalist" and IMO shouldn't be lumped in with it, even if they have some views in common. AFAIK, Bryant was a Christian, but her anti-gay views sure aren't unique to Christians, or shared by all Christians, so I don't think "Christian nationalist" applies to her either.
Yes, that 53% let our country down because they did not understand the clear and present danger T…p represents to us all, especially women in his misogynistic attempt to make himself great. Again.
Opus Dei is part of the US Christian Nationlist tribe. According to Andra Watkins, here is what they believe about their purpose and the End-of the-World.
Sadly a considerable segment of white women failed other women. Not all white women voted for Trump, of course...but far too many did so. Misogyny runs very, very deep in this country.
"States' rights" has evolved to include the right to discriminate against women of all colors as well as people of color, and to elevate certain brands of Christianity above separation of church and state. That was obviously part of the appeal.
At the same time -- I really don't understand what most Trump voters were voting for and/or voting against. The disinformation out there is overwhelming. (I'm in non-swing-state MA and I don't have a TV, so I get it mostly secondhand.) So many of us lack the skills, background, and/or patience to figure out what is accurate, or at least plausible. Most of us have, at best, a rudimentary understanding of how the U.S. system of government is supposed to work, and we're much worse when it comes to the economy.
So far, most of the commentary isn't very helpful, and save us all from man/woman in the street interviews. All I know is that we have serious work to do, and I'm sorting out what my part in that work is going to be.
It was implemented nationwide by the Compromise of 1877, which ended Reconstruction in the South. That lasted pretty well till the mid-1960s, when the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts pretty much overrode the Compromise of 1877. White Southern Democrats flooded into the GOP, which over the next decade or so turned into what sure looks like a states' rights party.
In particular I like the part of this essay which questions what “great” means in T…p’s campaign slogan. I do wonder whether the bullies and ignorant clods who cheered on the candidate have the intellect to understand that having kissed the collective butts of the filthy rich means they, themselves will suffer? That a ruling class has no love for them and will suck them dry because they aren’t rich enough? That T…p and his cronies care for no one but themselves.
Those who voted for Trump and his entourage failed the country. The costumed cartoon characters that have been completely conned and are in his thrall are one group beyond the pale but many more I believe who were plainly ignorant or opposed to an obviously qualified candidate were racist misogynist, or, could not bring themselves to vote for a Democrat, went with Trump. I even heard the rationale that at least Trump was at least the devil that they know. This means to me they bought the vicious lies. What was coming out of Trump’s mouth during the campaign was shocking, nasty mean spirited lies.
If America can’t see - and haven’t seen for this past decade - their president-elect as an eight year old throwing a tantrum, then they deserve Trump.
She’s mean to me, saying mean nasty things. I’m gonna get even! Bad Mexico, bad Canada—they didn’t give me things or throw parties with cake! Gonna hurt, hurt, hurt!
Why do we say "held liable" instead of) "found guilty?" Most of us aren't lawyers. Is it to be fancy, ot is there some technical reason for this? Why not use plain English instead of legalese? It may seem like a small thing but I feel like even the small things matter, especially with the media sane-washing trump.
I am always amazed by the "morality" of MAGA. People who are variations of gay or trans and just get on with their lives and don't hurt anyone are excoriated because someone involved in "writing" the Bible muttered somewhere that people shouldn't be that stuff. But "thou shalt not commit adultery?" Nah--God spoke to me directly and told me he didn't really mean it.
Such a horrific, gruesome persecution of women and minorities would have been unimaginable before Mitch McConnel in 2015 betrayed the people of the US, stole the Supreme Court, and ever since has supported unspeakable evil. It breaks my heart to see all the progress for human rights, which we have fought for and made over decades, destroyed.
A fish rots from the head down! When a bunch of unelected bureaucrats become as corrupt as the man America voted to put in power, then our system of government no longer exists or can function properly.
A man like Trump was conjured from thin air. He’s the malignant cancer that has metastasizing for decades; and just the end result! Misogyny always existed. White Supremacy always existed. Crooked politicians always existed. Racism always existed. Xenophobia always existed.
What’s changed is the fact that these people and ideas have always been considered fringe; until Reagan gave them a seat at the table. And it’s been downhill from there.
Additionally, another critical change was the rule of law and how it’s applied. Bush v Gore, which illegally handed the presidency to a man, without a constitutionally mandated recount being completed. Dark money in politics used to be illegal; now it’s legalized bribery! And no place is more corrupt than SCOTUS (million dollar vacations, Free Winnebago’s, confirmed sexual assaulters, clear conflicts of interest, etc..).
Furthermore, the gutting of the Voter Rights Act increased voter suppression. Gerrymandering also increased voter suppression. And other recent rulings like Chevron and OHSA which have been gutting worker right protections for decades. Not to mention, all the Shadow Docket opinions done in secret.
Let’s face it, even without Trump, SCOTUS has been destroying our Constitution for the last 24 years; it’s been a slow, painful death, by a thousand judicial cuts! IMHO!…:)
Apparently 53% of white women support toxic men; that’s the percentage who voted for DJT this time according to a recent AP story. The percentage wasn’t much different in 2020 when Biden won. Social media the past 3 weeks has been black women expressing their anger at white women; 92% of them voted for Harris. So yes, men let women down—but the majority of white women who voted are complicit as well.
Is it all that surprising that a majority of white women vote against what some of us see as "their own interests"? They don't see it that way. This is not new. In the late 19th and early 20th century, white women assumed leadership roles in the anti-suffrage movement. I'm old enough to remember their political descendants, Phyllis Schlafly and others, fighting hard (and successfully) to block the ERA and to undermine Roe v. Wade after it was decided.
This society remains both patriarchal and racist, and the ongoing efforts to undermine both continue to generate an ever-escalating backlash. Many white women continue to identify with white men (and *still* take their husband's name when they marry)? I've long wished that those stats separated out straight women from women who identify as bisexual or lesbian, because I have this hunch that would be revealing.
Black women know better than to trust white men. Unfortunately the white men and (some) women leading the Democratic Party take their support for granted and even on occasion (looking at you, Bill Clinton) are willing to throw them under the bus.
And then there was Anita Bryant. I am assuming she and Schlafly were Christian Nationalists now that I know more about it.
Ha! I'd almost forgotten about her. In the very late '70s (probably 1979) when I was living in D.C. I was part of a mostly gay/lesbian march around the Washington Hilton when Anita was staying there. Very raucous and very fun. I once had a big orange button that said "California oranges don't care what else you eat." Bryant struck me as very lightweight politically. Schlafly OTOH was a political pro.
P.S. I'm still thinking about that possible "Christian nationalist" connection. I'm wary of retrofitting current ideological labels onto people who wouldn't have applied those labels to themselves. Those labels can come in handy for sure, but they can distort and at least oversimplify what those earlier people believed, while making the ideology look more monolithic (and ahistorical) than it is. Schlafly in particular comes from a long U.S. conservative tradition (think the anti-suffrage movement and the opposition to the New Deal) that predates the label "Christian nationalist" and IMO shouldn't be lumped in with it, even if they have some views in common. AFAIK, Bryant was a Christian, but her anti-gay views sure aren't unique to Christians, or shared by all Christians, so I don't think "Christian nationalist" applies to her either.
Yes, that 53% let our country down because they did not understand the clear and present danger T…p represents to us all, especially women in his misogynistic attempt to make himself great. Again.
I wonder what percentage of these White women belong to Christian Nationalist churches.
Andra Watkins, who is an expert on Christian Nationalists explains their End of the World thinking in her Substack. It is pretty creepy.
Part 1 https://open.substack.com/pub/andrawatkins/p/christian-nationalists-and-the-end?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Part 2 https://open.substack.com/pub/andrawatkins/p/christian-nationalists-and-the-end-8b7?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Part 3 https://open.substack.com/pub/andrawatkins/p/christian-nationalists-and-the-end-5c7?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Don’t forget Opus Dei…the original He Man Women Haters Club.
Opus Dei is part of the US Christian Nationlist tribe. According to Andra Watkins, here is what they believe about their purpose and the End-of the-World.
Part 1 https://open.substack.com/pub/andrawatkins/p/christian-nationalists-and-the-end?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Part 2 https://open.substack.com/pub/andrawatkins/p/christian-nationalists-and-the-end-8b7?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Part 3 https://open.substack.com/pub/andrawatkins/p/christian-nationalists-and-the-end-5c7?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Sadly a considerable segment of white women failed other women. Not all white women voted for Trump, of course...but far too many did so. Misogyny runs very, very deep in this country.
"States' rights" has evolved to include the right to discriminate against women of all colors as well as people of color, and to elevate certain brands of Christianity above separation of church and state. That was obviously part of the appeal.
At the same time -- I really don't understand what most Trump voters were voting for and/or voting against. The disinformation out there is overwhelming. (I'm in non-swing-state MA and I don't have a TV, so I get it mostly secondhand.) So many of us lack the skills, background, and/or patience to figure out what is accurate, or at least plausible. Most of us have, at best, a rudimentary understanding of how the U.S. system of government is supposed to work, and we're much worse when it comes to the economy.
So far, most of the commentary isn't very helpful, and save us all from man/woman in the street interviews. All I know is that we have serious work to do, and I'm sorting out what my part in that work is going to be.
“State’s rights.”
Hmmm, wasn’t that tried in 1861 by something called the confederate states of america (not capitalized on purpose).
It was implemented nationwide by the Compromise of 1877, which ended Reconstruction in the South. That lasted pretty well till the mid-1960s, when the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts pretty much overrode the Compromise of 1877. White Southern Democrats flooded into the GOP, which over the next decade or so turned into what sure looks like a states' rights party.
I still can’t believe we are “here” 😞
In particular I like the part of this essay which questions what “great” means in T…p’s campaign slogan. I do wonder whether the bullies and ignorant clods who cheered on the candidate have the intellect to understand that having kissed the collective butts of the filthy rich means they, themselves will suffer? That a ruling class has no love for them and will suck them dry because they aren’t rich enough? That T…p and his cronies care for no one but themselves.
Those who voted for Trump and his entourage failed the country. The costumed cartoon characters that have been completely conned and are in his thrall are one group beyond the pale but many more I believe who were plainly ignorant or opposed to an obviously qualified candidate were racist misogynist, or, could not bring themselves to vote for a Democrat, went with Trump. I even heard the rationale that at least Trump was at least the devil that they know. This means to me they bought the vicious lies. What was coming out of Trump’s mouth during the campaign was shocking, nasty mean spirited lies.
I sincerely doubt that any of the people who voted for him will be happy with what they get. Don't surrender.
“MAGA means impunity” - there we have it in three little words.
Desperate, like Trump, to have the last word: I would add “and immunity” … but that would, also like Trump, steal another’s thunder.
If America can’t see - and haven’t seen for this past decade - their president-elect as an eight year old throwing a tantrum, then they deserve Trump.
She’s mean to me, saying mean nasty things. I’m gonna get even! Bad Mexico, bad Canada—they didn’t give me things or throw parties with cake! Gonna hurt, hurt, hurt!
Why do we say "held liable" instead of) "found guilty?" Most of us aren't lawyers. Is it to be fancy, ot is there some technical reason for this? Why not use plain English instead of legalese? It may seem like a small thing but I feel like even the small things matter, especially with the media sane-washing trump.
It's found liable or held liable because it was a civil case.
Good article Noah
Re: All those sexual predation changes—it’s one massive Boys Against Girls club … and I expect a big boom in treehouses and slingshots.
I am always amazed by the "morality" of MAGA. People who are variations of gay or trans and just get on with their lives and don't hurt anyone are excoriated because someone involved in "writing" the Bible muttered somewhere that people shouldn't be that stuff. But "thou shalt not commit adultery?" Nah--God spoke to me directly and told me he didn't really mean it.