I always read (and re-read) what you have to say, Travis. But if i may steal a line, I ‘Beg to Differ’ a little here. My view is that the co-opting of the Republican Party by Herr Drumpf & Co. has brought us to a point where most Drumpf leaning potential voters for the upcoming elections could not give one rat turd about what goes on out…
I always read (and re-read) what you have to say, Travis. But if i may steal a line, I ‘Beg to Differ’ a little here. My view is that the co-opting of the Republican Party by Herr Drumpf & Co. has brought us to a point where most Drumpf leaning potential voters for the upcoming elections could not give one rat turd about what goes on outside of our borders and are mostly ignorant about such affairs. It is more reminiscent of late 1930’s America as opposed to late 1970’s America in many ways.
In the 30’a there was exhaustion from our entry into WWI, the stunning carnage and destruction of a generation of young American men, a generation of exhausted and trepidatious Americans who wanted no part of another European war, a growing and powerful isolationist lobby, and a similarly growing anti-immigrant lobby as well. Can’t forget the Christian Nationalists who were alarmed at the prospect of non-Christian ‘infiltration’ into the mainstream as well.
In the 70’s we were exhausted from Vietnam but even more from the general societal upheaval that the late 60’s and early 70’s had wrought and just wanted an exit from any foreign entanglements. There was the implosion of Iran, the embassy crisis and the first successful Arab Oil Embargo vexing the country. As JVL noted high inflation & interest rates coupled with “gas-lines”—In California and many populous states you could only by gas on alternating days based on your license plate numbers. But I digress….
The primary reason voter perceptions are what they are is disinformation. We don’t have a ‘low information’ voter problem. We have a disinformation voter problem and my greatest fear is that such disinformation will only worsen between now and November. I do not know what the solution is. But more Bulwark is as good a place as any to vent about it. Ha-Oooooh- Rah, Brother
"most Drumpf leaning potential voters for the upcoming elections could not give one rat turd about what goes on outside of our borders and are mostly ignorant about such affairs"
I kind of half agree with this, but agree with your larger point about the isolationism of the 1930's making a return. I would say that isolationists actually pay a fair amount of attention to foreign affairs, mostly so they know what conflicts are going on so that we can stay out of them. Just like the isolationism shocks of WWI and Vietnam, GWoT created another isolationism shock--particularly on the political right where the guys who loved Bush for a decade learned to hate him in the aftermath of GWoT's failures after they gave up a whole lot for basically nothing of national gain with no accountability for the folks who had sent us there in the first place. They don't want more repeats of that, and they don't want us even giving support to Ukraine let alone getting involved ourselves there or in Taiwan.
"Can’t forget the Christian Nationalists who were alarmed at the prospect of non-Christian ‘infiltration’ into the mainstream as well."
The protests against the "Ground Zero Mosque" and the cries of "Sharia Law in Michigan" from the right during the Obama admin come to mind here. Wasn't just limited to the 1930's.
"The primary reason voter perceptions are what they are is disinformation. We don’t have a ‘low information’ voter problem. We have a disinformation voter problem and my greatest fear is that such disinformation will only worsen between now and November"
This is correct. There's just no comparison between the info environments of yesteryear versus that of today's. It's only going to get worse with AI.
I always read (and re-read) what you have to say, Travis. But if i may steal a line, I ‘Beg to Differ’ a little here. My view is that the co-opting of the Republican Party by Herr Drumpf & Co. has brought us to a point where most Drumpf leaning potential voters for the upcoming elections could not give one rat turd about what goes on outside of our borders and are mostly ignorant about such affairs. It is more reminiscent of late 1930’s America as opposed to late 1970’s America in many ways.
In the 30’a there was exhaustion from our entry into WWI, the stunning carnage and destruction of a generation of young American men, a generation of exhausted and trepidatious Americans who wanted no part of another European war, a growing and powerful isolationist lobby, and a similarly growing anti-immigrant lobby as well. Can’t forget the Christian Nationalists who were alarmed at the prospect of non-Christian ‘infiltration’ into the mainstream as well.
In the 70’s we were exhausted from Vietnam but even more from the general societal upheaval that the late 60’s and early 70’s had wrought and just wanted an exit from any foreign entanglements. There was the implosion of Iran, the embassy crisis and the first successful Arab Oil Embargo vexing the country. As JVL noted high inflation & interest rates coupled with “gas-lines”—In California and many populous states you could only by gas on alternating days based on your license plate numbers. But I digress….
The primary reason voter perceptions are what they are is disinformation. We don’t have a ‘low information’ voter problem. We have a disinformation voter problem and my greatest fear is that such disinformation will only worsen between now and November. I do not know what the solution is. But more Bulwark is as good a place as any to vent about it. Ha-Oooooh- Rah, Brother
"most Drumpf leaning potential voters for the upcoming elections could not give one rat turd about what goes on outside of our borders and are mostly ignorant about such affairs"
I kind of half agree with this, but agree with your larger point about the isolationism of the 1930's making a return. I would say that isolationists actually pay a fair amount of attention to foreign affairs, mostly so they know what conflicts are going on so that we can stay out of them. Just like the isolationism shocks of WWI and Vietnam, GWoT created another isolationism shock--particularly on the political right where the guys who loved Bush for a decade learned to hate him in the aftermath of GWoT's failures after they gave up a whole lot for basically nothing of national gain with no accountability for the folks who had sent us there in the first place. They don't want more repeats of that, and they don't want us even giving support to Ukraine let alone getting involved ourselves there or in Taiwan.
"Can’t forget the Christian Nationalists who were alarmed at the prospect of non-Christian ‘infiltration’ into the mainstream as well."
The protests against the "Ground Zero Mosque" and the cries of "Sharia Law in Michigan" from the right during the Obama admin come to mind here. Wasn't just limited to the 1930's.
"The primary reason voter perceptions are what they are is disinformation. We don’t have a ‘low information’ voter problem. We have a disinformation voter problem and my greatest fear is that such disinformation will only worsen between now and November"
This is correct. There's just no comparison between the info environments of yesteryear versus that of today's. It's only going to get worse with AI.
Semper Fi my man