Well, now that the seal's been broken -- someone took a swing at a former POTUS -- is anyone surprised that yesterday happened? David Frum and David Rothkopf have said it far better than I can this morning, but a man who has stoked and glorified political violence was the target for political violence himself. What did he think was going…
Well, now that the seal's been broken -- someone took a swing at a former POTUS -- is anyone surprised that yesterday happened? David Frum and David Rothkopf have said it far better than I can this morning, but a man who has stoked and glorified political violence was the target for political violence himself. What did he think was going to happen? What did his supporters and enablers think was going to happen?
Remember, every action has intended and unintended consequences, and sometimes those consequences take a long time to reveal themselves.
Buckle up, people. Shit's about to get far, far worse.
The people in Bari Weiss’s The Free Press comments are 100% behind the idea that this happened because Democrats and liberals have been comparing Trump to Hitler and calling him a fascist. Denouncing Project 2025 as a plan to have an authoritarian fascist government is also at fault according to these people. They think this has riled people up and made them so afraid of Trump that assassination is the only way to stop Trump from regaining the WH. They don’t in any way see Trump promoting violence himself. They literally do not see it, at all. OTOH, they regularly say they expect another civil war to start, and predict it will be the Democrats and “leftists” who start it. They consider Republicans and conservatives to be blameless victims who only want the best for the country, and Trump is a selfless martyr who is sacrificing himself to save us. And the fact that Trump survived this assassination attempt means the GOD saved Trump because GOD has a plan, and GOD intends for Trump to be President. This whole shooting incident was a giant message from GOD. It’s truly scary to read this stuff.
"The people in Bari Weiss’s The Free Press comments are 100% behind the idea that this happened because Democrats and liberals have been comparing Trump to Hitler and calling him a fascist."
I suppose these same people are blissfully unaware that whenever Turning Point USA has an event in anywhere in the country, literal Nazis show up and do their thing. And since TPUSA leader Charlie Kirk is a Trumpist and has done nothing to denounce these people, it's not unreasonable to conclude that Kirk, and by extension Trump, considers such people an integral part of their coalition. Or maybe Bari thinks the guy wearing the Camp Auschwitz sweatshirt on January 6 is a splendid guy who really means her no harm.
One more thing. When Tom Nichols did his take on "The Screwtape Letters" here five years ago, this is how Screwtape described "conservatives" to Wormwood when discussing the latter's patient in Letter 2:
"Your man is not only ambitious, but he is a conservative. In modern America, this means that he feels himself part of an embattled minority trying to do the Enemy’s will in a fallen world. (In some instances, this may well be so, but never let it occur to him that there are many people who share neither his politics nor his particular religion who feel the same way, and who may be doing far better on that score than he.)"
In Letter 7, Screwtape instructed Wormwood:
"Do not fail to use the patient’s religion against him. Tell him that the Old Man would not be where he is were it not the will of the Enemy.
"Now, that this last point is so ridiculous that it could blow up in your face if you do not handle it with great care. A moment of sober consideration will reveal it to be utter twaddle. (After all, what human beings think their opponents are appointed by the Enemy Himself?)
"Because this is such fragile nonsense, you must plant the idea quickly and then just as swiftly prevent your patient from examining the logical contradiction at its core. Instead, impress upon him that he can and should serve the Old Man as a way of serving the Enemy. ***Convincing humans to do evil in the name of the Enemy is still one of our finest maneuvers, and you will find it highly enjoyable.***" (Emphasis mine)
So I guess these people can believe what they wish. And I could believe that I am the smartest, most handsomest engineer to ever walk the earth. But just because we believe something doesn't mean it's true.
Frum’s article I think encapsulated my feelings perfectly - violence is never, ever the answer, but we should not lose sight of the fact that Donald Trump has stoked and encouraged political violence and led us to this worrisome place. I hope him and Republicans will learn from this and tone down their rhetoric, but unfortunately, I’m expecting everyone at the RNC to be out for blood.
I’ve thanked you already for linking the article, and I want to say more that won’t disappear in a “Continue reading” tab.
What a brilliant article David Frum has written. Says everything I’ve been thinking all day - except the part about every decent person being relieved Trump didn’t die, although maybe that just means I’m not a decent person, and in this case I’m ok with that. The fact is that Trump brought this on himself, and as he has sown he is now reaping. I don’t know anything about the person behind him who was killed, but I can’t help wondering what he was doing there. If he wasn’t Secret Service then he had to have known about Trump’s dehumanisation of people he didn’t like, and his glorification of violence, and been ok with it. He may have left behind a family who had nothing to do with MAGA, and I’m sorry for them, but I’m not going to spend huge amounts of time otherwise sending thoughts and prayers to people who won’t do anything except spit on them from the likes of me.
Maybe this has sealed Trump’s victory. If so, JVL is right - it’s what America actively wants. God help us.
I believe that the modern GOP has no cohesive set of beliefs other than an absolute conviction that they, and they alone, are entitled to rule. They're not a party of introspection. They are not capable of soul searching. And when they talk about "freedom", what they really mean is freedom to behave in all sorts of abhorrent and contradictory ways without consequences.
The party whose members send Christmas cards with their families posing with AR-15s was **thisclose** to having their nominee for POTUS taken out by one. The party whose representative from Georgia accused the sitting POTUS of an attempted assassination now forgets a SCOTUS ruling that would empower a sitting POTUS to do all sorts of nefarious shit so long as it's an official act. We can go on and on about how their spoken belief system is basically a room of funhouse mirrors, but you, me, and everyone else in Bulwark-land already know this. So of course there's going to be calls for blood. Of course they will escalate. If they don't, that's tantamount to treason in their minds.
There is no way any of this ends well, James. No way at all.
I just hope the violence explodes while a Dem still holds the Presidency and thus at least nominal control of the military. Hoping for anything more doesn't seem realistic at this point.
Well, now that the seal's been broken -- someone took a swing at a former POTUS -- is anyone surprised that yesterday happened? David Frum and David Rothkopf have said it far better than I can this morning, but a man who has stoked and glorified political violence was the target for political violence himself. What did he think was going to happen? What did his supporters and enablers think was going to happen?
Remember, every action has intended and unintended consequences, and sometimes those consequences take a long time to reveal themselves.
Buckle up, people. Shit's about to get far, far worse.
The people in Bari Weiss’s The Free Press comments are 100% behind the idea that this happened because Democrats and liberals have been comparing Trump to Hitler and calling him a fascist. Denouncing Project 2025 as a plan to have an authoritarian fascist government is also at fault according to these people. They think this has riled people up and made them so afraid of Trump that assassination is the only way to stop Trump from regaining the WH. They don’t in any way see Trump promoting violence himself. They literally do not see it, at all. OTOH, they regularly say they expect another civil war to start, and predict it will be the Democrats and “leftists” who start it. They consider Republicans and conservatives to be blameless victims who only want the best for the country, and Trump is a selfless martyr who is sacrificing himself to save us. And the fact that Trump survived this assassination attempt means the GOD saved Trump because GOD has a plan, and GOD intends for Trump to be President. This whole shooting incident was a giant message from GOD. It’s truly scary to read this stuff.
"The people in Bari Weiss’s The Free Press comments are 100% behind the idea that this happened because Democrats and liberals have been comparing Trump to Hitler and calling him a fascist."
I suppose these same people are blissfully unaware that whenever Turning Point USA has an event in anywhere in the country, literal Nazis show up and do their thing. And since TPUSA leader Charlie Kirk is a Trumpist and has done nothing to denounce these people, it's not unreasonable to conclude that Kirk, and by extension Trump, considers such people an integral part of their coalition. Or maybe Bari thinks the guy wearing the Camp Auschwitz sweatshirt on January 6 is a splendid guy who really means her no harm.
One more thing. When Tom Nichols did his take on "The Screwtape Letters" here five years ago, this is how Screwtape described "conservatives" to Wormwood when discussing the latter's patient in Letter 2:
"Your man is not only ambitious, but he is a conservative. In modern America, this means that he feels himself part of an embattled minority trying to do the Enemy’s will in a fallen world. (In some instances, this may well be so, but never let it occur to him that there are many people who share neither his politics nor his particular religion who feel the same way, and who may be doing far better on that score than he.)"
In Letter 7, Screwtape instructed Wormwood:
"Do not fail to use the patient’s religion against him. Tell him that the Old Man would not be where he is were it not the will of the Enemy.
"Now, that this last point is so ridiculous that it could blow up in your face if you do not handle it with great care. A moment of sober consideration will reveal it to be utter twaddle. (After all, what human beings think their opponents are appointed by the Enemy Himself?)
"Because this is such fragile nonsense, you must plant the idea quickly and then just as swiftly prevent your patient from examining the logical contradiction at its core. Instead, impress upon him that he can and should serve the Old Man as a way of serving the Enemy. ***Convincing humans to do evil in the name of the Enemy is still one of our finest maneuvers, and you will find it highly enjoyable.***" (Emphasis mine)
So I guess these people can believe what they wish. And I could believe that I am the smartest, most handsomest engineer to ever walk the earth. But just because we believe something doesn't mean it's true.
Frum’s article I think encapsulated my feelings perfectly - violence is never, ever the answer, but we should not lose sight of the fact that Donald Trump has stoked and encouraged political violence and led us to this worrisome place. I hope him and Republicans will learn from this and tone down their rhetoric, but unfortunately, I’m expecting everyone at the RNC to be out for blood.
I’ve thanked you already for linking the article, and I want to say more that won’t disappear in a “Continue reading” tab.
What a brilliant article David Frum has written. Says everything I’ve been thinking all day - except the part about every decent person being relieved Trump didn’t die, although maybe that just means I’m not a decent person, and in this case I’m ok with that. The fact is that Trump brought this on himself, and as he has sown he is now reaping. I don’t know anything about the person behind him who was killed, but I can’t help wondering what he was doing there. If he wasn’t Secret Service then he had to have known about Trump’s dehumanisation of people he didn’t like, and his glorification of violence, and been ok with it. He may have left behind a family who had nothing to do with MAGA, and I’m sorry for them, but I’m not going to spend huge amounts of time otherwise sending thoughts and prayers to people who won’t do anything except spit on them from the likes of me.
Maybe this has sealed Trump’s victory. If so, JVL is right - it’s what America actively wants. God help us.
Yep, they turn it around. “Violent Dems.” Just like “Dems are fascists.” Such dangerous people, & now they’re being normalized. Or normalized again.
Yes
Where is David Frum’s article please? I’ve been refreshing The Atlantic and not seeing it there.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/07/donald-trump-democracy-dictator/679006/
THANK YOU!
I believe that the modern GOP has no cohesive set of beliefs other than an absolute conviction that they, and they alone, are entitled to rule. They're not a party of introspection. They are not capable of soul searching. And when they talk about "freedom", what they really mean is freedom to behave in all sorts of abhorrent and contradictory ways without consequences.
The party whose members send Christmas cards with their families posing with AR-15s was **thisclose** to having their nominee for POTUS taken out by one. The party whose representative from Georgia accused the sitting POTUS of an attempted assassination now forgets a SCOTUS ruling that would empower a sitting POTUS to do all sorts of nefarious shit so long as it's an official act. We can go on and on about how their spoken belief system is basically a room of funhouse mirrors, but you, me, and everyone else in Bulwark-land already know this. So of course there's going to be calls for blood. Of course they will escalate. If they don't, that's tantamount to treason in their minds.
There is no way any of this ends well, James. No way at all.
I just hope the violence explodes while a Dem still holds the Presidency and thus at least nominal control of the military. Hoping for anything more doesn't seem realistic at this point.