My views on this bloodlust come from a spiritual place. Those weren't kind older women, but they appeared to be kind older women. I've often asked myself how the 3rd Reich found enough willing guards to operate extermination camps. These "kind" old ladies are the answer.
This is not going to be exclusive to Trump, like they try to pretend. It will morph to whoever gets a populist share of votes that isn’t firmly on their “team”. Politics as a team sport has corroded and corroded for years and they never expected that people would ever reject any of their “progress,” so this is now the state of things for a while until someone firmly in that tribe is truly able to make an example of this behavior and reign it in. Or people need to walk away. Unfortunately, the pull to the tribe or the team is extremely strong.
I think it was your kind nature that you didn't think most Democrats wished for Trump's death in 2024. They did. They might not have done so with the same vitriol, but it was supported with the 'yes, but he..." Had Harris been the target, those of us who strongly disapproved of her would simultaneously be strongly appalled at such an action. For me, the hatred isn't surprising at all. Perhaps, it is because I live in CA and was subjected to: vax requirements before entering an establishment, being screamed at for being a white supremacist while demonstrating against the lockdowns which was led by a Black man with every other demographic in our group, or reading postings on store windows that 'hate' didn't live there and if men wanted to use the dressing rooms, so be it.
During the lockdown, by happenstance (or divine grace), I read the autobiography of Dovey Roundtree Johnson, an early civil rights attorney. I also did legal research on the Eugenics movement, as I was confused by SCOTUS's reliance on a 100-year-old decision to uphold Biden's mandates. (The Jacobson v. Massachusetts decision would later be used to uphold forced sterilization for the common good in Buck v. Bell, with a similar mindset later being used for the internment of those of Japanese descent in the US during WWII - except in Hawaii, where they were deemed 'essential.') All three subjects evidence how we can fall into extreme, unethical behavior that can lead to violence. But in the past, a belief in a higher being surely helped us right ourselves. Now that we are the 'gods', I am not sure if it will happen.
Thank you for your feedback. You could be right. Maybe you see way more of it in California which is a giant looney bin (I say this as someone from the outside). It's not as radical here in New Jersey.
Actually in CA they were giddy and didn't hesitate to show it. I was referring to older well educated relatives who are glued to PBS and CNN who live in a purple state. Many of those anchors were a "yes (wrong) but .... " And like you, it is shocking to encounter someone who unexpectedly has TDS. Awhile ago, I spoke to a retired appellate judge in that same purple state. He was furious at the Texas gerrymandering efforts and blaming Trump. I pointed out that CA has ensured under representation by Republicans for years. And even that wasn't good enough so Newsom pushed to eliminate the remaining red areas. The judge didn't care. His response was that was California. So California wasn't a concern, but Texas was? It was so odd. Up to that point, we had a great conversation but TDS is real.
A writer on Free Press noted: "Some interesting context from last month is that nearly half of Dems think the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt on Trump was faked. A Manhattan Institute poll found that 47 percent of Democrats believe “the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump was orchestrated by his supporters to increase sympathy for him.” Half! Half of Democrats think Trump supporters organized for someone to shoot at the president’s ear and kill a random father in the stands. ..." I didn't need a poll to tell me this. We are in dangerous times.
Well said Adam. It seems to me like society is in a slow dark slide into depravity. I am Canadian so am watching the American example from the side lines. I don't have any strong opinions one way or the other on President Trump, but the content on social media shocks me. Typically Canada follows the U.S., perhaps a few years behind, and I see evidence of similar behaviour starting in Canada. In fact Canadians, who have their own political leadership, seem to delight in casting negativity and ill wishes toward Trump? Some of it is a collective mentality, because we were slighted as a country by Trump. But in no way does it justify the inhumane behaviour of these people. Anyway, good for you for shining a light on this terrible conduct. Even if it gives one person pause it was well worth it. As a society, and a civilization, we have to put hate aside and realize we are destroying the short time we have on this beautiful planet we call Earth. God bless you brother.
Thank you Ian. I appreciate your insight as a Canadian. I've heard so many times about the fascination with what we do and how it eventually makes it way there (good and bad things).
Adam - great thoughts on this issue. I haven’t read all the comments from your other readers and don’t want to duplicate what others have said, but I think I would be remiss not to mention the following…but I need to add a caveat before doing so…I hate comparisons to the Nazis. Everybody that one disagrees with today is a fascist or a Nazi and it’s simply not accurate. However, many have wondered how the German people, religious Christians, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, became the authors or at least complicit bystanders in the murder of 12 million people, including 6 million Jews. All that happened after a concentrated dehumanization campaign against the Jews and others orchestrated by Hitler and his Nazi minions. While it’s a gross oversimplification of what took place in the 1930’s Germany and certainly not exactly the same, the similarities and parallels are worthy of taking note. It’s an inadvisable path to go down because the slope gets slippery and it’s hard to stop. Prudent people avoid such rhetoric. For some reason the Democrat party and their minions, like that fool Kimmel, just can’t help themselves and they’ve fully embraced such divisive and dangerous rhetoric. The path they’re on is fraught with peril for all of us. We are so divided.
Thanks for shining a light on this evil darkness. Your commentary on issues of the day continues to be superb and supremely accessible. Keep up the great work.
Thank you John. I agree, Nazis get used for everything but I see what you're saying. There are lots of situations historically that brought massacre and turmoil and it was facilitated by a campaign of dehumanization.
I see it as an extension of the acceptance of political assassination. It's OK to kill your 'enemy' in another country after all including the appalling phrase 'collateral damage'.
The problem is that both sides of the political spectrum have engaged in this type of behavior. Remember Biden’s fiery speech? The summer of George Floyd? Cancele culture?
Now we have Trump going full blown narcissist crazy and his diehard supporters encouraging all of it. They feel like turn about is fair play. They want revenge and Trump is playing them like Biden played y’all.
Mr. Warp Speed has them jabs manufactured and then Me poopy pants mandated them. How others can’t see these men are two sides of the same coin is beyond me.
I don’t see examples of Republicans calling for the death of their political opponents nor do I see them applauding or joking about assassination attempts of democrats. Of course that could be because as far as I am aware there have been no such attempts by conservative Republicans against their Democrat political opponents. Political violence seems to be the sole purview of the Democrat party left in America, but if you have examples I’m open to hearing about them.
My views on this bloodlust come from a spiritual place. Those weren't kind older women, but they appeared to be kind older women. I've often asked myself how the 3rd Reich found enough willing guards to operate extermination camps. These "kind" old ladies are the answer.
This is not going to be exclusive to Trump, like they try to pretend. It will morph to whoever gets a populist share of votes that isn’t firmly on their “team”. Politics as a team sport has corroded and corroded for years and they never expected that people would ever reject any of their “progress,” so this is now the state of things for a while until someone firmly in that tribe is truly able to make an example of this behavior and reign it in. Or people need to walk away. Unfortunately, the pull to the tribe or the team is extremely strong.
A good read, Adam. And very, very sobering.
I think it was your kind nature that you didn't think most Democrats wished for Trump's death in 2024. They did. They might not have done so with the same vitriol, but it was supported with the 'yes, but he..." Had Harris been the target, those of us who strongly disapproved of her would simultaneously be strongly appalled at such an action. For me, the hatred isn't surprising at all. Perhaps, it is because I live in CA and was subjected to: vax requirements before entering an establishment, being screamed at for being a white supremacist while demonstrating against the lockdowns which was led by a Black man with every other demographic in our group, or reading postings on store windows that 'hate' didn't live there and if men wanted to use the dressing rooms, so be it.
During the lockdown, by happenstance (or divine grace), I read the autobiography of Dovey Roundtree Johnson, an early civil rights attorney. I also did legal research on the Eugenics movement, as I was confused by SCOTUS's reliance on a 100-year-old decision to uphold Biden's mandates. (The Jacobson v. Massachusetts decision would later be used to uphold forced sterilization for the common good in Buck v. Bell, with a similar mindset later being used for the internment of those of Japanese descent in the US during WWII - except in Hawaii, where they were deemed 'essential.') All three subjects evidence how we can fall into extreme, unethical behavior that can lead to violence. But in the past, a belief in a higher being surely helped us right ourselves. Now that we are the 'gods', I am not sure if it will happen.
Thank you for your feedback. You could be right. Maybe you see way more of it in California which is a giant looney bin (I say this as someone from the outside). It's not as radical here in New Jersey.
Actually in CA they were giddy and didn't hesitate to show it. I was referring to older well educated relatives who are glued to PBS and CNN who live in a purple state. Many of those anchors were a "yes (wrong) but .... " And like you, it is shocking to encounter someone who unexpectedly has TDS. Awhile ago, I spoke to a retired appellate judge in that same purple state. He was furious at the Texas gerrymandering efforts and blaming Trump. I pointed out that CA has ensured under representation by Republicans for years. And even that wasn't good enough so Newsom pushed to eliminate the remaining red areas. The judge didn't care. His response was that was California. So California wasn't a concern, but Texas was? It was so odd. Up to that point, we had a great conversation but TDS is real.
A writer on Free Press noted: "Some interesting context from last month is that nearly half of Dems think the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt on Trump was faked. A Manhattan Institute poll found that 47 percent of Democrats believe “the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump was orchestrated by his supporters to increase sympathy for him.” Half! Half of Democrats think Trump supporters organized for someone to shoot at the president’s ear and kill a random father in the stands. ..." I didn't need a poll to tell me this. We are in dangerous times.
Well said Adam. It seems to me like society is in a slow dark slide into depravity. I am Canadian so am watching the American example from the side lines. I don't have any strong opinions one way or the other on President Trump, but the content on social media shocks me. Typically Canada follows the U.S., perhaps a few years behind, and I see evidence of similar behaviour starting in Canada. In fact Canadians, who have their own political leadership, seem to delight in casting negativity and ill wishes toward Trump? Some of it is a collective mentality, because we were slighted as a country by Trump. But in no way does it justify the inhumane behaviour of these people. Anyway, good for you for shining a light on this terrible conduct. Even if it gives one person pause it was well worth it. As a society, and a civilization, we have to put hate aside and realize we are destroying the short time we have on this beautiful planet we call Earth. God bless you brother.
Thank you Ian. I appreciate your insight as a Canadian. I've heard so many times about the fascination with what we do and how it eventually makes it way there (good and bad things).
God bless you too
Adam - great thoughts on this issue. I haven’t read all the comments from your other readers and don’t want to duplicate what others have said, but I think I would be remiss not to mention the following…but I need to add a caveat before doing so…I hate comparisons to the Nazis. Everybody that one disagrees with today is a fascist or a Nazi and it’s simply not accurate. However, many have wondered how the German people, religious Christians, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, became the authors or at least complicit bystanders in the murder of 12 million people, including 6 million Jews. All that happened after a concentrated dehumanization campaign against the Jews and others orchestrated by Hitler and his Nazi minions. While it’s a gross oversimplification of what took place in the 1930’s Germany and certainly not exactly the same, the similarities and parallels are worthy of taking note. It’s an inadvisable path to go down because the slope gets slippery and it’s hard to stop. Prudent people avoid such rhetoric. For some reason the Democrat party and their minions, like that fool Kimmel, just can’t help themselves and they’ve fully embraced such divisive and dangerous rhetoric. The path they’re on is fraught with peril for all of us. We are so divided.
Thanks for shining a light on this evil darkness. Your commentary on issues of the day continues to be superb and supremely accessible. Keep up the great work.
Thank you John. I agree, Nazis get used for everything but I see what you're saying. There are lots of situations historically that brought massacre and turmoil and it was facilitated by a campaign of dehumanization.
I see it as an extension of the acceptance of political assassination. It's OK to kill your 'enemy' in another country after all including the appalling phrase 'collateral damage'.
It's not an intellectual problem; Cole is clearly very intelligent. It's a spiritual problem.
The problem is that both sides of the political spectrum have engaged in this type of behavior. Remember Biden’s fiery speech? The summer of George Floyd? Cancele culture?
Now we have Trump going full blown narcissist crazy and his diehard supporters encouraging all of it. They feel like turn about is fair play. They want revenge and Trump is playing them like Biden played y’all.
Mr. Warp Speed has them jabs manufactured and then Me poopy pants mandated them. How others can’t see these men are two sides of the same coin is beyond me.
The cognitive bias on both sides is outstanding.
I don’t see examples of Republicans calling for the death of their political opponents nor do I see them applauding or joking about assassination attempts of democrats. Of course that could be because as far as I am aware there have been no such attempts by conservative Republicans against their Democrat political opponents. Political violence seems to be the sole purview of the Democrat party left in America, but if you have examples I’m open to hearing about them.