We Are Yet Again Repeating the History of Bigotry

[Science Fan]

During his campaign, Trump's slogan was "Make America Great Again." However, after winning the election, he suddenly changed his slogan to "America First." This was a high-five to white-supremacist bigots and it's hard to imagine why anyone in America is shouting out this slogan of "America First," when it was a slogan used in the 1930s and 1940s with a very specific bigoted meaning.

The America First slogan is not even about putting America first, as a nation, but rather about putting some Americans first over other Americans. During the 1930s and 1940s the people shouting America First were racists, anti-Semites, supporters of the upper economic classes, and Christians. The reason why Trump does not want people coming to America who are dark-skinned and not Norwegians? Because he considers people of color to be inferior to white people. One cannot take the position that foreigners from predominantly non-white countries should not be allowed to enter the USA without also taking the position that colored Americans are not quite real Americans.

The racist, bigoted policies of Trump could not be clearer, especially since he is using as his official slogan the same slogan bigots used in America in the not-too-distant past. He pardoned a racist sheriff from Arizona just weeks after a neo-Nazi rally gripped the nation. The pardon was done to give the message to law-enforcement that there was no need for them to worry about the Constitutional rights of Hispanic Americans. It was also a message that he supported the neo-Nazis in Virginia. And despite Trump's claim that he researched the neo-Nazi rally, thoroughly, and knows that there were good people marching with the neo-Nazis, he has never named a single "good person" who was marching with them. Neither has any Trumper. That's because the only people marching with the neo-Nazis were neo-Nazis. Therefore, Trump has publicly stated as president of the USA that neo-Nazis are good people.

Is this another example of history repeating itself because so many are ignorant of history? The average American is clueless on when the American First slogan was used, and what it means historically. Or, would it even matter? I doubt any Trumper would abandon Trump' if they were aware of what his slogan means, after all, the racism from Trump is too hard for any thinking person to miss. However, the people who oppose Trump may have an even clearer idea of how pro-fascist he is if they were aware of the history regarding his slogan.

And before people outside the USA start thinking they are above this, think again. There is a rise in racist and fascist parties throughout the western world. Trump is just one sign of what is happening, and the problem is global, not confined to the USA. There has definitely been a rise of nationalism in places like Britain, France and Germany.

The world is literally descending into the same mindlessness that it did in the 1930s and 1940s.

[wtf]

The world is literally descending into the same mindlessness that it did in the 1930s and 1940s.

Yet the Democrats voted to give Trump more ability to illegally spy on citizens. How do you explain that? Could it be that the Dems don't even believe their own bullshit?

[Impenitent]

in america you can arm yourself

I suggest you do so

-Imp

[Science Fan]

WTF: That's a typical response I get from Trumpers --- never admit Trump is a racist, fascist, conspiracy theorist, science-denier, and compulsive liar --- but bring up something to do with the Democrats. I'm not a Democrat. Even if I was a Democrat, one, however, cannot logically defend the wrong-doings of Trump by claiming others have committed wrongs as well. That would be like someone defending themselves in a murder trial by claiming others have also committed murder. So? Either the defendant is guilty or he's not, regardless of the wrong-doings of others.

[Science Fan]

Imp --- Why would you suggest I arm myself?

[Impenitent]

Imp --- Why would you suggest I arm myself?

exercise your right - when the trump "nazis" start marching in the streets, you can "defend" yourself

-Imp

[Science Fan]

I do own a number of guns, but fail to see how that will make much difference in the event the country goes fascist, which it is in danger of doing. My freedoms are better protected by my right to free speech than by my right to own a gun. This is why Trump has been assaulting freedom of speech ---- once we allow him to ban freedom of speech, all other rights crumble. After all, without freedom of speech, one cannot speak out against an injustice. This is why all authoritarian societies ban free-speech.

[Impenitent]

banning free speech? that's political correctness, not trump

and you should know, the first is enforced by the second

-Imp

[vegetariantaxidermy]

I do own a number of guns, but fail to see how that will make much difference in the event the country goes fascist, which it is in danger of doing. My freedoms are better protected by my right to free speech than by my right to own a gun. This is why Trump has been assaulting freedom of speech ---- once we allow him to ban freedom of speech, all other rights crumble. After all, without freedom of speech, one cannot speak out against an injustice. This is why all authoritarian societies ban free-speech.

That's a very good point. Guns have nothing to do with 'freedom'. Quite the opposite.

[Science Fan]

Imp --- You deny that Trump has been attacking freedom of speech like the authoritarian he is? Here are the facts you ignore: 1. Trump has called for the imprisonment of people who burn the flag; yet, the US Supreme Court has already ruled that flag-burning is protected by the First Amendment. 2. Trump has called for laws that make it easier for public figures to sue for defamation. There are no statutory laws that require a public figure to show by clear and convincing that someone actually knew what they were stating about them was false or showed a reckless disregard for doing so. These standards are in place solely because of the First Amendment, so this is Trump again attacking the First Amendment. 3. Trump calls mainstream media news that says anything negative about him "fake news." His followers hear him saying "Jewish controlled news" or "the leftist media," but the reality is that the First Amendment specifically mentions a free press. Trump Is doing nothing less than trying to get people to not trust mainstream news, as he wants them to get their news instead from conspiracy sites, like Alex Jones's Infowars.

As far as political correctness, the right has all sorts of political correctness of its own. The right never wants anyone called a racist, regardless of how racist they actually are. Even to the point of claiming that David Duke is not a racist, only a man concerned about his race. Yeah, sure he isn't a racist.

[Science Fan]

VT: You are right that Imp is wrong in claiming that the Second Amendment secures the rights protected under the First Amendment. As if violence can ever secure the right to speak freely, without threat? What secures freedom of speech within a country is the attitude of its citizens ---- if the citizens largely believe in freedom of speech, then freedom of speech shall be protected, even if no citizen owned a single gun, or even a foot-long stapler. As soon as a majority of citizens no longer care about freedom of speech, then kiss freedom of speech good bye. Guns have nothing to do with the issue.

Mathematical game-theory also tells us that gun-ownership is limited in providing protection for people. If you are the only person in a city with a gun, then owning a gun may make you safer. However, if everyone else also owned a gun, then you would be less safe than if no one owned a gun. This is because if a fight breaks out, now you are more likely to be killed by a bullet as opposed to having a fat lip from someone punching you. The scientific evidence also supports game-theory on this issue, but, science-deniers never care about the science ---- they only care about their ideology.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

True. And what they don't understand is if they have unrestricted access to guns (aka their 'freedom') then so does everyone else--including the deranged homicidal paranoid schizophrenic neo-nazi down the road (the one with the private arsenal), who has been harbouring a huge grudge against you and your family since your kids unwittingly made fun of his haircut and peculiar walk.
As you pointed out, free speech and freedom of the press are the measure of freedom--not how many guns you can own.

[Science Fan]

VT: Good points. I think the only thing I would add is that when people no longer are concerned about the truth, then freedom also dies. Because, if the truth does not matter, if opinions, lies, and ideology are accepted just as much as objective fact, then how can anyone speak truth to power? They can't. And if one cannot speak truth to power, then how is freedom of speech in any way useful? It wouldn't be. The people who support Trump, a man who even lied about how tall he was in his recently disclosed medical records, a man who just within the last 24 hours claimed he never told anyone that the Russians did not interfere in the US election, despite there being numerous videos of him saying exactly that, a man who cares nothing for the truth, are the very people who would abandon freedom of speech to get into bed with an authoritarian nut job.

The fact Heidegger supported Hitler, and Heisenberg did as well, tells us that even smart people can sell-out to an authoritarian ideology. So, it's not too surprising that some people here, who claim to have an interest in philosophy, have no problem supporting Trump, a man who has abandoned even the pretense of critical thought in his endorsement of racism, conspiracy theories, and science denial.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Very few people care about the truth. They actually believe that the truth changes according to their own political/religious ideology. I couldn't give a rat's arse how good a friend Trump supposedly was with Putin. What's wrong with being friendly with Russia anyway? There's nothing wrong with Russians. The reason the Russians wanted Trump is because they were terrified of Hillary the psychopathic war-hawke and thought there might be less chance of nuclear annihilation if Trump got in. It's hardly their fault the US chose possibly the two worst human beings on the planet as candidates. I doubt very much if the Russians would have interfered if Bernies Sanders had been Trump's opponent. I also think it's highly unlikely that anything the Russians 'might' have done made diddly squat difference. Those who supported Hillary didn't believe the accusations (I still haven't worked out what they were, btw. Something about using her own computer for some emails. Ooh. The woman's a homocidal megalomaniac, and that's the best they could come up with???), and those who didn't, did believe them. People believe what suits them. Hillary lost because too many people don't like her. Plus, she coveted the role of President to the point of insanity. Gollum's obsession with his 'precious' ring pales by comparison. I see her in a future rest home, repeating over and over 'I could have been President. I was robbed. It should have been me. I could have been....'

[Science Fan]

VT: Not being American, you missed the point of why Trump and Trumpers love Putin and Russia. This goes back to the Obama administration. It was common knowledge that Obama and Putin did not get along. Most of the white-supremacists in the USA loved Putin and hated Obama, so Putin become basically an icon for white supremacists in the USA. Trump recognized this, and played dog-whistle politics when he spoke favorably about Putin and Russia. If you are not living in the USA, and did not see this take place, then you would not understand what Trump was doing, and continues to do, when he praises Putin.

Russia is basically a country of white people. If Trump and Trumpers are so interested in making friends with other countries, then how come they say such bigoted things about predominantly non-white countries while singing the praises of dictatorships or "white" nations? Steve Bannon even stated that he thought the USA was going to be in a war with China, and he wanted Russia as an ally, because the Russians were white. Basically, Trumpers are saying that since Putin was white, and Obama was black and did not like Putin, that they are going to show their loyalty based on skin color, as opposed to anything of actual importance.

Taking Trump's pro-Russia statements in context, it's simply an endorsement of white supremacy. It's certainly not about building actual friendships among other nations.