And the GOP is discovering that right now, as Matt Taibbi points out -- between the clown/reality show nominating process and the appeal to wingnut mythology, they're about to make an utter fraud and ultimate lightweight their nominee. And if this country is nuts enough to elect him, well...it could be what we deserve.
I totally agree with your comments on yesterdays post. I am trying hard to keep my temper in check. Had to spend 8 days in hospital over xmas and my last BD for a large bleeding ulcer so I am trying to go easy. So far it seems to be healing OK.
ReplyDeleteI subscribe to Lamars' blog. I have never met him yet. Maybe some day. I agree his posting of that interview was super and much needed. As he stated, no media provided a transcript of that speech/interview. Funny, but then, this is Louisiana so maybe not that odd.
I have not looked up to see where old Benito started out in life, not sure what sector he was in before he entered politics that is. Yes, Trump is a good bit like that, but with a dose of Huey Long also. At least Huey did do some good things for the poor and working class, no matter what color the skin was.
Funny, the folks I have met in my nearly 16 years in this state who remember Huey either still love him or hate him, no middle ground at all. The best book I have read (and own) about Huey is basically neutral, it is titled "Huey Long" by T. Harry Williams. He comes across as nearly neutral on the kingfish, he did some good, but was no saint. Now, if Trump was more like that, he'd win in a landslide I think. Yes, I do think Huey was dangerous, but had he not den killed, he'd have given FDR a damn good run for POTUS.
A professor of US history at LSUA a few years back gave a talk on Huey, free lectures, public invited are always worth my time, mostly. I asked him after his presentation if he thought that Huey could have won POTUS in 1940. He said maybe, but Huey had no foreign policy experience and maybe less care about the subject. He was not a fan of Huey, but tried to be as neutral as possible, he had no direct personal experience of the man. I told him I was somewhat new to the state, born in Wisconsin and lived for close to 40 years in SoCal, so I had no axe to grind, just questions. He seemed relieved at that.
Yes, Trump is even more dangerous than Huey in my opinion. Could he be an America Mussolini? Maybe, I just hope we don't find out.
I know and have stated that "we never get the government we need, but almost always get the one we deserve" many times. I have been wondering for a few years now, since 1993 at least (OK 1980 and "saint" Ronnie) just what the country did to deserve the gummint we have had since then. Collectively, we have been very unworthy people, very lazy/bad to the rest of the world, or so it looks to me.
My broken record again, every war the US has been in since 1945 have been damn fool, useless wars of choice, not a single one needed for us to be involved in them. We were in them to make the rich ever richer, no other reason at all. That "domino" theory was horse manure.
Oh crap, this IS becoming a long winded rant and I best slow down.
Thanks for that link to Taibbi, he is one smart guy.
I'm more pro than anti Huey Long. He was dealing with an entrenched aristocracy here in Loosiana, and no way were they going to be reasoned with. Long pretty much had to bully them, and their cries of foul play are damned hypocritical, if you ask me. Sort of like how people howl reverse discrimination at the drop of a hat...even though plain old discrimination never seemed to raise an eyebrow.
ReplyDeleteBut I doubt Long would have been more than an annoyance to FDR. Back then the presidency was still controlled by elites in both parties. Even if he won any/some/even all the primaries...and he probably would have won a few, and that could have been in 1936 (I heard Roosevelt did make the New Deal a bit stronger in 1935 as a result of Long and others, though he also pulled back in 1937...and the economy tanked again). Maybe a third party candidacy in 1940...of course we'll never know, though it is fun to see him openly talk about redistribution of wealth. I can appreciate that.
I hear the Williams book is the best one...it's on my list somewhere, but my list is...endless, it seems.
Well...another clown show tonight. Guess I'll catch a bit of it. Might as well. You know, I don't mind watching the GOP squirm at the thought of such an obvious huckster as their standard bearer. Oh sure, HRC is an elitist asshole as well, but Trump's a fraud...a con artist. Proof that not only is there a sucker born every minute, but that some people WANT to be suckered.
In contrast, HRC is power hungry, but Sanders supporters are already forcing her to lean at least little leftward. If that pressure can sustain itself, we might even see some rollback on, I don't know, a few things. My preference is restoration of education funding, as I've said previously. Even though I'm no longer a student, I'll support that. It's good for the whole society...and it's something that produce results before my time's up...unlike, say, massive infrastructure and transit projects...which I'd also support, by the way, but which, even if by some miracle got passed, won't be finished until I'm long gone.
Oh, that and maybe some steps to counter global warming. A first step might also be calling it "global warming." The science deniers have managed to subvert THAT by insisting on "climate change." Bullshit. It's "global warming." And as you know, if something's not done, Trump is the least of our worries.
Take it easy.