He certainly tries to walk this line between America is broken and I'm going to fix it and patriotism tied to American exceptionalism. I don't know that I would say Trump isn't a racist. I wouldn't say he's a white supremacist, but there's plenty of room to the left of that to still call someone out for their racist tendencies. Such things exist on a continuum and I would argue he leans more towards racist, white nationalist views than towards pro-diversity views. I think we could all be criticized in this way. How many friends do any of us have that are minorities? when was the last time we hired a person who is a minority to work with or for us? has any of us dated a person who was a minority? (though I did date a girl in Jamaica once...) etc. etc. That doesn't necessarily make us "racist" per se, but it does probably move us further to the right than some. This isn't a condemnation of us as there is clearly a level in which we're comfortable with, but others might see us as too far right (assuming white nationalist on the right and super pro-diversity on the left) for their comfort. Trump as President is held to a higher standard than us. When he consistently sides with the police over minority victims of police violence, that's a problem. When he hesitates in denouncing white nationalism/nationalists, that's a problem. When his advisers are a room full of white men, that's a problem. I'm not sure the "racist" label as a black and white term to denounce someone, "you're racist" or to defend oneself, "I'm not racist", is terribly useful anymore. Trump clearly does use race issues for his political advantage along with other issues that inflame the right whenever he seemingly feels a lull in the news coverage of him or if he has something to coverup (like the failure to reform healthcare, for example).
The Spiro Agnew example is interesting as that's a good example of the "protesters are unpatriotic" argument failing in the end. I can't think of another time in our history when anti-war protesters were as effective and widespread as against Vietnam. It always seemed to me like, up to that point, the US Government assumed that no matter what conflict they engaged in, the US public would support them because patriotism and "support our troops" would override any concerns regarding the wisdom of engaging in conflict.
On Thu, Sep 28, 2017 at 10:20 AM, denny kubal <jdkubal@aol.com> wrote:
I don't like to see any restrictions on speech, I shudder when I see protests at Berkeley. I note the far left has also condemned such actions, both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren condemned the protests. Warren in effect said let her speak, a few people will show up and she will largely be ignored.
As one writer in your blog said, Trump is using race and patriotism for political purposes.
I don't buy trump is a racist, he above all is fixated on winning, defined as making money, receiving praise, being labeled a winner. I know he has a history in Real Estate of discrimination against blacks. I suggest that was a marketing move, he could sell more condos for more money if no blacks were invited, at least he thought so. his comments against hispanics, muslims blacks all for the benefit of praise and adoration by the base. I think his health care plan was in the tank, not going to pass and he comes out with this patriotic stuff about the NFL players. Kopernick taking the knee was largely old news, in a few weeks completely forgotten. he resurrected it knowing it would inflame the right and deflect criticism from his failing efforts to repeal obamacare. I think he has no principals conservative or liberal, racists or progressive. he does and says whatever he needs to stoke his ego.I watched the Vietnam doc. last night and saw Spiro Agnew spouted off about how the anti-war protestors were not only unpatriotic, putting our soldiers at risk but dangerous. they all want to destroy our country. in response the black student president of the Northwestern University explained she and her followers condemned violence, and were just wanting a civil discussionand pointed out that Agnew was trying to frighten the public and thereby divide us in his attempt to promote the war. I called mom in and played it again. it all sounded so familiar.
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