Ross Barkan is too focused on Trump. He ignores how angry people are at the left wings policies, that strike a visceral response. Initiating policies and actions to open the border to a flood of illegal aliens from around the world. Propagating an extreme concept of poly genderism and advocating its teaching to America's children. Allowing our streets and parks to be overrun by deviant lunatics . Ignoring the huge numbers of overdose deaths. Providing at a minimum moral equivalency to the Muslim existentialist enemies of Israel, and their mob actions at US universities. Forcing enormous shifts in energy systems that would not pass a truly democratic vote. Expanding support for a failed educational system. Implementing racist DEI policies in every corner of society. Defying equality by outcome, not opportunity and effort. Demeaning those who support the moral structure underlying the history of Western Civilization. Yes, Trumps has some devoted followers, just as the elite and media has those with Trump Derangement Syndrome. The election will be decided voters who find some of these left-wing policies as beyond the pale and find in Trumps message, not his persona, the hope of ending the lefts vulgar insults to their very being.
It is your views on some of these issues that "seem deranged to the median voter."
You seem to endorse the framing that objecting to the castration of minors and other irreversible, activist-driven pseudoscience medical interventions without parental consent is "eliminating trans rights." I suggest you look at the most upvoted comments on these matters even in the liberal NY Times to get a sense of where the median voter is on this issue. Look at what is happening in the rest of the developed world where the medical establishments are not captured by activists.
Same thing regarding whether the public is in favor of mass, essentially uncontrolled illegal migration through asylum abuse. Which the Biden administration had no interest in doing anything about until very recently, when they panicked and finally took modest steps to reign it in. Just look at the comments in the Times, look at the polls.
Last, I've never voted for a Republican presidential candidate in my life and I'm appalled by the lawfare against Trump.
Well no. This is nothing like 2016. We are talking about the swing states that Hillary ignored... those flyover states of icky deplorables. Trump and Vance have them wrapped up.
The usual sneaky suggestion that the Right is driven by irrational, mystical forces is past its sell-by date. The last four years have seen the Left ‘trump’ them in this regard. Critical race theory is the most befuddled assembly of contradictory and anti-intellectual stances that can be imagined. Blacks cannot be racists. Whites cannot be ‘harmed’ and are all privileged. Black Christian’s are OK. White Christian’s are fascists.
There is another article which also states quite plainly the seeming demise in the current state of American politics, especially the left-wing war against Trump. Kudos to the author. One wishes he was wrong. One wishes to accuse him of hyperbole. But he’s absolutely on the money. I agree, this captures my 92 complaints that I am not able to articulate. An absolute tour de force.
Most peoples on earth live their collective national lives somewhere between the past and the present, Americans have always been different. Their idea of their past is generally shaky and non-binding. Instead, Americans exist between the present and the future, which is why they do things like invent digital technology and the iPhone and send men to the moon.
The Democratic Party is a well-functioning, massively-funded, centrally-directed machine, By contrast, the Republican Party is a ramshackle, decentralised affair whose local worthies tend to be car dealers or pillow salesmen rather than corporate Ivy League types and lawyers.
By enforcing an ideological line that serves America’s billionaires in the name of the “oppressed”, and labelling discordant or disruptive views as either bigotry or Russian propaganda, the Democratic Party helps ease the glaring contradictions of the privileged classes it represents, while continuing on with the work of destroying the country’s middle-class and unionized labour markets and ensuring that the oligarchs don’t pay taxes.
America is no longer home to a functioning two-party system, in which each of the two parties represent coalitions of regional interests and can count on the allegiance of local industries and opinion leaders. America has morphed from a sprawling, continent-sized democracy to a more European-style centralised federal state with a ruling class of coastal billionaires serviced by a unitary national elite.
The 2024 political war is just beginning - UnHerd (Copy and paste into your browsers.)
The Democratic Party is the home of the vast majority of America’s ruling oligarchy, and of the highly-paid, well-credentialed class of lawyers, consultants, researchers, media bosses, and others with degrees from a small number of elite universities who help the oligarchs do business, as well as the class of billionaire-funded NGO workers and “organisers” who harvest votes on behalf of the Party, which is both a self-enclosed life-world and a unitary socio-political machine.
Trump’s heroic response to an attempt on his life is a reminder of the extent to which, even in our technologically-mediated universe, the arts of narrative manipulation and framing only reach so far. At the core of every story is a human being whose character, as expressed through his actions, will be judged favourably or not by his or her fellow humans — such stories being especially important in societies where people elect their leaders. The images of the bloodied but defiant Trump also clearly underlined the contrast between a man who at 78 retains the physical vigour and presence of mind to take a bullet in front of a crowd, then get off the ground and shape a lasting image in the moment, and his doddering rival.
The structural imbalance between the parties has suggested that Democrats especially given the immutable presence of the polarising Trump at the top of the Republican ticket and some polls and the Democratic controlled MSM that pumps out it’s propaganda getting more and more farcical with each utterance, so it seems. Some polls showed Biden doing better against Trump after his doddering debate performance – who would have thunk it!!
This may be an oversimplification, but I think the author has expanded upon the Yogi Berraism "It ain't over till it's over" in characterizing the upcoming election. However, unless the Democrats get serious about winning the election regardless of whose feelings get hurt, the winner will be Trump - Vance.
Barkan is too sanguine about Trump's ability to take dictatorial power if he is returned to the White House. He has four years of experience in the office now, and loyalists who have mapped out the practical steps of how to do it. He will not step down after four years; and the Supreme Court, which has now shown it will rule in his favor no matter what (and which may be even more loyal to him by 2028), will find a way to justify his staying in office.
Ross Barkan is too focused on Trump. He ignores how angry people are at the left wings policies, that strike a visceral response. Initiating policies and actions to open the border to a flood of illegal aliens from around the world. Propagating an extreme concept of poly genderism and advocating its teaching to America's children. Allowing our streets and parks to be overrun by deviant lunatics . Ignoring the huge numbers of overdose deaths. Providing at a minimum moral equivalency to the Muslim existentialist enemies of Israel, and their mob actions at US universities. Forcing enormous shifts in energy systems that would not pass a truly democratic vote. Expanding support for a failed educational system. Implementing racist DEI policies in every corner of society. Defying equality by outcome, not opportunity and effort. Demeaning those who support the moral structure underlying the history of Western Civilization. Yes, Trumps has some devoted followers, just as the elite and media has those with Trump Derangement Syndrome. The election will be decided voters who find some of these left-wing policies as beyond the pale and find in Trumps message, not his persona, the hope of ending the lefts vulgar insults to their very being.
Very well said. His idea that the "media voter" is with him on this stuff is laughable.
It is your views on some of these issues that "seem deranged to the median voter."
You seem to endorse the framing that objecting to the castration of minors and other irreversible, activist-driven pseudoscience medical interventions without parental consent is "eliminating trans rights." I suggest you look at the most upvoted comments on these matters even in the liberal NY Times to get a sense of where the median voter is on this issue. Look at what is happening in the rest of the developed world where the medical establishments are not captured by activists.
Same thing regarding whether the public is in favor of mass, essentially uncontrolled illegal migration through asylum abuse. Which the Biden administration had no interest in doing anything about until very recently, when they panicked and finally took modest steps to reign it in. Just look at the comments in the Times, look at the polls.
Last, I've never voted for a Republican presidential candidate in my life and I'm appalled by the lawfare against Trump.
Well no. This is nothing like 2016. We are talking about the swing states that Hillary ignored... those flyover states of icky deplorables. Trump and Vance have them wrapped up.
The usual sneaky suggestion that the Right is driven by irrational, mystical forces is past its sell-by date. The last four years have seen the Left ‘trump’ them in this regard. Critical race theory is the most befuddled assembly of contradictory and anti-intellectual stances that can be imagined. Blacks cannot be racists. Whites cannot be ‘harmed’ and are all privileged. Black Christian’s are OK. White Christian’s are fascists.
There is another article which also states quite plainly the seeming demise in the current state of American politics, especially the left-wing war against Trump. Kudos to the author. One wishes he was wrong. One wishes to accuse him of hyperbole. But he’s absolutely on the money. I agree, this captures my 92 complaints that I am not able to articulate. An absolute tour de force.
Most peoples on earth live their collective national lives somewhere between the past and the present, Americans have always been different. Their idea of their past is generally shaky and non-binding. Instead, Americans exist between the present and the future, which is why they do things like invent digital technology and the iPhone and send men to the moon.
The Democratic Party is a well-functioning, massively-funded, centrally-directed machine, By contrast, the Republican Party is a ramshackle, decentralised affair whose local worthies tend to be car dealers or pillow salesmen rather than corporate Ivy League types and lawyers.
By enforcing an ideological line that serves America’s billionaires in the name of the “oppressed”, and labelling discordant or disruptive views as either bigotry or Russian propaganda, the Democratic Party helps ease the glaring contradictions of the privileged classes it represents, while continuing on with the work of destroying the country’s middle-class and unionized labour markets and ensuring that the oligarchs don’t pay taxes.
America is no longer home to a functioning two-party system, in which each of the two parties represent coalitions of regional interests and can count on the allegiance of local industries and opinion leaders. America has morphed from a sprawling, continent-sized democracy to a more European-style centralised federal state with a ruling class of coastal billionaires serviced by a unitary national elite.
The 2024 political war is just beginning - UnHerd (Copy and paste into your browsers.)
The Democratic Party is the home of the vast majority of America’s ruling oligarchy, and of the highly-paid, well-credentialed class of lawyers, consultants, researchers, media bosses, and others with degrees from a small number of elite universities who help the oligarchs do business, as well as the class of billionaire-funded NGO workers and “organisers” who harvest votes on behalf of the Party, which is both a self-enclosed life-world and a unitary socio-political machine.
Trump’s heroic response to an attempt on his life is a reminder of the extent to which, even in our technologically-mediated universe, the arts of narrative manipulation and framing only reach so far. At the core of every story is a human being whose character, as expressed through his actions, will be judged favourably or not by his or her fellow humans — such stories being especially important in societies where people elect their leaders. The images of the bloodied but defiant Trump also clearly underlined the contrast between a man who at 78 retains the physical vigour and presence of mind to take a bullet in front of a crowd, then get off the ground and shape a lasting image in the moment, and his doddering rival.
The structural imbalance between the parties has suggested that Democrats especially given the immutable presence of the polarising Trump at the top of the Republican ticket and some polls and the Democratic controlled MSM that pumps out it’s propaganda getting more and more farcical with each utterance, so it seems. Some polls showed Biden doing better against Trump after his doddering debate performance – who would have thunk it!!
This may be an oversimplification, but I think the author has expanded upon the Yogi Berraism "It ain't over till it's over" in characterizing the upcoming election. However, unless the Democrats get serious about winning the election regardless of whose feelings get hurt, the winner will be Trump - Vance.
Barkan is too sanguine about Trump's ability to take dictatorial power if he is returned to the White House. He has four years of experience in the office now, and loyalists who have mapped out the practical steps of how to do it. He will not step down after four years; and the Supreme Court, which has now shown it will rule in his favor no matter what (and which may be even more loyal to him by 2028), will find a way to justify his staying in office.