Paul Krugman Issues A Warning About What We All Know Is Coming. ....

[riversedge]

This is eery to say the least. Lord forbid we have a real terror attach!!


Paul Krugman Issues A Warning About What We All Know Is Coming.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/10/1632194/-Paul-Krugman-Issues-A-Warning-About-What-We-All-Know-Is-Coming




By Dartagnan

Friday Feb 10, 2017 · 11:01 AM CST

In September of 2001 the Administration of George W. Bush was running into trouble. A President who had lost the popular vote, installed into office only through a hotly contested Supreme Court decision, had nonetheless behaved from the start as if he possessed a mandate, eagerly dismantling his predecessor’s achievements and turning the country on a hard rightward course, following a strategy that had been carefully concealed from the public during the campaign.

The public reaction was swift and negative—Bush’s own popularity tanked precipitously as the public reacted to an agenda most had not realized they had voted for. Prior to September 11th his approval levels had dropped to the lowest of his still-young Presidency.

All of that was transformed in a matter of hours, as the nation witnessed the worst terror attack America had ever experienced. Before the rubble had even been sifted to identify the bodies, Bush’s popularity skyrocketed to 90%. Within a matter of weeks he began the process of lying us into an unnecessary war that had been planned prior to the attacks, using those same attacks as his justification. That war destabilized the entire Middle East and resulted in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of pointless deaths.

Meanwhile, here at home, dissent was shouted down as unpatriotic. The Right Wing media outlets labeled protesters as traitors, and nearly all the so-called conventional news sources either abetted or encouraged the Administration’s efforts, which soon instigated torture as an accepted practice, threw out the Geneva conventions, and instituted a web of foreign and domestic surveillance, the parameters of which are still undisclosed. Despite the fact that we were spending a trillion dollars for war, massive tax cuts were instituted benefitting only the wealthy.

Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, writing for the New York Times, believes the situation we now find ourselves in, with Donald Trump holding the levers of power, is incomparably worse than anything the country faced with Bush or Cheney:..............................................

[LisaM]

1. I never understood why this made Bush more popular.

At best, 9-11 happened because of negligence and starting two wars in response was insane. How could anyone approve?

[msanthrope]

13. As one of the 11 percent, who blamed Bush from the start,

I can only suggest that this time, the torches and pitchforks need to come out.

[yardwork]

41. I never understood this either.

[GusBob]

2. MIHOP

[Jim Beard]

3. He used 911 to unify the country against the enemy and any that

didn't agree, were chastised. It made the Dixie Chicks un popular. I hated what was happening but whole radio networks dumped them.

[riversedge]

4. I recall that and was appauled. Than that who scene of Bush the Hero was beyond

the pale also. I, too, never could grasp that.

[Dave Starsky]

30. It makes me nauseous to even think about it.

That ridiculous aircraft carrier stunt with the flight suit. Hearing Chris Matthews ejaculate about how studly the Chimperor looked with his package all bulging out.

All right, that did it...

[canetoad]

7. Agree Jim

It was a scene set for a rampant display of nationalism. Some people saw straight through it, but the majority didn't. Sort of how DFT got elected.

Given that nothing is ever static, are we seing the signs of democracy, as a system, disintegrating?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. DFT? You mean DJT?

Дональда Джона Трампа (Donald John Trump)

[dhol82]

18. I believe that DFT refers to Donald Fucking Trump

[canetoad]

19. If I meant DJT

That's what I would have typed. Next?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. You can use any damn TLA you want. But if you want to be understood, with no speed bumps...

... You might wish to stick to Three Letter Acronyms that are instantly recognizable or are defined in the text.

But carry on if you like, it's your privilege, especially if you think saving yourself time is more important than saving time for hundreds (thousands?) of readers or think that you are writing only to an elite few who can instantly recognize your shibboleth in-group/out-group code. Or feel that you should take umbrage at a reader who asks for clarification or confirmation of their guess.

Next?

[Thor_MN]

42. I was puzzled the first time I saw DFT. For about half a second.

The meaning was obvious. But carry on, if you must, trying to correct someone else's post. You can even use a fancy cyrillic font which is meaningless, since Trump was born in the US. (Your misappropriation was obvious too, you intended to tie him to Russia.)

I'm not calling out out for misuse of a font, my intent is to point out your hypocrisy.

You can take umbrage, if you like, I simply don't care if you do.

[DFW]

12. This is exactly why any attack on Iran would be the height of stupidity

Iran has a very young average population age right now, and among the young generation, there is a LOT of serious dissent against the repressive religious regime. About the only way to get the majority back behind the repressive religious conservatives in Iran would be for us to attack them.

[Alice11111]

43. Well said. Just wish orange blob could figure this out. His ego first. America Second

[Hortensis]

24. Whole nations were "dumped." Us against the world.

"Freedom fries." The people who behaved this way then are even worse now, or at least more firmly radicalized and committed to supporting their "side," no matter what it's doing.

[laserhaas]

5. Difference is...Trump will seek to cash in...greatly

Gold and puts and vanishing records make unjust enrichments ....real easy to do.

[Hortensis]

25. Fine with me, if that were it. If 45 were distracted

sufficiently by opportunities to dip into the giant till, we wouldn't be so worried.

Instead, this mentally disordered man, whom we've made the most militarily powerful on the planet, and who craves respect and fear commensurate with his greatness, is becoming more and more angry and frustrated. And his aides know how this downward political spiral they're all on could be turned around...

[laserhaas]

46. Understand....as his "Ambassador" just made

abundantly clear....in the posted threatening

[Skittles]

6. I was among the 10% who never fell for Dubya's bullshit

I could not believe the sheep mindset that set in

[Dave Starsky]

23. I was shaking my head from Day One.

People who I always thought were reasonable seemed to have completely lost their goddam minds.

I felt like that kid in that movie Invaders from Mars who discovers that all of the responsible adults in town have screws installed in the backs of their necks.

[Skittles]

26. do you remember Reagan

he made greed and stupidity fashionable, and people fell for that bullshit too.....I was young, I remember thinking how stupid people were for not seeing through that act

[Dave Starsky]

27. The day that guy got elected, our science teacher...

gave us an impromptu lecture on supply-side economics and how bad he felt for us that we were all going to be completely fucked when we grew up.

We were all looking at each other, totally puzzled. What the hell was he blathering on about? This is science class, for crying out loud!

But he was dead right.

[Skittles]

28. I couldn't stand him

his bullshit "folksy charm" made me sick

[Dave Starsky]

29. And they keep going back to that well.

Reagan and his cowboy hat and ridin' the range on his California ranch. Then Dubya with his phony ranch and fear of horses.

I guess we can be thankful that Trump wouldn't get within a hundred miles of a ranch and is someone that no one would "wanna have a beer with", except to dump it on his head.

[Skittles]

31. oh yeah, the "windshield cowboy"

the man was afraid of horses, but pretended to be a fucking cowboy....oy

[uponit7771]

33. +1, I didn't fall for it and then was brought to DU... where there was a whole group who didn't fall

... for it.

I was first on slate

[Skittles]

34. the Supreme Court installing Dubya into the White House brought me to DU

yes indeed

[uponit7771]

35. I was still in Clinton euphoria and didn't think Dub could screw what he did up that bad, 911 woke..

... me up ... We've still never seen the unedited video from the actual 911 date of the vessel hitting the Pentagon

The FBI put 9/12 on the video and edited out frames in the name of national security...

[Skittles]

47. Dubya had been my governor for six years

I thought he was a nitwit, and actually laughed when they announced he was running for governor. I'll never forget the chill that came over me when I realized, OMFG THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE HIM PRESIDENT. The guy was a total puppet.

[Maraya1969]

8. I kind of think not because that would make Trump look really bad. 9/11 was a shock and

no one knew about how he disregarded the intel until later.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. We need to be prepared because Bannon is cleverer than Bush & more messianic than Cheney

Instead of one hugely dramatic event, they may ramp it up with a series of smaller events or take advantage of deeply embedded troublemakers like anarchists and religious terrorists of any stripe.

Not to refight old battles, but I'll simply state I think Bush-Cheney was opportunist in the worst way without necessarily (but maybe) being LIHOP. There is much Bannon and Flynn can capitalize on just by waiting, and there is the possibility of LIHOP/MIHOP -- I wouldn't put it past Bannon.

Bannon thinks that the US needs to be / will be reorganized by a major cataclysm on the scale of at a minimum of the Civil War and WWII. He follows a wacky nutjob theory from Stauss & Howe: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-bannon-apocalypse_us_5898f02ee4b040613138a951

We are already seeing a small crackdown by ICE, rounding up "collateral" people who happened to be Without Papers While Brown.

[Thor_MN]

44. Bannon wants a apocalypse...

Bad enough that a whackjob believes the end is nigh, but Bannon wants to create a world war.

I am more afraid of that asshole than any other person in this misadministration.

[zentrum]

9. Yes, it does

....feel this way. Perfect storm to create/have a terror event.

[C Moon]

10. I remember the weak-laughable pretzel choking days...which were soon followed by 9-11.

I have no doubt Putin is setting up something big for Trump.
I said this some time ago, but I fear it will be California this time. Trump has already noted his hate for CA, and the GOP would love to get more votes here—especially with the gubernatorial election coming in 2018. All the pieces are falling into place.
I fucking hate the GOP.

[NBachers]

14. California would be a win-win for trump and the fascists.

The republicans will do everything possible to slow-walk a response; and they'll Disaster Capitalize on anything they do send.

Republicans will also fan the flames of gloating and rejoicing from the rest of the country.

Somehow, I can't see trump standing on the stumps of the Golden Gate Bridge with a hardhat and megaphone, "directing the rescue effort."

[world wide wally]

11. The fact that Trump is inviting at terrorist attack should be a part of every conversation about him

Then when it happens, and we know it will, it will be that much harder to push it on the Democrats.
But in all honesty, I can't see this nation rallying around Trump for any reason.

[C Moon]

20. When people are scared and unsure, they do look for a leader.

I think it would put Trump in the 60% range.
Pretty fucked up, but true (IMO).

[colorado_ufo]

16. Remember when Bush himself said

"I hit the trifecta"?

There is so much more that needs to be disclosed, it makes the Kennedy assassination look transparent.

[Dave Starsky]

22. Well, we have a saying in Texas.

I'm sure you have it in Tennessee, too, but we have it in Texas: "Fool me once, shame on... you. Fool me twice, shame on... fool me, can't get fooled again!"

[Achilleaze]

32. Recommended reading

Gulp

[uponit7771]

36. Daisy Cutter or frog nuke, some liberal city... most likely in a swing state. The KGOP is desperate

[mnhtnbb]

37. Here's the link to the full Krugman opinion piece in the NY Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/10/opinion/when-the-fire-comes.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

[riversedge]

40. I like the photo from the Krugman article also..

Protesters at the inauguration in January. Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times

[BlueStater]

38. If a massive terrorist attack happens, it will completely be the orange turd's fault.

I'll never stop hammering that fact into the heads of his brain-dead cult followers and I won't allow them to change the narrative the way they did with Shrub that we now have to rally behind their despicable "president" and any criticisms of him are suddenly "anti-American". Fuck them and fuck their vile hero.

[Squinch]

39. I see this coming like a slow moving train. But the question is, what do we do now to

inoculate ourselves and others against it?

All I can think of is to describe this situation to everyone we come in contact with in advance so that we can say, "this is what I told you about" when it begins. Some will believe and some will not, and you know we will go up against the whole MIC when we try to put out accurate messaging.

It begins to occur to me that the entire problem with the Democratic Party is its PR. It's policies are good. It's messaging sucks.

[WePurrsevere]

48. This is what I've been doing. If enough do so and keep doing so it may make...

those who aren't already thinking this way be more skeptical when it happens... although I truly hope it doesn't since these are human lives that would be lost... possibly even a friend, loved one or our own.

All I can think of is to describe this situation to everyone we come in contact with in advance so that we can say, "this is what I told you about" when it begins.

[roamer65]

45. It is widely known that Dump skips or ignores intelligence briefings. SO...

this time would be widely different. It would utterly fracture the country right down the middle, as 50 pct will blame Dump directly for it. I think it would be the beginning of civil unrest.

If his cabal had any involvement in it, the CIA would not let it rest.