Tactical extremism brought America Reagan, Gingrich, Trump--and a looming threat to democracy

[Zorro]

The insurgency that smashed its way into the Capitol on Jan. 6 didn’t end on that day. It certainly didn’t begin on that day. For more than five decades, Republicans have become more and more dependent on a system that feeds the most extreme voices, punishes any sign of moderation, and ensures that there is no such thing as “going too far.”

When wondering why Republicans didn’t turn away from Donald Trump and try to salvage some modicum of responsibility as they tried to rebuild the Republican Party, the answer is simple enough—there is no Republican Party. There hasn’t been one in decades. There is simply nothing there to reform.

This is a party that, in the 2020 elections, did not even bother to write a platform. It makes no promises to the people. It has no defining philosophy. What it has is funding. What that funding demands is extremism.

It’s a six-decade history of using “strategic extremism” to keep people angry and America off-balance.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/1/6/2073044/-Republicans-heads-for-2022-as-a-pro-insurgency-party-squarely-behind-the-Big-Lie

[BeckyDem]

1. St. Ronnie, government is the problem, not the solution.

How so many did not see through what that meant. Corporations will make more money, pay fewer taxes and YOUR kids' schools will suffer, YOUR roads will suffer. But you get to have a million guns and ammo, keep the woman across the street from you who you do not know from having an abortion, and other such important life-saving "freedoms."

Ultimately, it was a strategy to keep white people pacified. GOP is the party of white supremacists and greed.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

3. "Ultimately, it was a system to keep white people pacified."

That is an interesting point and I believe that is true.

To pacify something or someone, it has to be angry, afraid, or needy of something in the first place. Hence, the vast right wing propaganda machine to get the right agitated, believing they are victims, and fearful that "they" are taking over everything.

[BeckyDem]

5. The record is pretty clear on it. They were thrown policy bones so to speak at these targeted areas

but what was essential to getting them to be so distracted? Fear of the other. It was part of Trump's first speech when he kicked off his campaign. Trump validated their nationalism/bigotry.


The Real Origins of the Religious Right

They’ll tell you it was abortion. Sorry, the historical record’s clear: It was segregation.

By RANDALL BALMER

May 27, 2014

Randall Balmer is the Mandel family professor in the arts and sciences at Dartmouth College. His most recent book is Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133/

[Probatim]

6. Less about keeping white people pacified as it was ensuring

poor whites from seeing they were in the same boat as poor minorities.

As it stands, poor people of all colors have the same problems. Having someone tell you that your problems are caused by the black family down the street getting public assistance or the migrants coming across the border are getting social security (they don't) is an easier sell than telling poor whites that republican policies are meant to keep them where they are.

If they ever came to their senses and realized they've been lied to for generations, there might be some consequences to the republicans. As long as fox news and AM hate radio are around, this isn't likely to happen.

[Irish_Dem]

2. The GOP has a platform: End of democracy, autocratic rule.

States are independent from the federal government.
All the money and power in the US belongs to them.

[wyn borkins]

4. Please Repost (This) Every Day And Thank You, Zorro (N/T)