Thom, there are a number of commenters who are onto the New Confederacy. I wrote on this at tafm.and our old sds comrade Carl Davidson has a discussion group on it. Thorne Dreyer has had several people on Rag Radio discussing this. I have long seen the GOP as the new Confederacy. You have definitely pointed out all the disturbing parallels.
This was a great read today! Before reading this I never really questioned the phraseology of using the term "radical republicans" to describe that group in the 1860s. The excerpt from 1868 and consolidation of democratic party in the south shed more light in this andcreally make you wonder about that name. After all, were they really that radical? And what was so radical about them, especially compared to today's republicans as described here.
Another aspect of things that this points to is the democratic donor/ political strategy that involves focusing mainly on federal govt and very little political little work / resources at state level.
David Daly's book showed how problematic this has been - with a relatively limited political donation several companies funded a strategy that wiped out a lot of dems on state level. Unfortunately nobody seems to notice this. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratf**ked
The big donors to Democratic Party typically care little about state politics. This seems to be (esp. under citizens United) one of the keys to creating or potential mitigating this mess - democrats need a 50 state strategy. Democrats need to win in Texas.
This needs to be emphasized. Let's not fall into the error of thinking that Texas is unwinable for democrats. Trump won it with less than 6 million votes but close to 30 million live there.
The northern states had better be prepared to guard their borders. The GOP will create third world nation standard of livings. Their poor who are mentally ill because of poverty from too much financial stress will flee and come to the blue States for a better life. Whether the blue states can absorb them and become more prosperous or be drug down to a third world standard of living remains to be seen. When a few have almost all the wealth and resources, it doesn't look very good.
I just listened to your podcast with May Williamson from a year ago. You shared that the Tea Party movement (ground up, local) is what gave the republicans their power- same as the confederacy. If progressive dems want to emerge as a force, we need to do the same. Nothing has changed.
Glad you have opted to breathe, Thom. Thanks for the history as always.
The Republicans have thrown out equal protection under the law, along with throwing out protecting anyone from anything. That's what your gun is for. That's what your insurance you cannot afford is for. That's what that ENORMOUS defense budget is for. It's all so they can sleep at night knowing the general welfare of this country and you are not THEIR responsibility. They have other things to do like making sure you can't easily vote, fighting renewables, and promoting every racist, fascist policy they can dream up.
Has anyone written the Red State Blues? It's coming, and we already feel for our brothers and sisters in them that are trying to fight them where they have to live!
Excellent article, as usual. All of it I need to share with the public, yet people around me seem to be zombies sometimes. I will remember that De Santis showed up with people with Swastikas. This article like most is very well written. Once you said these conservatives hate to be called fascists, and you showed how ubiquitous these supporters of Hitler have been in our own US history. Ever since then I try to use the opportunity to use the word fascist if I can in front of them. Thanks for telling us. Sincerely Harriet Elliott
Are We Seeing the Reemergence of the Old Confederacy, This Time as the GOP?
Thom, there are a number of commenters who are onto the New Confederacy. I wrote on this at tafm.and our old sds comrade Carl Davidson has a discussion group on it. Thorne Dreyer has had several people on Rag Radio discussing this. I have long seen the GOP as the new Confederacy. You have definitely pointed out all the disturbing parallels.
I wonder if we will get to the point where we start seeing population transfers as liberal-minded people move to blue states and vice versa.
This was a great read today! Before reading this I never really questioned the phraseology of using the term "radical republicans" to describe that group in the 1860s. The excerpt from 1868 and consolidation of democratic party in the south shed more light in this andcreally make you wonder about that name. After all, were they really that radical? And what was so radical about them, especially compared to today's republicans as described here.
Another aspect of things that this points to is the democratic donor/ political strategy that involves focusing mainly on federal govt and very little political little work / resources at state level.
David Daly's book showed how problematic this has been - with a relatively limited political donation several companies funded a strategy that wiped out a lot of dems on state level. Unfortunately nobody seems to notice this. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratf**ked
The big donors to Democratic Party typically care little about state politics. This seems to be (esp. under citizens United) one of the keys to creating or potential mitigating this mess - democrats need a 50 state strategy. Democrats need to win in Texas.
This needs to be emphasized. Let's not fall into the error of thinking that Texas is unwinable for democrats. Trump won it with less than 6 million votes but close to 30 million live there.
The northern states had better be prepared to guard their borders. The GOP will create third world nation standard of livings. Their poor who are mentally ill because of poverty from too much financial stress will flee and come to the blue States for a better life. Whether the blue states can absorb them and become more prosperous or be drug down to a third world standard of living remains to be seen. When a few have almost all the wealth and resources, it doesn't look very good.
I just listened to your podcast with May Williamson from a year ago. You shared that the Tea Party movement (ground up, local) is what gave the republicans their power- same as the confederacy. If progressive dems want to emerge as a force, we need to do the same. Nothing has changed.
Glad you have opted to breathe, Thom. Thanks for the history as always.
The Republicans have thrown out equal protection under the law, along with throwing out protecting anyone from anything. That's what your gun is for. That's what your insurance you cannot afford is for. That's what that ENORMOUS defense budget is for. It's all so they can sleep at night knowing the general welfare of this country and you are not THEIR responsibility. They have other things to do like making sure you can't easily vote, fighting renewables, and promoting every racist, fascist policy they can dream up.
Has anyone written the Red State Blues? It's coming, and we already feel for our brothers and sisters in them that are trying to fight them where they have to live!
Excellent article, as usual. All of it I need to share with the public, yet people around me seem to be zombies sometimes. I will remember that De Santis showed up with people with Swastikas. This article like most is very well written. Once you said these conservatives hate to be called fascists, and you showed how ubiquitous these supporters of Hitler have been in our own US history. Ever since then I try to use the opportunity to use the word fascist if I can in front of them. Thanks for telling us. Sincerely Harriet Elliott
At red-state fairs, alongside cotton candy, it wouldn't surprise me to see new carnival games such as:
- Bullwhip the leftist college student
- Whip the pinko unionizer
- Whip a commie
- Whip a poor person (any race)
- Whip an illegal immigrant
- Whip a minority (your choice)
- Whip a mystery gender
- Whip a non-Christian
There is a lot we agree on: https://michaelpodhorzer.substack.com/p/congressional-class-inversion-or