11 Comments

If history is any indication of future events then the Republican Party will continue to dominate U.S government (Supreme Court, Pentagon, Senate, etc.). The people funding the party are the same people who have benefited from legislation drafted by ALEC and passed by state and federal legislatures. The same people control the social media and all other media outlets. Richard Nixon would be considered a moderate Democrat by today's standards and a target of Rubert Murdoch and company.

All that the 25 wealthiest men of Germany wanted when they met with Hitler in 1933 was a ban on trade unions, which they got. The Nazi leaders were provided with millions of marks in funding and a side deal where workers' paychecks would have money deducted that would go directly to a slush fund for the Nazi leadership to use as they pleased. Hitler also depended on an agreement with the Catholic Pope Pius XII to support his bid to become chancellor. Now we have Republicans making similar financial arrangements and depending on extremists in the evangelical cults to be their christian soldiers, often armed soldiers.

Elites in every country have welcomed fascist dictators as it provides the best environment for their criminal activities. They depend on a stupid populace to work against themselves for racist reasons. Divide and conquer has been a very successful stratagem for millenia.

Expand full comment

I saw a recent poll today that said 26% of those polled believe Trump won in 2020, 16% were unsure who won. In the run-up to 2020, a lot of progressives believed the end was nigh for the GOP because they were backing a candidate who was completely at odds with their white protestant evangelical base. I think most of us were were surprised when the mega churches turned into MAGA churches and put Trump up there next to the holy trinity of God, guns and (white protestant) babies. Most of us were doubly surprised that he could win an election, but he had a lot of help. We have to get people out to vote to wipe the floor with them. We have to find ways around the anti-voting laws so that the voter suppression backfires.

Expand full comment
founding

As always, Professor, you have your hammer well positioned above the nail and your aim is true. We can see the Republican civil war playing out in front of us. It's fascinating that we can look at the same fact patterns as the MSM and they can't see the danger. Maybe they do but, access is needed and fear of not having it prevents their mouth from opening and the voice from speaking truth. But, I see this as the middle of the end for the hard right. From the 'Tea Party' to the 'Freedom Caucus' to 'Trumpism' to it's demise, it's time is winding down and it has not accomplished it's goal. We must stay vigilant and keep our eyes and ears open and alert. But, I see many good things happening for the progressives and the right losing it's grip on power. Personally, I would prefer if the GOP just went away and took it's minions with it.

Expand full comment

Personally, I am both "exhausted & increasingly sickened" by people talking about the "Republican Party" as though it were a political party--when, in fact, it is merely a personal cult of Donald J. Trump. I am waiting for a non-political documentary to come out simply evidencing in their own reality-denying, principle-free, hypocritical, racist, family-separating, flip-flopping, power-grubbing actions and words that will expose them for who they are and what they stand for (fascistic money & power)--and thus put their own nails in their own coffin. I think the name "Republican Party" needs to go in order for the country to move on...by completely removing any and all semblance of "Trumpism."

Expand full comment

Who are "the public' referred to? Preaching to the choir has been meaningless since the biggest mass marches against Iraq "Shock and Awe" and since NAFTA and GATT. We Hartmann folks haven't counted for a long time. Headline today: "Supreme Court sides with GOP in election map case." (Alabama: 25% black: 1 of 7 congresspeople. Lower court: not a close question, blatantly illegal. HaHa punch your T.S. card, "the public") Also today's news, Facebook honcho resigns to pump Trump. If "the public" counted, Ralph Nader would be president. Dream on.

Expand full comment

So, is the best hope for any remnant of actual representative democracy surviving long-term in das Heimatland still dependent upon the irascible rich-man’s party somehow restraining itself, at the bare minimum, by reverting to its mere quasi-fascist roots while remaining, of course, 100 percent beholden to an oligarchical power structure of white privilege?

How’d that work out? The past is prologue: The same marriage made in hell back during the Reagan reign has spawned the “Trumplican” party of today.

But there’s no giving up now! If there’s any hope at all for the future of democracy in keeping a dangerous mass delusion from spreading further, a worldview that authoritarian plutocracy is superior to the will of the People, then the sane among us MUST defeat America’s true enemy at the polls — utterly decimate! — election after election. Simple but hard.

And so sad. But what will ever happen to the poor old, once “Grand” Old Party (a misnomer if ever)? Screw ‘em all! Call it the Republican Party, or call it a ham sandwich. For all anyone cares, maybe these malignant tricksters and fcksters who tried to usurp the throne will plot their next herky-jerk course to some dystopian Zombieland far, far away in a distant galaxy. And, yes, the monster companies running the show should once and for all CANCEL these unrepentant, lying, murderous, stupid bastards from ALL wingnut social media platforms floating around out there untethered in the backwaters of cyberspace. Permanently. It’s much easier to ignore a squeaking mouse than a roaring lion.

Here they come! Under maniacal King Trump’s banner, the Army of the Dead is on the march. Grab the popcorn. “The revolution will be televised.” Coming soon to a device near you is the existential, Game of Thrones-level battle of the ages between fundamental democracy and fascism. Either by voting or not voting, the audience will get to write the script of their own, never-ending story. “The hour of dire need draws nigh.” (William James)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by0fsLL4wSU

Expand full comment

United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack come on down! The time is ripe to get the facts out there.

Republicans wanted the American voters weary and wary of their election results. That tactic has already backfired. The damage to their party may well be permanent. It just makes Dems fight harder.

The Romney quote is extra : “It could not have been a more inappropriate message. Anything that my party does that comes across as being stupid is not going to help us.” How about four years of non-stop stupid, Senator?

Expand full comment
Feb 9, 2022·edited Feb 9, 2022

thanks again Dr Hartmann. Our problems lie with Adam and Eve. They cursed mankind by eating the flesh of the apple. They ate the flesh of weaker, lesser beings while wandering from G-d. They fell from Grace. Today we have the equivalent Protestants, obvious, self-proclaimed Descendents of Adam and Eve continuing the carnage against G-d and her minions...the Adam and Eve Diet has disastrous consequences. I believe in the Bible's words, and I thank G-d for my deliverance. Forbidden Fruit? Wow-what a con job. GMO Processed shit with addictive pharmaceutical drugs to cure all the side effects of this substance they sell as food, and to cure all the side effects of the drugs they push on the public. America has a pill for every ailment. Baby formula is the worst. Rob the child of mother's milk. Wow---food is medicine. medicine is food. Food is sacred, Nature is sacred. G-d is sacred. We are sacred. The protestants are causing the problems in the world. Guns, flags and bibles.... remember materialism is a sin. Read the commandments. Thou shalt not kill. That means anything. We have permission to eat plants. period. think about the world's future-Don't Kill. Don Trump is a perfect Protestant....

Expand full comment

That's just straight truth, Thom.

As a tangent, it would be nice to revisit the shattering of AT&T. I don't see how we as a people can operate with them in the picture. From bribing fascist politicians, to funding OAN, to being so intertwined with the NSA as to be synonymous - AT&T has got. To. Go. Not to mention they own an enormous chunk of our national information infrastructure backbone (too big to fail, right?).

Expand full comment