11-16-2021, 11:43 AM
Strictly speaking, it is nearly impossible to not be ideological these days. 45% of Americans seem to believe the Trump ideology and 45% seem to reliably abhor it. And, yes, the Trump agenda implies demonization of everything liberal and enlightened as an affront to the True Believer MAGA types. I see plenty of houses (I live in rural Michigan, which politically might as well be western Nebraska or the Teas panhandle) , and I see Trump banners (including those that say "Trump won and you know it!"), F--K Biden, Gadsden (rattlesnake) flags, and even Confederate flags. No Nazi stuff; there are too many Polish-Americans who would rend or burn those demonic banners.
The MAGA types are going to keep believing their junk with the expectation that they will convince us liberals to stop our "baby-killing", replace Critical Race Theory with an acceptance of slavery and Jim Crow practices as necessary, reject our acceptance of exotic culture, acquiesce in the new aristocracy of neoliberalism, and recognize that creationism is truth because it is supposedly in the Bible and evolution is in the Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital, or the Sayings of Chairman Mao... or whatever. Then and only then will we mostly be happy serfs basking in the glow of castles and palaces instead of ingrates who want more to eat and more rest and have problems with our kids becoming cannon fodder..
It's the choice between fascism and freedom. The firmest supporters of fascism, other than the sadistic brutes who take delight in beating, robbing, and killing people or burning books and smashing storefront windows, are the aristocratic types who were the financial backers of fascist causes.
The progressive side has already adopted some old-fashioned conservative values including the rule of law, recognition of the need for law and order, and acquiescence with tradition (of course not always their personal traditions Then again, pluralism recognizes tradition (s long as it isn't exploitative or abusive) for its validity if people feel comfortable with ii.
The MAGA types are going to keep believing their junk with the expectation that they will convince us liberals to stop our "baby-killing", replace Critical Race Theory with an acceptance of slavery and Jim Crow practices as necessary, reject our acceptance of exotic culture, acquiesce in the new aristocracy of neoliberalism, and recognize that creationism is truth because it is supposedly in the Bible and evolution is in the Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital, or the Sayings of Chairman Mao... or whatever. Then and only then will we mostly be happy serfs basking in the glow of castles and palaces instead of ingrates who want more to eat and more rest and have problems with our kids becoming cannon fodder..
It's the choice between fascism and freedom. The firmest supporters of fascism, other than the sadistic brutes who take delight in beating, robbing, and killing people or burning books and smashing storefront windows, are the aristocratic types who were the financial backers of fascist causes.
The progressive side has already adopted some old-fashioned conservative values including the rule of law, recognition of the need for law and order, and acquiescence with tradition (of course not always their personal traditions Then again, pluralism recognizes tradition (s long as it isn't exploitative or abusive) for its validity if people feel comfortable with ii.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.