https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-racist-ad-750415/?fbclid=IwAR3bpf3AvMUFy1KXDBaQNI6Scdb6ivRSppDUd-V5Q7fl2xHU2yjV9pIRi1M
"President Trump has provided America with yet another reminder to never underestimate how deep into the gutter he will crawl to win an election."
Monday, November 5, 2018
Fox Business looks to paper over its promotion of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories
https://thinkprogress.org/fox-business-looks-to-paper-over-its-promotion-of-anti-semitic-conspiracy-theories-4fa6ada761e4/?fbclid=IwAR3szUw3kOiOocweC3PcoxSzyE_W63GQ-tjReJzqnce_fl_eoSO4JJbzVUE
"Fox Business senior VP Gary Scheier yanked the Dobbs segment in question from the station’s re-airing pool. Media reporters Oliver Darcy and Brian Stelter relayed a statement from Scheier saying the network condemns Farrell’s rhetoric. Farrell used the same ZOG-adjacent phrase in a May appearance, too, Darcy noted. The truth is that Fox loves the Soros-is-the-devil framework, and is only crow-hopping backward on Farrell because he had the ingenious idea to ape the phraseology of out-and-out neo-Nazis. Fox News and Fox Business are each deeply bought into the Soros narrative. Judicial Watch, Farrell’s organization, has long been a useful ally in that smear campaign, routinely firing out incomplete information swaddled in the kind of batty handwaving paranoia about Soros that had once been restricted to places like Breitbart, Alex Jones’ Infowars, and other places that have been legitimized and laundered into the mainstream by Fox’s powerful messaging machine for decades."
"Fox Business senior VP Gary Scheier yanked the Dobbs segment in question from the station’s re-airing pool. Media reporters Oliver Darcy and Brian Stelter relayed a statement from Scheier saying the network condemns Farrell’s rhetoric. Farrell used the same ZOG-adjacent phrase in a May appearance, too, Darcy noted. The truth is that Fox loves the Soros-is-the-devil framework, and is only crow-hopping backward on Farrell because he had the ingenious idea to ape the phraseology of out-and-out neo-Nazis. Fox News and Fox Business are each deeply bought into the Soros narrative. Judicial Watch, Farrell’s organization, has long been a useful ally in that smear campaign, routinely firing out incomplete information swaddled in the kind of batty handwaving paranoia about Soros that had once been restricted to places like Breitbart, Alex Jones’ Infowars, and other places that have been legitimized and laundered into the mainstream by Fox’s powerful messaging machine for decades."
Why Did Synagogue Suspect Believe Migrant Caravan Is Jewish Conspiracy? Maybe He Watched Fox News.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/robert-bowers-suspected-synagogue-shooter-believes-migrant-caravan-is-jewish-conspiracy.html?fbclid=IwAR3SKW7orDEVqw-vKkuqBK1Qmt4vhGYQEe6zpQnO6KEbwtIeNbDFacs07BQ
"Fox News has often talked about a connection between the caravan and George Soros, who is often described by anti-Semites as the head of a “globalist” effort that is “seeking to undermine a white, Christian social order,” as Talia Levin wrote in the Washington Post recently. On Thursday, merely two days before Bowers reportedly opened fire at the Pittsburgh synagogue, Lou Dobbs had a guest on the show who directly made the connection between Soros and the caravan. “A lot of these folks have affiliates that are getting money from the Soros-occupied state department,” Chris Farrell, Judicial Watch’s director of investigations and research, said. As Josh Marshall from Talking Points Memo pointed out on Twitter “‘ZOG’ is a staple of white supremacist/neo-Nazi websites/literature etc. Stands for ‘Zionist occupied government,’… This guy knows exactly what lever he’s pulling when he uses this phrase,” Marshall wrote. A screengrab of an apparent Bowers repost on Gab appears to confirm he was well acquainted with the term. Farrell was hardly the first to make the connection on Fox News. Earlier in the month, Fox & Friends also mentioned the connection, this time citing a tweet by Rep. Matt Gaetz that openly questioned whether Soros was funding the caravan. “Mr. Gaetz yesterday called for an investigation whether U.S. backed NGO’s, or George Soros were behind the caravan,” Fox News’ Steve Doocy said. Rep. Louie Gohmert also mentioned the possibility that Soros was funding the caravan earlier this week. “Well, I can’t help but think the Democrats — perhaps Soros — may be funding this thinking it’s going to help them,” Gohmert said. Beyond what he could have heard on Fox News though, Bowers also seemed to be fond of a theory that has become viral on far-right websites and forums. That theory involves a photo that appears to show migrants getting onto a truck that has an apparent Star of David visible on the side."
"Fox News has often talked about a connection between the caravan and George Soros, who is often described by anti-Semites as the head of a “globalist” effort that is “seeking to undermine a white, Christian social order,” as Talia Levin wrote in the Washington Post recently. On Thursday, merely two days before Bowers reportedly opened fire at the Pittsburgh synagogue, Lou Dobbs had a guest on the show who directly made the connection between Soros and the caravan. “A lot of these folks have affiliates that are getting money from the Soros-occupied state department,” Chris Farrell, Judicial Watch’s director of investigations and research, said. As Josh Marshall from Talking Points Memo pointed out on Twitter “‘ZOG’ is a staple of white supremacist/neo-Nazi websites/literature etc. Stands for ‘Zionist occupied government,’… This guy knows exactly what lever he’s pulling when he uses this phrase,” Marshall wrote. A screengrab of an apparent Bowers repost on Gab appears to confirm he was well acquainted with the term. Farrell was hardly the first to make the connection on Fox News. Earlier in the month, Fox & Friends also mentioned the connection, this time citing a tweet by Rep. Matt Gaetz that openly questioned whether Soros was funding the caravan. “Mr. Gaetz yesterday called for an investigation whether U.S. backed NGO’s, or George Soros were behind the caravan,” Fox News’ Steve Doocy said. Rep. Louie Gohmert also mentioned the possibility that Soros was funding the caravan earlier this week. “Well, I can’t help but think the Democrats — perhaps Soros — may be funding this thinking it’s going to help them,” Gohmert said. Beyond what he could have heard on Fox News though, Bowers also seemed to be fond of a theory that has become viral on far-right websites and forums. That theory involves a photo that appears to show migrants getting onto a truck that has an apparent Star of David visible on the side."
Hate Unbound
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/30/hate-unbound?fbclid=IwAR3UV6PsHUcTOGM3mh446d_46lFZke8QyCKMMO6YVAiapGW4TKAA1AiGK5w
"Fox News has magnified the fear and hate exactly as its founder would have wanted. A guest on Lou Dobbs’ show claimed the caravan was being funded by the “Soros-occupied State Department.” That same week, Soros was among the targets of pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and members of the media. A Florida man who identifies himself as a Trump supporter was arrested in connection with the attempted bombings. Hours before a gunman entered a synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed eleven worshipers, he reportedly wrote that a Jewish organization for refugees “likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” Bombs mailed to political leaders. Threats against the media. A shooting in a place of worship. None were directly ordered by Trump or his propaganda affiliate. They didn’t have to be. Trump’s demagoguery inspired it. Fox News magnified it. The hatefulness is unconstrained. Having fired the few “adults” in his Cabinet, Trump is now loose in the White House, except for a few advisors who reportedly are trying to protect the nation from him. House and Senate Republicans are not holding him back. To the contrary, they have morphed into his sycophants. An increasing number are sounding just like him. Atwater and Ailes are gone from this world, but their descendants – Fox News’s Sean Hannity and Bill Shine, formerly Roger Ailes’s deputy – have direct pipelines to Trump (Shine is now formally installed in the West Wing). The upcoming election is not really a choice between Republicans and Democrats. Those traditional labels have lost most of their meaning, if not much of their value. It is really a choice about the moral compass of America."
"Fox News has magnified the fear and hate exactly as its founder would have wanted. A guest on Lou Dobbs’ show claimed the caravan was being funded by the “Soros-occupied State Department.” That same week, Soros was among the targets of pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and members of the media. A Florida man who identifies himself as a Trump supporter was arrested in connection with the attempted bombings. Hours before a gunman entered a synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed eleven worshipers, he reportedly wrote that a Jewish organization for refugees “likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” Bombs mailed to political leaders. Threats against the media. A shooting in a place of worship. None were directly ordered by Trump or his propaganda affiliate. They didn’t have to be. Trump’s demagoguery inspired it. Fox News magnified it. The hatefulness is unconstrained. Having fired the few “adults” in his Cabinet, Trump is now loose in the White House, except for a few advisors who reportedly are trying to protect the nation from him. House and Senate Republicans are not holding him back. To the contrary, they have morphed into his sycophants. An increasing number are sounding just like him. Atwater and Ailes are gone from this world, but their descendants – Fox News’s Sean Hannity and Bill Shine, formerly Roger Ailes’s deputy – have direct pipelines to Trump (Shine is now formally installed in the West Wing). The upcoming election is not really a choice between Republicans and Democrats. Those traditional labels have lost most of their meaning, if not much of their value. It is really a choice about the moral compass of America."
Breaking down Gab: What you need to know about the social media platform that is a "haven for white nationalists"
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/10/28/breaking-down-gab-what-you-need-know-about-social-media-platform-haven-white-nationalists/221890?fbclid=IwAR3M_D7TPMKb1FOyrTrrsMFqqtDkTFH3K9ng6wsg7gQSk9bAL9NJImcYWe8
"Extremists embraced the platform as an opportunity, and white nationalist darling Tucker Carlson hosted Torba during his prime-time show on Fox to promote Gab, failing to mention the extremism that had already festered on the site."
"Extremists embraced the platform as an opportunity, and white nationalist darling Tucker Carlson hosted Torba during his prime-time show on Fox to promote Gab, failing to mention the extremism that had already festered on the site."
Trump Declares Himself A Nationalist. What Would Orwell Say?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/24/1806837/-Trump-Declares-Himself-A-Nationalist-What-Would-Orwell-Say?utm_campaign=spotlight&fbclid=IwAR2bXx-oLc5C0ZHTo-thSMdmYdV0zpBW045oP1W1UxDg6r9qLoEcGpRQzoA
"2. Instability By this, Orwell refers to how prior values and views will be subordinated to new values of the culture and personality of nationalism. Old truths will be abandoned and prior lies will be accepted as true. “A country or other unit which has been worshipped for years may suddenly become detestable, and some other object of affection may take its place with almost no interval.” We certainly see this today as Trump attacks formerly respected allies, from Canada to NATO, in harsh terms. Trump does this while boosting those who were previously, and deservedly, the most disrespected in the world. A few years ago it would have been inconceivable that Americans would accept an American President saying he fell in love with the despotic leader of North Korea. Now Americans take that in stride, without batting an eye, his followers cheer it! There are many more examples of this, many quite disturbing, as the President seems to favor the most aggressive and evil nationalists he desires to emulate, while insulting our closest historical democratic allies. 3. Indifference to Reality “Nationalism is power-hunger tempered by self-deception. Every nationalist is capable of the most flagrant dishonesty, but he is also — since he is conscious of serving something bigger than himself — unshakeably certain of being in the right . . . [Every nationalist] spends part of his time in a fantasy world in which things happen as they should . . . One has no way of verifying the facts, one is not even fully certain that they have happened, and one is always presented with totally different interpretations from different sources . . . The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Since nothing is ever quite proved or disproved, the most unmistakable fact can be impudently denied. Moreover, although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge, the nationalist is often somewhat uninterested in what happens in the real world."
"2. Instability By this, Orwell refers to how prior values and views will be subordinated to new values of the culture and personality of nationalism. Old truths will be abandoned and prior lies will be accepted as true. “A country or other unit which has been worshipped for years may suddenly become detestable, and some other object of affection may take its place with almost no interval.” We certainly see this today as Trump attacks formerly respected allies, from Canada to NATO, in harsh terms. Trump does this while boosting those who were previously, and deservedly, the most disrespected in the world. A few years ago it would have been inconceivable that Americans would accept an American President saying he fell in love with the despotic leader of North Korea. Now Americans take that in stride, without batting an eye, his followers cheer it! There are many more examples of this, many quite disturbing, as the President seems to favor the most aggressive and evil nationalists he desires to emulate, while insulting our closest historical democratic allies. 3. Indifference to Reality “Nationalism is power-hunger tempered by self-deception. Every nationalist is capable of the most flagrant dishonesty, but he is also — since he is conscious of serving something bigger than himself — unshakeably certain of being in the right . . . [Every nationalist] spends part of his time in a fantasy world in which things happen as they should . . . One has no way of verifying the facts, one is not even fully certain that they have happened, and one is always presented with totally different interpretations from different sources . . . The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Since nothing is ever quite proved or disproved, the most unmistakable fact can be impudently denied. Moreover, although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge, the nationalist is often somewhat uninterested in what happens in the real world."
Intel Withdraws Funding For White Supremacist GOP Congressman Steve King
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-king-intel_us_5bd7120ee4b055bc948e433e?fbclid=IwAR1lLILGxMgNY4gq3lmaqempDjgq_C4mv3gKij8xCxq0_Li76Ha3FdjzYhU
"King has long promoted white nationalist views without any consequence from the GOP."
"King has long promoted white nationalist views without any consequence from the GOP."
The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Is the Inevitable Result of Trump’s Vile Nationalism
https://www.thenation.com/article/pittsburgh-shooting-result-trump-nationalism/?fbclid=IwAR25oqPDkY61ffteb9nvJ46xtOkw_D7-S0Q8KI-DHLTjbZV9hihSGVVHP-E
"The viciously nationalist rhetoric Trump now uses at his rallies, his onslaught against “globalists”—the word itself, along with “cosmopolitan” has always been anti-Semitic code for “Jewish”—his demonizing of immigrants, of refugees, of asylum seekers, his accusation that George Soros is somehow behind the caravan of Hondurans and Guatemalans, this is quite simply fodder for anti-Semites. “Soros” to anti-Semites in 2018 is a similar slur to “Rothschild” in the previous century. Most American Jews are all too aware of what Trump’s rhetoric and actions can lead to. While much of the Orthodox community supported him in 2016, the overwhelming majority of Jewish voters did not. An American Jewish Committee poll last year found that 77 percent of US Jews opposed Trump. In solidarity with other immigrants’ rights organizations, groups like HIAS have continually sounded the alarm on the toxic nature of Trumpism. And the rabbi of the synagogue that was attacked today himself penned an article earlier this year warning of the dangers of both the gun culture and the anti-immigrant moment. “Our school students deserve better. Immigrant families deserve better. We deserve better,” he wrote. And yet, two years into his violent, nationalist presidency, a number of high-profile Jewish political and business figures continue to support and enable his presidency. Despite the fact that Trump has repeatedly dallied with the far right of US politics; despite the fact that the KKK supports him and that fascist websites such as The Daily Stormer routinely cheer him on; despite the fact that he found it impossible to unequivocally condemn neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville last summer; despite the fact he retweets tweets from virulent, conspiracy-minded organizations and individuals; despite the fact that several of his speeches over the past two years eerily echo language from speeches given by Mussolini and Hitler"
"The viciously nationalist rhetoric Trump now uses at his rallies, his onslaught against “globalists”—the word itself, along with “cosmopolitan” has always been anti-Semitic code for “Jewish”—his demonizing of immigrants, of refugees, of asylum seekers, his accusation that George Soros is somehow behind the caravan of Hondurans and Guatemalans, this is quite simply fodder for anti-Semites. “Soros” to anti-Semites in 2018 is a similar slur to “Rothschild” in the previous century. Most American Jews are all too aware of what Trump’s rhetoric and actions can lead to. While much of the Orthodox community supported him in 2016, the overwhelming majority of Jewish voters did not. An American Jewish Committee poll last year found that 77 percent of US Jews opposed Trump. In solidarity with other immigrants’ rights organizations, groups like HIAS have continually sounded the alarm on the toxic nature of Trumpism. And the rabbi of the synagogue that was attacked today himself penned an article earlier this year warning of the dangers of both the gun culture and the anti-immigrant moment. “Our school students deserve better. Immigrant families deserve better. We deserve better,” he wrote. And yet, two years into his violent, nationalist presidency, a number of high-profile Jewish political and business figures continue to support and enable his presidency. Despite the fact that Trump has repeatedly dallied with the far right of US politics; despite the fact that the KKK supports him and that fascist websites such as The Daily Stormer routinely cheer him on; despite the fact that he found it impossible to unequivocally condemn neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville last summer; despite the fact he retweets tweets from virulent, conspiracy-minded organizations and individuals; despite the fact that several of his speeches over the past two years eerily echo language from speeches given by Mussolini and Hitler"
Even After Synagogue Shooting, GOP Congressman Spread Caravan Conspiracy Theory
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/11/even-after-synagogue-shooting-gop-congressman-spread-caravan-conspiracy-theory/?fbclid=IwAR3Px8itEf59gLKkTXqr1BByxZSUXm5_LKOyCWI0cfXwluWqqISGemJ-0n4
"This isn’t the first conspiracy theory that Rohrabacher, 15-term congressman facing a tough reelection fight, has adopted. Following the deadly white nationalist protest that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year, he said he believed a “Hillary and Bernie supporter” had gathered Civil War re-enactors under the pretense of protecting the city’s Robert E. Lee statue—a “setup” by “left-wingers” who were trying to “put our president on the spot"."
"This isn’t the first conspiracy theory that Rohrabacher, 15-term congressman facing a tough reelection fight, has adopted. Following the deadly white nationalist protest that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year, he said he believed a “Hillary and Bernie supporter” had gathered Civil War re-enactors under the pretense of protecting the city’s Robert E. Lee statue—a “setup” by “left-wingers” who were trying to “put our president on the spot"."
"I Am a Nationalist": Donald Trump Apes Mussolini in Drive to Destroy America
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/i-am-nationalist-donald-trump-apes-mussolini-drive-destroy-america?fbclid=IwAR1xwgeDQw0Chy8IVdjrcRgK5xZWrn8ADzy3gwjuZ22Ox0xfzvEvQXFpg1k
"It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. He intends to destroy the United States as it has existed in modern history, as a country of the rule of law, a country of laws and not of men, a country with a free press. He intends to mobilize his supporters in the far rightwing gangs, in the police and the armed forces as Black Shirts if he can, to break heads. He intends to move the country to Fascism. That is what he means when he says, “I am a nationalist"."
"It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. He intends to destroy the United States as it has existed in modern history, as a country of the rule of law, a country of laws and not of men, a country with a free press. He intends to mobilize his supporters in the far rightwing gangs, in the police and the armed forces as Black Shirts if he can, to break heads. He intends to move the country to Fascism. That is what he means when he says, “I am a nationalist"."
Fox News pushing conspiracy theory that motivated Pittsburgh synagogue shooter
https://thinkprogress.org/fox-news-invasion-migrant-caravan-robert-bowers-4850831b6bd4/?fbclid=IwAR3n5TqeX80yCjSvjEVt3IdCimoY1BJ1WJd1MHo4v-vOBdVXT1y8smBf0-U
"If you thought that the murder of 11 Jewish people in their place of worship would be enough to stop Fox News personalities from pushing this “invasion” narrative, think again."
"If you thought that the murder of 11 Jewish people in their place of worship would be enough to stop Fox News personalities from pushing this “invasion” narrative, think again."
It’s a Right-Wing Cover-Up: Trump Was a Big Inspiration for the Synagogue Slaughter in Pittsburgh
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/30/its-right-wing-cover-trump-was-big-inspiration-synagogue-slaughter-pittsburgh?fbclid=IwAR3DiF_kJY3KjeT7P3DQGJ5K040RyzoEvWG89z_RDxuaWsT2kbk8P3hqyCw
"It’s a straight line—through Fox and right-wing hate radio—from Trump’s rhetoric about immigrants to the terrorist himself."
"It’s a straight line—through Fox and right-wing hate radio—from Trump’s rhetoric about immigrants to the terrorist himself."
What Has Trump Done To Us, America?
https://forward.com/opinion/412816/what-has-trump-done-to-us-america/?attribution=home-hero-item-text-2&fbclid=IwAR0JhE6oxRNjN4grOWlNFzKSKVxTh3L7hs0iUem3BqFmT4_MbE53TQJzeEQ
"We have become the nation of immigrants that is turning its back on immigrants, throwing them away from the border, separating families, locking up their children, and portraying them as satanic creatures ready to invade rather than ordinary people fleeing untenable circumstances. So is it any wonder that Robert Bowers, the man arrested for shooting eight people dead this morning at Etz Chaim synagogue in the heavily Jewish Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, was obsessed with HIAS, the legendary immigrant aid society that has helped Jews and non-Jews for more than a century? “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” he wrote on a social media post that has since been deleted. “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” We have become a nation where even the sacred space of worship no longer offers protection against raging white men with guns. (And they are almost always white men with guns.) Etz Chaim in Pittsburgh will now join the ignoble list of religious sanctuaries splattered with blood. Southerland Springs, Texas in 2017 (26 people dead.) Antioch, Tennessee in 2017 (one dead, many wounded.) Charleston, South Carolina in 2015 (nine dead.) The list really can go on. But very worst of all, we are a nation with a president who stokes this anger — against immigrants, against minorities, against anyone who disagrees with him at any moment — and then, when violence and death stain the landscape, blames the victims for not protecting themselves enough, as if that were the reason for the bloodshed. It’s time for the Jewish community in all its many facets to confront the complicity of the man in the White House, and all who support him — with money, votes, political expertise and moral cover. Because if you excuse the radical divisiveness spawned by this man, you are part of the problem. If you ignore his hateful tweets because you like his policies on Israel, you are part of the problem."
"We have become the nation of immigrants that is turning its back on immigrants, throwing them away from the border, separating families, locking up their children, and portraying them as satanic creatures ready to invade rather than ordinary people fleeing untenable circumstances. So is it any wonder that Robert Bowers, the man arrested for shooting eight people dead this morning at Etz Chaim synagogue in the heavily Jewish Pittsburgh neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, was obsessed with HIAS, the legendary immigrant aid society that has helped Jews and non-Jews for more than a century? “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” he wrote on a social media post that has since been deleted. “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” We have become a nation where even the sacred space of worship no longer offers protection against raging white men with guns. (And they are almost always white men with guns.) Etz Chaim in Pittsburgh will now join the ignoble list of religious sanctuaries splattered with blood. Southerland Springs, Texas in 2017 (26 people dead.) Antioch, Tennessee in 2017 (one dead, many wounded.) Charleston, South Carolina in 2015 (nine dead.) The list really can go on. But very worst of all, we are a nation with a president who stokes this anger — against immigrants, against minorities, against anyone who disagrees with him at any moment — and then, when violence and death stain the landscape, blames the victims for not protecting themselves enough, as if that were the reason for the bloodshed. It’s time for the Jewish community in all its many facets to confront the complicity of the man in the White House, and all who support him — with money, votes, political expertise and moral cover. Because if you excuse the radical divisiveness spawned by this man, you are part of the problem. If you ignore his hateful tweets because you like his policies on Israel, you are part of the problem."
The President Refuses to Take a Shred of Responsibility. His Propagandists Are Working Overtime.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a24397525/president-trump-pittsburgh-shooting-democrats-bombings-cnn/?fbclid=IwAR2RWQq_MkpPxjDVVH1w7Ut_DOjMPDXlPXPrMYBQN5UVIcSjigAAlD2Gxb0
"These shameless liars will say anything. And Fox's programming in general has gone on as if the spasm of violent bloodshed last week never happened. Remember that the Pittsburgh shooter specifically cited unfounded conspiracies about The Caravan? Here's Fox and Friends' coverage this morning. The immigrants are bringing disease now? This is fascist propaganda. There is not a shred of evidence to support it—not unlike Brian Kilmeade's earlier statement that many migrant children will become MS-13 members in his neighborhood. But it's yet another attempt to dehumanize the supposed invaders coming for the southern border. In reality, the people in "The Caravan" are a thousand miles away, and those that make it to the border will present themselves to American immigration authorities in the hopes of getting an asylum hearing, as is their right under international law and treaties to which the United States is a signatory. In saner times, we might call them "refugees." But not in these times. The idea the migrants in The Caravan are vermin carrying disease is now apparently one of the stock tropes at Fox"
"These shameless liars will say anything. And Fox's programming in general has gone on as if the spasm of violent bloodshed last week never happened. Remember that the Pittsburgh shooter specifically cited unfounded conspiracies about The Caravan? Here's Fox and Friends' coverage this morning. The immigrants are bringing disease now? This is fascist propaganda. There is not a shred of evidence to support it—not unlike Brian Kilmeade's earlier statement that many migrant children will become MS-13 members in his neighborhood. But it's yet another attempt to dehumanize the supposed invaders coming for the southern border. In reality, the people in "The Caravan" are a thousand miles away, and those that make it to the border will present themselves to American immigration authorities in the hopes of getting an asylum hearing, as is their right under international law and treaties to which the United States is a signatory. In saner times, we might call them "refugees." But not in these times. The idea the migrants in The Caravan are vermin carrying disease is now apparently one of the stock tropes at Fox"
This is Trump’s America: Slaughter in Pittsburgh, racist killings at Kroger and the MAGAbomber
https://www.salon.com/2018/10/29/this-is-trumps-america-slaughter-in-pittsburgh-racist-killings-at-kroger-and-the-magabomber/?fbclid=IwAR0eVJSKLG67t3oZzlJjJVQ8ReoU9yKtKehrYCXXpKeMdmZdZZrYiJj2M-4
"Trump and his administration have defunded programs targeting right-wing domestic terrorists. He and other Republican leaders have chosen to overlook the dire threat to public safety posed by members of the white-supremacist right, a threat senior American law enforcement officials have described as being greater than that posed by radical Islam."
"Trump and his administration have defunded programs targeting right-wing domestic terrorists. He and other Republican leaders have chosen to overlook the dire threat to public safety posed by members of the white-supremacist right, a threat senior American law enforcement officials have described as being greater than that posed by radical Islam."
The President Is Pushing the Exact Conspiracies Cited by the Pittsburgh Shooter 5 Days After the Attack
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a24509738/president-trump-conspiracy-theories-pittsburgh-shooter/?fbclid=IwAR2en7c6gjcrvH_sLPpPfKO6v2Vdp6qml-jLN1ARnUoENQ6_Y_BOA0CowPo
"This is a quintessential example of outright propaganda, directly from the president."
"This is a quintessential example of outright propaganda, directly from the president."
Trump’s Amorality Is Spreading Throughout the GOP
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-shooting-response-748320/?fbclid=IwAR1wPmsE4anv6lLCUH31iPFvMVSCc8LgtL31j7sxe-LbvrakP7hazJ-kta0
"The man who shot up the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh had railed against the “invaders” in the migrant caravan the president has propped up as his key talking point leading into the midterms. The shooter criticized the president for not being harsh enough on the Jewish people, although it’s hard to argue that Trump’s actions since taking office — from praising the “fine people” protesting the presence of Jews in America last year in Charlottesville, to his repeated denigrations of “globalists,” to his laughing last Friday at the idea of George Soros being jailed — hasn’t emboldened anyone with antisemitic views. White nationalist Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is so confident he will win reelection next week that he’s been in eastern Europe rubbing elbows with far-right groups like the anti-immigrant, Nazi-founded Freedom Party in Austria. “If they were in America pushing the platform that they push, they would be Republicans,” Kind said, according to the Washington Post. On Monday morning, the president echoed the shooter’s language by referring to the migrant caravan as an “invasion.” But Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn’t see the president as having anything to do with any of this, implying that the attack on Saturday was carried out despite the president’s love of the Jewish people. The Jewish community in Pittsburgh disagrees. Jewish leaders in the city on Sunday penned an open letter to the president, writing that he is not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounced white nationalism. “For the past three years your words and your policies have emboldened a growing white nationalist movement,” they wrote. “You yourself called the murderer evil, but yesterday’s violence is the direct culmination of your influence.” They added that Trump has “also deliberately undermined the safety of people of color, Muslims, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities” and that Saturday’s “massacre is not the first act of terror you incited against a minority group in our country"."
"The man who shot up the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh had railed against the “invaders” in the migrant caravan the president has propped up as his key talking point leading into the midterms. The shooter criticized the president for not being harsh enough on the Jewish people, although it’s hard to argue that Trump’s actions since taking office — from praising the “fine people” protesting the presence of Jews in America last year in Charlottesville, to his repeated denigrations of “globalists,” to his laughing last Friday at the idea of George Soros being jailed — hasn’t emboldened anyone with antisemitic views. White nationalist Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is so confident he will win reelection next week that he’s been in eastern Europe rubbing elbows with far-right groups like the anti-immigrant, Nazi-founded Freedom Party in Austria. “If they were in America pushing the platform that they push, they would be Republicans,” Kind said, according to the Washington Post. On Monday morning, the president echoed the shooter’s language by referring to the migrant caravan as an “invasion.” But Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn’t see the president as having anything to do with any of this, implying that the attack on Saturday was carried out despite the president’s love of the Jewish people. The Jewish community in Pittsburgh disagrees. Jewish leaders in the city on Sunday penned an open letter to the president, writing that he is not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounced white nationalism. “For the past three years your words and your policies have emboldened a growing white nationalist movement,” they wrote. “You yourself called the murderer evil, but yesterday’s violence is the direct culmination of your influence.” They added that Trump has “also deliberately undermined the safety of people of color, Muslims, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities” and that Saturday’s “massacre is not the first act of terror you incited against a minority group in our country"."
Sully: 'As A Former Republican, I've Already Voted. And I Voted For Democrats.'
https://crooksandliars.com/2018/11/sully-former-republican-ive-already-voted?fbclid=IwAR2wm7G23eaxNU0RLMJwqnLpi33yuFcSHntqVmBQaXN4p8dTc07PhigtN-I
"Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who has been a registered Republican for decades. But this election cycle, he sees things not in red vs. blue but in terms of American vs. Un-American"
"Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who has been a registered Republican for decades. But this election cycle, he sees things not in red vs. blue but in terms of American vs. Un-American"
Trump’s Judges Imperil Our Rights for Decades
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-judges-imperil-our-rights-for-decades/?fbclid=IwAR18Hw1SwHi6yj_8PW1HsIoovxHp1NIvNih3MmtvcXKRBgDMxSmhoNN--U4
"Trump has been systematically packing the federal circuit courts of appeals with conservative judges who are already slashing the rights of workers, immigrants, women, LGBTQ people, consumers, voters, the environment, people accused of crime and whistleblowers."
"Trump has been systematically packing the federal circuit courts of appeals with conservative judges who are already slashing the rights of workers, immigrants, women, LGBTQ people, consumers, voters, the environment, people accused of crime and whistleblowers."
The Constitution Is on the Ballot
The Constitution Is on the Ballot:
"This is a tipping-point election. The choice is between representational democracy and neo-fascism."
"This is a tipping-point election. The choice is between representational democracy and neo-fascism."
Believe Republicans When They Say They’re Coming After Your Health Care
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-health-care-obamacare-medicare-medicaid_us_5bd72b78e4b055bc948eb3d9?fbclid=IwAR2uPTYrkTOZzlTRJmZHzSb3sTKGzg2ZdKN4coofLkCYO0oglALg5FjZQE8
"It’s not just the lies about pre-existing conditions. The GOP still wants to go after Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare."
"It’s not just the lies about pre-existing conditions. The GOP still wants to go after Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare."
Republicans Are Afraid Of Democracy, So They’re Dismantling It
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-trump-gop-voter-suppression-georgia_us_5bd88ba6e4b017e5bfd694a1?fbclid=IwAR2rFvLd-OJXcBHXrl4rVfEm4_ey0WaIauheDgWEfO4Tq4lypOEL6N9DLtg
"Today, in the midst of another election fight, the unearthly fear of democracy is once again terrorizing conservative politicians. And the state, led by President Donald Trump, is once again embracing white nationalism. As early as 2012, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that his party was “not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term,” and an “autopsy” of the GOP’s performance in that year’s elections confirmed the prognosis. The problem for Republicans is that as the party became increasingly racially and ideologically homogeneous, the electorate grew more and more diverse and comprised an ever larger share of potential voters. Even more chilling for the GOP, despite rampant voter suppression, which it has applied with “almost surgical precision,” black voter turnout has skyrocketed. Fueled in large measure by the work of civil society and African Americans’ disdain for Trump, black turnout in the 2017 Alabama Senate special election was 25 percent higher than it was in the 2016 election. The hard-core demographic facts of the GOP have tied the party into a Gordian knot: Republicans must advocate for democracy, but because of the party’s right-wing policies, their only path to victory requires undermining that very democracy. For example, Brian Kemp, the Georgia secretary of state and Republican candidate for governor, recently voiced concerns that his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams’ formidable voter registration efforts posed a considerable risk to his election ― “especially,” he remarked, “if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote.” He has done what he can ― purging voter rolls, putting tens of thousands of registrations in electoral limbo, shutting down polling places and opting not to update voting machines that are changing ballots cast for Abrams to votes for himself ― but he and Abrams are still in a statistical tie."
"Today, in the midst of another election fight, the unearthly fear of democracy is once again terrorizing conservative politicians. And the state, led by President Donald Trump, is once again embracing white nationalism. As early as 2012, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that his party was “not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term,” and an “autopsy” of the GOP’s performance in that year’s elections confirmed the prognosis. The problem for Republicans is that as the party became increasingly racially and ideologically homogeneous, the electorate grew more and more diverse and comprised an ever larger share of potential voters. Even more chilling for the GOP, despite rampant voter suppression, which it has applied with “almost surgical precision,” black voter turnout has skyrocketed. Fueled in large measure by the work of civil society and African Americans’ disdain for Trump, black turnout in the 2017 Alabama Senate special election was 25 percent higher than it was in the 2016 election. The hard-core demographic facts of the GOP have tied the party into a Gordian knot: Republicans must advocate for democracy, but because of the party’s right-wing policies, their only path to victory requires undermining that very democracy. For example, Brian Kemp, the Georgia secretary of state and Republican candidate for governor, recently voiced concerns that his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams’ formidable voter registration efforts posed a considerable risk to his election ― “especially,” he remarked, “if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote.” He has done what he can ― purging voter rolls, putting tens of thousands of registrations in electoral limbo, shutting down polling places and opting not to update voting machines that are changing ballots cast for Abrams to votes for himself ― but he and Abrams are still in a statistical tie."
Local Paper and Interfaith Leaders Blast Iowa Rep. Steve King: “Those Were Not Easy Words for Us to Write”
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/30/steve-king-tree-of-life/?fbclid=IwAR14yuEFS08zm5plHaQ_nbjJjl8F5GtfkXb_XfOzQ6vcSSFAiO8HiIPrKxk
"IOWA FAITH LEADERS are demanding that backers of white nationalist Rep. Steve King pull their financial support of his re-election bid, as his history of racist rhetoric faces heightened scrutiny following a massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue, and a wave of pipe bombs mailed to prominent critics of President Donald Trump. King’s Republican colleagues have long shrugged off his promotion of white supremacist ideology, but the recent attacks have renewed national outrage. Under intense pressure, at least three of his donors — dairy company Land O’Lakes, tech giant Intel, and Purina — have withdrawn their support."
"IOWA FAITH LEADERS are demanding that backers of white nationalist Rep. Steve King pull their financial support of his re-election bid, as his history of racist rhetoric faces heightened scrutiny following a massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue, and a wave of pipe bombs mailed to prominent critics of President Donald Trump. King’s Republican colleagues have long shrugged off his promotion of white supremacist ideology, but the recent attacks have renewed national outrage. Under intense pressure, at least three of his donors — dairy company Land O’Lakes, tech giant Intel, and Purina — have withdrawn their support."
Trump’s Love Affair With Violence in the Age of Fascist Nihilism
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-love-affair-with-violence-in-the-age-of-fascist-nihilism/?fbclid=IwAR11OOmSgOlz4MT99oXPVvTd0yF1Hmk17FkhzQGIho6HwSDJt4XwraM0StU
"Fascism first begins with linguistic violence and then gains momentum as an organizing force for shaping a culture that legitimates indiscriminate violence against entire groups — Black people, immigrants, Jews, Muslims and others considered “disposable.” In this vein, Trump portrays his critics as “villains” and “enemies,” describes immigrants as “losers” and “criminals,” and has become a national mouthpiece for violent nationalists and a myriad of extremists who trade in hate and violence. Using a rhetoric of hate as a performance strategy to whip up his base, Trump employs endless rhetorical tropes of hate and demonization that set the tone for real violence."
"Fascism first begins with linguistic violence and then gains momentum as an organizing force for shaping a culture that legitimates indiscriminate violence against entire groups — Black people, immigrants, Jews, Muslims and others considered “disposable.” In this vein, Trump portrays his critics as “villains” and “enemies,” describes immigrants as “losers” and “criminals,” and has become a national mouthpiece for violent nationalists and a myriad of extremists who trade in hate and violence. Using a rhetoric of hate as a performance strategy to whip up his base, Trump employs endless rhetorical tropes of hate and demonization that set the tone for real violence."
How Fox & Friends Warps the News for Its Most Powerful Viewer
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/fox-and-friends-synagogue-shooting-trump.html?fbclid=IwAR3Icv3PC4CNLDSZwDExfexMxi1pqbRgVYx_eUP8e8SUrAk3dzcqkryEI-8
"Fox & Friends isn’t so much a news program as it is a daily televised support group for early-rising xenophobes. Foremost among these is, of course, Trump himself. Fox & Friends enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the president, who watches the show regularly and often tweets in response to its segments. The Fox & Friends hosts know very well that Trump is tuning in, and it is clear that they are often speaking to him directly, praising his actions and belittling his critics, like courtiers flattering a patron or indulgent parents coddling an insecure child."
"Fox & Friends isn’t so much a news program as it is a daily televised support group for early-rising xenophobes. Foremost among these is, of course, Trump himself. Fox & Friends enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the president, who watches the show regularly and often tweets in response to its segments. The Fox & Friends hosts know very well that Trump is tuning in, and it is clear that they are often speaking to him directly, praising his actions and belittling his critics, like courtiers flattering a patron or indulgent parents coddling an insecure child."
Minnesota GOP Senate Candidate Says People With Pre-Existing Conditions Are ‘Wealthier’
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/karin-housley-pre-existing-conditions_us_5bd8e577e4b01abe6a192135?fbclid=IwAR3u1M0Ck6LObsNtA3cNdom2WQT3_b6ZmN0Nw7n8cvCsAP0kA-3rpybDF-E
"Housley’s claim that she supports coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is dubious."
"Housley’s claim that she supports coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is dubious."
Taylor Swift announces vote for Democrat Phil Bredesen in Tennessee Senate race
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/taylor-swift-announces-vote-democrat-phil-bredesen-tennessee-senate-race-n926321?fbclid=IwAR2c1l9s62hbv_JN8nLspp_cs-wM7CfhQbD0hwwzVtgcdiNyW29busajoGE
"Taylor Swift announced on Instagram Tuesday that she cast an early vote for Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, and urged others in the state to do the same."
"Taylor Swift announced on Instagram Tuesday that she cast an early vote for Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, and urged others in the state to do the same."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)