What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[LaCroix]

Here is a rather interesting (if a very long) piece from Buzzfeed about Steve Bannon:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/this-is-how-steve-bannon-sees-the-entire-world?utm_term=.sjWWjREdzQ#.qwLDJ5Z2B3

Lots of stuff to disagree with him on, but I gotta say I fail to see how the guy is racist or antisemitic. He seems to be a sort of a Christian capitalist type.

For starters, from my experience, antisemites very rarely describe anything (good) as "Judeo-Christian".

I don't think bannon is necessarily racist. he's a smart guy who saw shifting trends in the US, apparently before a lot of other people. I can definitely see why trump gave him a position. he got trump elected, ffs, I'd do the same and so would a lot of people in trump's place

[viper37]

JeffSess for AG?

isn't he the guy who thought a white lawyer defending black clients was a disgrace for his race?

[garbon]

Here is a rather interesting (if a very long) piece from Buzzfeed about Steve Bannon:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/this-is-how-steve-bannon-sees-the-entire-world?utm_term=.sjWWjREdzQ#.qwLDJ5Z2B3

Lots of stuff to disagree with him on, but I gotta say I fail to see how the guy is racist or antisemitic. He seems to be a sort of a Christian capitalist type.

For starters, from my experience, antisemites very rarely describe anything (good) as "Judeo-Christian".

I don't think bannon is necessarily racist. he's a smart guy who saw shifting trends in the US, apparently before a lot of other people. I can definitely see why trump gave him a position. he got trump elected, ffs, I'd do the same and so would a lot of people in trump's place

And you would be a dreadful person for doing so.

[LaCroix]

well, to be in that position I'd have had to appeal to that group, so that's probably a fair comment

[CountDeMoney]

I don't think bannon is necessarily racist. he's a smart guy who saw shifting trends in the US, apparently before a lot of other people. I can definitely see why trump gave him a position. he got trump elected, ffs, I'd do the same and so would a lot of people in trump's place

That, and he didn't like sending his kid to a school with so many Jews.

Christ, you guys could rationalize antisemitism blindfolded and on a stopwatch.

[Martinus]

I don't think bannon is necessarily racist. he's a smart guy who saw shifting trends in the US, apparently before a lot of other people. I can definitely see why trump gave him a position. he got trump elected, ffs, I'd do the same and so would a lot of people in trump's place

That, and he didn't like sending his kid to a school with so many Jews.

Christ, you guys could rationalize antisemitism blindfolded and on a stopwatch.

I don't know about Lacroix but I'd rather base my opinion on a public figure on their public utterances than on unconfirmed anecdotes and slander. But then I'm not a lefty so not sure how it works.

[CountDeMoney]

I don't know about Lacroix but I'd rather base my opinion on a public figure on their public utterances than on unconfirmed anecdotes and slander. But then I'm not a lefty so not sure how it works.

.

You've demonstrated over the years that you're a pretend lawyer, so nobody gives a royal rat fuck about what you think defines "unconfirmed anecdotes and slander," Mr. Future Hate Crime Scene.

[The Minsky Moment]

Here is a rather interesting (if a very long) piece from Buzzfeed about Steve Bannon:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/this-is-how-steve-bannon-sees-the-entire-world?utm_term=.sjWWjREdzQ#.qwLDJ5Z2B3

Lots of stuff to disagree with him on, but I gotta say I fail to see how the guy is racist or antisemitic. He seems to be a sort of a Christian capitalist type.

For starters, from my experience, antisemites very rarely describe anything (good) as "Judeo-Christian".

"Judeo-Christian" is a buzzword typically employed by conservative evangelicals; in its present form, its an indicator of evangelical Christian Zionism.  This view has many variants, but the basic form is that Jewish control of Jerusalem and Israel is a key trigger for the coming of an eschatological age in which only evangelicals will be saved.  The Jews themselves will be destroyed in a second (global) holocaust, except for a select few that will convert and be saved.

Judeo-Christian is thus consistent with holding antisemitic views, although it is also true that many that use the word are genuinely unprejudiced or even philo-semitics.  It doesn't really prove anything.

IMO the debate about whether Bannon really is an anti-semite or not misses the point - it actually feeds into the personalized narratives these guys feed on.  I don't know what is in his heart and I don't care.  I agree what matters is what he does, and what he does is reprehensible.  The fact is that he has deliberately provided a voice and a platform for racists and anti-semites.  He has been open about that fact, while attempting to excuse it with the belief that those currents will somehow fade away.  He is an aider and abetter of racism and that makes him as bad as the real thing - worse really because he has given him the gift of entry into mainstream political discourse that they otherwise would never have. 

Beyond that - even if Bannon had nothing to do with the alt right and banned them from his site, he would still be a POS. For the same reason your pal the "interesting" Anne Coulter is.  He promotes the ugly brand of vicious, personalized, post truth discourse that is poisoning the political culture of this country, and made this past election so painful to experience on all sides.  If his brand of "reporting" were to continue to succeed, and attract additional imitators both left and right, the consequence will be continuing polarization and division of the country into hostile ideological tribes that not only deny each other legitimacy, but can't even agree on a common set of criteria for truth.  He - and people like him - are the single greatest domestic threat to American democracy today.

[The Minsky Moment]

I can definitely see why trump gave him a position. he got trump elected, ffs, I'd do the same and so would a lot of people in trump's place

Polticians have often used scummy people to do scummy things for them to get elected.  That doesn't mean you give them senior positions of responsibility in government.  Truman owed his career to Pendergast, but he didn't fill the WH with machine operatives.

[LaCroix]

I can definitely see why trump gave him a position. he got trump elected, ffs, I'd do the same and so would a lot of people in trump's place

Polticians have often used scummy people to do scummy things for them to get elected.  That doesn't mean you give them senior positions of responsibility in government.  Truman owed his career to Pendergast, but he didn't fill the WH with machine operatives.

I don't mean bannon helped trump, so trump is merely returning the favor. I mean bannon seems to have been pivotal in trump, one of the biggest underdogs in a US election, winning. if someone helped me become a SCOTUS clerk, I'd be indebted to that person

[The Minsky Moment]

I mean bannon seems to have been pivotal in trump, one of the biggest underdogs in a US election, winning. if someone helped me become a SCOTUS clerk, I'd be indebted to that person

Again, indebted doesn't mean you give prominent positions of national public responsibility.

But out of curiosity, in what sense was Bannon pivotal?   I can think of one: he brought in Conway.  But what else did he specifically do?

[LaCroix]

bannon stayed entirely behind the scenes, so I dunno everything he did. he was put in charge in the final stretch, though, and trump won. reports do say he focused on economic issues that appealed to the blue wall states.

prominent positions are regularly given to helpful supporters. nothing new there.

[Valmy]

Generally not supporters like Bannon, as Minsky is saying.

He stayed behind the scenes for a reason. It is a bad idea to not leave him there.

[LaCroix]

Generally not supporters like Bannon, as Minsky is saying.

He stayed behind the scenes for a reason. It is a bad idea to not leave him there.

bannon earned  his chops is what I'm saying

[garbon]

Here is a rather interesting (if a very long) piece from Buzzfeed about Steve Bannon:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/this-is-how-steve-bannon-sees-the-entire-world?utm_term=.sjWWjREdzQ#.qwLDJ5Z2B3

Lots of stuff to disagree with him on, but I gotta say I fail to see how the guy is racist or antisemitic. He seems to be a sort of a Christian capitalist type.

For starters, from my experience, antisemites very rarely describe anything (good) as "Judeo-Christian".

"Judeo-Christian" is a buzzword typically employed by conservative evangelicals; in its present form, its an indicator of evangelical Christian Zionism.  This view has many variants, but the basic form is that Jewish control of Jerusalem and Israel is a key trigger for the coming of an eschatological age in which only evangelicals will be saved.  The Jews themselves will be destroyed in a second (global) holocaust, except for a select few that will convert and be saved.

Judeo-Christian is thus consistent with holding antisemitic views, although it is also true that many that use the word are genuinely unprejudiced or even philo-semitics.  It doesn't really prove anything.

IMO the debate about whether Bannon really is an anti-semite or not misses the point - it actually feeds into the personalized narratives these guys feed on.  I don't know what is in his heart and I don't care.  I agree what matters is what he does, and what he does is reprehensible.  The fact is that he has deliberately provided a voice and a platform for racists and anti-semites.  He has been open about that fact, while attempting to excuse it with the belief that those currents will somehow fade away.  He is an aider and abetter of racism and that makes him as bad as the real thing - worse really because he has given him the gift of entry into mainstream political discourse that they otherwise would never have.

Beyond that - even if Bannon had nothing to do with the alt right and banned them from his site, he would still be a POS. For the same reason your pal the "interesting" Anne Coulter is.  He promotes the ugly brand of vicious, personalized, post truth discourse that is poisoning the political culture of this country, and made this past election so painful to experience on all sides.  If his brand of "reporting" were to continue to succeed, and attract additional imitators both left and right, the consequence will be continuing polarization and division of the country into hostile ideological tribes that not only deny each other legitimacy, but can't even agree on a common set of criteria for truth.  He - and people like him - are the single greatest domestic threat to American democracy today.

Yes! So much yes.