The #resist crowd just won't care about the actual facts or history in my experience rather they function as cult. Cults shut down thinking.

As for Trump I don't care for his style at all but hoped he would be disruptive to the deadlock of long standing narratives and he has. Lately I've been more hopeful that he is working a plan.

Every empire has to adjust, recognize the natural limit to their power or try for endless expansion until they collapse and die. The British did a fine job of gracefully dismantling their empire when the US emerged after WW2. Now China is emerging and the US can recognize a multi-polar world and carve out it's place within it or keep battling for world dominance as the military arm of globalization. Trump vs. Clinton was clear about which approach would be used.

Couldn't agree more, except I can't agree about the fine job. We screwed up a lot of places when we decamped and the evidence is strewn all around. I don''t see that empire as being some sort of big deal like say the Roman. It wasn't. Naval supremacy and our being well ahead of the crowd with an industrial society did a lot but it didn't do as much as all that. Maybe three quarters of the globe wasn't coloured red and the big continental empires plus the colonial empires of other European countries weren't of course under our rule. The Russian imperial expansion had I'd guess far more effect on local populations; in some areas of the British Empire it could be that the locals scarcely knew we were there. They still got caught up in the chaos we left behind.

I don't believe we can talk of an American "Empire" but we can talk of quasi-imperial outreach. That US outreach is far more extensive and goes much deeper than in the days of the British and other colonial empires. The military outreach is also far more extensive. If it's true that the Americans are seeking to disengage, and one does hear that a lot, then one hopes they are better at it. Else, as we did, they'll leave a lot of places worse than they found them.

PT

The problem is that this is pure propaganda. Intended to agitate one’s base. Donald Trump is a great used car salesman (i.e. NY real estate). He won because he could
sell to European descendants their old myths and legends. After the Vietnam War and 1970’s wage inflation, the little people were thrown under the bus by the global elite. They are in debt, addicted and can’t afford to have families. How great the Western economy is right now is total BS. A rational discussion of the rise of populism in the West is avoided. My problem with Donald Trump and why I will never vote for him is that he is anti-science. He has no grasp of reality only magical thinking. A bull in
the china shop has no plan, no goal, just destruction. His opponents, the media moguls, war profiteers, and global oligarchs, will go nuclear when tariffs and economic disruption start cutting their bonuses. The fallout when giants go stomping after each other will destroy middle America.

The only chance for Americans to survive is to restore the rule of law, strong borders and treat each other equally; especially the wealthy ones who are free, now, to do whatever in the hell they want.

The dem elite uses the Hitler reference as election sloganeering to goose up the "base", i.e., the coastal portion of it, not the lifelong dems in the upper Midwest, aka the deplorables who voted for Trump in 2016, . Hey, if they were really concerned about those folks, they would have to address policy considerations like deindustrialization and resulting income inequality. But they don't want to go there.

What does the dem elite really think of this new Hitler? Well, Schumer and Pelosi recently supported giving the so called Herr Trump a massive defense spending increase.

Just ask them, if they truly consider Trump is Hitler why would they give him those tools?

What action of Trump justifies you calling him "the new Hitler?" Do you know anything about Hitler? Be specific.

I am referring to the dem elite's use of that term when they call Trump, "Hitler", same as Publius Tacitus' use of the term. I don't call him that and I thought that was clear in my post.

To make it even clearer--I think the dem elite use of the word "Hitler" regarding Trump is election sloganeering for the reasons I stated above. It's completely cynical and unwarranted, but the dem elite think it's useful so they do it anyway--regardless of the consequences.

It's similar to certain right wing extremists who called Obama a marxist, but in this case it's not fringe elements calling Trump a Nazi--it's far more mainstream dems.

But imho, the parties would rather throw insults than deal with real policy issues.

It was not clear.

America, the best bus builders on Earth. Why 43 years after the Vietnam war the darn thing is just running over poor people left and left; it's almost like they have no agency, No ability to say "no". If only our school teachers could teach individual responsibility and initiative as well as they teach how many genders there are and which bathroom to use. Sadly the only chance for America is new Americans who can get out of the way of run away busses and do the jobs American Americans won't do - and vote for politicians who won't run them over with a bus.

I can't get behind him because I believe his lying will undo every good thing he does. That lying enrages his opponents by the precise path those who lie and exaggerate criticisms of him does. There seems little doubt he is a genius in manipulating people and the media, but his method may well prove ultimately self-defeating.

Some are applying this bit of Catch-22 to Trump:

"It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.”

They aren't all wrong. Outrageous populism is a high wire act, without a net.

Politicians all lie. He is merely more obvious and a lot of his "lying" is just a salesman's pitch.

Yup! Trump refers to it as "hyperbole" and is consciously aware he's doing it. Plus he enjoys fucking with the minds of the people that annoy him. Yes indeed, our president is an expert at trolling.

for the non-native English speakers here http://www.dictionary.com/b...

Valissa, why do feel the non natives, especially the "so-called left"(?), have to be explained hyperbole? Pretty frequent tool in everyday communications. No?

I like Pat's response too. But to complicate slightly nevertheless, it may not be that easy to empirically test the thesis that a politician lies more often then the average citizen. What test design could take care of the far lesser exposure of the average citizen to close perusal of every word he utters?

*****
More generally though, I am admittedly a bit tired of the evidence collection from what feels a over protective self-appointed "cherry blossom emperor" (Tyler) support camp. It doesn't look Trump needs that much protection. There is always a solid clapping/applause camp available.

I agree, he does seem to be aware of how his style affects people, but there's an old saying: "Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate."

True dat ;) And Trump has made enemies as a consequence of his behavior. At his age I'm sure he's aware of this too. But somehow he keeps on going... like a supersized energizer bunny. And sometimes enemies shift to being colleagues or at least less hostile over time.

One of those consequences is the silly baby Trump balloon that will be flying over London while he's there. Very impressive protest, eh? (/snark)

I missed that balloon. for popularity's sake, it will be hard to beat this: https://farm7.staticflickr....

Roger Waters knows a thing to two about memes. Respected him even more when I read last year how he refused to be another celebrity supporting the White Helmets (he was approached). He called them out as propagandists.

Here's the Trump baby balloon. Another great example of collective transference.

London anti-Trump protestors get permission to fly massive crowdfunded blimp of the president depicted as a big baby in a diaper when he visits UK http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...

Yes, Roger Waters has been really solid. I'm completely impressed with him.

Well, that looks like it will be a big hit, I mean the Big Baby. Can Roger Waters crank out an appropriate magisterial tune in time for the festivities?

Something along the lines of all this fake news fills me with the urge to defecate!

Merely? Perhaps, but I will opine all politicians BS, but lying is a different category. Not speaking epistemology, but how people generally react to those two closely related but nevertheless distinct beasts.

For humor, partially, BS can even be judged the worse of the two..
https://www5.csudh.edu/ccau...

...but a leader is much more likely to get away with it.

What is "pure propaganda?" And, "anti-science?" What the hell are you talking about? A very bizarre comment. The only thing that is clear from your comment is that you dislike Trump.

PT

Your response is an example of why the USA is well on its way towards a second civil war. Civil Discourse is ending. Calling Donald Trump “Adolf Hitler” is agitprop propaganda intended to stir up their partisans.
As you point out it is not true. The President is anti-science. He is doing his best to try to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are banned from using the terms “evidence-based” and “science-based”. The White House is actively dismantling science-based health and safety protections, sidelining scientific evidence, and undoing recent progress on scientific integrity. What is slowing him down is that these protections for human and environmental safety are written into the law and federal regulations.

I'm trying to engage you in a substantive discussion and you are losing your mind. Dismantling the EPA (which he has not) and NOAA (also still in place, still funded and still operating) does not make someone "anti-science." There are some clear thinking folk who find the these Government agencies as guilty of overreach. Opposing some of their policies, which Trump has done, is not anti-science. Yet, you cry like a beaten dog when challenged substantively on this and try to blame it on Trump. You are the one being unreasonable and closed minded. Look in the mirror.

And agitprop? Seriously? The people calling Trump Hitler are anti-Trumpers who genuinely believe what they are saying. Do you have contradictory evidence? Please share.

"And agitprop? Seriously? The people calling Trump Hitler are anti-Trumpers who genuinely believe what they are saying. Do you have contradictory evidence? Please share."

As stated above, a majority of the dem elite recently voted with the repubs to give the new Hitler a significant defense spending increase. They know full well that calling Trump the new Hitler is for the rube base come election time.

I agree though--that sort of cynical partisan sloganeering has consequences. Once the partisan base hops on that train, it's hard to hop off. Hey, but if the dem elite score big in November that's all that matters to the establishment, unforseen consequences be damned.

What is wrong with being anti-Trump?

EPA, NOAA and the CDC are regulatory agencies. There was a political decision to ban the terms "evidence based" and "science based" in Budget documents. Neither the agencies nor science have been destroyed. "Undoing recent progress on scientific integrity" do you actually have any proof of that being done by Trump? The publicly available information is that the "integrity" was rather dubious as there is increasing evidence that numerous scientific studies can not be replicated as documentedby the NYT in 2015

https://www.vox.com/2017/12...

https://www.nytimes.com/int...

The problem with ideas like determining acceptable "science" by being "evidence based", and "science based", is that THOSE terms become defined and what is "science" redefined by whoever vets the "evidence", etc. As we had gatekeeping and manipulation with using "peer reviewed journals" as arbiters of what is "real science", which was exposed in the global warming emails, this is another attempt to tell us what is "real science" so we don't have to think for oureselves. Best to follow the money (who is funding studies), are the results reproducible, was methodology solid, etc.

VV,
And yet Trump is funding or encouraging all kinds of space exploration. However, rather than getting into an example slinging match with you, I'll just point out that calling Trump "anti-science" is just about right up there with calling him "Hitler". The EPA and NOAA = the culmination of human scientific endeavor? If you don't like those agencies you seek to destroy "science"? Come one, man. That's some intense hyperbole and confirmation bias in action right there. Maybe he just doesn't like the EPA's negative impact on business. Could that be it?

He's not anti-science, that's just another ridiculous bit of propaganda from the so-called left. He is simply a businessman who is not a fan of environmental regulations, like so many others. Doesn't have the same cost-benefit mindset that environmentalists do because he has a different worldview.

https://www.nytimes.com/201...

What has that to do with him?

Why do you LIKE Trump? Can you explain? He appeals to the most vulgar segments of White America. Promising them a return to the past because they're afraid of the future.

Trump and others like him (vapid racist charlatans) are on their way out. This is your last dance.

Ah, this is a stark statement of the leftist delusion that insists that human history is linear and that humans are evolving toward a global utopia without borders or countries. This is a religious statement on your part. It is completely ahistorical and ignores the world as it actually is.

Trump has one quality above all others which makes me like him very much; he is not Hillary Rodham Clinton.

These Hitler analogies are so widely used that they've become meaningless and say more about the person using them.

Recall Hillary calling Putin another Hitler.

In any case TDS is debilitating. Folks inflicted with this malady have become unhinged. They need a chill pill.

Reductio ad Hitlerum is the disease.

PT, IMO, the hardcore Democrat base has past the point of no return. They are too invested in Trump = Hitler, etc. Their egos are on the line, their emotions. Many people are incapable of saying "I was wrong" until they have hit rock bottom. I worry what rock bottom might look like, but it's going to have to happen. And we can see them doubling down in acts like Perez (DNC Chair) backing the Democratic Socialist Party candidate (aka Crazy Eyes) in NYC. The platform - stated on line - is to abolish bail, prisons, profit and borders. Perez says that this is the future of the party. So anyone to the right of, say, Fidel Castro or Che Guevera is going to be "Hitler" for the foreseeable future. On the bright side, there is a new #walkaway movement, that may be an info op, but seem to be picking up steam. In this movement moderate democrats have found a forum in which they agree that they have been misled and then abandon the Democrat party, never Trump activists et al. I guess that is an opportunity to save face. Smart move by whoever set it up.

Eric: the "hardcore Democrat base" and hardcore Republican base for that matter are minuscule. The majority of Americans reject these extremists.

Biggee Mikeee,
Not so miniscule that they can't swing elections. Elections are won on very tight margins these days. You are overlooking that the DNC Chair says that "democratic socialism" is the future of the party. Democratic socialism is extreme. Would he do that if he thought he was appealing to only a miniscule proportion of democrats? Is he crazy? Or is he just admitting that the Democrat party is dead and will reinvent itself as a fringe lunatic party with no chance of election? Bernie Sanders was basically of the democratic socialist ilk, albeit a lite version. Now members of that group are saying that he is too conservative. LOL - go ahead. Look it up.

The Dem's have lost the center, that's their only option. The challenge to the Republicans is to keep the center.

Also, when you listen to the videos you realize it's not only moderates leaving. One woman refers to herself as having been an SJW prior. I don't think this is entirely an "info op" as Brandon seems very authentic. He had his awakening last year and then eventually decided to make his video and start this movement.

OTOH, what happened between his awakening last year and the releasing of this video is not that clear. It could well be that a conservative operative (Log Cabin Republicans) in the gay community encouraged him. But that does not delegitimize the sentiments of the WalkAway-ers.

I have been following the #WalkAway movement. I walked away 10 years ago and have been fascinated by all the personal stories about the reasons they walked away. The Democratic party is in trouble, having no message except anger and hate based on impotence followed by socialism.

Here's the best article I found on it in case others here have not come across it yet. It was founded by a gay man from NYC. His video is in this article.
Viral ‘Walk Away’ Videos Highlight Growing Movement of Democrats Leaving the Party https://m.theepochtimes.com...

Brandon has copied some amount of the walkaway videos from their Facebook page to YouTube. Since I don't have my own FB page (use my husband's to view family & friend updates) I was glad he did that. There are more minorities and gays represented that you would expect. It's not a "white movement". These videos are typically 6-10 minutes long.

#WalkAway fan site, with testimonials https://www.youtube.com/cha...

"who can pop wood with Maxine glaring at you"

That one completely cracked me up. Kudos. :-)

She will be the cause of an epidemic of Shrivelization of civilization, American style, natch. As for NATO, the jury is out on whether that institution will undergo immolation through the auspices of the Trumpster, or, if you will allow, the Trumpsterization of that institution.

PT, maybe since one of your contributions, no real interest to go back to check, reduced me to stutters.

To be quite honest I found Patrick Armstrong's PUTIN DERANGEMENT SYMPTOM quote more interesting:

https://www.reuters.com/art...

“Vladimir Putin has positioned himself as the leader of an
authoritarian, white-supremacist and xenophobic movement that wants to
break up the EU, weaken America’s traditional alliances and undermine
democracy,” Clinton said in a lecture at Trinity College Dublin, where
she received an honorary doctorate.

But I have yet to check the videos of Trinity College. Appreciating help to find the relevant passage.

*******
More seriously what percentage of people does take the "Hitler card" still seriously considering its overuse in the post 9/11 universe? He's 73 years dead by now.

The Putin remark starts at the 12:50 mark. Her effect seems really flat, especially when she is talking about fond memories of previous visits and trying to muster up a bit of empathy or passion.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Ironical, deeply ironical considering the lady is a lawyer. FOIA, never heard? "the roles of those you want to disrupt and destabilize our ways of live." ... leading up the the quote.

"In the US 2016 was a perfect storm deep currents of anger and resentment flowing through our culture. A political press that told voters my emails were the most important story for their futures. The unrepresented intervention in our election ...

thanks FNS.

I was a Never Trumper. I still don't like his style of giving speeches. It is definitely as if we have cartoon characters running our government, so I enjoy very much the comparison to the Road Runner cartoons.

So, we are left with having to choose which cartoon characters to support over the other ridiculous cartoon characters.

You are absolutely correct, however, in saying that Trump is not a Hitler. Hitler and his followers were more like characters from some horror show--I don't know, maybe The Night of the Living Dead.

There is so much available for the general public to read and to watch. AHC is constantly replaying Hitler's rise to power, his leadership leading up to and during the war and his final demise. There is no excuse for people not to see that Trump is not Hitler.

With the intellect of the general public being what it is, some of us who try to study, read, and understand, are left with people in power from both parties who are simply not inspiring and who are often cringe worthy when they speak.

I know that I am always in a position where if I speak or write, I become a target simply because I do believe in God. My only response now to the news when I watch it is to simply repeat the line from the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."

I'm turning 70 soon, so I know it makes me one of those people who are always talking about the good old days, but if I could find a way to go back in time to a time and place in our country when I was a child and a teenager, I certainly would choose to go.

Great post Publius, thanks! Love the Road Runner-Wile E Coyote analogy :)

I don't see Hitler or Mussolini. The closest historical analogy I can come up with is Wilhelm II.