The Klu Klux Klan (and now the White Supremacists) are, unfortunately, part of the American character. More specifically, they are the embodiment of everything bad about that character. The driving force behind these groups led to the huge wave of lynchings and the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Native Americans. While the latter effort has stopped today (mainly because it was largely successful), the former has not.*
Studies show that those who are sympathetic with the values of the KKK and White Supremacist are the backbone of Trump supporters. Why, because his words and actions embody those values.
In the 1920s the estimate was 3 to 5 million actual members (5% of America's population). Given that core beliefs don't change in a person rarely change over time and that a high percentage of children take on their parents belief system, that would translate to about 11 million people today. And these are people who feel so strongly that they are willing to join reviled groups. How many more people feel this way but don't join? What ever it is, the number is growing because the number of hate groups reversed their decline and began increasing again just about the time that Donald Trump called Mexicans "rapists and murderers".
Given our history and these trends, it is easy to see why groups like "Black Lives Matter" are needed today after largely disappearing after the 1964 Civil Rights Act. While racism has always lurked beneath the American surface and overt examples of it declined significantly, it is, thanks in part to Donald Trump saying it is OK, is on the rise again.
Do you agree or disagree?
* Lynching in America was common from when blacks were first brought to America and only began to decline in the 1920s. They increased again a little in the 1950s but has never gone away.
Mr Esoteric ,"Studies show .....the backbone of Trump supporters ........." I'd love to see that proof , at least one not put out by a CNN affiliate , intellectuals of academia, or the DNC itself ............
How lame and shameful !
Yep, not a single credible source was quoted. Either he made it up or needs to go back to school.
Getting tired of bitter folks wanting to accuse anyone they want of being racist.
Since you will probably only accept Limbaugh, Hannity, Brietbart Fake News and Fox Fake Opinion (actually their news program isn't too bad ... more biased than CNN, but stays mostly to the truth) as credible sources, I won't bother you with real research by people who know what they are doing ... i.e. educated people aka intellectuals of academia.
As we speak, there are now 917 hate groups in America according to news research. White supremacist hate groups are INCREASING & becoming quite emboldened.
The scale of crowds this weekend tells it's own story , what there were maybe thirty supremacists , hundreds of anarchist Antifa , and even more police !
Welcome to the New World Order of Democratic Anarchists ! NWODA
Don't include anarchist in this NWO. We need some decentralization from the state and bankers insanity.
Don't include anarchists. LOL. as long a they don't promote or advocate violence they are not included.
Of all the groups of people, anarchist are the most pro environmentalist and peaceful people I have met.
There is the odd teenage that gets too rebellion like. If parents are anarchist they would educate him on non violence ways to express.
Well then, if true, you've already proven they aren't violent. What's your beef here? You are the one who brought up anarchists, not me.
Horse brought up anarchy.
I just think anarchy is a better way of thinking for freedom and individualism. Failed Heirachary systems keep getting worst.
While I agree with many things you say Castle, this isn't one of them. Anarchism, historically anyway, has always been associated with violence and extremism.
To me, anarchism is the ultimate experiment in the circle of political ideology, i.e. the fusion of where extreme liberalism and extreme conservatism ideas meet - No Gov't at all.
Anything that rejects the corrupted Government will be labeled enemies or terrorist. I don't like labels, and harmed nobody in my life. GW Bush quote, if you are not with us, your with the terrorist. I refused Bush a war sculpture. He took my green card away, just not violent enough.
All the anarchist I know are pacifist living in eco self substainable villages of their own, not like most owned by banks. I don't know of any famous anarchist even close to the likes of tyranny of Authorities that have killed more people than the public has itself.
Henry David Thoreau, anarchist. declared his love of nature, simplicity, and independence. Wrote Civil disobedience
Mahatma Gandhi primary goal was moral and ethical renewal of the society, with each individual as a self-governing being tapping the higher faculties of cooperation, compassion, truth in speech and action.
The least warlike politicans in America. Guest of honor speaker Dr. Ron Paul, during Anarchapulco. World largest gathering of anarchist.
Show me any famous violent anarchist, so the true anarchist can cast him away from our world citizen family.
I googled "famous anarchist" and got this list. I looked at the first four and each was violent. I stopped looking.
Pietro Acciarito
Francisco Ascaso
Alexander Berkman
Camillo Berneri
Marie Louise Berneri
Murray Bookchin
Mikhail Bakunin
Georges Brassens
Gaetano Bresci
Carlo Cafiero
Marco Camenisch
Sante Geronimo Caserio
Lev Chernyi
Noam Chomsky
Leon Czolgosz
Alexandra David-Néel
Buenaventura Durruti
Jacques Ellul
Luigi Fabbri
Francisco Ferrer y Guardia
Juan Garcia Oliver
Emma Goldman
William Godwin
Woody Harrelson
Helen Keller
Pëtr Kropotkin
Ursula Le Guin
Gino Lucetti
Francesco Saverio Merlino
Louise Michel
Johann Most
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Elisée Reclus
Larken Rose
Sacco and Vanzetti
Bhagat Singh
Martin Sostre
Johann Kaspar Schmidt
Carlo Tresca
Benjamin Tucker
Josiah Warren
John Zerzan
Luigi Lucheni
Nestor Ivanovych Makhno
Shalom-Shmuel Schwartzbard
There are many anarchist I am aware of that have been enprisonment just for rejecting Authorities wrong ethics. Of course they are going to get accused of horrible crimes they did not commit.
It's very questionable about the history of pass anarchist, who the authority writer are BSing about, and what really went down. I am sure the odd anarchist was bad or fake. The anarchist I know today are most enlighten group of people I have ever met. I don't trust Authorities like Trump. As much as I can throw any fake Authorities over the Mexican wall.
Helen Keller a violent anarchist! Shiver me timbers.
The Nazi's and White Supremacists and other conservative-hate groups were expecting hundreds like in Charlottesville last year. Fortunately they stayed away.
I find it interesting that you denigrate a group, Antifa, that opposes fascism. Where does that say your loyalties lie?
Antifa = fascism they are the blackshirts and brownshirts of the 21st century.
Wrong. Antifa stands for Anti-Fascism; anti-blackshirsts; anti-browshirts.
Nazi = White Supremacist = Brownshirt = core Trump supporter = everything good Americans despise.
Despite our many differences over specific policies, most Americans traditionally support the side of liberty, tolerance, free speech, and peaceful political change, within broad parameters.
Most Americans are in opposition to the violent, authoritarian thugs of the right and of the left. In that sense there IS NO DIFFERENCE between Antifa and Fascists they are extremists that deal out authoritarian oppression of others.
If we regain faith in what we already have, the system that promises liberty and justice for all, there's no reason to choose between rival extremist groups competing to rule over the ruins of everything that's worthwhile on behalf of their eccentric idiocy.
This “anti-fascist” movement engages in militant protests and looks for any excuse to use violence. As a part of the extreme left, the members of Antifa are self-proclaimed “anti-capitalists” and declared “enemies of the right”. They call themselves “anti-fascist”, when, in fact, more than any other ideology, fascism characterizes their own movement.
The authors of the Fascist Manifesto demanded progressive taxation, invalidity insurance, and other types of social benefits. The Manifesto demanded the confiscation of the property of all religious institutions and to nationalize the armament industry.
The authors of the Fascist Manifesto called for establishing a corporatist system of ‘National Councils’ formed by experts to be elected by their professional organizations who should hold legislative power in their respective areas.
A comparison with the Manifesto of the Communist Party, reveals the kinship of fascism and Communism.
The Communist Manifesto demands strongly progressive taxes
centralization of credit in the hands of the state by a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly, centralization of the transport system in the hands of the state, unification of the farmlands of agriculture and industry with the aim of gradually eliminating the contrast between town and country, union of education with material production.
Both the Communist and the Fascist Manifestos are echoed in the official Party Program of the Nazis in 1920.
A review of the demands from the Communist, fascist, and Nazi agendas shows the similarity between the thought of these three ideologies.
What the communists express in the slogan ‘from each according to his abilities, to each according to his need’ is equal to the Nazi dictum that the ‘common good comes before the private good’ and the fascist motto of ‘all within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state’.
Communist, fascist, and national-socialist governments have acted as repressive regimes that brought to their people misery, suppression, and war. They always do, and Antifa is no exception to this club of oppression.
The members of Antifa are not opponents to fascism but themselves its genuine representatives. Communism, Socialism, Fascism are united by the common bond of anti-capitalism and anti-liberalism.
The Antifa movement is a fascist movement. The enemy of this movement is not fascism but liberty, peace, and prosperity.
Don't forget the history of Antifa goes back to 1930s Germany. Here is a picture of "Antifaschistische Aktion" ("Anti-fascist Action") or "Antifa" in conference in Germany in 1932:
Yes those are hammer and sickle flags in the background, because Communists were allies in the struggle against Nazis in the 30s, as they were during WWII.
One of the roles of "Antifa" was self-defense against Nazi paramilitaries, and it was formed as a direct response to Nazism.
The resurgence of Nazism has led to a resurgence of Antifa (or at least a collection of groups strongly styled after the original organization).
One of the differences between Antifa and Fascists is that (to my knowledge) Antifa has never been responsible for committing genocide on an industrial scale. I think that's a pretty important difference.
This historical and political context is important to maintain.
The problem is the right is not fascist. So fascist tactics used be Antifa are nothing more than fascist tactics. Pushing a far left agenda.
I hear this a lot, that Antifa is fascist, and I simply have not seen it, but maybe I am unaware. Fascism is characterized by authoritarian nationalism. How does Antifa demonstrate this? What, specifically, have they done that points to authoritarian nationalism?
Fascism is also characterized by forcible suppression of the opposition by those in power. How has Antifa demonstrated forcible suppression of the opposition? Do they even have the power to do so?
Fascists follow a totalitarian one-party state. What party does Antifa follow?
Just trying to understand how Antifa, which is a group whose mission is to oppose fascism, is now being characterized as fascist. I don't believe everything I read. I need evidence and I have seen no evidence that Antifa is fascist.
Nazis, on the other hand, we have plenty of evidence of their fascism.
"Fascism is characterized by authoritarian nationalism." = Donald Trump = White Supremacist = Nazi
"Fascism is also characterized by forcible suppression of the opposition by those in power." - Think of what Trump is doing to those on his "enemy's list" and by his attack on mainstream news who tells the truth about him.
That is why I speak of the political spectrum as a circle. If you start in the middle and move left you move from conservative liberals to liberals to progressive liberals (there is sort of a break here as you move from individual-oriented gov't to state-oriented gov't) to socialism to communism to Stalin.
Go right and you start with liberal conservatives to moderate conservatives to (there is sort of a break here as you move from individual-oriented gov't to state-oriented gov't) far-right social (as opposed to fiscal) conservationism to extreme social conservationism to fascism to Hitler.
So yes, I have seen Antifa standing up to and punching back at nazis and white supremacist. But I have not seen them exhibit any nationalist or authoritarian tendencies. They are simply standing up to bullies and refuse to turn the other cheek.
And this a statement of either willing blindness/ignorance or covert support for the oppressive violence and activity of Antifa.
If you, or anyone for that matter, want to better understand what Antifa is, and how they ARE about violence and oppression, this video explains it excellently. Well worth the watch, it is highly informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPvN5o2aRNs
Sorry Ken,
One, I didn't see anything about Antifa and didn't I see any violence, just a lot of marching.
Two, admittedly I didn't watch the whole thing when I googled The Rebel and found it was a "The Rebel Media is a Canadian far-right online political and social commentary media website "
In other words, a right-wing propaganda sight (think Hannity, Brietbart, Limbaugh)
So you choose willing blindness/ignorance.
This is common, people entrench themselves in their beliefs and ignore any evidence that threatens those beliefs, an excuse is always made... similar to what you just made.
Plenty of eccentrics like yourself on the other side as well, who would ignore any information because it came from the NYTimes or MSNBC.
Rather than watching or reading the information, and then making a counter argument to what is presented, you just choose to ignore it.
This is probably the biggest problem facing the country today, people entrenched in their Party and their Propaganda providers never opening their minds up to any other source of information. Groupthink.
"So you choose willing blindness/ignorance." - No, I just refuse to listen to right-wing propaganda, i.e. Fake News.
I prefer to read/listen to reliable news sources such as, yes, CNN, Politico, NBC, CBS, ABC, The Hill, POTUS, and some times Fox News (not opinion)
Who I don't pay any attention to are the talking heads on AM/FM radio, Fox Opinion, Brietbart, The Rebel, a whole host of right-wing and left-wing blogs, and so on and so forth.
Violence, in general, appears to be looming over us all. From Islamic radicals to white supremacists to Antifa. And, all are emboldened. People are frustrated and mad. They are lashing out blindly.
These types of comments and threads, attempting to point out ignorant and tiny segments are foolish only in that they paint a picture which emboldens those tiny and ignorant segments.
OH MY GOD! How many people are there who are so racist they'd lynch their neighbor???? LORD HAVE MERCY!! I hear there are almost a thousand known groups.
Horse back points out there were 30 people at a pitiful rally.
You know what? I'd rather 30 pitiful people be allowed to make fools of themselves, peacefully, than have thousands show up hoping to get the chance to be goaded into beating them up.
The "Thousands showing up ..............."were the ANTIFA , and for the greater majority they are always the leftists "showing up " , besides leftists protestors , the right in America most always stands silent .
Blame your own party 'two --phazed' dangers Antifa like , on one side and the bias of a strangling news media on the other . The KKK , White supremacists are mouthpieces alone and are far more leftist- anarchist's by nature .Want activist accountability in America ?
Look to the left , always look to the left , you just can't go wrong when seeking answers to anxieties of violence , change and revolutionary tactics.
Sounds like Trump's description of his inaugural crowd.
You may be right. 30 may be an over exaggeration.
Black Americans incarcerated five times more than white people. Then you take in the account that prisoners numbers have increased 10 times in the last 40 years. Reason for cheap Corperationism labor. I sense there is still a deep south salavery attitude.
I dated a black woman in a small town in BC. The KKK killed her son. I don't understand how these kind of people commit the worst crime on earth, and get away with it. Probably because when you go to find justice at a higher level of authority, you find worst phycopaths.
How many secretly want to join? I'll venture a guess. .1% of the amount the average left wing idiot thinks would want to.
Not all KKK voted for Trump, some voted for Ted Cruz.
Funny thing , I've knowns 100 s or 1000's of conservatives and the only place I even hear anything about the KKK is with democrats right here ?
Same as the Civil rights act , dems fight progress all the way .
It's hard to hear them through their white robes.
Conservatives enslaved blacks
Conservatives lynched blacks
Conservatives tried to stop women from voting
Conservatives created Jim Crow
Conservatives created separate but equal
Conservatives suppressed minorities right to vote
Conservatives gutted the 14th amendment
Conservatives gutted the 15th amendment
Liberals got rid of slavery
Liberals made lynching illegal, finally, after being fought hard by conservatives
Liberals got rid of Jim Crow
Liberals got rid of separate but equal
Liberals got the Civil Rights Act passed
Liberals got women and blacks the right to vote
Conservatives have rolled back the Civil Rights Act
Conservatives have rolled back the Voting Rights Act
Conservatives deny science and think the earth is getting cooler.
Democrats enslaved blacks and allowed the indentured service of the Irish to continue.
Democrats lynched, created Jim Crow and supported the KKK. In fact the KKK members once on the Supreme Court were Democrats appointed by Democrats.
Republicans got rid of all that.
Obama supported Jihadist Arab regimes that practice Muslim slavery. Obama is a Democrat. Obama did nothing about current slavery in Muslim countries. if you voted for Obama for his second term YOU support the Islamic institution of slavery.
Yes, but certainly don't expect anyone on the left to accept facts on this. They are too deep in denial.
Correction -
CONSERVATIVE Democrats enslaved blacks and allowed the indentured service of the Irish to continue.
CONSERVATIVE Democrats lynched, created Jim Crow and supported the KKK. In fact the KKK members once on the Supreme Court were CONSERVATIVE Democrats appointed by CONSERVATIVE Democrats.
LIBERAL Republicans got rid of all that.
Obama supported Jihadist Arab regimes that practice Muslim slavery. - an example of FAKE NEWS
Obama is a LIBERAL Democrat.
Obama did nothing about current slavery in Muslim countries - FAKE NEWS
if you voted for Obama for his second term YOU support the Islamic institution of slavery - FAKE NEWS and a very stupid conclusion.
Do you see the pattern here? Regardless of the party at the time, it is the CONSERVATIVES who are the problem and LIBERALS solved the problem.
You do realize that both of you would be Democrats in the 1800s for they reflect your belief set.
To Repeat Myself - Party labels are just the name of a party and nothing more. Political and Social philosophy is what is important and unchanging.
Modern slavery is most in Asian countries.
Trans-Atlantic was much more concentrated and intense over 350 years than the 1300 years of the Arab slave trade for mainly 3 reasons:
A huge new demand for labor had suddenly been created in order to colonize the new world.
The geographical destination of the slaves was immensely greater than the area where slaves were needed in the new world.
Advances in technology and transportation had been vastly improved over the 1,000 years.
Today North America has Debtor salavery and 25℅ of the world's prisoners. That will continues into our children debt, unless we enprisonment our slave masters, state and bankers.
Like I said , I think democrats have a secret admiration for the KKK , why else keep raising a ghost from the past ?
It's their ghost. Pretty much all kkk members were democrats
As I just pointed out to ahorseback, every KKK (are you saying David Duke is a ghost?) are conservatives. True, some of them happen to be conservative Democrats (who all moved to the GOP, btw), but the common factor is these right-wing hate groups are all conservatives.
When have ever blacks voted Republican.
At Trumps election rallies it's 95℅ whites amoug KKK, white surpremist and Nazis. Trump lost blacks votes by 85℅. Through your predominate white blonde and blue eye Christians blind faiths.
How can you call Democrats KKK.
How many burnt crosses do you get for lying?
Castle, he isn't lying. If you study U.S. history, you will learn that the Democrats and Republicans have flip-flopped their political philosophies a couple of times since they took those party names.
I have been trying to convince conservatives for years of that fact. It goes something like this:
Federalist (liberal, more or less) - Democratic-Republicans (conservatives)
Democrats (yes, there was no opposition party for years) - (Mainly conservative with moderate and liberal wings)
Whigs (liberal) - Democrats (conservative)
Republican - 1860 - 1929 (liberal) - Democrats- 1820 - 1929 (conservative)
Democrats - 1929 to today (liberal) - Republican - 1929 to day (conservative)
In case you didn't know it (you probably do and just refuse to admit it), the KKK and it is brother in arms the White Supremacists and their off-shoots are alive and well and growing in numbers because of Trump. They are an existential threat to America just like their hero Trump. Since you try to ignore them and therefore enable them (unless you are one), that makes you a threat to our democracy as well.
Yep, but the story is incomplete. The title should be CONSERVATIVE Democrat ... Only conservatives belong to the KKK or White Supremacists while no liberals do.
I'd like to ask. At what point will democrats stop projecting their sins onto the rest of us?
Democrats aren't projecting 'their' sins. They, and independents like me, are highlighting conservative sins of the past and present.
LOL. The democrats were the KKK. Don't shove that into anyone else's lap.
Racist jerks are a fringe group. Attempting to imply that large swaths of our citizenry are such is asinine, at best.
Well that's it , liberals do everything collectively , in their idea of grouping we're all supposed to assume the guilt complexes that they share . I don't know about you but I for one was never a KKK member , never even dreamed of that demo-dixie-cratic way of dealing with their prejudices .
Give them time Lto L they'll evolve .
Jim Crow laws mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in the states of1870s then was upheld in 1896, by the U.S. Supreme Court's "separate but equal" legal extended to public facilities and transportation, including the coaches of interstate trains and buses. African Americans were consistently inferior and underfunded, compared to white Americans.
There was one great Republican John Kennedy. He turn around Jim Crow laws to black voting, free from segregated, and interracial marriage laws changed.
Even today I date mostly non-white women. The challenges of mix couples is as difficult as a gay realationships.
Castle, do you mean President John Fitzgerald Kennedy? He was a card-carrying Democrat, not a Republican.
Your right, Ted Kennedy was a Republican, so I assume John Kennedy was one too. Plus must of miss read it somewhere too.
Yes, these parties do change up alot. I think of each person as an individual first, label never did sit well with me. Too large a group or centralize thinking is limited.
Trump was a strong Democrats once. Then Trump realize he could use his hypnosis on the today's Republican Party much easier.
I was speaking of today's Democrats who are unlikely to be KKK members. Or why would all non-whites and other religions vote against Trump.
Sorry Castle, the whole Kennedy clan were Democrats.
Shows you I don't know much about Kennedy's. Just the profound speeches and action of JF Kennedy were very impressive to me, and the only Presidents that did his Job, best to his ability.
This information is incorrect. Conservatives actually did the things you attribute to the liberals. I suggest doing some research.
You do understand that liberal and Democrat are not synonymous? You know, after what came out about emails within the DNC denigrating Sanders because he was Jewish....don't tell me the democrats have changed their stripes. They are just sneakier.
I was a little kid when the KKK were still active. I remember driving past cross burnings at their rallies. I remember how hateful and evil they were toward the Republican families who fought them in our communities to keep them from stealing from county coffers for their private schools because they were too racist to send their kids to the public after integration. I remember being afraid we'd wake up to a burning cross.
I remember the democrats who made little old ladies wait until even I, a little kid,was waited on just because they were black. I remember the democrats trying to break my father because our establishment had a first come first served policy.
Forget history. Please. But the same people who were Democrat then are now, as are their families. I like to think people learn, grow and change. But, don't take a democrat's stripes and attempt to paint them on anyone else. You can ignore them at your own peril.
Kennedy was a Republican by today's standards , Democrats today are anarchists by 2000 standards , the tides keep turning on the chameleons and the legacy of democratic party once again falters towards failure mode , just like it was once the slave owners party . The "civil rights act" oppressors . Now the thought police .
The Robert Byrd's of yesterday are the Democrats of today through and through .
Kennedy's legacy their enemy .
I more impress and learn more on the Anarchast youtube than anything on the internet.
Anarchist would not want anything to do with Democrats or Republican. They go through periods of politics, then they mostly realized of all their problems is within themselves first. Then invest in their family and local community rather than the monopoly mafia.
They would consider Green party or libertarian like Ron Paul. Many have praise Kennedy as a true President.
Lolololololol! Byrd was a dye-in-the-wool conservative, which is just another word for Republican.
What is true is that most conservative Ds joined their kindred spirits in the GOP after 1994. And what do conservatives NOT oppose?
Facism
Slavery
Jim Crow
Dred Scott
Weakening of the 14th amendment
Weakening of the 15th amendment
Abolishment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Abolishment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act
Abolishment of the EPA (ironic because a better form of the GOP created it)
and the list goes on.
What do Democrats OPPOSE?
Facism
Slavery
Jim Crow
Dred Scott
Weakening of the 14th amendment
Weakening of the 15th amendment
Abolishment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Abolishment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act
Abolishment of the EPA (ironic because a better form of the GOP created it)
and the list goes on.
Byrd later called joining the KKK "the greatest mistake I ever made." In 1997.
Republicans' corner, there is David Duke, founder of the group that invited ... David Duke outranked Robert Byrd in the Ku Klux Klan. David is Trumps favorite fan.
Make America white again,,... I mean great again.
Mr.Esoteric , Let me remind you , just like in front of his trainees the clintons Byrd was a democrat ,Democrat with a -D
Again D in front of his name !
You have to wonder if they believe the lies or are just hoping to make others believe them.
Robert C. Byrd is best known as the longest-serving senator and longest-serving member in the history of the United States Congress. He backed civil rights measures and criticized the Iraq War.
The KKK is not mention in Byrd bio on wiki link. He was briefly a member of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s, but later left the group and denounced racial intolerance.
Don't we all make traumatic mistakes, and can be forgiven?
Do your own fact checking.
My mistake was being a Christian for 3 months. Christians keep telling, that is why I am a good person, just because I joined once. Nonsense.
In defending a known racist that way , This is the most ridiculous response you've ever written here .
You make it out like most KKK members are Democrats. To me, both parties stink anyways.
Actually in the end, Byrd rejected racism and became one of the great civil libertarians.
LOL. Gotta love a liberal. Pulling down statues of our founding fathers and defending a racist who realized it wasn't politically advantageous to remain one in public.
I should have been more precise about Byrd. When he joined the KKK he was a real conservative. Later, he was still conservative in his main views but became what is known as a progressive conservative.
BTW, what, if any, faith are you today? I left the Christian church when I was 10 and realized they were lying to me.
And let me remind you, what parties stand for changes from time to time, and in the case of Republican and Democrats, they reversed what they stood for. So party labels across time have Zero meaning.
Political and social philosophy don't change with time (or change very little). A conservative in the 1800s believe in generally the same thing as they do in 2018. A liberal's core foundation has changed in that time span either.
That is why I correctly write in terms of conservative vs liberal rather than incorrectly write in terms of party (unless the time horizon is less than 10 years)
For example, if I were writing in the 1880s, I would be saying conservative Democrats because that was what most of them were. The liberals belonged to the Republican party.
In the 2000s I write about the conservative Republicans because that is what most Republicans are while the liberals mostly belong to the Democratic party.
For goodness sake, it's not rocket science.
My Esoteric is saying that party names are irrelevant, because over the course of the country's political history both parties have changed platforms.
Therefore it's more useful to refer directly to political ideology. So liberals (as "Republicans" and now "Democrats") have championed liberal and progressive social and economic policies. Conservatives (as "Democrats" and now "Republicans") have championed conservative social and economic policies.
With the examples of conservative policy he has given, e.g. being pro-slavery, My Esoteric is saying that social conservatives (regardless of what name they happen to be under) have been on the wrong side of history.
As it has been pointed out. The right knows where the line in the sand is. Obviously, from left comments about Antifa it is clear the left has no line. Anything goes, as long as it is against the right.
If you think far-left activists represent "the left", then far-right extremists (like Nazis) represent the right.
If you think far-right extremists do not represent the right, then far-left activists (like Antifa) do not represent the left.
Which is it, because you can't have it both ways.
Of course far right idiots who glorify the Nazi party are extremists. When have I every said they weren't? So you think I support anyone because I support their right to peacefully assemble? Is support Antifa's right to peacefully assemble. If that's what they did.
Everyone has the right to free speech. Everyone. If not, then we don't have free speech.
The courts, common sense, decent society. We all draw the line at violence. Are you incapable of seeing this point?
I misread your earlier comment. I thought you were suggesting those on the far-left are somehow representative of "the left". I think it's important we don't unfairly generalize. Re-reading your comment though, I don't think you were saying that.
Personally, I don't condone violence. I think it's important that people on the left and right jointly condemn politically motivated violence. I believe people have the right to defend themselves, but not to attack others because they don't like what they are saying.
That's why I find it so appalling that Donald Trump actively encouraged his supporters to physically attack people. Even offering to pay their legal bills if they did. No one on the left or right should condone that type of behavior.
"The right knows where the line in the sand is. " - and what gives you that idea?
Start with the peaceful civil rights protests in the 1950s and move forward to Charlotsville.
Of course, I am not suggesting that the left has not has its share of originating violent protests, especially during the 1960s, but my memory (and I have lived through all of it) is the right is responsible for most of it.
Further, when the left was demonstrating, even violently, it was against social injustice. When the right has protested, it has Always been in favor or repression.
Seriously? The right has, repeatedly, expressed its distaste and disdain for white supremacist groups. I don't know what more you expect from them. I do apologize that believing in the right to free speech (as long as it does not incite violence) is such a heinous idea to you. But, it is our law.
I have seen many people on interviews from groups labeled white supremacist who do not espouse the views they are attributed with. They may hold them. I don't know. I would steer clear of any group who was labeled suspect. But, I cannot indict a person for being labeled such. If they are peaceful, and given the opportunity for free speech; they will eventually hang themselves. My memory, and I lived through it also, is that the left in our community was responsible for the unrest caused by a lack of desire to integrate peacefully.
So, from your last paragraph, you support violence. That is the big line in the sand I draw. If you can't express your views without attempting to hurt others, if you can't express your views without attempting to shove them down the throats of others, you are extremists. If you can't hold a civil discussion and choose, instead, to riot, attack other citizens and physically attack the media, you are fascist because you are using fascist tactics to promote your agenda.
by Kate Swanson 7 years ago
How can any decent human being think that it's OK to defend white supremacists and Nazis? No one can deny that's what they were, they had banners advertising the fact. I find it shocking that a President could take the attitude Trump has. If it's possible, he has sunk even...
by Mike Russo 7 years ago
Too bad there is not an article or amendment in the Constitution that outlines how The President of the United States of America should act and behave. I don't think one has been necessary until Trump has come into office.When I was in the Air Force, the military had/has the Uniform...
by ptosis 7 years ago
Fck - I did. I knew it would upset me. And it did. But I think I forced myself to watch this stuff so it doesn't seem like a 'Games of Thrones' episode. I've seen the truck plowing in Europe and it got me upset . But not as much as this.
by Readmikenow 3 years ago
It appears that White Supremacy has come a long way. Now, the color of your skin will no longer keep you from being considered a white supremacist. Based on news stories, it appears that white supremacy is now an umbrella organization including whites, blacks and Hispanics. It...
by Sharlee 3 years ago
Yesterday I (Feb 2, 2021) watched Biden expressing his condolences to the families of two FBI agents that were killed while trying to serve a warrant in Florida. President Biden used some eyebrow-raising words, that shocked me almost out of my seat. “By in large the vast majority of...
by Credence2 11 years ago
Excellent op-ed page that discusses conservatism taking two distinct tracts. Have a read and share your opinion, please. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/20 … /?src=recg
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