The Republican war against Trump since 2015 has taken a tremendous toll on the GOP. Clearly the party has had serious problems for decades. Granted, those problems reflect in large part the cultural problems facing America. Societal cultural standards but also civic culture—support for constitutional order—no longer command general consent and are even under determined attack in ways that fail to define any goal beyond the exercise of raw power. The war on Trump—motivated in large part by the concern to maintain America’s imperial imperatives abroad—has occurred at a time when the world order is changing as dramatically as our societal and political culture appears to be failing. To give Trump his due, much of his appeal in 2016 rested on the
I read again and again that our culture is a rotten, disinterested shambles (I'm not disagreeing, just thinking of all of the good, decent Americans across our land who have no power, who have to earn a living and raise a family (sometimes a troubled family, i.e., kids with problems, etc., that take a huge amount of time and effort), and don't have the time (sometimes the hours it takes) to delve deeply into the machinations going on in Washington, DC -- and these Americans are judged harshly and tossed off as caring more about Netflix or totally uninterested in what is going on in our complicated political landscape. Tell me, what are they to do? Tell their employers 'I've got business in Washington, so I've got to read articles on the internet today', or 'I won't be at work this week because I've got to make a placard and march down in front of my state capitol, or, max out another credit card and fly to Washington to march in from of the White House, the Dirksen Senate Office Building, or maybe the Capitol Building, or even SCOTUS to show I'm pissed!' How are ordinary people supposed to change what's going on in Washington?
I do get tired of reading comments about 'the public doesn't care.'
During Trump's presidency, I wrote emails to both of my senators and representative at first politely asking them to support the president during the Russian investigation, then I started criticizing their apparent indifference to our president and demanding they stand up and show their support. I was told by one (I'll always now despise) 'that it is necessary for us to investigate the Russian interference in our elections' -- I almost gagged; I didn't quit contacting them ... but, I was ignored. I wrote a few letters to our local newspaper. They weren't printed. I sent checks to Rand Paul (not my senator -- but admired his bravery during these last years, specially about the covid farce) plus several other brave politicians (a couple running for office in California and Washington -- they lost, but still ask for money for their next battle). I sent money to Christopher Rufo because I thought he was doing an important job in exposing and fighting the crazies in the trans movement, especially democratic supporters. He exposed their hatred and hypocrisy, and I think his battle is important to our children.
I now get dozens of texts and phone calls and emails and letters from every Republican from Ted Cruz to politicians in just about every state. My small and pitiful efforts to make changes ended up by me being on everyone's potential donor list and being almost harassed to 'send money!'
So, tell me . . . what are ordinary Americans supposed to do when they're ignored or made to feel helpless? What would some of you smart people advise, those of you who think withdrawing and relaxing and watching a mystery on Netflix or Prime or going to the library and checking out and re-reading your favorite author's book for your own sanity is a bad thing and who keep saying 'the American people aren't interested?'
I’ll name you one GOP subject to bribe, Gaetz’s new arch enemy Tony Gonzalez of TX. He’s a pro amnesty guy who’d jump ship and accept Dem help in his contested primary.
As usual, we need to keep Occam's razor sharply honed and to hand. Of course, it's always possible that Gaetz and MTG are playing some deep game to stop Trump. However, in this case, I think they are genuinely and rightly enraged that Johnson has caved so easily. Sure, there were no great candidates for SoH, but they expected at least some kind of backbone from a "devout Christian". Same applies for Trump. Sundance and the Q boys are busy spinning the "64D chess!" line, but it looks like he's sold out. I'm currently reading Robert Massie's wonderful "Nicholas and Alexandra" and am constantly struck by the similarities between the twilight of Tsarist Russian and our dying Western world: a leadership vacuum at the top; corrupt, incompetent politicians jostling for power as the ship goes down; massive debt and dislocation; war, war, war; and wild partying and perversion. The Russian revolution started from obscure, left-field sources and I wonder if our revolution will follow the same pattern: while all attention is focused on the doings of DC, some kind of grass roots movement will spring up from an area that no-one suspected. Something has to give.
Progressives - “these are people that we know!” Neocons - “these are people that we know!” And they are now one and the same and ALL without principles. Brilliant commentary Mark. I hope that Trump’s manœuvres are just that and once elected, the gloves come off.
I reside in Missouri's second congressional district. Our congress(wo)man is Ann Wagner. She's a swamp dweller. Her husband was (I believe) in John Ashcroft's gubernatorial administration. When she ran for Congress, she had the right backers. She doesn't answer to the voters of MO-2.
She answers to the Republican congressional leadership. She talks a good game. She's all in on the wars and the spending. When it's election time, she touts her "conservative" values.
Supposedly Missouri is a red state. Ha! Our governor, Mike Parson, is a joke. He advocated getting the Covid shot. "Just get the dang shot." Our supermajority Republican legislature couldn't pass laws banning DEI in state universities.
Kevin Williamson of National Review was adamant that one was a "dummy" if he chose not to get the shot. He also criticized Trump's lack of civility while demonstrating his in calling Trump a "clueless ape."
As I've said before, what does it mean to be a conservative? I professed to be one for 44 years. I held on to that notion ten years after I quit the Republican Party. Sometimes I think quitting the Catholic Church is next. What does it mean to be a Catholic, a Republican or a conservative?
When I join something it, I'm all in. So if there is a party platform or a creed, that means something to me. I'm tired of McConnell, Johnson, Francis and the Catholic hierarchy. During the Michael Brown saga, the bishop here spoke about systemic racism, as though this was a matter of white prejudice. The truth is, Michael Brown was a thug. That a bishop, a successor to the apostles, couldn't refrain from building a strawman was unpalatable to me. If the cost of following Jesus comes second to being esteemed by men, what's the point of following Jesus. He's either first or He's not. With God, He doesn't accept second or third place.
In the early 80's I enjoyed WWF wrestling with the good guys and bad guys, the betrayals, good guys going bad, bad guys turning good and the bad guy men pinned to the mat for a ten-count by the good guy while the referee was distracted by the bad guy's partner or knocked out cold. Then the bad guy would gain the upper hand and pin the good guy, only for the ref to suddenly see this occurrence and count to ten. The result? The bad guy wins.
Thinking of wrestling, I apply it to my naivete convincing myself that O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter or Roberts shared my Constitutional values, that Bush 43 was more conservative than Bush 41, that McCain, Dole or Romney deserved my vote, that National Review or the Thomas More Law Center deserved my donation and that the bishops or true representatives of Christ or the apostles.
The Democrats are more honest than the Republicans. When they tell us they stand for abortion, perversion , socialism, etc., they mean it and they act on it. The Republicans tells us they believe in God and country, but they care about wealth, power and the adulation of men.
The problem with Gaetz' plan is that the GOP members can take the bribe with or without Johnson being vacated, can't they? All that is needed is a majority of the membership to vacate Johnson, and if the Democrats hold even a 1 vote edge, they will do so, won't they?
Massie isn’t one to betray Rs. Despite being treated shabbily by Trump, Massie has always kept his composure and he is cool as a cucumber. He doesn’t want revenge against Johnson, but he knows that Johnson needs to go as Johnson will never be trusted by a large number of Rs because of the antics he pulled by colluding with the Ds.
Perfect title for your post, the swamp “gets swampier” with each passing day. I fear that DJT has, as our British friends would say, shown himself to be too clever by half and as you point out, this act will prove to be a moral/political bridge too far. Can’t even imagine what he was thinking.
I don’t mind telling you that I wasn’t very optimistic before, but with this latest betrayal, the pessimisticometer is pegged!
As regards Gaetz, I think that he’s just another arrogant political jerk who isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is and his “brilliant scheming” will prove to be another one of those, “ Huh, didn’t see that coming….” fiascos.
The country is so far off in the tall grass, I don’t even like to think about what’s heading our way.
I read again and again that our culture is a rotten, disinterested shambles (I'm not disagreeing, just thinking of all of the good, decent Americans across our land who have no power, who have to earn a living and raise a family (sometimes a troubled family, i.e., kids with problems, etc., that take a huge amount of time and effort), and don't have the time (sometimes the hours it takes) to delve deeply into the machinations going on in Washington, DC -- and these Americans are judged harshly and tossed off as caring more about Netflix or totally uninterested in what is going on in our complicated political landscape. Tell me, what are they to do? Tell their employers 'I've got business in Washington, so I've got to read articles on the internet today', or 'I won't be at work this week because I've got to make a placard and march down in front of my state capitol, or, max out another credit card and fly to Washington to march in from of the White House, the Dirksen Senate Office Building, or maybe the Capitol Building, or even SCOTUS to show I'm pissed!' How are ordinary people supposed to change what's going on in Washington?
I do get tired of reading comments about 'the public doesn't care.'
During Trump's presidency, I wrote emails to both of my senators and representative at first politely asking them to support the president during the Russian investigation, then I started criticizing their apparent indifference to our president and demanding they stand up and show their support. I was told by one (I'll always now despise) 'that it is necessary for us to investigate the Russian interference in our elections' -- I almost gagged; I didn't quit contacting them ... but, I was ignored. I wrote a few letters to our local newspaper. They weren't printed. I sent checks to Rand Paul (not my senator -- but admired his bravery during these last years, specially about the covid farce) plus several other brave politicians (a couple running for office in California and Washington -- they lost, but still ask for money for their next battle). I sent money to Christopher Rufo because I thought he was doing an important job in exposing and fighting the crazies in the trans movement, especially democratic supporters. He exposed their hatred and hypocrisy, and I think his battle is important to our children.
I now get dozens of texts and phone calls and emails and letters from every Republican from Ted Cruz to politicians in just about every state. My small and pitiful efforts to make changes ended up by me being on everyone's potential donor list and being almost harassed to 'send money!'
So, tell me . . . what are ordinary Americans supposed to do when they're ignored or made to feel helpless? What would some of you smart people advise, those of you who think withdrawing and relaxing and watching a mystery on Netflix or Prime or going to the library and checking out and re-reading your favorite author's book for your own sanity is a bad thing and who keep saying 'the American people aren't interested?'
Thank you for making it clear that Trump does not have the answers.
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Country-Then-Richard-Cook/dp/1949762858
I’ll name you one GOP subject to bribe, Gaetz’s new arch enemy Tony Gonzalez of TX. He’s a pro amnesty guy who’d jump ship and accept Dem help in his contested primary.
As usual, we need to keep Occam's razor sharply honed and to hand. Of course, it's always possible that Gaetz and MTG are playing some deep game to stop Trump. However, in this case, I think they are genuinely and rightly enraged that Johnson has caved so easily. Sure, there were no great candidates for SoH, but they expected at least some kind of backbone from a "devout Christian". Same applies for Trump. Sundance and the Q boys are busy spinning the "64D chess!" line, but it looks like he's sold out. I'm currently reading Robert Massie's wonderful "Nicholas and Alexandra" and am constantly struck by the similarities between the twilight of Tsarist Russian and our dying Western world: a leadership vacuum at the top; corrupt, incompetent politicians jostling for power as the ship goes down; massive debt and dislocation; war, war, war; and wild partying and perversion. The Russian revolution started from obscure, left-field sources and I wonder if our revolution will follow the same pattern: while all attention is focused on the doings of DC, some kind of grass roots movement will spring up from an area that no-one suspected. Something has to give.
"succession" sic secession
Progressives - “these are people that we know!” Neocons - “these are people that we know!” And they are now one and the same and ALL without principles. Brilliant commentary Mark. I hope that Trump’s manœuvres are just that and once elected, the gloves come off.
Q: Trump had positioned himself as a “peace” candidate (where a Tulsi as VP made sense), is he still the peace candidate?
I reside in Missouri's second congressional district. Our congress(wo)man is Ann Wagner. She's a swamp dweller. Her husband was (I believe) in John Ashcroft's gubernatorial administration. When she ran for Congress, she had the right backers. She doesn't answer to the voters of MO-2.
She answers to the Republican congressional leadership. She talks a good game. She's all in on the wars and the spending. When it's election time, she touts her "conservative" values.
Supposedly Missouri is a red state. Ha! Our governor, Mike Parson, is a joke. He advocated getting the Covid shot. "Just get the dang shot." Our supermajority Republican legislature couldn't pass laws banning DEI in state universities.
Kevin Williamson of National Review was adamant that one was a "dummy" if he chose not to get the shot. He also criticized Trump's lack of civility while demonstrating his in calling Trump a "clueless ape."
As I've said before, what does it mean to be a conservative? I professed to be one for 44 years. I held on to that notion ten years after I quit the Republican Party. Sometimes I think quitting the Catholic Church is next. What does it mean to be a Catholic, a Republican or a conservative?
When I join something it, I'm all in. So if there is a party platform or a creed, that means something to me. I'm tired of McConnell, Johnson, Francis and the Catholic hierarchy. During the Michael Brown saga, the bishop here spoke about systemic racism, as though this was a matter of white prejudice. The truth is, Michael Brown was a thug. That a bishop, a successor to the apostles, couldn't refrain from building a strawman was unpalatable to me. If the cost of following Jesus comes second to being esteemed by men, what's the point of following Jesus. He's either first or He's not. With God, He doesn't accept second or third place.
In the early 80's I enjoyed WWF wrestling with the good guys and bad guys, the betrayals, good guys going bad, bad guys turning good and the bad guy men pinned to the mat for a ten-count by the good guy while the referee was distracted by the bad guy's partner or knocked out cold. Then the bad guy would gain the upper hand and pin the good guy, only for the ref to suddenly see this occurrence and count to ten. The result? The bad guy wins.
Thinking of wrestling, I apply it to my naivete convincing myself that O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter or Roberts shared my Constitutional values, that Bush 43 was more conservative than Bush 41, that McCain, Dole or Romney deserved my vote, that National Review or the Thomas More Law Center deserved my donation and that the bishops or true representatives of Christ or the apostles.
The Democrats are more honest than the Republicans. When they tell us they stand for abortion, perversion , socialism, etc., they mean it and they act on it. The Republicans tells us they believe in God and country, but they care about wealth, power and the adulation of men.
Some choice.
If Miles Mathis is right (should be taken with a grain of salt) then Pompeo is a member of the tribe matrilineally.
Imagine that, the king makers killing the king (a Catholic to boot), by now I don’t think the American public would care, too much on Netflix.
The problem with Gaetz' plan is that the GOP members can take the bribe with or without Johnson being vacated, can't they? All that is needed is a majority of the membership to vacate Johnson, and if the Democrats hold even a 1 vote edge, they will do so, won't they?
This is a great analysis.
Massie isn’t one to betray Rs. Despite being treated shabbily by Trump, Massie has always kept his composure and he is cool as a cucumber. He doesn’t want revenge against Johnson, but he knows that Johnson needs to go as Johnson will never be trusted by a large number of Rs because of the antics he pulled by colluding with the Ds.
Perfect title for your post, the swamp “gets swampier” with each passing day. I fear that DJT has, as our British friends would say, shown himself to be too clever by half and as you point out, this act will prove to be a moral/political bridge too far. Can’t even imagine what he was thinking.
I don’t mind telling you that I wasn’t very optimistic before, but with this latest betrayal, the pessimisticometer is pegged!
As regards Gaetz, I think that he’s just another arrogant political jerk who isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is and his “brilliant scheming” will prove to be another one of those, “ Huh, didn’t see that coming….” fiascos.
The country is so far off in the tall grass, I don’t even like to think about what’s heading our way.
Only slightly off target - avoiding succession:
https://mises.org/mises-wire/can-john-c-calhoun-save-america
Brilliant, Mark. Really excellent piece. You have a grasp, however tenuous it feels, on what is happening here.