Rise of Fascism in the United States [SPLIT]

[TX-Beau]

I would really like to know.

Learn more about what it means to be transgender or gender diverse

Know the basics about sex and gender, including common terms and definitions.

www.mayoclinic.org

Understanding Transgender People: The Basics | A4TE

transequality.org

Here you go. My opinion is that I don't have an opinion about all trans people since I don't know all of them.

My opinion is that everyone should demonstrate the respect and consideration they expect to get.

My opinion is that if one is siding with the bigots who'd like to crucify one as a gay man to a fence, one is on the wrong side.

My opinion is that people are people, and no one should be dictating to them who they are.

My opinion is that queers who discriminate against other queers have internalized homophobia, and that hate is about themselves.

My opinion is that any gay man who supports making someone illegal because of their identity deserves to be crucified to the fence for being a F****T by their own allies.

I hope that is enough of my opinion.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[rareboy]

The whole point of this has been to derail the thread to deflect from discussing the actual topic of the actual rise of Fascism in the United States, by using what-about'ism, baiting, and blaming the left for the actions of the fascists. This is a typical fascist approach - blame the other side for what you are doing.

This has everything to do with Germany. The far-reich has modeled their actions after 1930s Germany for years. It is absurd to say it's not the same because the left advocates equal rights for transgender people. Transgender people are not responsible for all the hate, lies, bigotry, disinformation, conspiracy frauds, and Nazi propaganda spewing from the far-reich. This is the kind of thing abusers do - "It's your fault I beat you up and mutilated your face." Or to put in theme with the thread - "It's your fault I locked you in a gas chamber and dropped in the cyanide crystals."

Because the far-reich is headed in a similar direction with a similiar end.

Thank you.

When I read the splatter of trolling and baiting posts trying to push lies and disinformation, I figure the main purpose is to derail threads, because otherwise, they are so devoid of any actual content that the only other purpose is to provoke angry responses.

And of course, the real 'tell' about bankruptcy of their purpose is stooping to the fake apology to 'the left' because our feelings are so 'delicate'.

Which is so odd because it the the far right who seem to have their own feelings not even barely under control these days as they spew hate against people they are intent on dehumanizing. They do this on social media and worse, in legislative chambers all across America. The rest of the world is watching and most of us are horrified at the rise of hate by the far right we are witnessing.

 

[cityboy-stl]

Another aspect to the rise of fascism is Christian Nationalism, aka. Christo-Fascism. These are the kind of people who want an authoritarian theocracy and, with restraints removed, would commit murder for God.
There is nothing Christian about it.

CNN has a good article about it.

White Christian nationalists are poised to remake America in their image during Trump’s second term.

 

[ravenstone]

Thank you.

When I read the splatter of trolling and baiting posts trying to push lies and disinformation, I figure the main purpose is to derail threads, because otherwise, they are so devoid of any actual content that the only other purpose is to provoke angry responses.

And of course, the real 'tell' about bankruptcy of their purpose is stooping to the fake apology to 'the left' because our feelings are so 'delicate'.

Which is so odd because it the the far right who seem to have their own feelings not even barely under control these days as they spew hate against people they are intent on dehumanizing. They do this on social media and worse, in legislative chambers all across America. The rest of the world is watching and most of us are horrified at the rise of hate by the far right we are witnessing.

I agree you are an expert on this.

Another aspect to the rise of fascism is Christian Nationalism, aka. Christo-Fascism. These are the kind of people who want an authoritarian theocracy and, with restraints removed, would commit murder for God.
There is nothing Christian about it.

CNN has a good article about it.

White Christian nationalists are poised to remake America in their image during Trump’s second term.

This will never happen as there are way too many MAGA people who want nothing to do with Christian or White nationalism. Some people want border controls and to stop the anti-semitism and anti-Americanism of the left as well as protection of freedom of speech.

 

[KaraBulut]

I agree you are an expert on this.

This will never happen as there are way too many MAGA people who want nothing to do with Christian or White nationalism. Some people want border controls and to stop the anti-semitism and anti-Americanism of the left as well as protection of freedom of speech.

We're talking about Earth I, right? I'm not sure we're occupying the same planet.

Here on Earth I, there's seems to be a different agenda, as evidenced by a large number of companies suddenly deciding that they don't need those diversity, equity inclusion policies and staff anymore. Glad to know we fixed that problem! Now, let's to work hiring those persecuted Christians!

Amazon:

Amazon removes 'equity for Black people' and 'LGBTQ+ rights' from company policies

Amazon has quietly removed protections for Black and LGBTQ+ workers from its company policies.

www.advocate.com

Meta/Facebook/Instagram:

Meta is ending its DEI programs as it eases protections against anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech

Meta's internal announcement comes shortly after leaked training materials revealed that the company instructed moderators to allow posts calling LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill.”

www.advocate.com

Brown Forman (aka Jack Daniels Whiskey)/Ford/Harley Davidson/John Deere/Lowes/McDonald's/Molson Coors/Toyota/Tractor Supply/Walmart

These 35 major companies caved to Trump and rolled back DEI programs

With the news about Walmart, Ford Motor Co., and others, it's clear that this is a trend — and it's being driven by right-wing extremists.

www.advocate.com

 

[rareboy]

We're talking about Earth I, right? I'm not sure we're occupying the same planet.

Here on Earth I, there's seems to be a different agenda, as evidenced by a large number of companies suddenly deciding that they don't need those diversity, equity inclusion policies and staff anymore. Glad to know we fixed that problem! Now, let's to work hiring those persecuted Christians!

Amazon:

Amazon removes 'equity for Black people' and 'LGBTQ+ rights' from company policies

Amazon has quietly removed protections for Black and LGBTQ+ workers from its company policies.

www.advocate.com

Meta/Facebook/Instagram:

Meta is ending its DEI programs as it eases protections against anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech

Meta's internal announcement comes shortly after leaked training materials revealed that the company instructed moderators to allow posts calling LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill.”

www.advocate.com

Brown Forman (aka Jack Daniels Whiskey)/Ford/Harley Davidson/John Deere/Lowes/McDonald's/Molson Coors/Toyota/Tractor Supply/Walmart

These 35 major companies caved to Trump and rolled back DEI programs

With the news about Walmart, Ford Motor Co., and others, it's clear that this is a trend — and it's being driven by right-wing extremists.

www.advocate.com

I know. It is all such bullshit. The right wing is literally shutting down freedom of speech using the legislatures and courts to do it. But whining about their freedumb of speech which really has never been curtailed.

Boohoohing about anti-semitism while Musk and MTG openly post screeds about the 'Jews'.

For fuck's sakes.

Every time this nonsense comes up...all I can think of is Nero's lament "so many christians...so few lions".

Just wait until the kkkristofascists get rid of porn under project 2025 (also an assault on free speech that we thought had been resolved decades ago).

 

[KaraBulut]

I know. It is all such bullshit. The right wing is literally shutting down freedom of speech using the legislatures and courts to do it. But whining about their freedumb of speech which really has never been curtailed.

As you've mentioned, I've talked about other places that I have lived where I have seen autocrats come into power and what happened. It usually took 5-10 years for the party to get all their cronies into various places in the government so that they could begin the looting.

I'm not a fan of the whole DEI thing. I am more a fan of getting diversity into management and into board rooms. I think it's more effective there.

But this sudden about face on DEI is sign of something. It's happening too fast. We knew the Project 2025 stuff was real but Project 2025 didn't mention that Mark Zuckerberg was going to turn from a fairly progressive techo bro into a Peter Thiel style bro-llionaire.

The tech employees are already unhappy because they are getting paranoid that AI is going to replace them. It's going to be interesting to see what happens now that students are back on campus. We may be getting back to the 1970-1974 style unrest.

 

[Dargelos]

Do you think we will see the return of something like ActUp? They were incredibly brave but they had to be because they were staring death in the face. It was fight or die.
We all hope that times never get that desperate again. No, thats wrong, there some who do want see another nightmare like that, as long it hurts us not them.

 

[KaraBulut]

Do you think we will see the return of something like ActUp? They were incredibly brave but they had to be because they were staring death in the face. It was fight or die.
We all hope that times never get that desperate again. No, thats wrong, there some who do want see another nightmare like that, as long it hurts us not them.

I'm wondering where MoveOn and like are. Karine Jean-Pierre, currently the White House Press Secretary, was the spokesperson for MoveOn and once she departed to join the Biden Administration, there hasn't been much of a peep from MoveOn and progressive

Rachel Maddow has returned to MSNBC, so there does appear to be an acknowledgement that the progressives and Democrats need to get their messaging and opposition organized.

 

[rareboy]

I'm wondering where MoveOn and like are. Karine Jean-Pierre, currently the White House Press Secretary, was the spokesperson for MoveOn and once she departed to join the Biden Administration, there hasn't been much of a peep from MoveOn and progressive

Rachel Maddow has returned to MSNBC, so there does appear to be an acknowledgement that the progressives and Democrats need to get their messaging and opposition organized.

I wouldn't put much stock in MSNBC's moves right now.

The network is more interested in looking for a buyer than in becoming a stalwart bastion of journalism or refuge for the liberals.

They are on record as having suggested that they are looking for a share of the conservative audience as well, so more likely than not, they end up as the same kind of muddled mess that CNN has become over the last decade.

But at the moment, they can't afford to lose Maddow who also hasn't really been as strong a media player. They are likely counting on her to draw the Trump hater audience for the next four years.

 

[KaraBulut]

...But at the moment, they can't afford to lose Maddow who also hasn't really been as strong a media player. They are likely counting on her to draw the Trump hater audience for the next four years.

The absence of Maddow in 2024 meant that there wasn't a voice making sense of the chaos. Jon Stewart returned to the anchor chair too late. "Morning Joe" devolved into a constant rant about Trump. There were other shows like Podcast America and Maher's show that spent a lot of time on navel-gazing and not enough time on the big picture; for example, the way that they covered the age issue- Biden being portrayed as senile, versus Trump being presented as a maniac, when both men have obvious age-related decline that should exempted both men from higher office.

The thing with Maddow's team is that they have a unique ability to connect the dots and present the information in unique ways. She also has a lot of influence on other shows on the network with her focus on journalism and the big picture versus the "Trump outrage of the day" that other shows on the network have become obsessed with. The Maddow Show is unquestionably liberal but it hasn't devolved into a grievance-based show like other politically biased shows, such as Hannity/Young Turks. or the lunacy of shows on OAN.

 

[rareboy]

This one could go into so many threads. But it is a reminder of the mob boss mentality of fascism.

The threats against your fellow players if they don't play nice.

The threat isn't against Meyers, but Comcast. And indirectly Meyers. (MSDNC...nice one). We've been seeing all the other oligarchs bending the knee.

One final word about Jon Stewart. Definitely too little too late. But he was also disappointing in that he fell into the trap early on of treating Biden like a doddering fool while often just treating Trump like crazy. The Dems and left leaners were so busy doing a tear-down for the first six months of the campaign that they did the same thing as in 2016.

They needed to take a page from the GQP. It doesn't fucking matter who you are running. You go all in and drown out the rest of the noise. Instead Dem voters, pundits and major players all start out negative and then second guess themselves, their leaders and their policies...always chasing after the elusive tranche of centrist voters they think they can capture this time.

In the end, the media wanted Trump, they could taste the Cheeto dust on his taint.

Oddly enough, I think that a lot of shows are going to find that watching the hosts collect a paycheque making jokes about TrumpCo. or going after rage watchers might find their audiences are losing the appetite for that as well. I find that in the face of watching a fascist oligarchy being formed in the US, our taste for a lot of shows is decreasing.

 

[rareboy]

The build out of the autocratic state is commencing. This is how they do it. It isn't loyalty to the constitution or even the party, it is loyalty to the Fuhrer.

One is given to understand that the desk clean-outs are gearing up.

Trump will never again allow another Vinman to report his illegal behaviour.

And I suspect that if someone does, their body will be found shortly after.

 

[cityboy-stl]

The whole inauguration from Saturday through Monday is just going to be one big 3-day Nazi rally. I am not watching any of it.
If anything happens I really need to know, I'm sure someone will post it here, or I'll find out later.

Welcome to the Fourth Reich. The fascist apocalypse begins.

 

[KaraBulut]

The build out of the autocratic state is commencing. This is how they do it. It isn't loyalty to the constitution or even the party, it is loyalty to the Fuhrer.

One is given to understand that the desk clean-outs are gearing up.

Trump will never again allow another Vinman to report his illegal behaviour.

And I suspect that if someone does, their body will be found shortly after.

Some historical context. The NSC is not like most of government. It pulls experts from across government to be an advisory body on foreign policy- Vinman came from the military for example. The NSC advisors usually speak the native language of the country that they are experts on and they coordinate aspects across government on national security and intelligence.

Trump and Bannon tried to clean house the last time:

Crippling the capacity of the National Security Council | Brookings

Kathryn Dunn Tenpas writes that the high rate of turnover in high-level positions in the Trump administration has been especially acute on the National Security Council. This instability, she argues, has greatly diminished the capacity of the NSC to fulfill its mission.

www.brookings.edu

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/29/512295108/with-national-security-council-shakeup-steve-bannon-gets-a-seat-at-the-table

And this is what they are up to now:

Incoming Trump team is asking White House National Security Council civil servants about their loyalty

Some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty.

www.pbs.org

Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trump’s team, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump — after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, in recent days publicly signaled his intention to get rid of all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials serving on the NSC by Inauguration Day to ensure the council is staffed with those who support Trump’s agenda.

They're shooting themselves in the foot. This is the false bravado of someone who mistakenly thinks he's a great dealmaker.

Let's be clear: with the exception of Israeli-Saudi relationships, Trump's foreign policy efforts between 2016-2020 accomplished little or nothing. In the case of North Korea, he just made the leader there seem more legitimate and it probably facilitated North Korea's involvement with Russia and Ukraine. He alienated most of Europe and the allies in NATO. Trump totally fucked America on the Afghanistan deal and the mess that happened with the withdrawal from Afghanistan started with the deal that Trump negotiated. Trump insisted on renegotiating NAFTA, renaming it the USMCA and now he's ignoring the terms of his own deal to antagonize America's two closest trading partners.

Give that man a bigger shovel.

 

[rareboy]

I think he is on track to accomplish what his owners and he wants (in his own self interest)

He is about to create a ourely transactional Council that is only concerned with buying and selling security based on the ROI for TrumpCo.

He doesn't give a shit about NATO. Unless they bid up the price. Which they likely will. Only to be outbid by the Sauds and PutinCo. again.

As well, always bear in mind, he needs to shut down foreign issues and affaris like he tried to do in 2016-2020. Project strongman strength. Make nice with all the dictators while presenting some kind of Kabuki theatre performance to the MAGAt rubes.

One of my dear friends who is at George Brown and Harvard, said that China understands the transactional nature of Trumpian foreign affairs policy and finds it so much easier to deal with than Democratic or traditional US/Sino relationships that get mired down in variables like human rights and 'values'.

I think he and his cabal learned a lot of valuable lessons from the 1st term and we are about to see them unchained.

 

[KaraBulut]

...I think he and his cabal learned a lot of valuable lessons from the 1st term and we are about to see them unchained.

I think we are going to see a little bit of lotta history repeating. This time, he might not be as lucky as to have a 1-2% fatality rate, though. And his incompetent government is going to be frozen in terror.

Bird flu detected in ducks at shopping center in Austin

Confirmed cases of avian influenza have been detected in ducks at a shopping center in Austin, according to public health officials.

spectrumlocalnews.com

According to a news release from the City of Austin, some dead birds were found in north Austin earlier this month and were reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

“Tests performed by an area veterinary lab detected the virus,” the release said.

A news release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department later confirmed that multiple "domestic ducks" at the Arboretum Shopping Center ponds tested positive for avian influenza. A spokesperson for the department old Austin NBC affiliate KXAN that the agency doesn't consider park ducks to be wild animals.

First H5 Bird Flu Death Reported in United States

A person with severe avian influenza A(H5N1) illness ("H5N1 bird flu") has passed away.

www.cdc.gov

 

[cityboy-stl]

I think we are going to see a little bit of lotta history repeating. This time, he might not be as lucky as to have a 1-2% fatality rate, though. And his incompetent government is going to be frozen in terror.

Bird flu detected in ducks at shopping center in Austin

Confirmed cases of avian influenza have been detected in ducks at a shopping center in Austin, according to public health officials.

spectrumlocalnews.com

First H5 Bird Flu Death Reported in United States

A person with severe avian influenza A(H5N1) illness ("H5N1 bird flu") has passed away.

www.cdc.gov

And having RFK Jr over CDC etc., what does that say for bird flu vaccine development, and distribution? Not to mention the horde of anti-vaxxers he's cultivating.

I would think a bird flu vaccine should be relatively easy to develop and just a modification of the flu shot we get every year, but I'm not sure. Getting it in people's arms, given all the obstruction and misinformation, would be the problem.

 

[KaraBulut]

And having RFK Jr over CDC etc., what does that say for bird flu vaccine development, and distribution? Not to mention the horde of anti-vaxxers he's cultivating.

I would think a bird flu vaccine should be relatively easy to develop and just a modification of the flu shot we get every year, but I'm not sure. Getting it in people's arms, given all the obstruction and misinformation, would be the problem.

If we end up seeing more human H5N1 cases, it might warrant a thread similar to the COVID thread in Hot Topics.

Fortunately, there are already vaccines in the national stockpile for H5N1. Whether they will be expired by the time we need them is another question. The Biden Administration has been working with the vaccine manufacturers to get a head start on an mRNA vaccine for H5N1 (which would be the first mRNA vaccine for influenza) and they have been testing it on animals who are susceptible to H5N1. The good news is that the vaccinated animals did well; the bad news is that the mortality in unvaccinated animals was 100%.

The virus hasn't mutated to where it can infect humans with casual contact or via human-human transmission. It's been percolating in the background for a decade- randomly killing chicken in poultry farms (which is one of the reasons that eggs have gotten so to be expensive), infecting cattle and a few human dairy workers, killing big cats in a wildlife refuge, killing seals and polar bears in the wild.

A little bit of alarm was raised when a young girl in Canada was hospitalized in November and an elderly woman in Louisiana died from H5N1 last week. Both were not believed to be human-human transmission.

The nonsense that happened with the mRNA vaccines for COVID during the Trump Administration and his putting his own re-election big over the health of Americans does pose a risk if, God forbid, we get enough mutation in this latest H5N1 strain that is so lethal. His nominees for NIH, HHS, CMS and FDA are inept and would have no clue what to do in a pandemic. They better hope that horse paste prevents bird flu.

 

[Dargelos]

Whatever it is that does go badly wrong, something will go badly wrong and many people will die when nobody in an administration has a single fucking clue how to do their job. How many deaths is it going to take before the voters understand that? Last time your country had a pretend president, there were a over a million covid related deaths and not one apology for any of them. If one million is not enough then how many is enough? Two, three, four, five. Six?