In a country with a functioning democratic system and a somewhat healthy political culture, anyone uttering such dangerous nonsense would be shunned and ostracized, a party elevating them would not be considered a viable option by anyone but an extremist fringe.
In the United States, that party is re-nominating the guy who tried to end constitutional government via an auto-coup, the criminal leader of a fascistic, violent, conspiratorial movement of followers, for the presidency - and basically has a 50:50 shot at getting back to power.
Let it serve as a reminder that the problem is not just Trump, not even primarily Trump: It’s the party that elevated him in the first place, the party that embraces and elevates far-right extremists, the party that constantly gives itself and its supporters permission to keep radicalizing.
The problem is the party that has been completely taken over by the far-right “populist” energies that conservative elites have been fueling for decades, always believing they could harness and control them in their quest to entrench traditional hierarchies, but never succeeding.
The problem is the party ruled by people who have long given themselves permission to cross any line, to embrace any extremists, in that defining struggle against what they constantly play up as a totalitarian threat from “the Left” to the essence of the nation.
American democracy is under threat because these radicalizing, extremist forces are now in charge of the Republican Party – and almost half the country doesn’t consider any of this a dealbreaker and has found ways to rationalize the continued support for this party.
In fact, “doesn’t consider this a dealbreaker” is the most charitable reading possible, considering that we must assume a sizable portion of Republican voters supports the GOP because, not in spite of what’s on display here. How do you sustain democracy under such conditions?
@Abs1nthe@tzimmer_history I want to know how they're able to get away with it. Pretty sure someone on the left would get hammered for the same. Or are we just in a free for all now?
@rivetgeek@Abs1nthe@tzimmer_history I actually didn't mean that legally. It's the fact that these kind of comments are ignored, swept under the rug, and forgotten about. I know I forgot about this one.
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