This excellent article encompasses so much but this stands out for me :
“People's love for pets and children is a universal sentiment that should unite us across cultural divides. Sting captured this powerfully in his 1985 hit "Russians," singing, "I hope the Russians love their children too." His plea was for common humanity in the face of nuclear threat. However, Trump is not Sting; he shows how easy it is to manipulate such deep-seated emotions to sow division and twist even our most unifying instincts into tools of alienation.”
One factor contributing to this feeding frenzy of hate and prejudice that has not been widely reported in the press, is the positive impressions of employers of Haitians in Springfield. Their work ethic and determination has been noticed by employers (according to several interviews). Just another reason to fear them for citizens comfortable with the status quo. They will claim the immigrants are "taking their jobs" without considering that they may just be earning them.
Thanks Doug, I was also wondering if all this would have happened if the Haitians would have been caucasians. And just after publishing my article, I read Trump is planning to visit Springfield; it all fits in the same strategy to create tensions and chaos to convince the people that it is time for a strong leader to solve these problems. A well-known playbook we've seen so often before.
Thank you for this compelling historical reminder of how rascist propoganda endangers us all. Netanyahu has used the vermin and insect terminology to erode the humanity of Palestinians. Disappointingly, peace and love guru Marianne Williamson jumped in with the claim Haitians practice voodoo so the pet kidnapping rumors should not be dismissed out of hand. I sit here shaking my head.
An interesting, developed and argued article, Alex 💯
I share your opinion: educational deficiencies make « democracy vulnerable ».
These impoverishments that we can witnessing present a major risk, among other things, for the stability of democracy.
At the level of society, education, which develops the thinking capacity of each individual, most certainly promotes long-term economic growth and strengthens institutions.
And it also consolidates social cohesion...🤝
Let’s hope that the USA will know how to take the path of reason!🙏
You’ve written brilliantly with so much insight and knowledge from an historical perspective as well as your own experience and empathy.
This election year is like none other in the history of my country due to the shocking and vicious hate injected by Trump and his running mate and a political party lacking the courage to speak up for what’s right. Saying ‘Democracy is on the Ballot’ cannot be repeated enough because it truly is. Something I never thought would be in question in America.
In the early 1940s the US got much closer to fascism than many American realize. It's a part of their history they would rather forget. But forgetting your history carries the risk that you make that mistake again in the future. Now the US is again confronted with the risk of fascism, this time it is a more serious threat than ever before.
I just returned from visiting the Chinese Reconciliation Park in Tacoma, WA. The park was established by the city of Tacoma and the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation in recognition of the forced expulsion of Chinese people from Tacoma in 1885. The rhetoric used to vilify the Chinese residents at that time was disturbingly similar to the vile hatred being spewed by Trump, Vance, and their neo-nazi supporters. It is shocking to me that the mainstream media does not portray this for what it is. Thank you for your writings which ring so eerily true at this crucial time in our history.
Thanks Mike, I had a reference to the discrimination against the Chinese in an earlier version but left it out when I reduced the text to about 1500 words. It's another sad example of singling out one specific group.
Alex, what a history lesson‼️ You reminded me of a lot that I learned from a wonderful high school world history teacher, but you also had a very chilling sentence which scared me:
…[America] “slipping into
the dirty jaws of fascism”.
We are indeed living in scary times because of a deranged delusional man and his sycophants. Some of what you wrote about is
personal. I didn’t need to be reminded of a former time during WWII when my Japanese-American husband’s family was incarcerated in a camp in Colorado’s high desert country quickly built with ramshackle barracks to house supposed “spies”.
I still live with my in-laws descriptions of the hell they lived through for three and a half years before they were “set free”.
Yours was a particularly timely reminder of the craziness and dangerous time the citizens of Springfield, Ohio have been living through by going back in history to remind us all of the fact that history can (and DOES) repeat itself… Thank you for a stunning and well-written post!
Thank you, Anne, I have read about that part of US history, how bad it was, and how many decades were needed before there was some kind of recognition of what had gone terribly wrong, and how much is still needed, including in education about it. It's cynical that the country that lead the Western Allied war against fascists, locked up one ethnicity (if that is the right choice of words, sorry not a native speaker) at home. And yes, it is scary to see history repeating itself.
Trump is totally unoriginal, boring, and psychotic. He only holds sway over "low-information voters" and wealthy industrialists addicted to power and those they pay to keep in their pockets. He and his followers thrive on the attention their insane rhetoric gives them.
All of your shared knowledge is so very welcome as well as painful as most of us are on the same page. Our dilemma results from the inability to sway unhinged mainstream and social media. The more Trump fears loss, the worse his rhetoric will become especially since he has dismissed his advisors for hardened less educated LOYAL followers. Even Melania is now absent in favor of a real wingnut, Laura Loomer. How do we educate the uninformed public, since newspapers, magazines , television, 📺, all sources seem to have abandoned truth for monetized clickbait? I am not digitally savvy enough to reach out; I believe COMMUNITIES are the answer but have none myself being homebound without family. Ideas on solutions, quickly if you can? 😘
Judith, Your greatest contribution would be a Harris phone bank. You can do this from your home. Go to kamalaharris.com. Click on "Volunteer" and you'll be automatically directed to a local page. Sign up for a virtual training session. They will instruct you in how to represent Kamala and Tim. And help them win 🙂
My thanks to you for such an illuminating writing. 🙏
This excellent article encompasses so much but this stands out for me :
“People's love for pets and children is a universal sentiment that should unite us across cultural divides. Sting captured this powerfully in his 1985 hit "Russians," singing, "I hope the Russians love their children too." His plea was for common humanity in the face of nuclear threat. However, Trump is not Sting; he shows how easy it is to manipulate such deep-seated emotions to sow division and twist even our most unifying instincts into tools of alienation.”
Thank you.
Thanks Lizzie, Music shaped the beliefs of many in our generation.
One factor contributing to this feeding frenzy of hate and prejudice that has not been widely reported in the press, is the positive impressions of employers of Haitians in Springfield. Their work ethic and determination has been noticed by employers (according to several interviews). Just another reason to fear them for citizens comfortable with the status quo. They will claim the immigrants are "taking their jobs" without considering that they may just be earning them.
Another well worn trope of discrimination...
Thanks Doug, I was also wondering if all this would have happened if the Haitians would have been caucasians. And just after publishing my article, I read Trump is planning to visit Springfield; it all fits in the same strategy to create tensions and chaos to convince the people that it is time for a strong leader to solve these problems. A well-known playbook we've seen so often before.
Thank you for this compelling historical reminder of how rascist propoganda endangers us all. Netanyahu has used the vermin and insect terminology to erode the humanity of Palestinians. Disappointingly, peace and love guru Marianne Williamson jumped in with the claim Haitians practice voodoo so the pet kidnapping rumors should not be dismissed out of hand. I sit here shaking my head.
OMG, that is like Europeans have burned witches at the stake for centuries, so women beter beware when a European moves to Springfield, Ohio.
An interesting, developed and argued article, Alex 💯
I share your opinion: educational deficiencies make « democracy vulnerable ».
These impoverishments that we can witnessing present a major risk, among other things, for the stability of democracy.
At the level of society, education, which develops the thinking capacity of each individual, most certainly promotes long-term economic growth and strengthens institutions.
And it also consolidates social cohesion...🤝
Let’s hope that the USA will know how to take the path of reason!🙏
I hope so too, world history is made these months, and it happens at lightning speed. I find it both scary and fascinating.
This is so true…The future of the USA will have so many repercussions and consequences on the world and the history of the world !
It’s really impressive…
Thank you for another amazing article.
You’ve written brilliantly with so much insight and knowledge from an historical perspective as well as your own experience and empathy.
This election year is like none other in the history of my country due to the shocking and vicious hate injected by Trump and his running mate and a political party lacking the courage to speak up for what’s right. Saying ‘Democracy is on the Ballot’ cannot be repeated enough because it truly is. Something I never thought would be in question in America.
In the early 1940s the US got much closer to fascism than many American realize. It's a part of their history they would rather forget. But forgetting your history carries the risk that you make that mistake again in the future. Now the US is again confronted with the risk of fascism, this time it is a more serious threat than ever before.
I just returned from visiting the Chinese Reconciliation Park in Tacoma, WA. The park was established by the city of Tacoma and the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation in recognition of the forced expulsion of Chinese people from Tacoma in 1885. The rhetoric used to vilify the Chinese residents at that time was disturbingly similar to the vile hatred being spewed by Trump, Vance, and their neo-nazi supporters. It is shocking to me that the mainstream media does not portray this for what it is. Thank you for your writings which ring so eerily true at this crucial time in our history.
Thanks Mike, I had a reference to the discrimination against the Chinese in an earlier version but left it out when I reduced the text to about 1500 words. It's another sad example of singling out one specific group.
Alex, what a history lesson‼️ You reminded me of a lot that I learned from a wonderful high school world history teacher, but you also had a very chilling sentence which scared me:
…[America] “slipping into
the dirty jaws of fascism”.
We are indeed living in scary times because of a deranged delusional man and his sycophants. Some of what you wrote about is
personal. I didn’t need to be reminded of a former time during WWII when my Japanese-American husband’s family was incarcerated in a camp in Colorado’s high desert country quickly built with ramshackle barracks to house supposed “spies”.
I still live with my in-laws descriptions of the hell they lived through for three and a half years before they were “set free”.
Yours was a particularly timely reminder of the craziness and dangerous time the citizens of Springfield, Ohio have been living through by going back in history to remind us all of the fact that history can (and DOES) repeat itself… Thank you for a stunning and well-written post!
Thank you, Anne, I have read about that part of US history, how bad it was, and how many decades were needed before there was some kind of recognition of what had gone terribly wrong, and how much is still needed, including in education about it. It's cynical that the country that lead the Western Allied war against fascists, locked up one ethnicity (if that is the right choice of words, sorry not a native speaker) at home. And yes, it is scary to see history repeating itself.
Alex, “ethnicity” is certainly the right word and although you are “not a native speaker”, you certainly write like one who is.😊
Thank you, Anne :-)
Trump is totally unoriginal, boring, and psychotic. He only holds sway over "low-information voters" and wealthy industrialists addicted to power and those they pay to keep in their pockets. He and his followers thrive on the attention their insane rhetoric gives them.
yes, sadly, that is the case. Imagine all those with brains, money, and power still supporting him; they are also responsible for this mess.
All of your shared knowledge is so very welcome as well as painful as most of us are on the same page. Our dilemma results from the inability to sway unhinged mainstream and social media. The more Trump fears loss, the worse his rhetoric will become especially since he has dismissed his advisors for hardened less educated LOYAL followers. Even Melania is now absent in favor of a real wingnut, Laura Loomer. How do we educate the uninformed public, since newspapers, magazines , television, 📺, all sources seem to have abandoned truth for monetized clickbait? I am not digitally savvy enough to reach out; I believe COMMUNITIES are the answer but have none myself being homebound without family. Ideas on solutions, quickly if you can? 😘
Judith, Your greatest contribution would be a Harris phone bank. You can do this from your home. Go to kamalaharris.com. Click on "Volunteer" and you'll be automatically directed to a local page. Sign up for a virtual training session. They will instruct you in how to represent Kamala and Tim. And help them win 🙂
Thanks Rena!
THANK YOU; THAT I CAN DO! My angel! 😘
❤