luka

Well-known member
It's also to do with a rejection of democratic responsibilities on the part of citizens and institutions most notably media. A feedback loop of infantilisation
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
http://nyti.ms/1P7fqgG

Interesting article about how the Republican party has been shaken up by Trump, and the right-shift that societies undergo in times of economic hardship.

Perhaps another comparable figure to Trump from over here is Jeremy Clarkson. He "tells it like it is". He's "un-PC". He thrives on hatred. He's a rich tory but he's the average bllokes hero. Etc. And there are probably a lot of people who (though hopefully jokingly) would like to see him as Prime Minister.
 

Leo

Well-known member
trump has certainly had a large impact, but some of the polls can be potentially misleading. like the ones that on quick-look seem to say trump is on top at 35%....but on closer examination it's not 35% of americans, or even registered american voters. it's 35% of republicans in iowa, which amounts to a tiny sliver of the country in a rural conservative state.

it's been said elsewhere but much of the rise of trump and fellow "outsiders" is due to demographics: older white males feeling threatened by societal and economic change, with their diminished employment prospects brought on by globalization and a growing technology-based economy for which they are not trained. they feel betrayed, left behind, frustrated by their declining stature and blame "the other" (immigrants, minorities, non-christians, gays, the PC police, weak liberals/democrats, etc.). they also tend to love the tough guy act, hence the macho "take our country back/make america great again" posturing. they are the perfect audience for a demagogue.

in fairness, though, washington is definitely corrupt and broken by any measure, so the rage again establishment politicians is shared by many democrats and independents as well.
 
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trza

Well-known member
i watched his speech announcing his run one afternoon several months ago and i thought it was a joke. then i go tot he coffeeshop the next day and some guy won't shut up about how trump was going to put tariffs on goods from mexico and it was going to save our economy........
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Perhaps another comparable figure to Trump from over here is Jeremy Clarkson. He "tells it like it is". He's "un-PC". He thrives on hatred. He's a rich tory but he's the average bllokes hero. Etc. And there are probably a lot of people who (though hopefully jokingly) would like to see him as Prime Minister.

That's not a bad comparison but a huge difference is that Clarkson is wealthy* as a result of having come up with a highly marketable brand (I mean, I don't think he was born into any great wealth, was he?) whereas Trump is a hereditary billionaire.

*in the sense of being worth however many million, but obviously still Little People from the POV of someone like Trump
 

Leo

Well-known member
17-vladimir-putin-donald-trump.w529.h352.2x.jpg
 

droid

Well-known member
So, Trump was apparently ordered to pay 1.3 million for the death of an endangered brown spider monkey whose hair is mixed with the pubic hair of a water buffalo to make his toupee by a company (Bel-hair emporium) which is under investigation for paying off columbian drug cartels to catch the monkey in question.

Even the man's wig is bizarre and despicable.
 

Leo

Well-known member

EDIT: the friend who emailed this to me included this note: "Ever wonder what it would be like if the cheerleaders at a middle school for simplistic uber-nationalist authoritarian jingoists did a self-parody choreographed by Evel Knievel and filtered through George Orwell's fever dreams? Well, wonder no more."
 
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trza

Well-known member
i thought about going to a trump event nearby for the freak show and spectacle of it all there are videos of his followers outside the events and the counterprotestors that come with all these events and its like those people in new mexico or nevada putting on sunglasses to watch a nuclear bomb test out in the desert.
 

Leo

Well-known member
i thought about going to a trump event nearby for the freak show and spectacle of it all there are videos of his followers outside the events and the counterprotestors that come with all these events and its like those people in new mexico or nevada putting on sunglasses to watch a nuclear bomb test out in the desert.

same here, i'd go to a trump rally for the same reasons if one was close by. although i'd probably find it to be initially amusing and then really depressing.
 
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trza

Well-known member
Trump is bringing out people who had been skipping previous elections and rarely participated in the Republican Primary. He has mastered social media and its becoming clear that ruthlessly attacking unpopular things is not hurting him in this contest. His different profile of voters is turning the map upside down, and many are supporting him after thinking hard about the other Republican candidates before deciding on Trump.
 
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