American Schism & Civil War 2.0

[Demented]

Some of us are old enough to remember politics in the 20th century.  Call me naïve, but back then in America, it was Democrats vs Republicans.  They didn't agree with each other, their policies were different, but they were cordial enough in public.  They would have debates, people would vote on which ideas they liked the best, then everybody would drive home.  And they would feel safe.  There wasn't a sense that one side was trying to destroy the other.  There wasn't pervasive threats of jail, and the smears seemed tolerable.

Today's politics no longer is Democrats vs Republicans.  A feud has started, and it's impossible to believe that significant public figures won't come out of it clean.  Within the next five years, somebody with the last name Trump will wind up in prison.  This is where things are heading.  Or it might be a Biden or Clinton.  It depends on who's in power when the system breaks, and we reach that next level.  If it's not a Trump, Biden, or Clinton (and it doesn't necessarily need to be a former president), it could be James Comey or Pam Bondi.  That's how bad things are.  Everybody's out for revenge, and the gloves have come off.  They are using Mafia tactics (both sides) in that they aim for the kingpin, but they know they really can't get to him.  Al Capone was not convicted for bootlegging.  He was convicted for tax evasion.  That's how difficult it is to nail your rival's leader.  Do you know how to get to a Mafia leader?  You take out his children.  You take out things he loves.  You take out his henchmen, and you stay relentless.

We are past Democrats vs Republicans, though television will continue to frame it this way.  We are at Hatfields vs McCoys all over again.  A feud has started, it has spilled over into society at large, and few people understand the impetus of how it all began.  Donald Trump is out for revenge, and he didn't hide (at Charlie Kirk's funeral) that he hates his enemies.  In the video here, one of his sons defends Donald's actions of revenge, but I want to point something out.  It's not a fake feud, and that's why it's scary.  Also, the targets of Donald Trump's wrath go beyond Leticia James, James Comey, and (pretty soon) John Bolton.  They carry over to blue cities which did not vote him.  Portland is NOT burning to the ground.  I want you to notice something in this video.  Donald's son is not responding like some talkshow guests reading through bullet points on a page.  He is emotional, and his answers are genuinely coming from inside.  In layman's terms, "He believes his own bullshit."  From an outside perspective, an objective person could see corruption in Democrats and Republicans alike, but this guy is in an existential crisis.  Keep in mind that Donald Trump claimed America could not exist without him.  These guys are absolutists in the mindset of Aristotle (not that I believe they're read any noteworthy philosophy book).  They are NOT relativists.  Henri  Bergson's take on metaphysics is radically different than Aristotle's.  They can't empathize the same as ordinary people, and they don't know how to walk in other's shoes.

This Civil War is real enough.  This video features a lot of emotion, but there's also cuts of analysis, fact checking, and commentary ...

[Demented]

These gals at IHIP are a breath of fresh air.  Once you buy in that a Civil War of some kind is going on (whether it be economic, cultural, or bloody), you can understand the mentality behind it.  I grew up with right-wingers who thought Christians would be Raptured in the year 2000.  There was a whole movement behind this, and it was mocked and satirized in the 1999 movie, End of Days, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.  This has happened many times in Christian history, and it happened a century ago when Charles Taze Russell (founder of Jehovah's Witness) said his believers would be Raptured in October of 1914, but it didn't happen.  Recently on TikTok, Joshua Mhlakela (a South African pastor) said the Rapture would be September 23rd.  He had believers, but they remained with us on Earth.

If you're inside one of these movements, it has the feel of being inside a cult.  The World, from the outside, thinks you're crazy.  They wish they could help you, but from the inside, you feel completely sane.  The World is crazy!  Not you!  You put your faith in these crazy ideas, and the time approaches for the Rapture (or similar event), then nothing happens!  There's a mental/ spiritual fork in the road!  The Leader never says he's wrong!  He just re-adjusts the interpretations.  This isn't exclusive to Christianity, by the way.  New Agers thought the End of the World would happen on 12/21/2012, as interpreted through Mayan prophesy.  Your two options become:

-- continue to follow the Leader/ doctrine/ teaching in revised form, OR
-- get the Hell out and reevaluate your life

Charles Taze Russell msintained followers, and the Jehovah's Witness denomination exists today.  They've rationalized why they weren't Raptured in 1914.  The Millennial preachers did the same thing.  Time will tell what will happen to Joshua Mhlakela and his believers.  As for me, I bolted away from my Evangelical family around 1994.  You see?  The Tribulation was supposed to begin in 1993, and it was supposed to last seven years until the Rapture in 2000.  A year into the supposed Tribulation, I simply didn't see it.  I started talking to friends and, thankfully, they steered me out of it.  And, quite frankly, our pastor wasn't a pious person.  Actually, he was a total dick and never behaved like Jesus of the Bible.

From 1994 until 2000, I developed a great relationship with someone who studied theology and anthropology with me.  We felt manipulated by Rapture preachers, but we didn't understand religion enough to keep our friends from getting trapped in cults.  He moved to New York, converted to Buddhism, and became friends with Noem Chomsky.  Me?  I'm more of a Humanist.  I adhere to anthropology when trying to understanding human nature.  I believe Man created God (as a concept), and not the other way around.  With that said, I am NOT an athiest.  I have witnessed supernatural events, and this is one of the reasons I got into conspiracy theory.  I don't trust organized religion, but I trust gypsies, psychics, mystics, freaks, and weirdos.  That's the life I live.

I like these IHIP ladied a lot.  They both have backgrounds with right-wing family members, just like me.  Their insights are really great.  They know how to distinguish the genuine crazies from the phony brown nosers.  They seem to think Mike Johnson is one of the genuine crazies in that he probably thinks he'll be Raptured soon by Jesus for doing (what he thinks is) the Lord's work.  The rest of us?  We think he's a failure as a Congressperson, and he ought to stop cutting health care in order that tycoons could afford more yachts and private islands ...

[Demented]

"Soft Civil War" – Fat National Guards vs Inflatable Animal Characters

[Demented]

We continue with our Civil War 2.0 Hypothesis,
and everything still lines up, and is building ...

Today, we discuss Democracy vs Kleptocracy.

Let's suppose Democracy is the color white.
Kleptocracy is the color black.

America, in its best Golden Age, was damn near close to white.  We were still trying to build a "more perfect Union" even during the best of times, so we were opaque.  Let's suppose Watergate (with Nixon's subsequent resignation) tarred the USA a little.  We go from opaque to a light shade of gray.  Let's suppose the corruption BUILDS as the decades pass.  The shade of gray gets darker and darker.

This past week, we reached full BLACK.  Metallica would be proud!  When Trump demanded $230 million for the DOJ investigating his corruption?  Wow!  He's not just trying to win the Al Capone Award, he's trying to make Al Capone look weak!  Now, we just found out he pardoned someone who gave kajillions to his crypto scam.  Wow!  These surely are amazing times!

In the past, I have explained the United States as an oligarchy.  That means it's run by a handful of people, even though there's a pretense that democracy works and "We the People" make the decisions.  I've also called the United States a plutocracy.  That means it's a government Of the Rich, By the Rich, For the Rich.  Once again, there's still a lingering pretense that ordinary people matter.

Up until Donald Trump was allowed back into the (currently wrecked) White House, I was hesitant to use "kleptocracy" to describe America.  Sure, many individuals were corrupt, but as a whole, it seemed fixable.  Now?  It's fair and easy to say.  An Orange Criminal is living in the White House.

Let's apply this to Civil War 2.0 as we know it:

Team A:  Donald Trump, the head Kleptocrat
     - his henchmen:  Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, Pete Hegseth, ICE, et al
     - his propagandists:  Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck, Fox News, Karoline Leavitt, et al

Team B:  Everyone Else
     -  these are the people "fighting the good fight"
     -  these are also people who want nothing to do with Civil War 2.0 but got sucked in

No Man's Land:
     - in the past, this was Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, Michael Cohen, & many others
     - these people once were in Trump's orbit, but got thrown under the bus or saw the light
     -  there are also vulnerable newcomers to No Man's Land including Tucker Carlson and MTG
     - the newcomers have challanged the Narrative and dared to be independent

No Man's Land is the worse place you can be in trench warfare.  During World War I, literal trenches were dug between fighting armies.  All Quiet on the Western Front depicts this well.  You were relatively safe so long as you stayed in a trench.  If you ventured into No Man's Land, your life was in immediate danger.  Good luck to Tucker Carlson!  I've enjoyed your 9/11 series so far!  Good luck to MTG!  Thanks for exposing AIPAC, and thank you for sticking up for the victims of Epstein ...

[Demented]

Glenn Beck uses a lot of dog whistles when talking about Civil War 2.0, and he'll never attack Trump or Trump's criminal goons.  He uses a friendly tone, but his rhetoric is 100% pointed toward anyone politically left of him.  The recent No Kings rallies featured Americans from all walks of life, and the angst is directed toward vile plutocrats.  A few days ago, I mentioned Megyn Kelly and Glenn Beck as a couple of Trump's most reliable shills.  You can watch this video and judge for yourself, but these people are tone deaf to what ordinary Americans go through.  The aggregate of Trump's approval rating is in the mid thirties to low forties.  This is historically bad, but these propagandists will keep saying it's the Moon that shines so bright in the sky.  It's pretty sad ...

[Demented]

In the first clip, you have Kristi Noem's ICE agents breaking the ribs of a 67-year-old man st a Halloween party in front of terrified children.

And they wonder why they're doxxed?  In the second clip, you have several Trump officials who have moved onto military bases because their tactics are brutally Gestapo-like.

This is Civil War 2.0 for you ...

[Demented]

More ICE vs People footage ...

[Demented]

The corruption of the Trump administration has set a new bar.  It's not only corruption, though.  The level of hypocrisy is mind-blowing.  This video features an analysis of the hypocrisy, in particular with Kash Patel.  If gives you a great glimpse into the collective mind of the Orange Clown, and the Goons who work for him.  In layman's terms, they think their shit doesn't stink, and the rest of the World can fuck off and eat cake ...

[Demented]

Civil War 2.0 takes many forms.  The rules of engagement have changed.  Civilty is gone.  Donald Trump has the maturity of a thirteen-year-old at best, and he directs Cronies to engage in juvenile behavior.  Their politics are shady and unprecedented.  He ordered wacky gerrymandering nationwide, and it backfired.  Typically, redistricting happens every ten years after the census, but Texas decided to try to pick up five extra Republican seats midway through the decade.  They redrew their maps, but it's just been struck down by the courts.  Why?  Trump is a slimy person, and he uses underhanded methods.  The only way to remain one of his Cronies is if you go along with his chickenshit methods.  Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  Karma is a bitch.  Say it how you will.  California decided to offset the unfair advantage of Texas by offering a ballot initiative.  They let the People decide whether they want to continue to use an independent body to draw the maps, or if they want partisan legislators to do it midway through decade like Texas.  The voters decided to offset Texas, and by law, it's a temporary measure.  The independent body comes back into play after the 2030 census.  In this video, Brian Tyler Cohen explains it simply:  Fuck Around, Find Out.  Civil War 2.0 rolls along.  Now that Republicans have defied Trump on the Epstein vote, we can start thinking about life after Trump.  Therefore, we can start thinking about civility and logic again instead of perpetual revenge and insane whims.  Will Civil War 2.0 end at that point?  Time will tell ...

[Demented]

Some people work for MSNBC, CNN, or Fox News, and their jobs are to understand contemporary politics and report the news of the day, no matter what their bias might be.  Then there is Bloomberg, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and others doing their thing outside of cable news.  Finally, the internet has allowed private journalism to exist through YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, and other outlets.  Once again, bias is a factor, and so is intellectual integrity.  In other words, some journalists are more prone to sticking to talking points more than others.  Some are more prone to getting defensive when their side or their heroes are attacked.  Some are more prone to lie in order to save face.  In other words, some are more intellectually dishonest than others.

So we have the old school traditional news, aka MSM (mainstream media), aka Legacy Media (a term that's come to replace MSM as private podcasters become more mainstream).  This Legacy Media has its perks because it is well-financed through corporate donors, and it's built decades of trust through reporting on vital historical events.  Ironically, the thing that makes Legacy Media strong is the same reason that people turn away from it.  The corporate donors create an atmosphere where you can report about some things but not others.  Sure, you're bound to hear a bad story about Ford, Disney, or McDonald's here or there, but overall, you can't bite the hand that feeds.  There comes a moment when you, as a Legacy Media reporter, must stop and look the other way.  Do you want to keep your job?  And the decades of trust?  That can also backfire.  Legacy Media can come across as bureaucratic and out of touch with ordinary people.  Traditionally, it has a one-size-fits-all format, and comes across as less personal than catered podcasts.

The Legacy Media, together with modern independent journalists, create the news we take in.  This thread deals with Civil War 2.0 and it's not necessarily created for the ones who live, breathe, and eat the news.  I have my mind on the Noobs, and on the people who've been living under rocks.  I love to share as much content from "both sides" as possible.  I put "both sides" in quotes because there are many more than two sides to our current conflicts, and as I've written about before, there are subdivisions within warring factions.  I care about intellectual honesty a lot, and no matter what side you're on, it's difficult to perceive "the other side" as anything other than dishonest, or being rooted in propaganda by nature.

With this said, I bring to you the featured video provided by the Real American podcast.  When I started this thread, I featured a video from the Piers Morgan show.  In the video, one of Donald Trump's sons defended his involvement in cryptocurrency.  One of my takeaways was, "He believes his own bullshit."  If this is accurate, it's actually a form of intellectual honesty, not that it condones the behavior.  In today's video from Real American, we have a former J6er who is running for office, and he's in Dearborn, Michigan ranting in a city hall setting during a meeting.  He is angry about the Islamic presence in America, and he becomes confrontational with cops outside.  Later, he screams about a Republican candidate for governor who had recently visited a mosque, then he spray paints "cuck" on the outside of his tour bus.  In another video, this man is marching in a parade and gets socked by a bystander.

At this stage of this Civil War 2.0 thread, I'm not trying to convince anybody that one side or the other is correct.  I'm not trying to move anybody from the Left to the Right, or vice versa.  I'm trying to convince people that the hatred is real.  The delusion is real, but so are some of the insights.  These people don't evolve their consciousness in a vacuum, and their actions are derived from some sort of reality, relative as it might be.

The mayoral race in New York was a great example of this.  There were those on the Right who said Zohran Mamdani will turn the Big Apple into a giant mosque.  These fears are real, though they might not be shared by you or me.  This is the root of a Civil War, though.  Fear, not logic.  We are past the stage of reasoning with each other.  Everybody's taken to the streets, and most people are willing to fight before they back down.  "Fuck you" to the other side coming from all directions.  For the Noobs out there, this video gives another piece of the puzzle.  We're at odds with each other, and polarized reporters in Legacy Media profit off the angst of ordinary people.  On the ground, peace is fleeting.  Many of us want it, but it's difficult to maintain ...