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Dramatic Irony
Nov. 14th, 2016 12:30 pmI've had these tabs floating in my browser since before the election, so in case you're interested in what I wanted to share if only I'd had my act together, here you go:
Who Goes Trump? - an analysis of the common traits between individuals who align themselves with the man, and those who – sometimes unexpectedly – distance themselves from him. "Trumpism has nothing to do with class, ethnicity, or even gender. It appeals to a certain type of mind."
A Frightening Weakness in American Democracy - "The American political system is structured the way it is in part due to the founders’ fear of demagogues. It’s a reason why the American presidency is so weak, why the executive is checked by other branches, why the Senate’s members were originally selected by state legislators. It is a credit to the long success of our political institutions that we think dangerous men can only win elections in far-off lands. And so it is the weakening of those institutions that demands our attention now."
Make Trump Fake Again - In a lighter (or darker?) vein, Peter Baynham speaks to Millennials in a language they understand – personal narrative and profanity. Another ex-99p-er does us proud. (Peter Serafinowicz, he of the 'sassy Trump' dubs, was also a regular on The 99p Challenge, and Armando Iannucci's practically made a career of lifting the political veil.)
Glenn Beck Tries Out Decency - Those of you outside the States probably don't know who Glenn Beck is; he hosted a show on Fox News and was ... I dunno, a sort of baby-faced, blue-sky, Nega-Captain-America version of Rush Limbaugh? Anyway, it turns out he's had a change of heart, and grown a scruple or two, and as he is the last person on Earth I'd have expected to make an about-face on these matters, gives me a tiny particle of hope that some of these people can be changed.
And this late entry from commenter La Rainette on Dreamwidth:
6 Reasons For Trump's Rise That No One Talks About - A clear and insightful article from a red state expat who was/is far more integrated with his community than a geeky teenage girl who only occasionally looked out her bedroom window from her escapist novel. What he says is all true, from my perspective, though I would like to add that it's not just rural areas where this attitude predominates; big cities in the West harbour lots of the same attitudes, as do further-flung suburbs of the "blue islands" (the Inland Empire and Orange County being very conservative regions of what people think of as "LA", for example). The Utah suburb I lived in looked relatively urban, but many people still seemed to think they lived on a ranch; they had jobs as clerks and teachers and tech writers, but they still thought of themselves as rural.
Another late entry:
What A Pathetic Thing is Decandence - Some cogent, incriminating, and remarkably un-politic words on the people who really got Trump elected, from a faithful Republican.
Because of the upbringing I outlined in my previous post, I have always made a conscious effort to stay away from political commentary in my territories online. I want my internet presence to be a demilitarized zone and safe space for anyone who needs it, regardless of their opinions or social contexts. Arguing makes me anxious, and I need a respite as much as anyone. There are important fights to be fought, but we also need sanctuaries where we can reconnect with what makes us happy, to recharge for the next fight. It's probably pretty clear, from the stuff I post and the friends I have, where my sympathies lie, but I have never wanted to make a big deal about it because alienating people is the best way to make sure you never reach them. While I have too much experience with people who will never change their mind, I know not everyone is like that, and I hope that being welcomed into a space that challenges assumptions without being confrontational might, in an ideal situation, unpick some knotty conditioning. So, having got all that off my chest, here ends the political content, if I can help it – goodness knows there's enough of it available elsewhere, you can get your fix if you want it.
Who Goes Trump? - an analysis of the common traits between individuals who align themselves with the man, and those who – sometimes unexpectedly – distance themselves from him. "Trumpism has nothing to do with class, ethnicity, or even gender. It appeals to a certain type of mind."
A Frightening Weakness in American Democracy - "The American political system is structured the way it is in part due to the founders’ fear of demagogues. It’s a reason why the American presidency is so weak, why the executive is checked by other branches, why the Senate’s members were originally selected by state legislators. It is a credit to the long success of our political institutions that we think dangerous men can only win elections in far-off lands. And so it is the weakening of those institutions that demands our attention now."
Make Trump Fake Again - In a lighter (or darker?) vein, Peter Baynham speaks to Millennials in a language they understand – personal narrative and profanity. Another ex-99p-er does us proud. (Peter Serafinowicz, he of the 'sassy Trump' dubs, was also a regular on The 99p Challenge, and Armando Iannucci's practically made a career of lifting the political veil.)
Glenn Beck Tries Out Decency - Those of you outside the States probably don't know who Glenn Beck is; he hosted a show on Fox News and was ... I dunno, a sort of baby-faced, blue-sky, Nega-Captain-America version of Rush Limbaugh? Anyway, it turns out he's had a change of heart, and grown a scruple or two, and as he is the last person on Earth I'd have expected to make an about-face on these matters, gives me a tiny particle of hope that some of these people can be changed.
And this late entry from commenter La Rainette on Dreamwidth:
6 Reasons For Trump's Rise That No One Talks About - A clear and insightful article from a red state expat who was/is far more integrated with his community than a geeky teenage girl who only occasionally looked out her bedroom window from her escapist novel. What he says is all true, from my perspective, though I would like to add that it's not just rural areas where this attitude predominates; big cities in the West harbour lots of the same attitudes, as do further-flung suburbs of the "blue islands" (the Inland Empire and Orange County being very conservative regions of what people think of as "LA", for example). The Utah suburb I lived in looked relatively urban, but many people still seemed to think they lived on a ranch; they had jobs as clerks and teachers and tech writers, but they still thought of themselves as rural.
Another late entry:
What A Pathetic Thing is Decandence - Some cogent, incriminating, and remarkably un-politic words on the people who really got Trump elected, from a faithful Republican.
Because of the upbringing I outlined in my previous post, I have always made a conscious effort to stay away from political commentary in my territories online. I want my internet presence to be a demilitarized zone and safe space for anyone who needs it, regardless of their opinions or social contexts. Arguing makes me anxious, and I need a respite as much as anyone. There are important fights to be fought, but we also need sanctuaries where we can reconnect with what makes us happy, to recharge for the next fight. It's probably pretty clear, from the stuff I post and the friends I have, where my sympathies lie, but I have never wanted to make a big deal about it because alienating people is the best way to make sure you never reach them. While I have too much experience with people who will never change their mind, I know not everyone is like that, and I hope that being welcomed into a space that challenges assumptions without being confrontational might, in an ideal situation, unpick some knotty conditioning. So, having got all that off my chest, here ends the political content, if I can help it – goodness knows there's enough of it available elsewhere, you can get your fix if you want it.
