2019-06-18

“Deplorables” Losing Hope in Trump

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by Neil Godfrey

An article by a Trump supporting “deplorable” caught my attention today because it made the same point as Nancy Fraser made about Trump’s betrayal of his populist base by giving in to the “Neocons” — and it was written over two years ago.

Yesterday I posted Nancy Fraser’s analysis of Trump’s betrayal of his populist base by siding with the neoliberal forces responsible for the globalization, financialization, rising debt, manufacturing decline, and on and on, instead of taking them on as he had promised in his election campaign. Well, today while cleaning out some files I had saved over two years ago by “The Saker”. He says he had real hopes (not expectations, he insists, just hopes) that Trump would do as he promised and break those who are bleeding and punishing the working classes suffering the pain of the “rigged economy”.

The moment of realization for him was not the range of crony-capitalist and self-dealing betrayals Trump quickly ensconced himself in soon after his election, but it was Trump’s caving into the Neocons by accepting the setting aside of Flynn as National Security Advisor. That was in February 2017.

Flynn, The Saker points out, was Trump’s hope to carry out his election promises in international affairs: cooperation with Russia, getting out of “endless wars”, even not being so toady to Israel, but also focusing on the real enemy, the Wahabi extremists of Saudi Arabia. With Flynn gone — under pressure from FBI, CIA and NSA — those itching to push back on Russia, to further Israel’s interests in the Occupied Territories, to wage war on Iran, these would be the ones who would control Trump. (And that monstrous war on Iran appears to be drawing ominously close, now.)

Flynn was hardly a saint or a perfect wise man who would single handedly saved the world. That he was not. However, what Flynn was is the cornerstone of Trump’s national security policy. For one thing, Flynn dared the unthinkable: he dared to declare that the bloated US intelligence community had to be reformed. Flynn also tried to subordinate the CIA and the Joint Chiefs to the President via the National Security Council. Put differently, Flynn tried to wrestle the ultimate power and authority from the CIA and the Pentagon and subordinate them back to the White House. Flynn also wanted to work with Russia. Not because he was a Russia lover, the notion of a Director of the DIA as a Putin-fan is ridiculous, but Flynn was rational, he understood that Russia was no threat to the USA or to Europe and that Russia had the West had common interests. That is another absolutely unforgivable crimethink in Washington DC.

The Neocon run ‘deep state’ has now forced Flynn to resign under the idiotic pretext that he had a telephone conversation, on an open, insecure and clearly monitored, line with the Russian ambassador.

And Trump accepted this resignation.

The title of The Saker’s article claims It’s Over, Folks! The Neocons have “neutered the Trump presidency“.

That’s what Nancy Fraser was saying in addressing the domestic front. For others, it was Trump’s weakness in giving in over America’s role in the world that caused the scales to fall from their eyes.

It’s not looking good, at all. On so many fronts, both in the next few years and the long term, globally.

For the most recent post on Nancy Fraser’s analysis see Understanding Trump’s Rise, Presidency – and Beyond (4)

 

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Neil Godfrey

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27 thoughts on ““Deplorables” Losing Hope in Trump”

  1. Now robert that is not right!…..

    If the large quote from “the Shaker” is correct,(I do not doubt that it is) it seems to me that one should be able to understand why the “powers” that run USA wants to destroy Flynn and Trump. If left alone to run out his time as President, Trump would destroy their little game they are running on the American people and the rest of the World.

    Remember, President Trump was NEVER suppose to win…. they thought they had Hilary in the basket. This Presidency will go done in history as one of – if not the greatest upset in the game of Politics.

    Today in America Trump is suppose to officially kick off his campaign for re-election. Here is my Prediction – TRUMP WILL WIN RE-ELECTION in 2020 for his second term.

    As the proverb says; “The fish stinks from it’s head down.” Politics and Power stinks to high heaven. Those people care about no one but themselves.

    One last thought. Since I mentioned heaven: The LORD, (YHVH) is in control not man!!!

      1. Why will we see many more news stories like that if the ‘deplorables’ are losing hope in Trump? The older I get, the more I see it’s not really worth talking about any of this, it never goes anywhere useful. It reminds me a lot of talking to my former fundy friends about religion after I became an agnostic. In international relations, it’s the difference between being a realist and an idealist. I think I prefer how Kurt Schlicter might analyze it, here’s a sample:
        https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2019/05/30/students-heres-a-plan-to-solve-your-debt-problem-you-wont-like-it-n2546947

        1. This post is only an addendum to my earlier one, Understanding Trump’s Rise, Presidency – and Beyond (4) and is written to be read in that context. I set out there the reasons Trump supporters (not all, obviously, but significant numbers) are losing hope in Trump and some of the evidence for that loss of support. Do you think The Staker will turn up again cheering at a Trump rally?

          Trump’s supporters are not a monolithic bloc. Remember they include many former Bernie Sanders’ supporters who defected to Trump rather than support Hillary Clinton.

          Trump has done a bait and switch just as Obama did once he got into office and joined forces with the neoliberal corporate forces he promised his supporters he would challenge to improve their lives. There is now no-one to represent the interests of the US working and middle classes and the U.S. is facing a dangerous present and future of leaders playing on their frustrations and disillusionment by whipping up their most extreme and hostile views against scapegoats — each other, minorities.

          As I think Chomsky said, the US is in real trouble if ever a serious leader emerged to take on the system — even a clown like Trump is dangerous enough. Hopefully, some way can emerge to begin to build bridges between the two populist sides.

          (Of course Trump will continue to claim his support base is still fantastic and the greatest ever and will keep firing pollsters who find that the evidence contradicts him — just like he boasts his C grade economy is the greatest in history.)

          1. The lowest unemployment rate in 49 years gives him a ‘C’?
            What must be done to get an A?
            https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate

            https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/dont-look-now-but-minority-unemployment-is-at-record-lows-under-trump/

            And I can’t help but wonder if the the trusted anonymous sources that NBC News is relying on in the ‘firing pollsters’ article you linked to, might be the same ones who assured us Hillary would win in a landslide?

            1. How’s your great inexpensive government gar-ow n-teed Trump card doing? As well as your wall? As well as peace in the middle-east? As well as North Korean nuclear disarmibg?

              1. Thank you for confirming the point I made earlier. Try reading outside of your arrogant left-wing box, you might actually learn something about how the world, and the American government, actually work (or don’t work, as the case may be…).
                Or talk to a ‘deplorable’ like me in a civilized fashion, you might be surprised.

              2. Hoo boy! And this post is a footnote to the series I am doing on the critical need for the two sides to find common ground!!!!

              3. The more I see of humanity the more I realize that ‘common ground’ is a euphemism for a shared hatred of some third party, preferably one that can’t defend itself.

              4. The common enemy both sides in general already recognize is the neoliberal corporate world. First Obama, then Trump, both turned around after their elections and joined ranks with the enemy. That’s where the united attention needs to be.

              5. The ‘Neoliberal Corporate World’ – yeah, because who is more concerned about human rights, the environment and fair, honest business than corporations?

              6. IMO, there is only one mass of potential populist U.S. presidential voters. And fringe wing-nuts are shouting to high heaven while trying to pull a critical mass of said potential voters into their sphere of influence.

                The populist vote may be amplified/diminished by the U.S. electoral vote for president, e.g. five states may ultimately decide the winner.

                As of today, anyone who claims that Trump can not win a second presidential term is a fool. President Trump only needs a simple makeover and the following quote:

                • “We don’t look backwards, we look forward.” —President Obama

            2. another scott: “The lowest unemployment rate in 49 years gives him a ‘C’?
              What must be done to get an A?”

              You don’t like following the links I add to lead to the supporting evidence for my statements, do you — 🙂 To quote in part:

              Under Trump, job growth is slower than under Obama. Trump’s average is 198,000 more jobs per month. That’s good, but far from great.

              Obama, during his last six years and a month, averaged 204,000 more jobs each month.

              Why not rate Obama based on his full eight years? Because when he took office jobs were disappearing at the rate of 750,000 a month, clearly not his fault.

              Just Staying Even

              America’s population grew by 19 million people in the eight years between when Obama and Trump took office. Taking the larger population into account makes Trump’s job growth figures even less impressive since a larger population requires more jobs just to stay even.

              Trump promised if elected the nation would add 25 million new jobs in 10 years. He’s on track to fall more than a million jobs short of that goal.

              That goal was nothing to brag about, either. Before Trump started making campaign promises the projections of future job growth were about what Trump sold as a miracle waiting for him to make it happen.

              The reality is that Trump’s economic performance, measured by his own administration, is merely average.

              Given the strong and growing economy he inherited, average is nothing to boast about. And since attaining average has included tariffs that raise the price of some imported goods together with massive increases in federal borrowing the long-term consequences are going to be anything but great and probably not even average.

              That suggests a new slogan for Trump’s 2020 campaign: Make America Average Again.

              1. My comment was questioning a point taken from your article, did you not notice?
                i didn’t really care for your article, but I did read it. It sounds like the author is a left-wing version of Sean Hannity. I don’t get the impression he has ever built a business, or had to make payroll.

              2. My comment was questioning a point taken from your article, did you not notice?

                Yes, I did notice — my comment was warning of negative reactions on the horizon (to which you concurred) but I was attempting to steer you back to the positive hope in the article you don’t care for. I prefer to find ways to work on a positive alliance against a common enemy that is currently responsible for the hardships of many small business people and low paid workers. (I don’t know why you wouldn’t care for people who are on your side and want the best for all of us. The author seemed to have a pretty good awareness of the problems faced by the people you mention.)

              3. ◦ Recap:

                • Fraser, Nancy (20 November 2017). “From Progressive Neoliberalism to Trump—and Beyond”. American Affairs Journal.

                [Per Trump] his supporters voted for . . . reactionary populism, but [not] hyper-reactionary neoliberalism.

                • Johnston, David Cay (29 April 2019). “Why Trump Gets a ‘C’ on the Economy”. DCReport.

                ‣ Growth Is Just Average and Well Behind Reagan, Clinton, Even Carter
                ‣ Presidential Scorecards
                ‣ Bigger Deficits
                ‣ Just Staying Even

                • Godfrey, Neil (17 June 2019). “Understanding Trump’s Rise, Presidency – and Beyond (4)”. Vridar.

                Since the appearance of Fraser’s article [20 November 2017] the US economy has not significantly improved at all. [Per Trump] His supporters have not benefited materially despite his boasts of “the greatest economy ever.” See . . . David Cay Johnston [29 April 2019].

  2. I am not a tRUMP fan. He would lie to high heaven to get elected, then not do what he said he would do. He is a pathological liar, what would one expect?

  3. Trump seems to be worse than I had either hoped for or expected. (Disclaimer #1: I voted for Stein. #2: I have my misgivings about Stein.)

    Nevertheless his election may have been successful in one thing: prompting questioning.

    As you have indicated, his voters were highly heterogeneous. However many voted for DJT as a proxy for Giant Meteor*, someone who might wreak havoc on the established order, directly or indirectly. In voting for Trump as a Giant Meteor surrogate they may have been partially successful, so far.

    We cannot do a controlled experiment. However I am not sure that if The Hilary had been elected there would be as much public discourse about such diverse items as the role of The US in the world, what constitutes The US (in general and in many specific regions), the role of actresses in Hollywood and sexual exploitation to get or maintain jobs in general, the role of The Press, what constitutes The Press, the role of the US dollar, and much, much more. To be sure, much of the discussion is distorted and manipulated, and thus rather stupid and potentially stupifying and dangerous in various ways. Nevertheless it occurs and may lead to many self-enlightenments. There may be less automatic reverence of some entities, perhaps permanently.

    I have read the assertion (which I have not verified) that if all the write-in votes in Michigan for “Giant Meteor” had, hypothetically speaking, gone for The Hilary, she would have won MI and thus I suppose the election. Those votes were, I suppose, something of a hybrid of those voting for DJT as a protest against the big media and the rest of the established order on the one hand and the massive block who cared but abstained on the other but who for one of several reasons preferred not voting for a 3d party candidate.

    1. “The Rachel Maddow Show, Transcript 6/29/2016”. MSNBC. 29 June 2016.

      If the choices for president were
      • Democrat Hillary Clinton,
      • Republican Donald Trump,
      • or a giant meteor hitting the earth,
      which would you choose?

      The percentage of Americans who
      • would choose Hillary Clinton in that circumstance is 43 percent.
      • Those who would choose Trump, 38 percent,
      but the percentage of Americans who would prefer a giant meteor to crash into the earth instead of either of those two,
      • that proportion is 13 percent of Americans

  4. “Trust Americans to think that the USA is the whole of the earth.”
    …And that Australia is the last refuge for American Militarism!!!
    [Nevil Shute]

    I voted for Hillary because my Bayesian analysis revealed that
    the probability of me going to Eternal Hell by voting for Trump
    was greater than by voting for Hillary.

    However, with regard to jobs and economy, methinks fracking (tech)
    …making the U.S. the world leader leader in oil production…
    …is relevant.

    (Searches: Oil spot 2009-2019, World leader oil exports,
    Wlo production, Wlo imports, Wlo consumption,
    US inflation 2009-2019)

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