Nick Cohen on Trump

I am sorry if I am being “hysterical”, but I cannot see how conservatives can argue in conscience that there is nothing monstrous about the 45th President of the United States. The Ku Klux Klan has endorsed him. He has brought Steve Bannon, a true postmodern fascist, to the centre of power. Bannon exemplifies the Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt’s sinister ideal of a political leader who unites his supporters by creating enemies for them to hate. Bannon and the alt-right have made Islam – not al-Qaeda, Islamic State, or the Shia theocrats in Tehran but all Muslims – their enemy of choice. They unite their supporters on racial lines against blacks, Jews and Latinos too. As a former journalist on his Breitbart site explained, Bannon believes “in a nutshell that western culture is inseparable from European ethnicity”.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/05/donald-trump-lies-belief-totalitarianism?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Reply 1

לזייןהאיסלאם

4

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

I am sorry if I am being “hysterical”, but I cannot see how conservatives can argue in conscience that there is nothing monstrous about the 45th President of the United States. The Ku Klux Klan has endorsed him. He has brought Steve Bannon, a true postmodern fascist, to the centre of power. Bannon exemplifies the Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt’s sinister ideal of a political leader who unites his supporters by creating enemies for them to hate. Bannon and the alt-right have made Islam – not al-Qaeda, Islamic State, or the Shia theocrats in Tehran but all Muslims – their enemy of choice. They unite their supporters on racial lines against blacks, Jews and Latinos too. As a former journalist on his Breitbart site explained, Bannon believes “in a nutshell that western culture is inseparable from European ethnicity”.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/05/donald-trump-lies-belief-totalitarianism?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Nick Cohen is great, a true liberal without cognitive dissonance. His unapologetic criticisms of Islam were spot on.

Reply 2

ChaoticButterfly

OP

20

Original post by לזייןהאיסלאם

Nick Cohen is great, a true liberal without cognitive dissonance. His unapologetic criticisms of Islam were spot on.

Which is why when someone like him is worried about Trump and his inner circle of power you know it is real. It isn't a fantasy made up by leftists.

In that article he is also right about the tyranny and centrism of the modern workplace which is where Trump has been spat out from. The soviet union may have died but that tyranny hasn't.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 3

לזייןהאיסלאם

4

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Which is why when someone like him is worried about Trump and his inner circle of power you know it is real. It isn't a fantasy made up by leftists.

In that article he is also right about the tyranny and centrism of the modern workplace which is where Trump has been spat out from. The soviet union may have died but that tyranny hasn't.

Of course. Trump is just the flip side of the same coin of the regressive left - i.e he's illiberal and authoritarian. Before the election I thought the social side of his policies was fairly superficial, just there to appease the traditionalists, and that he wouldn't follow through. I thought he would be more focused on the economy. But he's shown that he's a full blown authoritarian.

I only hope that a common enemy such as Trump helps bring people together.

Reply 4

yudothis

20

Original post by לזייןהאיסלאם

Of course. Trump is just the flip side of the same coin of the regressive left - i.e he's illiberal and authoritarian. Before the election I thought the social side of his policies was fairly superficial, just there to appease the traditionalists, and that he wouldn't follow through. I thought he would be more focused on the economy. But he's shown that he's a full blown authoritarian.

I only hope that a common enemy such as Trump helps bring people together.

Finally someone who thinks alike. People always assume when you are against Trump it must mean you are a "regressive leftie". Which I just don't get, the world isn't black and white, and both extremes are bad.

Reply 5

jape

16

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

I am sorry if I am being “hysterical”, but I cannot see how conservatives can argue in conscience that there is nothing monstrous about the 45th President of the United States. The Ku Klux Klan has endorsed him. He has brought Steve Bannon, a true postmodern fascist, to the centre of power. Bannon exemplifies the Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt’s sinister ideal of a political leader who unites his supporters by creating enemies for them to hate. Bannon and the alt-right have made Islam – not al-Qaeda, Islamic State, or the Shia theocrats in Tehran but all Muslims – their enemy of choice. They unite their supporters on racial lines against blacks, Jews and Latinos too. As a former journalist on his Breitbart site explained, Bannon believes “in a nutshell that western culture is inseparable from European ethnicity”.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/05/donald-trump-lies-belief-totalitarianism?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I'm glad he pre-emptively apologised for his hysterics, because that's exactly what what he gave us. Vacuous, hysterical nonsense.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Reply 6

StrawbAri

17

Original post by yudothis

Finally someone who thinks alike. People always assume when you are against Trump it must mean you are a "regressive leftie". Which I just don't get, the world isn't black and white, and both extremes are bad.

It stinks of hypocrisy as well because it's the same people that complain about being called a racist/nazi for having different opinions.
If you dare criticise Trump, especially on this forum, you'll be hounded by some of his supporters and labelled a bleeding heart leftist/SJW/Islamist. And it's not like they actually argue the contents of your criticism, they just get triggered over the fact that you dared question Trumps actions.

Reply 7

yudothis

20

Original post by StrawbAri

It stinks of hypocrisy as well because it's the same people that complain about being called a racist/nazi for having different opinions.
If you dare criticise Trump, especially on this forum, you'll be hounded by some of his supporters and labelled a bleeding heart leftist/SJW/Islamist. And it's not like they actually argue the contents of your criticism, they just get triggered over the fact that you dared question Trumps actions.

Yup. How dare you question the messiah? He is your president now, get on board or get out of the country.

Sounds a bit like the fanatical Muslims they fear so much :wink:

Reply 8

Fullofsurprises

20

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Which is why when someone like him is worried about Trump and his inner circle of power you know it is real. It isn't a fantasy made up by leftists.

In that article he is also right about the tyranny and centrism of the modern workplace which is where Trump has been spat out from. The soviet union may have died but that tyranny hasn't.

It's a brilliant article, I was really impressed by his arguments, particularly the way corporate CEO egomania has been sheltered by neoliberalism and now transferred to politics.

Naomi Klein makes the argument that the oligarchical parts of capitalism have simply stopped pretending that they don't control government and instead of relying on highly paid lobbyists and vast networks of corruption, they have simply moved into the White House and taken over directly.

Reply 9

astutehirstute

11

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

Which is why when someone like him is worried about Trump and his inner circle of power you know it is real. It isn't a fantasy made up by leftists.

In that article he is also right about the tyranny and centrism of the modern workplace which is where Trump has been spat out from. The soviet union may have died but that tyranny hasn't.

I find it very sad that people are so unable to think for themselves that they accept the views of someone else they feel is cleverer than they are.

Because he or she articulates what they want to think, but can't do on their own.

Of course the left is undergoing an utterly hysterical hissy fit over Trump. It doesn't matter what Nick Cohen thinks, in any objective sense. He is part of the hysteria.

Reply 10

ChaoticButterfly

OP

20

Original post by astutehirstute

I find it very sad that people are so unable to think for themselves that they accept the views of someone else they feel is cleverer than they are.

I'm treating him like a barometer. I don't agree with him on a lot of stuff.

Why do you assume you can not think for yourself and not come to the conclusion trump is danger?

Reply 11

astutehirstute

11

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

I'm treating him like a barometer. I don't agree with him on a lot of stuff.

Why do you assume you can not think for yourself and not come to the conclusion trump is danger?

What has he actually done?

He has resumed work on a pipeline that Obama halted.

He has said he will do some construction on a border wall, a lot of which is already in place.

He has halted the arrival of the handful of Syrian refugees allowed in by Obama and stopped visas being issued for the citizens of seven countries for a couple of months.

He has said all
NATO members should honour their treaty obligations to pay two per cent of GDP on defence.

He has said he will try and improve relations with Russia, and that he doesn't trust Iran not to develop nukes.

He has done what all
Presidents do and nominated a Supreme Court Justice to suit his politics.

It is hardly the holocaust or a world war so far is it? So why not think for yourself rather than joining in with the media hysteria?

Reply 12

troubadour.

19

Original post by astutehirstute

I find it very sad that people are so unable to think for themselves that they accept the views of someone else they feel is cleverer than they are.

I don't agree with the rest of your post, but I second this part.

Reply 13

username2228735

15

Dangerous for whom? The liberals who are outraged because their feelings are hurt? Or because he doesn't conduct himself in the same manner as Obama?

From a conservative perspective, his appointees are a sound choice. I have my reservations about Gorsuch but leftists should be happy with him.

Nick Cohen on Trump

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