Walter Koenig, Star Trek's Chekov, Tears into trump & Supporters

[Norbert]

“Star Trek” actor Walter Koenig called out President Donald Trump, his administration and his supporters in a new interview in which he described the current era as “a particularly heinous moment in American history.”

“This is not only because of a few individuals who now have control of the government, but that there is so much support for them,” Koenig, aka Pavel Chekov in the sci-fi show’s universe, told Salon Monday.

“There’s so much vitriol, discontent and anger,” he said. “These people are willing to sacrifice the good things in our culture and in our life to support evil things. We as a country and a culture have not gotten to a positive place of progress from which we are not willing to retreat from.”

Koenig said he believed America had “really turned a corner” with the election of former President Barack Obama in 2008.

“And then we have Donald Trump,” he said. “There is a certain despair that follows me, that haunts me, because we’re still doing the same things.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/star-trek-walter-koenig-donald-trump_n_5e54d9e7c5b6ad3de383a0f9?utm_source=entertainment_fb&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000024&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=hp_fb_pages&ir=Entertainment&fbclid=IwAR3QmPzcXoRkHmPyo_DltTGdlViZe6kzvT9PK1ICYkCdBo0OYgkOODk0vA8

[CaptYossarian]

1. That should really hurt Trump, coming from a guy famous for playing a Russian.

It shows just how long he sat next to George Takei.

Of course, Mr. Nimoy was a fellow lefty too. I'm guessing so was Roddenberry.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. Roddenberry was an ENORMOUS lefty

read up on the guy. A real mensch and kind human.

[OnlinePoker]

5. He was a sexist pig.

Read up on the work environment for women on the Trek set and it wasn't pleasant.

[ProfessorPlum]

7. I suppose it's important to appreciate a person, warts and all

but it doesn't change my previous post. He really was an amazing human, got some of the most progressive television on the air in a time of conservative censorship on network tv.

Here is a story of his personal heroism in real life. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/roddenberry-plane-crash/

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/plane

[Dem4Life1102]

10. Not all the time

He screwed over Alexander Courage on the theme.

[ProfessorPlum]

13. I'm not sure I understand Lefty Equals Unblemished Saint

Being for human rights and better economic conditions for people doesn't mean you are a great person to those around you. My point is that his politics were progressive - not that his shit didn't stink.

[Dem4Life1102]

19. I was commenting on

the statement "A real mensch and kind human".

[CaptYossarian]

16. Just like Serling and Spielberg.

All great creative minds with high morals.

[ProfessorPlum]

17. great examples.

and Vonnegut

[CaptYossarian]

18. Agreed.

[UpInArms]

20. My person al favorite lefty

Studs Terkel

A political leftist, Terkel joined the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writers' Project, working in radio, doing work that varied from voicing soap opera productions and announcing news and sports, to presenting shows of recorded music and writing radio scripts and advertisements. His well-known radio program, titled The Studs Terkel Program, aired on 98.7 WFMT Chicago between 1952 and 1997.[5 The one-hour program was broadcast each weekday during those forty-five years. On this program, he interviewed guests as diverse as Martin Luther King, Leonard Bernstein, Mort Sahl, Bob Dylan, Alexander Frey, Dorothy Parker, Tennessee Williams, Jean Shepherd, and Big Bill Broonzy.]

[ProfessorPlum]

23. Love that guy.

[Farmer-Rick]

2. NO, it's 50% faked and 100% propaganda

OK, it's not all exaggerated and manipulated support for the King of America. But I would say a good 50% of the supposed support is not there. It's just Facebook propaganda, shorty Putin Trolls and dwindling evangelicals screaming from the pulpit for kick backs from Trump and Putin.

I live in the deep red South, and let me tell you, most of these folks do not want a king. They love democracy and freedom. It's just that the people in power down here are constantly feeding them lies and now the lies are so flimsy, the majority have seen through it.

We just had a Bernie rally and it was 100s of people cheering and talking...that's a lot of people for such a small rural community. More people attended then who went to the Baptist church down the hill last Sunday.

It's the gerrymandering and the churches (that have dwindling attendance despite what they claim) that make it look like all the South is one big red mass. It's not true. There are a lot of liberals (who would have been centrist RepubliCONS 30 years ago) around here and people who respect democracy. Even the so called Independents don't want a ruler.

[calimary]

8. I hope you're right. But those folks you describe had better show up to VOTE

in November.

They need to put their VOTES where their mouths are.

[Farmer-Rick]

15. So, I voted in early elections last week And we had a paper ballot back up.

Here in Podunk rural TN we got us a paper ballot back up. Totally surprised me.

Let me tell you, folks here hate Russia. They know Russia interfered last presidential election. Though of course they don't mind so much if they voted for Trump. But they don't want Putin controlling our voting system so the powers that be had to at least make it look like they were protecting us from Russian interference. But it is a step forward.

[not_the_one]

9. We HAVE to deal with the gerrymandering.

The USSC has said that elections, how people vote, and are grouped to vote, are states' rights issues.

So we have to take the states back. Legislature by legislature. That requires getting out the vote to OVERRIDE the gerrymandering.

Once that is done, rather than keep the corrupt gerrymandering system and exploit it, it should be abolished once and for all, and a fair and equal method should replace it, which can NEVER be replaced.

There should be NO abstract art exhibits identified as "districts" for the purpose of voter suppression. There has to be a reasonable solution. Let's find it.

We can't control the shit spewed by the churches. We just have to identify them as the bankrupt, backwards, antithesis of Jesus' teachings, that they are. The good churches will soon outnumber the bad ones.

[ancianita]

12. Imo, one reasonable solution is to abolish precincts & just use the current 435 congress'l districts

Less room for count irregularities and an easier, more centralized auditing if there are.

I haven't thought it through but it seems to take a lot of politically motivated players out of lower vote counting levels, which works more in the popular vote favor, I believe.

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. This perfectly describes me.

Koenig said he believed America had “really turned a corner” with the election of former President Barack Obama in 2008. “And then we have Donald Trump,” he said. “There is a certain despair that follows me, that haunts me, because we’re still doing the same things.”

I absolutely understand what he means here.

[PatSeg]

6. "We're still doing the same things."

Only much, much worse than before.

[titanicdave]

11. .....I Agree....

........it is much much worse than the 1950's and on.......I was born during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 3rd term, so I grew up in the '50's & '60's, and we never had anything going on such as the total corruption and "mob boss" mentality as we have now.....when I put on the uniform of the U S Army during the Viet Nam Conflict, I did not fear for my country......today, I fear for my country.....and that is sad indeed.....

[PatSeg]

14. I grew up in the '50's and '60's as well

I've never seen anything quite like this outside of a science fiction dystopian book or movie. I find myself wondering if this is how civilization ends? Were Brave New World and 1984 insightful warnings that too many just ignored? I'm not inclined to be a pessimist, but what we are witnessing right now is alarming.

[ibegurpard]

21. This resonates with me

"Koenig said he believed America had “really turned a corner” with the election of former President Barack Obama in 2008.

“And then we have Donald Trump,” he said. “There is a certain despair that follows me, that haunts me, because we’re still doing the same things.”"

It's like PTSD

[Skittles]

22. it is good to hear from him

yes indeed