Apparently, Nothing Matters

[babylonsister]

https://politicalwire.com/2024/11/06/apparently-nothing-matters/

Apparently, Nothing Matters
November 6, 2024 at 8:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard

Charlie Sykes: “Whatever the final margin, the American people have returned this blatantly, dangerously unfit man to power. In the end, nothing mattered. Not the sexual assaults, the frauds, the lies, or the felonies. Not the raw bigotry of his campaign; not the insults, nor the threats. In the most graphic terms imaginable, the American people were warned of the danger. His previously loyal vice president refused to endorse him; his top general called him a ‘total fascist’; some of his closes aides and cabinet members described in detail his erratic character and his indifference to the Constitution.”

“But in the end, Trump was right. He could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and still win a presidential election. But, we know now that it was worse. Trump never fired a weapon on a New York City street, but he stood at the center of our politics and incited a violent mob to attack the U.S. Capitol. And it didn’t matter. And it didn’t matter that he tried to overturn a free and fair election…”

“This is the hardest part about today: realizing that our fellow Americans saw all of that; watched all of that; listened to all of that, and still said, ‘Yes, that’s what we want.’ That’s who we are.”

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. 'Yes, that's what we want.' That's who we are."

America, the dream is dead.

[progressoid]

61. For a lot of Americans that IS the American dream.

They embraced this.

[OldBoss]

62. My analogy ...

Our country has advanced Stage 4 metastatic cancer that has spread to many organs - but we still smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, huff Round-Up, eschew sunscreen - and we continue to eat lead and asbestos by the spoonful. We will not escape the consequences.

As bleak as today is, I will say this - I am PROUD to have supported President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and every Dem down-ballot race - not just on my ballot but with my wallet and words. Zero shame in this house.

[exboyfil]

2. Hell of a thing ain't it

[RussBLib]

3. How many more women will die?

...because of the anti-abortion fever? Doctors going to jail?

I'm sorry, it's too ugly to contemplate.

[Hotler]

4. Charlie, the hate for Dems & Libs and their desire to see us punished is all they care about. And you talking heads were

to blind or unwilling to see the threats.

[bdamomma]

84. Corporate media

"normalized" this felon. Disgusting.

[maxrandb]

5. Just imagine how "free and secure" the 2026 Midterm and 2028 elections will be with fascists owning all 3 branches

Expect lots of federal laws to impact how and who votes.

America has entered the "find-out" phase.

My only comfort is that I can take "being on the right side of history" with me to the grave.

[Wicked Blue]

12. And IF we vote

[lark]

6. AMERICA, THE NAZI COUNTRY, HAS SPOKEN.

What they have to say is so vile and rotten, I really can;t stand living here. If this wasn't massively stolen, we are the vermin within in a nazi country that will do it's best to destroy us and the fucks will even think they are being patriotic when they do it.

We will be reviled all over the world. I don't even want to travel and have to face the disdain and disgust - especially when I feel it too.

Ukraine, Taiwan - dead - European peace - dead. Healthcare - dead, social security - medicare - free school - all dead. Military going after tcf's enemies - done, economy - dead on the vine, Putin becomes our de facto leader - done.

Fucking idiots have destroyed us and are too stupid to realize they cut their own throats - unless they are really rich then they win everything.

[cilla4progress]

22. Same 100%

where to go tho? Who will have us? Not many.

And how to offload our stuff here?

[lark]

24. Portugal was very welcoming, according to some literature I read and my cousin.

It's supposedly the easies of the European countries to move to, the most friendly to American ex-pats and our banking system and the cheapest as well. There's also a 300,000 strong British/American ex=pat population there. I feel too old to move, but would like to go there and see. My sister would come with us and my daughter has plenty of money to come visit. I don't really think this is doable for us - but maybe???

[cilla4progress]

29. What about medical?

I've heard that about Portugal.

[lark]

41. Seems like it was quite inexpensive, but it's been a 5 years since I did the research.

Think you qualified for their national health insurance after a short time and that costs were very reasonable (not like ours).

[GoodRaisin]

45. My previous next door neighbor moved there last year.

He seems to be very happy to be there. Says his health care is very affordable there. Health care will no longer be affordable here for many, before long, if we don’t win the House.

[lark]

57. Very nice to hear.

I am going to check to see how they are about pot and if ok, will do my best to go check it out next year.

Did your neighbor speak Portuguese? I picked up a bit, but am nowhere near fluent.

[GoodRaisin]

63. I know he started teaching himself the language a few months before going over.

Been there over 2 years now so he’s probably picked up enough to be fully conversational by now. He smokes pot all the time, think it’s legal but I’ll ask him.

[lark]

75. That is so cool!

Can't wait to tell hubs.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

89. Portugal has been at the top of our list, too.

I haven't done the necessary research yet, and I would like to take a recon trip before we move.

A new factor to be considered is that last month I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I need to see what's available in Portugal to manage it.

If we stay here we'll join the loyal opposition. This website's name has become prophetic. Democracy is going to have to go underground to survive.

[Solly Mack]

7. Hate mattered. Wounded pride mattered. Maintaining their delusions mattered.

White supremacy mattered. Male privilege mattered. Maintaining status as a white male privilege cling-on mattered.

Nothing good mattered. Nothing decent mattered.

And yes, that is who we are as a country.

Otherwise, we wouldn't be here in this moment.

[ananda]

25. I've always said that our entire collective psyche is basically fascist.

It's built in in the way all our institutions operate,
including businesses, schools, the criminal justice
system, and government.

All top down; all treating people as parts of a greater
whole like pieces in a machine, or numbers in an
assembly line.

It all started with the theory of mechanism introduced
by Descartes and debated all over Europe not long
before the Industrial Revolution came along and mechanism
won out.

But if you consider that our world is basically holistic, it creates
a whole different mindset and way of living.

The book Blackfoot Physics offers a good look at how holistic
societies think and operate. Very enlightening.

[cilla4progress]

30. Indigenous wisdom

is the way of the future

[ananda]

37. Totally agree.

It's a whole different mindset and way
of looking at the world.

Thank you

[Solly Mack]

38. I'm going to have to think on that. Though I do think that we are all part of the same whole.

Everything is connected.

[ananda]

47. I think our universe is basically holistic, yes.

But when it's treated like a machine with separate parts,
things tend to go awry.

I posted earlier on the way Descartes foisted mechanism
on Europe a little before the Industrial Revolution started.

The philosophers and clergy debated on this issue, but
once the Industrial Revolution started it was a done deal.

David Bohm, the quantum physicist, wrote books arguing
for holism and how treating the world and other humans
as mechanistic causes all kinds of problems, disruption,
and chaos.

David Peat used Bohm's writings as a way in to understanding
the way Native Americans treated the world holistically, in a
book called Blackfoot Physics.. truly excellent.

[Yavin4]

44. Fascism is literally built into our infrastructure.

Lack of housing. Lack of mass public transportation. Lack of healthcare. Lack of investment in education. I short, the entirety of the public commons has been decimated in order to serve the goals of fascism.

[ananda]

73. And fascism is about putting people into ideological boxes...

and controlling them, using them for free or cheap labor,
and keeping those in charge wealthy and powerful.

If they won't fit in the box, or allow themselves to be controlled,
well.... I think we all know how that will turn out.

[Pinback]

72. Thanks for this - good information and perspective.

https://fdavidpeat.com/bibliography/books/blackfoot.htm

[jaxexpat]

27. "White supremacy mattered. Male privilege mattered. Maintaining status as a white male privilege cling-on mattered."

Funny, how so many 18th century standards held high by our founders are starkly resurgent in our brand-new millennium.

[Solly Mack]

35. I don't think white supremacy ever went away. Nor misogyny or status by association.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

32. Constant propaganda that amplifies those characteristics mattered and continues to matter.

[Solly Mack]

36. It is the rally cry.

[Lonestarblue]

8. What is so horrifying is that voters knew Trump as a corrupt charlatan and voted for him anyway.

They said that honesty does not matter. Integrity, morality, decency do not matter. Corruption does not matter. Character does not matter.

Honestly, I’m not sure what does matter to them anymore. Surely, hatred of women and liberals cannot be the sole animating values that caused them to choose Trump again, yet that seems to be the case.

[durablend]

20. They embody lawlessness

They wanna do whatever the fuck they want

And now they can.

[czarjak]

9. Sorry, Charlie.

You built this. "Former" Republicans were going to drag us kicking and screaming to your side weren't you?

[Native]

10. The only things that won last night are misogyny and racism

[bedazzled]

11. You forgot stupidity

God help us all

[Demovictory9]

26. We underestimated how much inflation was a drag on democrats

[valleyrogue]

46. Nope. It really wasn't. Where are those 18 million votes? n/t

[magicarpet]

56. Inflation was a contrived issue to create the downfall of Biden and the downfall of the libs.

Monopolization of goods and services placed to much control in the hands of too few.

With this monopolistic power it was rediculously easy to price gouge. 7,000 Realizing how Covid was a gift sent,... then price gouged some more. Then realizing how bad increasing retail prices were for Team Biden, they price gouged some more knowing it would help return Trump to the White House.

The oil industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the retail grocery industry, the meat packing industry, the toiletries supply industry, etc., etc. - all raised prices again and again to increase their profit margins.

There was talk about action being taken to curb price fixing and price gouging from the Biden team but little to no action was ever taken.

So the media and the Fascist ReThugs tagged Biden as being bad for the US economy - and rampant inflation of prices to be entirely Biden's fault.

Trumps first term at the White House brought historic deficits of $10 trillion dollars. A big chunk of the $10 trillion dollar deficit was the massive tax refund given to the nation's ultra rich billion and millionaire class. Massive deficits drive national inflation higher and higher. But the media made little to no connection to that fact that Trump's massive historic deficits were a main driver causing consumer price inflation to skyrocket.

[Different Drummer]

49. This.

It's a sad state of affairs that both are alive and thriving.

[Deep State Witch]

13. Exactly

This is who we are as Americans. Back in September, we were talking to our guide in Rome. He was a young man and was looking to emigrate to the US because his grandfather lives in Miami. We told him to watch the outcome of the election. Because even though he was Italian, he would probably be subjected to the same anti-immigrant hatred that the Latinos are subjected to.

At this point, we may be looking to move to Italy.

[3Hotdogs]

14. --- AND don't forget, the new Justice Cannon.

[Different Drummer]

52. Definitely on the table. God help us all!

[calimary]

82. Oh man...

And the nightmare is only getting started.

[bdamomma]

85. Oh yes

stacking the court to do more to us, and generations to come. This next regime will continue to burn everything and us down. We have emboldened the felon. He will seek his revenge and retribution on all of us.

Remember he said "the lunatic left".

[CommonHumanity]

15. It is not the "American people"

I am as sick about this as anyone, but in humble opinion, the target should not be the American people. The target should be the biased propaganda environment from which they receive their information.

I'm not providing a solution. I don't have a sweeping solution, not to mention I'm numb and devastated, but still think it better not to turn this into vitriol against our fellow citizens, but instead look deeper and more broadly at the cause. Hating other Americans is understandable, but might not be the best/truest target.

[notroot]

18. I think it is the best/truest target. America showed its character yesterday. Dropped its mask.

We were deluded to think that America had evolved beyond its sexist, racist roots.

[kiri]

34. not teaching civics in school

A lot of stupidity traces back to ignorance. We have stopped teaching civics in schools, grads have no idea how the government works.

[valleyrogue]

48. Ultimately, it is their responsibility for their votes.

They have the same access to information as the rest of us, but they choose not to vote like we do.

Never underestimate childhood upbringing. Millions of people are sexist and racist because of how they were raised. The media propaganda just reinforces their prejudices. Donald Trump makes being a misogynist, racist, and xenophobe fashionable.

[TBF]

74. Who do you think voted? We take in all the same info

and we made the choice that was more compassionate. They chose hate. I absolutely blame them 100%.

[genxlib]

87. We do not all take in the same info

I am convinced that this is one of the primary problems with modern society.

In the transition from broadcast to cable to internet, the sources of information that people utilize have been increasingly self selected.

In the continued evolution of social media, that self selection became curated content. Partially by algorithms that care more about screentime than truth. But ultimately to sponsored micro-targeting of the feeds.

We are at the point where every single person in America has a customized feed of information.

And I include us among them. Us as a group and us as the DU website in particular. I would argue not nearly as bad but it is pretty clear that we had some misalignment with reality our selves.

[TBF]

90. I think I need to reconsider this point.

It is true that we seemed to be in a bubble thinking Harris could win. I was certain it would be close but that we would pull states that we ended up not winning like Pennsylvania. I will think some more about what you are saying - I think you are correct - and it is more nuanced. Thank you.

[bdamomma]

86. That

emotion "hate" has got us where we are now. Hate and fear, instead hope and decency. Fascism over freedom, oh boy, we are in for some stuff.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

16. It's hard to fathom that for vast segments of our society facts, reason, and substance don't matter. We're plagued by

cultural disease. Going to be difficult to counter with slow generational change likely the best avenue for realizing a healthier society.

[durablend]

21. "Society" doesn't matter to them

"What's in it for ME"

[kerouac2]

79. This is overlooked

Selfishness. Me me me. Those things that affect others don't matter. They just don't care.

[thesquanderer]

17. Here's the full Sykes piece

https://charliesykes.substack.com/p/this-is-us?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=759524&post_id=151259683&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=2fku&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

It's a good piece. But I guess in the end, it doesn't matter either.

[Dem2theMax]

77. Thank you. Much appreciated.

I will definitely be sharing it.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

19. My sixteen year old

knew he was a piece of garbage and yet many could not figure that out or didn't care

[cilla4progress]

23. Born in violence, theft, racism, genocide,

oppression...this IS who we are, in many ways, apparently.

[KS Toronado]

28. Seems like the only thing that's mattered the last several years

Is all the lies and disinformation put out by reQublicans & Russia.

[the_liberal_grandpa]

31. The economic royalists won this election

The amount of money spent to defeat Kamala was overwhelming.

We need to get money out of politics and ensure everyone could vote and that their votes would be counted.

Unfortunately the wealthy control this country and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future

Sadly, I doubt we will ever see these changes in my lifetime.

[2naSalit]

33. I disagree.

It is one of two things. Either we are a nation of misogynist, rude, crude, sexually assaulting, uber religious horde of cruel, self centered assholes or something untoward is going on and we were duped into thinking we were on top of the ratfuckery.

One or the other.

I would rather not condemn my fellow Americans having the aforementioned fell traits which means I am leaning toward election foul-play.

Show me there wasn't any and I'll accept what happened.

[cilla4progress]

39. I love this 2na

but any hope of ever finding out?

Those lines of women and young people did NOT vote for the sick fuck

[2naSalit]

43. All I can think of...

Is that we were being told by the intel community about mis/disinfo so perhaps, they might have been monitoring to some degree?

I feel like I was cast into a separate reality.

[cilla4progress]

50. Yeah.

No response. I'm stunned and in shutdown mode.

[2naSalit]

51. same...

[Ligyron]

58. I wonder myself, it seems a bit too much of a sweep.

The Senate, the House maybe and the Executive by those margins? Okay, possibly.

I know one thing though, if our own AG, Merrick Garland had just prosecuted Trump right after Jan 6, he wouldn't be President now.

He'd most likely be in jail.

[Duppers]

80. Hell YES❗❗

Thank you, thank you.

[Evolve Dammit]

40. The electorate fell for hate and fear and will let him do anything

[lame54]

42. They'll change their minds...

But can't change their votes

[Different Drummer]

54. When and if they change their minds...

it'll be much too late.

[andym]

53. Ignorance and stupidity win out as segments of our country are mesmerized by mis/disinformation

Talking to Trump supporters suggest that the problem goes FAR beyond racism and misogyny-- after all there are sets of interviews with Trump-supporting people of color, women and latinos all saying uninformed nonsense or blaming Democrats for increased prices (instead if understanding the blow Covid imposed to the world-wide economy) or GOP manufactured excessive concerns about transgender rights or immigration .

[Ocelot II]

55. "That's what we want. That's who we are."

That's the most horrible, disheartening thing - not that Trump is awful; the world is full of awful people. But most of them don't get elected to be the leader of a country. Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Most of the other really bad ones just seized power through force or subterfuge. But our friends and neighbors and relatives and fellow citizens fucking voluntarily elected this guy, who has the potential to be another Hitler (his own running mate even said so), even after all those generals and former aides and congresspeople shouted to the rooftops over and over that he's unfit and dangerous. What the actual chrome-plated fuck is wrong with those people? How can we even live and work around them after this, knowing that they think that festering trash heap made flesh is totally OK as our president?

[SleeplessinSoCal]

59. Im still not buying a gun.

Not sure I wouldn't just shoot myself.

[Passages]

60. The one issue, the economy, if that is what voters were hoping for with him remains

astonishing to me. Musk made clear that austerity measures would be severe for 2 years.

Not for people like him or Trump! That should have been a huge red flag for anyone who lives paycheck to paycheck.

I am still in shock.

[waterwatcher123]

64. There were a lot of people who purposely chose not to be informed or tuned out the truth.

It is very easy in this day and age to live in a completely different reality based on one's source of information. And, as everyone knows only too well, the social media companies have algorithms that continuously feed the same type of stories to unwitting audiences. FAUX News and its echo chambers only add to the misinformation.

[Hope22]

65. From listening to MSMBC now it seems those college kids and young people were voting for T.

As we learned yesterday most of them never even heard about the grabbing and rape cases. They sat in on podcasts where T was the entertainer never being asked the hard questions. T and group also visited college campuses where he glad handed and passed out red hats. They claim this is how he made inroads. Along with Elon and Twitter feed.
Today as Katy and the Crypt Keeper talked about T as though he hadn’t been threatening the country from the podium and lying his head off. Telling a lie is nothing anymore. Truth does not matter and these women on MSNBC seem to have moved forward talking about T as though he hadn’t refused to call Biden and concede. About how nice it was that Kamala had made a hard call, never saying that T himself had refused and didn’t even let the Biden advance team into the WH until the last minute. They are normalizing a monster!

It was a very depressing segment. I’m not watching anymore of this stuff. They can continue to sell our souls to hell for a dollar bill and invite these people in to empty our bank accounts. I’m over it! The list of people he was disgusting to is limitless. I’ll start with women of every color, men of color, people with disabilities, foreign leaders, the Ukrainian people,it goes on and on. But ta da here he is our normal president.

[kacekwl]

66. How do you combat that.

Kinda tired of all the what democrats, Kamala, Biden, leadership did wrong. How do you fight that. The only way I see is to do like Republicans do and lie lie lie.

[wolfie001]

71. Misogyny and racism

That's what did it. She ran a wonderful campaign. Did 500% more than Hillary and she fell ever more behind in the total vote %. Makes no sense except what I said in the title.

[stillspkg]

67. A line from Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

"Something is rotten in the State of Denmark"

[ecstatic]

68. why would it matter to them? they figured if he did something wrong, he'd be in jail, and he wasn't.

The example starts at the top. DOJ created the permission slip to reintegrate trump back into civil society.

[Roc2020]

69. That's the worst part for me

I'm not even mad a Trump. He showed the country the evil that he is. And more than half the country voted to put him back in power. There is no walking that back.

[AverageOldGuy]

70. Live in e red, red rural VA county

On top of that, I was born and reared 80 years ago in Jim Crow Mississippi. I know full well that most of my fellow Americans are bible-thumping, psalm-singing trash who made c’s and d’s in high school.

I’m financially okay, not well-off, but okay. When Trump abolishes the USDA and starts a trade war with China, both of which will drive my farming neighbors into bankruptcy. I intend to rag on their dumbasses day in and day out as their farms are driven into foreclosure.

[bucolic_frolic]

76. There are internal parts to how Democrats are perceived

Abortion was only the main issue for 17% of voters, even with women dying from restrictions on emergency care.

Trump tapped into Joe Sixpack. Remember him? To complicate that though, corporations are better than ever at raising prices and passing your money up the income scale. Private equity feeds that system more than ever..

Young voters are angry. No opportunity, and AI is about to steal the rest. No affordable housing. Trump will build them mansions.

Young voters think elders are swimming in it. I was warned of this in an econ course on Federal Budgeting. It's in inter-generational war. Greedy Geezers was a phrase from the Reagan era to describe this problem.

We didn't win any of these issues, and Democrats are defined by them. No politician can deliver cheap housing, universal business loans. The fiscal issues would feed inflation. The more you feed corporations and private equity, the worse the problem becomes. Working people are angry because they're losing their economic self-determination. They get only a part of the value they produce by working their job, and the goods they need and want are more expensive every year.

Trump will make all of these problems exponentially worse because he only listens to mega-billionsaires. Expect tax cuts, flatlining government services and payments, and inflation.

[Maru Kitteh]

78. kick

[Jack Valentino]

81. Nothing matters but the price of Doritos... and eggs, etc

Some people are in for a big surprise, if many of Trump's proposed policies come to pass...

[bdamomma]

83. Oh fuck

I thought when Bush got in 2 terms was bad, this is just so sick WTF!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess people are in another state of mind, or no mind at all.

The cult won.

[OldBaldy1701E]

88. Well, I think it was more, "Regardless, he will make me rich and get rid of those people I hate."

Nothing else mattered. But yes, they have basically stated that this is the nation that they want. They want Germany in 1939. The problem is that they are going to end up dragging the entire nation into April 1945 and that also does not matter to them. Mainly because they have no idea what 'consequences' are. But, they are going to find out. Whether it is now, next month, in four years, or by history, they are in the wrong and they will be judged. Sorry evangelicals, but your judgement is nigh, regardless of what those diamond dripping preachers are telling you. Sorry bigots, you are old school and will be left behind. Sorry rich asswipes, once the dollar is removed from its precarious perch, you will be ignored, as you should have been from the beginning.

F A F O... it's a bitch, ain't it?