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Trumpism: The Ideology
Submitted by Jeffrey Tucker via Liberty.me,
It’s not too interesting to say that Donald Trump is a nationalist and aspiring despot who is manipulating bourgeois resentment, nativism, and ignorance to feed his power lust. It’s uninteresting because it is obviously true. It’s so true that stating it sounds more like an observation than a criticism.
I just heard Trump speak live. It was an awesome experience, like an interwar séance of once-powerful dictators who inspired multitudes, drove countries into the ground, and died grim deaths.
His speech at FreedomFest lasted a full hour, and I consider myself fortunate for having heard it. It was a magnificent exposure to an ideology that is very much present in American life, though hardly acknowledged. It lives mostly hidden in dark corners, and we don’t even have a name for it. You bump into it at neighborhood barbecues, at Thanksgiving dinner when Uncle Harry has the floor, at the hardware store when two old friends in line to checkout mutter about the state of the country.
The ideology is a 21st century version of right fascism — one of the most politically successful ideological strains of 20th century politics. Though hardly anyone talks about it today, we really should. It is still real. It exists. It is distinct. It is not going away. Trump has tapped into it, absorbing unto his own political ambitions every conceivable bourgeois resentment: race, class, sex, religion, economic. You would have to be hopelessly ignorant of modern history not to see the outlines and where they end up.
For now, Trump seems more like comedy than reality. I want to laugh about what he said, like reading a comic-book version of Franco, Mussolini, or Hitler. And truly I did laugh, as when he denounced the existence of tech support in India that serves American companies (“how can it be cheaper to call people there than here?” — as if he still thinks that long-distance charges apply).
Let’s hope this laughter doesn’t turn to tears.
As an aside, I mean no criticism of FreedomFest’s organizer Mark Skousen in allowing Trump to speak at this largely libertarian gathering. Mark invited every Republican candidate to address the 2,200-plus crowd. Only two accepted. Moreover, Mark is a very savvy businessman himself, and this conference operates on a for-profit basis. He does not have the luxury of giving the microphone to only people who pass the libertarian litmus test. His goal is to put on display the ideas that matter in our time and assess them by the standards of true liberty.
In my view, it was a brilliant decision to let him speak. Lovers of freedom need to confront the views of a man with views like this. What’s more, of all the speeches I heard at FreedomFest, I learned more from this one than any other. I heard, for the first time in my life, what a modern iteration of a consistently statist but non-leftist outlook on politics sounds and feels like in our own time. And I watched as most of the audience undulated between delight and disgust — with perhaps only 10% actually cheering his descent into vituperative anti-intellectualism. That was gratifying.
As of this writing, Trump is leading in the polls in the Republican field. He is hated by the media, which is a plus for the hoi polloi in the GOP. He says things he should not, which is also a plus for his supporters. He is brilliant at making belligerent noises rather than having worked out policy plans. He knows that real people don’t care about the details; they only want a strongman who shares their values. He makes fun of the intellectuals, of course, as all populists must do. Along with this penchant, Trump encourages a kind of nihilistic throwing out of rationality in favor of a trust in his own genius. And people respond, as we can see.
So, what does Trump actually believe? He does have a philosophy, though it takes a bit of insight and historical understanding to discern it. Of course race baiting is essential to the ideology, and there was plenty of that. When a Hispanic man asked a question, Trump interrupted him and asked if he had been sent by the Mexican government. He took it a step further, dividing blacks from Hispanics by inviting a black man to the microphone to tell how his own son was killed by an illegal immigrant.
Because Trump is the only one who speaks this way, he can count on support from the darkest elements of American life. He doesn’t need to actually advocate racial homogeneity, call for a whites-only sign to be hung at immigration control, or push for expulsion or extermination of undesirables. Because such views are verboten, he has the field alone, and he can count on the support of those who think that way by making the right noises.
Trump also tosses little bones to the Christian Right, enough to allow them to believe that he represents their interests. Yes, it’s implausible and hilarious. But the crowd who looks for this is easily won with winks and nudges, and those he did give. At the speech I heard, he railed against ISIS and its war against Christians, pointing out further than he is a Presbyterian and thus personally affected every time ISIS beheads a Christian. This entire section of his speech was structured to rally the nationalist Christian strain that was the bulwark of support for the last four Republican presidents.
But as much as racialist and religious resentment is part of his rhetorical apparatus, it is not his core. His core is about business, his own business and his acumen thereof. He is living proof that being a successful capitalist is no predictor of one’s appreciation for an actual free market (stealing not trading is more his style). It only implies a love of money and a longing for the power that comes with it. Trump has both.
What do capitalists on his level do? They beat the competition. What does he believe he should do as president? Beat the competition, which means other countries, which means wage a trade war. If you listen to him, you would suppose that the U.S. is in some sort of massive, epochal struggle for supremacy with China, India, Malaysia, and, pretty much everyone else in the world.
It takes a bit to figure out what the heck he could mean. He speaks of the United States as if it were one thing, one single firm. A business. “We” are in competition with “them,” as if the U.S. were IBM competing against Samsung, Apple, or Dell. “We” are not 300 million people pursuing unique dreams and ideas, with special tastes or interests, cooperating with people around the world to build prosperity. “We” are doing one thing, and that is being part of one business.
In effect, he believes that he is running to be the CEO of the country — not just of the government (as Ross Perot once believed) but of the entire country. In this capacity, he believes that he will make deals with other countries that cause the U.S. to come out on top, whatever that could mean. He conjures up visions of himself or one of his associates sitting across the table from some Indian or Chinese leader and making wild demands that they will buy such and such amount of product else “we” won’t buy their product.
Yes, it’s bizarre. As Nick Gillespie said, he has a tenuous grasp on reality. Trade theory from hundreds of years plays no role in his thinking at all. To him, America is a homogenous unit, no different from his own business enterprise. With his run for president, he is really making a takeover bid, not just for another company to own but for an entire country to manage from the top down, under his proven and brilliant record of business negotiation, acquisition, and management.
You see why the whole speech came across as bizarre? It was. And yet, maybe it was not. In the 18th century, there is a trade theory called mercantilism that posited something similar: ship the goods out and keep the money in. It builds up industrial cartels that live at the expense of the consumer. In the 19th century, this penchant for industrial protectionism and mercantilism became guild socialism, which mutated later into fascism and then into Nazism. You can read Mises to find out more on how this works.
What’s distinct about Trumpism, and the tradition of thought it represents, is that it is non-leftist in its cultural and political outlook and yet still totalitarian in the sense that it seeks total control of society and economy and places no limits on state power. The left has long waged war on bourgeois institutions like family, church, and property. In contrast, right fascism has made its peace with all three. It (very wisely) seeks political strategies that call on the organic matter of the social structure and inspire masses of people to rally around the nation as a personified ideal in history, under the leadership of a great and highly accomplished man.
Trump believes himself to be that man.
He sounds fresh, exciting, even thrilling, like a man with a plan and a complete disregard for the existing establishment and all its weakness and corruption. This is how strongmen take over countries. They say some true things, boldly, and conjure up visions of national greatness under their leadership. They’ve got the flags, the music, the hype, the hysteria, the resources, and they work to extract that thing in many people that seeks heroes and momentous struggles in which they can prove their greatness.
Think of Commodus (161-192 AD) in his war against the corrupt Roman senate. His ascension to power came with the promise of renewed Rome. What he brought was inflation, stagnation, and suffering. Historians have usually dated the fall of Rome from his leadership. Or, if you prefer pop culture, think of Bane, the would-be dictator of Gotham in Batman, who promises an end to democratic corruption, weakness, and loss of civic pride. He sought a revolution against the prevailing elites in order to gain total power unto himself.
These people are all the same. They are populists. Oh how they love the people, and how they hate the establishment. They defy all civic conventions. Their ideology is somewhat organic to the nation, not a wacky import like socialism. They promise greatness. They have an obsession with the problem of trade and mercantilist belligerence as the only solution. They have zero conception of the social order as a complex and extended ordering of individual plans, one that functions through freedom and individual rights.
This is a dark history and I seriously doubt that Trump himself is aware of it. Instead, he just makes it up as he goes along, speaking from his gut. This penchant has always served him well. It cannot serve a whole nation well. Indeed, the very prospect is terrifying, and not just for the immigrant groups and imports he has chosen to scapegoat for all the country’s problems. It’s a disaster in waiting for everyone.
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The J in Trumps name is for Jingo.
Trump will save America.
If you truly believe this you can't be saved...
God bless Donald Trump and keep him and his family safe from harm.
Well, if you're tapping into 'Murican ignorance, that's a gift that just keeps giving.
Well played, Donald!
I'll take the xenophobic nationalist billionaire over another Bush or "Hitler-ry". The sideshow alone is worth the price of admission.
looks like ZHers have found yet another authoritarian douche bag to worship along with Putin and varoufakis. Thats quite a group of people the supposed libertarian/anarchist/minarchists who comment here have selected. do you guys REALLY want this clown ruling over you? what happened to all the Ron Paul guys that used to frequent this site, and who I loved discussing things with in the comments? Surely a Ron Paul type hasnt decided to throw their support behind trump?
Supporting Trump just beacuse in your mind he would be better than bush or billary is an exercise in stupidity. The lesser of two evils is still evil. Remember what we all rail on about- End the Fed, sound money, end the war on drugs, end bailouts, end our insane foreign policy, this farcical "war on terror"? where does trump stand on those issues? anyone?
Ron Paul called Trump a dangerous authoritarian. As usual, the doctor is correct.
Dollar vote. Send a few bucks to Hillary then.
Yeah, becaue there are only two ways to live one's life, under Trump's thumb or Hillary's.
Though I do not dismiss either of you, Mr Bill or Mr pOO, I find Mr Trump's point of view refreshing.
I am in no position to change anything, but a salmon swimming against the slogging stream always interests me.
(and you know)
I completely endorse Hillary as POTUS 2016
"I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun. With today’s Internet technology we should be able to tell within seventy-two hours if a potential gun owner has a record." -- Donald Trump, The America We Deserve, 2000
Doesn't worry me Mr Bill.
With all the female hormones we get daily, yogurt, soy. (beer) and through drinking water recycle, I am surprised that I am not crying now.
Son, I've got to stop preaching to the choir and head towards the sinners.
“I mean, I’ve contributed to Schumer, I contribute — I’ve known Schumer for many, many years. And I have a good relationship with him. The fact is, that I think it is time maybe that we all do get along,” -- Donald Trump
Hold on, Obama was going to teach us all to get along.
You mean that we don't yet?
I don't support Trump for president, but I sure as shootin' support him for tearing democraps and republicraps limb from limb.
The author, Jeff Tucker, lives in fantasyland.
The communist community organizer racist pig Progressive has a different plan:
The new sign at the Statue of liberty next to the poem... WHITE FOLK NEED NOT APPLY
The government is prying into our most personal information at the most local levels, all for the purpose of “racial and economic justice.”
http://nypost.com/2015/07/18/obama-has-been-collecting-personal-data-for...
That article has nothing to do with either Jeffrey Tucker or Trump, so how does it prove that Tucker lives in fantasy land?
Tucker is in favor of individual liberty and free markets. Your disagreement with those principles puts you on the side of the central planners and it is the central planners who are keeping the database in the article you cited.
Trumpism is just another sign of Idiocracy.
I should have known not to get between an idiot an his batin'.
Electing Trump sends a message to the status quo. The unwashed smelly masses want change. And I'm cool with that. I'd rather have warren or Sanders. But I'll take the Donald in a pinch.
Yeah, the elites just hate it when you vote for career politicians or a billionaire media hound. That'll show 'em!
JUST LOOK AT HIS SMOKIN HOT WIFE FOR FIRST LADY!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melania_Trump
The Donald has got my vote!
Just send her over to deal with Putin... He'll melt into a puddle at her feet and do whatever she says.
"You want the Crimean back? Sure sure... take it.... And free gas to Ukraine"
If you haven't seen the Corporate lobbyists holding a closed-door meeting with The Corporation's Legislators, with the lobbyists casting votes with legislators in Georgia, and you fail to understand that government isn't what you assume it to be, then you do live in fantasy land. The MSM talking heads are gob-smacked over the fact that local, armed sherrif''s deputies were prepared to summarily escourt the reporter (a hotel guest) from the premises and pay for or "take care of" the reporter's hotel bill. It was also obvious to me that they were executing their "duties" without fear of recourse. I'm sure that these posts are designed to distract, or, if I'm not mistaken, designed to divide. That anyone on this site would continue to support the "red team over the blue team" distraction, over a demand for the return to Lawful Representation via supporting the Constitution and Bill of Rights, is beyond the ken of this outside observer.
The United States is no longer a representative government; it is as a matter of record, a registered corporation. The distraction of voting is just that. Ask a Greek. It will take a revolution to fix this as the voting public is too distracted to figure it out to demand it peacefully and the Corporation will not dissolve itself because of its own altruistic plan for sovereign, individual liberty.
Je suis, Georgio. (Google Greek pensioner denied access to accounts to see where we all stand in this. It's global)
" Elite Legislators Secretly Meet With Lobbyists In Georgia When This Happens…".
True - I went to his Beautiful Anarchy website and I rather like almost all of what I saw. I'm sure Tucker hates Obama's databases as much or more as anyone in Fight Club. The question is, however, would anyone besides Trump have the stones to dismantle it?
"would anyone besides Trump have the stones to dismantle it?"
Start from the basis that everything candidates say that you agree with is a lie and that everything that little country on the ME agrees with is the truth and then you'll know.
"Obama's databases as much or more as anyone in Fight Club. The question is, however, would anyone besides Trump have the stones to dismantle it?"
Trump has the stones to call for the death of those who reveal secret databases.
Donald Trump: NSA Whistleblower Snowden Should Be “Assassinated”http://mrconservative.com/2013/06/20087-donald-trump-nsa-whistleblower-s...
Hold on, Obama was going to teach us all to get along.
You mean that we don't yet?
I don't support Trump for president, but I sure as shootin' support him for tearing democraps and republicraps limb from limb.
looks like you and I are mostly alone in this one. SO much for the libertarians. I guess they are sittin this one out. And maybe donald trump is the america we deserve. Anyone who supports an 'assualt weapons' ban will never, under any circumstances, get my support, or vote. He'd probably take back that statement now, but that just proves he is nothing but an opportunist. People who fall for such people and the bullshit they spew are beyond saving. They deserve to get what the want, and get it good and hard.
14+_ years ago, with Billy's quote.
I was hitting hundreds then, I cannot now.
(skeet and trap)
Me, you and nmewn. The three amigos.
Not only does Trump want to ban certain arms but he uses a progressive talking point in calling them "assault rifles." That goes right along with his friendship with the Clintons.
You three amigos are missing several important points. Trump is a sideshow, but he's saying a few things that none of the candidates are saying, such as 1) the very obvious truth that globalization and free trade are destroying the US; 2) that unchecked immigration is helping to further destroy the middle class; and 3) that the candidates from both Teams will not change either of these things even though the vast majority of the electorate want changes in both.
The other thing you're missing is that your ideological purity, and the ideological purity of the author of this article, is a joke. You're never going to get a libertarian president, so why do you bother?
Finally, there is no point in voting any longer. Trump isn't going to be on the ticket. It will be two individuals selected by the oligarchs. Period. The only value to debating the "issues" is to vent. Most here are simply enjoying the fact that Trump is saying some things on the national stage that people are thinking. The fact that he's also a neo-con when it comes to the military, and certainly a believer in a strong central government, would probably make most not vote for him if he were actually a viable candidate. But he is not, so who cares.
"The other thing you're missing is that your ideological purity, and the ideological purity of the author of this article, is a joke. You're never going to get a libertarian president, so why do you bother?"
I know that, and you are right. My point is that despite all of the praie these people are heeping on him, why the fuck would you want trumo ruling over you? He is a stooge, a fraud, and a neocon. People on here tend to get really confused. Just because the rest of the media and 'establishment' don't like him doesn't automatically make him good. Its like so many here are so desperate for someone to worship they just latch on to anyone who seems a little different. Its sad, really. I thought most on here were smarter than that.
time to reread the "heros" chapter in Voltaire's Bastards
"Trump is a sideshow,"...yes he is, much like Sanders.
"...but he's saying a few things that none of the candidates are saying, such as 1) the very obvious truth that globalization and free trade are destroying the US;"
You do realize there is a difference between free trade and fair trade right?
"2) that unchecked immigration is helping to further destroy the middle class;"
Yes.
"and 3) that the candidates from both Teams will not change either of these things even though the vast majority of the electorate want changes in both."
Yes, its pretty clear he's following the classic demagogic line, to be modulated, reformed and/or abandoned once in power at a later date.
So, when exactly are we (or the MSM or Obama, who instituted the policy of freeing violent predators onto the streets) going to talk about deporting IMMEDIATELY any non-citizen who has committed a crime?
The answer is NEVER...they all committed a crime by crossing illegally.
Period.
Why deport them when the border is a sieve?
Let's first get serious about keeping them out, then get serious about kicking them out.
But the dems and pubs have no stomach for this fight, only the people do.
No need to deport illegals if you fine the shit out of anyone caught employing them.
and
Offer generous rewards to anyone turning in an illegal employer.
Billy, This is the world now.
I would be friendly to any one getting me on a premium range.
The mush heads every where look for the same thing, what benefits me?
Do not let Nativity cloud your better judgement.
You must be able to make a decent judgement to survive.
I'm with you and I to find it amazing, almost unbeleivable that the ZH crowd is jumping on the Trump bandwagon. I think you're absolutely correct that voting for the lesser of two evils is still FUCKING EVIL!!! How hard is that to understand? What it comes down to is they're lazy and that's why they'll take the easiest path to choose their Masters.
Here's a good video for you voting cattle, it's 20 minutes long and I doubt that you'll make it past 3 minutes because of your laziness and the possibilty that you might see yourself in the video and learn something new about yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5FNDRgPOLs
Down vote away all you want, that's what lazy people do!!!!
Between Hillary, Bush, and Trump, that technically means you'll be voting for the lesser of 3 evils.
You're correct as it stands now, but it will be between Bush and Hillary and all the ZH voting cattle will vote for one or the other, history doesn't lie.
Well if you are going to get all nitpicky on us, then choosing one of three alternatives would amount to voting for the LEAST of three evils.
I think you are absolutely correct that voting is FUCKING EVIL
There...fixed it for you
Thank you for fixing it.
How can any regular reader of ZH still believe that voting for slave Master A or slave Master B is ever going to fix anything? How many examples in history do you need?
you are not alone
Sounds to me like you've been watching too much porn......get a job or something give your hands something else to do....HEY? There's one......try reading a book!
BTW the Donald is doing a great job flushing the cockroaches out into the light.
walker...rand...fiorina....graham....you nuts?
This is our country we're trying to save here, not just the annointed, you must be one of them....like those kooks who say only a certain number are going to get to heaven and there sure ain't no nig...er....blacks welcome, or mexicans, unless they can keep the yard.
I'm not surprised if he has some disagreeable views, but if they are not too strongly expressed then I'd be more concerned about the positions the other candidates are taking. Unrestricted immigration and more lunacy spending is the order of the day, when a better candidate then Trump appears vote for him, but today he is the best option the system has presented.
So the same system which engages in "unrestricted immigration and lunacy spending" has offered us Trump? You're right but that's hardly an endorsement.
Trump's not pushing an ideology, he's not shilling for any corporate interests (he doesn't need their money), he's not in organized labor's pocket, and he's not Muslim.
He's only out for one thing: himself.
It is sad that I actually find this refreshing.
"He's only out for one thing: himself."
I have followed this guy since I was a kid. I read "The Art of the Deal." There is a flavor there that has never changed.
You are 100% correct and this is all you need to know about him when thinking about ANYTHING he does.
Er... the American way?
No... the psychopath's way.
Well, same thing I guess.
I prefer to identify as Icelandic
As elucidated in the book Political Ponerology which was recommended by you if I am correct. The pieces fit I am afraid.
Miffed
Guilty. One of those books you can't unread. But the book is a few hundred pages too long - for legitimacy in the pre-internet days, I guess...
I don't think Lobaczewski meant it as an instruction manual for politicians, but it must be required reading for them. They seem to follow it to the letter.
There's a passage in Andre Gide's "The Counterfeiters" where a character recalls the wreck of the ship Borgeione. The officers on the lifeboats were given meat cleavers to cut off the fingers of swimmers who would eventually drag the lifeboats underwater. Imagine the US with 500 or 600 million people if Obama has his way. It will be a swamped lifeboat. In the end everyone drowns.
Word.
Trump is to Bush as Sanders is to Hillary, both Hillary! and Jeb! will be sold to the public (by the Deep State media complex) as "moderates" in 2016.
I'm gettin that squishy, bipartisany, stick it to the Joe Sixpack's of the world warm & fuzzies all over again ;-)
It must be that warm, humid north central FLA air.
Or maybe you're past time to change your undies...;-)
DaddyO
Its definitely humid here in the NCF but an interesting factoid about me, I don't wear underwear cept in the office, I find it...constricting.
Prolly too much info tho ;-)
Your habits are your own fer sure...
But I'm a couple of hours south of you and am setting in the HVAC comfort with no skivvies either...
but hey what's a little too much info amongst the cognitively challenged here on the hedge, he he...
As to Trump, he's a blast to watch, kinda like Carlin for the neocon right, eh?
DaddyO
"The only thing between him and us is a thin layer of gabardine." -- Seinfeld
Ok, you guys have got me in a weird place. Two well hung guys and I've had too much wine with dinner. Hurricane Dolores has brought us with some much needed rain and I think I'll sit on the porch for a nice cathartic cold shower.
Miffed;-)
It is so damned humid here in San Diego that my fan pumping in the outside air set off the damned Smoke Detector.
It is hot and muggy.
Bwahaha. I encountered that a couple times in LA during my stint there.
The locals were downright angry about it. I said this is what Houston is like most of the warm months.
The only difference for climate between South TX and South CA appears to be the the general air flow as predominantly on-shore or off-shore.
Yup. TMI
Trump is an expert in Bankruptcy,,maybe hes going to teach the people how to deal with the fed..i doubt it.
I have done business with trump. Hes a slime hes always broke and he is only selling the branding of his name....almost like some chosen keeps funding him out of nowhere.
Actually thats whats happening.
RIPS
Billy, just curious...did you give any money to Ron Paul's campaign in 2012?
I did...And when the GOP started changing the delegate vote count and taking votes away from Ron Paul, did he expose the corruption? For some reason he quietly conceded.
I gave to Ron in 2008 and 2012. Why didn't you send him the documented evidence detailing the crimes you witnessed? He could have used your help,
NOOOOOO send money to Bern, urge him to run with Donald and add Warren to the ticket as Attorney General
Criminals including the former non fuctioning worthless piece of shit attroney general what's his name, sorry bitch.
NOOOOOO send money to Bern, urge him to run with Donald and add Warren to the ticket as Attorney General
formen government criminals including the former non fuctioning worthless piece of shit attorney general what's his name, sorry bitch need to learn first hand how terrible the problem of prison rape is. It's what they deserve.
I'm laughing at you! Trump's got you all worked up......which clown are you going to run? HA HA I have a good laugh at your party's absolute inate incompetence. Trump is the best MC for the show!
GO Donald.
Sanders is the only realistic candidate and I predict that if he isn't murdered by your team of Hitlery's team, he will flush you both like the turds you ALL are!
QUUUUAAAAFFFFFFFLUSH!
I don't understand all of the hate toward Trump.
If we don't have borders, we don't have a country. Anyone who doesn't comprende that can besame el trasero.
Is it possible that Trump says some things that are true but he's still a narcaistic clown? That might explain the hatred.
Fuck Trump:
"Gun Control: Limit restrictions on guns. Ban some assault weapons and extend the waiting period for purchase.
During a 2013 interview with Fox News, the real estate mogul defined himself as, “a very strong person on the Second Amendment.” He believes guns are necessary for self-defense and has written that he generally opposes gun control. In his 2000 book, “The America We Deserve” Trump wrote that he supports a ban on assault weapons and a slightly longer waiting period to buy a gun."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/donald-trump-believe-candidate-stand...
My rights aren't open to debate or bargain.
I'm with you both here and in the trenches. Won't us old farts look funny all huddled up in our foxholes moaning about our rhuematiz? But that's why they make gin, so it'll be all right.
Speak for yourself, I intend to go out portrayed as a deeply confused and troubled radicalized rebel.
Or at least, a badly disfigured body will be found (or not) and portrayed as me ;-)
I've always imagined you to be baldy disfigured. Gin is good for that too.
I've got a few "battle scars" yes, thats a fact Crockett...but nothing disfiguring. A well placed scar here and there across the body from past "duels" was a badge of honor at one time in certain cultures.
And no, I'm not balding (if that was not a typo) I have all my original hair...lol...although I have started coloring in weird shades lately, just for kicks.
And the always present cameras ;-)
It was a typo followed by a bad spell check selection. I'm thinning a bit which used to worry me until I realized that I'm doing far better than most of my contemporaries. As Al Bundy said to Steve Rhodes at a BAD (Bald American Dudes) meeting, "We're not bald. These guys are bald!" Oh, and gin is good for that too.
Maybe you should just send him a kiss!
this reminds me of a puddle of piss in the mud. Get a room.
Clearly the thing to do is identify the 12hr old piss in the mud and then add yours to it. So as a self described piss & mud aficionado, you're probably thinkin this adds real value to it!...lol.
Thank you. My rights arent open to debate either. WHat the fuck happened to ZH where there are so many ready to support such a person. Fuck him. Look at my statement above. You people wnat him ruling over you? He is going to actually add freedom or liberty how exactly?
I could never trust a skinny black dude with blue lips who bankrupts a charity opportunity from Chicago (Annenburg) for black inner city kids or a pompous white billionaire who declared bankruptcy himself multiple times with a bad comb-over from NY...its just always been my motto.
Basically anything north of the Mason-Dixon ;-)
So while I got you here, what happened to the other Greenskeeper Carl...you cancel you original account or what?
The Hegelian Dialectic is just getting ludicrous with these controllers. How much glue are they sniffing?
From CIA Marxist Manchurian Candidate to the promise of a Groupon Mussolini.... Choices...choices
Absurd politics is the theatre of the absurd*.
*Probably the in-flight movie on MH370
"From CIA Marxist Manchurian Candidate to the promise of a Groupon Mussolini."
LMAO!...as I always sardonically say, choose wisely ;-)
LOL, "choice", LOL, it's a zombie-walk to Hitlery, demographics, immigration, and the Electoral College will make sure of that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTC06FmFNCY&feature=youtu.be
lol...opting to be a "criminal or a rebel" is a choice too ;-)
Choose wisely indeed
http://henrymakow.com/donald_trump_is_masonic_false.html
@ nmewn the other greenskeeper carl was given the ban-hammer. I have no idea why. so here i sit, member for 15 weeks...
no, i did not cancel the original account. all i can say, and this is only a guess, is don't criticize rand paul too much, and don't call anything "shameless clickbait"
Fair enough and I apologize for my past statements to you. I thought you were someone else who hijacked the name.
Makes sense, the original Carl would have defended himself.
Welcome back ;-)
no need to apologize. Ive been accused of being a troll for hijacking the name of a long time poster by using a similar name. sometimes its tough to make a come back. in our present situation, its tough to stick it out here when there are so many people defending the undefendable. what happened???
I am critical of Rand Paul myself. I have no respect for him as he was disloyal to his father. He threw his own Dad under the bus and supported that loser Romney.
I am still here.
The "shameless clickbait" comments probably were just too disrespectful of our gracious host..
We are not entitled to post here. We are not paying the bills after all.
I can disagree with Tyler. Yes I will at times.
But I will not disrespect him. It is his house, after all, and I am just a guest.
Look carefully nmewn, his lips aren't purple anymore. What's up with that?
In my sphere of influence, he was always known as the PLMP (purple lipped muslim pig), but those lips seems to have changed.
If being a narcissistic clown disqualified one from becoming an elected official, we would never have any. ( Which might not be a bad thing.)
A government of the people, by the people, for the people...
Government always trumps the people.
Nice to know the narcissistic clowns have an alpha... The hair must be the signifier
It's not his stance on immigration that I dont like. I don't like his connections to the clintons. He supported her in 2008. He dontaed money to their foundation. He supported teh assualt weapons ban. He is a corporate hack who uses abuses his pwoer, even before he gets into office (he tried to have the governemnt kick a woman out of her Atlantic City home to build a parking lot for his casino.
Imagine what he would do with the enormous power that our predisent now has. That's whats so scary about all the powers that executive branch keeps getting from congress. we get an egomaniac in office we could wind up like Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia, Mao's China, or Lincoln's America.
Which Dr? Oh, the charlaton eye doctor, the one with the retarded son!!!! oh yes....doctor or doctors....my asss
Dr. Ron Paul is an obstetrician who delivered 4,000 babies. He's also able to engage an audience without using vulgarity. A real gentleman.
Most farmers can deliver whatever's comin down the line. There's not much you can do to stop it. It's not like it need to be bound up. So we can dispence with the exalted midwife hero worship. What else you got? At least he doesn't chew and I think he's a reader, but you know what?
He and his retarded son BOTH learned how to fill out those deposit slips from rubes like you.....which one investment advice or moralizing......
on the effect of profanity, English is a living language and words considered vulgar are words to effect true emotion.... Kind of like when Custer got up on that rise.....He looked out and SHOUTED " WHERE THE FUCK DID ALL THOSE FUCKIN INDIANS COME FROM!
words convey thoughts, clear your little mind. It's the thought that is communicated, not the words.....kinda like in skool.
Profanity, random ellipses and excessive capitalization are the hallmarks of a real communicator. Your wife must find them quite soothing as she drops a calf out in the barn.
And when he had the chance to push auditing the Fed he folded. All you need to know right there.
Yeah, Ron Paul never pushed auditing the Fed. The way he never talked about the fed and never wrote a book called End the Fed are all you need to know. Thank God that you have put your reputation as an anonymous Internet commenter on the line and finally got that audit going. You're my hero and you have my thanks.
What in the fuck are you talking about?
stop wasting your time. these people are beyond saving. RP can fill a room, he is the only politician Ive ever given money to. ANd after listening to him speak, it was worth every cent. I got to shake his hand too, and get him to sign a copy of his book.
He is a true gentleman. Im glad I got to meet him.
Ron can fill two rooms. Saw him at a local hotel ballroom in 2007 and they had to remove a partition and open up a second ballroom to handle the overflow.
Ron talked about how more people die from slipping in their bathtubs than from terrorism. I called out "War on bathtubs," and it got two rounds of laughter, one from those in the front room who heard me say it and then another round a few seconds later when it had been repeated to those in the back. Ron motioned toward me, said something like, "As this fellow says..." and went on with his speech. My brush with greatness. Got his autograph too.
after all that is said and done....what the FUCK has Ron Paul Done for America,,,,,NOTHING!
Sorry Billy, as correct as you are, this ain't your fathers ZH anymore. The Huffpo crowd is strong here so you will get a lot of anti Ron Paul stuff I'll betcha.
Is he dangerous enough to END THE FED?
If so, it might be worth it.
a dangerous authoritarian is preferable to an America hating totalitarian everytime
What did Ron Paul call Obama?
Scary.
The real PTB can buy Donald out of petty cash, and probably have.
Having 'leaders' is whats got us into this mess.
The system cannot be changed from within, its a feature not a bug.
Without any investigation on my part, I believe that the ZHers that are supporting Trump are not really ZHers at all. They are probably hacks that are to give us the illusion that Trump has a lot of support from this crowd.
How could anyone informed on the Fed, Capitalism vs Corporatism, free markets, etc. support such a candidate that ki opposite of what we are advocating for?
Answer: they really can't. Go away Trump 'supporters'! We are on to your game. And "We won't be fooled again!"
Sez someone who joined 25 weeks ago.
you have contributed so much to the discussion. thanks a lot. fuck off
We are all looking for the perfection of a Messiah. Let's get the issues out there and actually have a debate on them.
Like it or not, the topics Trump is hitting on need to be discussed. We cannot continue to hide fro the truth with half truths and outright lies.
There are no other Republicans who have the balls to deal with illegal immigration head on. If you want that addressed, and Trump is not on the scene, we'd all be wishing someone would take a stand on it.
Identify the three greatest threats to the US economy today. Now who is enabling debate.
Do not be afraid of the debate. It has the potential to change the direction of this misguided, politically correct, and failing system we call the US Government.
We are all looking for the perfection of a Messiah.
I'm not looking for a Messiah. The problem with those who do think that their Messiah is right for everyone when in fact human beings are naturally free and independent actors Some people throw away that great gift and insist that a stranger with a good line come along and take care of things. It's repulsive to responsible, productive individuals.
I agree Carl. Trump does talk the talk but does he walk the walk? He is an astute but shady businessman. That I give him. Frankly when I see people salivating over him it reminds me of all those nauseating women falling in lockstep behind Hitlery. Have we become so desparate? Trump looks out for Trump.
If anyone wants to point out the merit of this guy and how he will restore america I'm willing to reconsider but I'm not impressed and he will not coax me out to vote. Now Jessie Ventura on the ticket.....
Miffed
He is an astute but shady businessman.
Shady?? That is just what we need in this fucking DC content free theater.
I think that people will salivate over anyone who would speak out about the flood of illegal immigrants. It's a blatant destruction of the country, and all of our "leaders" look the other way.
Hope and Change
Now Jessie Ventura on the ticket.....
That would be the best choice.
I am not getting my hopes up....AGAIN. He des not stand a chance.
He stands as much of a chance as Ron Paul. ZERO.
We've had clowns from both parties ruling over us for 30 years
Try 100 years. There has been no successful Third Party Campaign since the very early 20th Century.
Hey Carl,
You don't think to highly of Zh'ers do ya? I don't want any clown ruling over me or stealing my labor.
People are fed up with candidates SSDD. TRUMP IS NO NIGEL FARAGE but he says a lot that needs to be said. Only republican I would vote for is Sen Jeff Sessions for his STAND ON TPP, H 1B VISAS, and the corrpupt immigration system that imposes third world dumping on the West..USSA, and SessionsvSTAND AGAINST DOD Civilian Sec Defense and theirvsock puppet Gen Demsey attemt to circumvent congress re declaring war. Testimony by Sec Defense Panetta and Gen Dempsey that they did not need congress but gotbtheir permission from UN OR NATO...it,s eye openhttps://m.youtube.com/results?q=senator%20jeff%20sessions%20panetta%20an...
I am sorry to say this but the United States will soon be under Martial Law, and all future elections will be suspended. Military and UN peacekeepers will be on every street, a result of the coming 3-6 month banking freeze that I suspect begins September 12, 2015. Obama *is* the last president of the United States and by the time he leaves it will hardly be a country...
Spot on, confirmed when Valerie Jarrett said in an interview that she would not be leaving until the lights in her office are turned off. It was a chilling foreshadowing. Down vote this a hundred times won't change this reality.
This exchange between Sen jeff sessions, former Sec Def Panetta and Ge Dempsey also an EYE OPENER re the PTB and the COUP they have pulled off or thinkmthey have pulled off. https://m.youtube.com/results?q=senator%20jeff%20sessions%20panetta%20an...
I won´t vote for Bush because I don´t believe in dynasties...and dynasties mean status quo. The last thing the US needs is status quo. The only Rep candidate I see worth a damn is Kasich and Paul. Some of the other candidates could make good VPs for one of those two. Trump knows how to press buttons, but he will be treated as the shits and giggles candidate the whole way.
All three democrats are either socialists, keynesians, or in Clinton´s case, an incompetent, lying, power lusting, Game of Cards playing, insider dealing, corrupt pantsuit pocket lining, "above the law" breaking, political hack monstrosity.
She has the BBC in her pocket. Rarely a photo of her on their website where she isn't smiling and looking all friendly.
I agree with everything you said, except for Kasich. I'm from Ohio. The dude sucks. Here's all you need to know: He supported the assault weapon ban.
Said another way: he doesn't respect the constitution.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"
Didn´t know that about him. That is a big negative in my book as well. I thought he managed to turn Ohio´s economic and job situation towards a better path than what is was on before he took office. It seemed to me he was competent enough politically to get the states legislature to function somewhat. The nation is going to need someone who is going to be able to handle the biggest FUBAR situation ever encountered....but we also need someone who respects the Constitution, and if Kasich can´t...or won´t do both, then I won´t vote for him. We shall see how he does during the debates.
Ignorance like this is what got us this idiot now in office!
Only TRUMP can give you the fucking truth like this...John McCain is crying.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/18/trump-sl...
Pointless casting red meat before hyennas.
Of all the fucking significant/cogent/relevant things one could criticize MuCkain for, and he has to choose that.
That's unthinking touptard right there.
And who do you suggest at this point?
Logged in just to downvote this comment and tell you that you are a fucking idiot.
The article failed to articulate that the alternative to Trump is even worse.
Murica needs a strong Pres after how Obama has ruined the country, the USA has weaken considerably in the eyes of the world since he took office. Putin must wank himself into a coma everyday at how easy it is facing the 'Leader of the Free World'.
Trump may not be the ideal candidate but he would be infintely preferably to Bush or Hilary and more importantly he would restore pride in the USA, hell he may be able to drag them out of economic malaise if he bithc slaps Yellen hard enough.
Got Trump?
An eternal optimist, good for you. But I prefer reality, and that is the system will eat itself and we are all on our own. I at least, don't give my power or rights to other people.
Hopefully, one day this author J. Tucker and other wimps are put against a wall or hang from lamp posts, along with all Democrats and RINOs.
Why do you hate those who promote individual liberty and free markets like Jeff Tucker? Forget about your entitlements and welfare for once and act responsibly.
James Kunstler ever since his book "The Long Emergency" detailing Peak Oil and its effects over the comng decades has warned of the rise pf the "Corn Pone Hitler" as people became desperate for anyone to come and save them from the long, slow collapse of industrialized, computerized "JIT" (Just In Time) society and economics.
I think he was thinking more of a Tea Party Southener, along the likes of George Wallace, former Govenor of Alabama during the Civil Rights era. But I think Trump fits right nicely.....albeit....you might want to call him a "Cavier and Scone Hitler"
www.kunstler.com
He is kicking ass....I pray for a one on one debate with Hillary.......I work with a lot of Hispanics...they are telling me that the tunnel thing in Mexico is absoluteley bullshit. A 1 mile tunnel...thousands of tons of material...they say that everyone in Mexico is talking about the truth...They all were paid off, he walked out of that prison. The tunnel is just for the cameras. I was impressed with their conviction in saying NO WAY. The jail has tunnel finders....they go around the yard daily. Makes you think. Trump...be careful. Donald...I know your reading this....Fuck these pricks up. Keep it going man.
Sometimes you just gotta say fuck it and speak your mind.
Let's signalong, ok?
Scooby Dooby Doo where are you?
I'm at the canine voting booth.
And Scooby Dooby Doo what are you up to?
I'm voting for Hitler.
I pray for a one on one debate with Hillary
He should have debated her when he invited her to one of his weddings.
Liberal technocrats are shitting their pants, doing all they can to paint Trumb a freak show, just so the slimy MFER's don't have to put their completely incompetent chosen 1, HRC up against Trump in any debate.
He would gut her like a brown bear chewing on a freshly caught salmon. And you know it.......Billy.
Libtard asses will be puckered hard when that day rolls around.
I doubt if they will allow him in the Republatilian debate. He will disrupt the proceedings so much that the networks will want to start a reality boxing show with all of the weird nitwits in the CLOWN CAR fags an all! WEEKLY!
And just let the DONALD go on HITLERY! Talk about top shelf entertainment? It'll be EPIC.
I kind think he will leave Bernie Sanders alone because Trump IS a patriot and I believe he will recognize Sanders as a real patriot and will possibly contribute to his campaign in a big way to help flush both the Clown Car basket case as well as Hitlery both of whom America and gladly do without!
God Bless America, and Americans who live the ideal, Fairness, Honor, Giving a helping hand....to ANYBODY....God's got nothin to do with it. It's common Americans who live across the street when there's a tornado or hurricane, they show it every time! I like to think I'm one of them!
I must be high...I think I'll write a book. I laugh out loud at all of my jokes....they fit you all so well
"...Trump IS a patriot..."
Yeah ...an Israeli patriot.
Not sure how he feels about the U.S. constitution - he's apparently never read it.
Bernie Sanders = patriot
God, You got my rolling on the floor laughing my ass off on a Sunday morning.......
Where do you do your stand up comedy? I got to buy a ticket.