Trump channels Nixon's vengefulness and racism, but lacks his intelligence and experience. OMG, WE JUST ELECTED DUMB NIXON.
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) November 9, 2016
Historian here, with a message for folks arguing against holding people accountable for the siege of the Capitol because "history will be the judge." We are in this mess, BECAUSE people in the past didn't hold their contemporaries accountable. Please don't repeat that mistake.
I'd forgotten that James J. Kilpatrick, one of Virginia's most staunch segregationists in the 1960s, had a regular gig on 60 Minutes in the 1970s playing the role of the "conservative" in their point/counterpoint segment. This one from 1978 is a trip. https://t.co/8QwZam99aH
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) May 27, 2020
Nuts that Pat Buchanan was a prominent mainstream media talking head in the 80's, 90's, and 00's even though he was considered too antisemitic and "fascistic" for even Charles Krauthammer or Bill Buckley. https://t.co/HXIoF7gj9r
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) June 3, 2020
Every time a public figure talks about the P**ud Buoys, they should note that the group conducts readings from Pat Buchanan's 2001 book, The Death of the West, at every meeting. That book is a white nationalist screed against immigrants. There is no finessing this.
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) October 18, 2020
More from Seth Cotlar
Rush Limbaugh was given the Medal of Freedom at the State of the Union last night. Here's a bit on who he is.
— Media Matters (@mmfa) February 5, 2020
Viewer discretion is advised. pic.twitter.com/rWYbfnDThl
Limbaugh is also a good example of how the distinction between “respectable” conservatism and “the more radical fringe” can easily be overstated.
This Bill Buckley/Rush Limbaugh joint effort was published in 1993, just in case anyone thought being anti-PC was a new Trumpian dimension of American conservatism, or that National Review was above Rush's crass anti-intellectual populism. pic.twitter.com/XtnoW1yF4S
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) January 2, 2021
In 1992 George HW Bush had Rush Limbaugh open his final campaign event before Election Day.
At 1:30 on this video GHB *opens* with these words. "And may I start by thanking Rush Limbaugh. Last night, you know, Governor Clinton was at the Meadowlands with Richard Gere and other Hollywood liberals." https://t.co/La3Bcb6I8K
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) November 16, 2019
Rush descended from a well-off and well-connected family in Missouri, but he played the role of “pissed off Joe Six Pack” really well. He’s a perfect example of “plutocratic populism.”
Limbaugh’s cruel bigotry and aura of aggrieved entitlement was a feature, not a bug. In an era of shifting social mores, Limbaugh gave his listeners permission to be a-holes and be proud about it. He perfected the schtick that would get Trump elected.
January 6th. See you in D.C. https://t.co/vynZTv9lHb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2021
Thanks (I think) to @z3dster for bringing this batshit tweet to my attention.
There's a long history of the American center-right and center-left laughing at this kind of stuff. It is indeed laughably ludicrous. But it's important to know that to millions of people, this is their truth. This is how they see the world. And now the President is condoning it.
One hallmark of fascism is that it defines "communism" as its enemy. One can be opposed to communism without being a fascist. But it's impossible to be fascist without being obsessed with the existential (and often hysterically overblown) threat of communism.
Every significant, US variant of fascism has depicted itself as a movement of Christian patriots defending the US from anti-American enemies of Christ. One can be a Christian and/or a patriot without being a fascist, but fascists almost always call themselves Christian patriots.
More from Legal
The 13 people murdered by Trump's death row killing spree:
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) January 17, 2021
Daniel Lee
Wesley Purkey
Dustin Honken
Lezmond Mitchell
Keith Nelson
William LeCroy Jr.
Christopher Vialva
Orlando Hall
Brandon Bernard
Alfred Bourgeois
Lisa Montgomery
Corey Johnson
Dustin Higgs
Say their names.
You can oppose the death penalty as a punishment without pretending that the people executed were victims or that carrying out those executions is comparable to murder.
As an example: Daniel Lee was a white supremacist who murdered a family (including an 8-year-old girl) by suffocating them with bags and then dumping their bodies in a swamp.
That's whose name @CoriBush wants you to remember.
Wesley Purkey admitted to kidnapping, raping, and then murdering a 16-year-old girl named Jennifer Long. He then dismembered her body. He also beat an 80-year-old woman to death.
Maybe we should learn the names of his victims instead, @CoriBush?
Dustin Honken was a meth dealer that murdered 5 people, including 2 girls under the age of 11, because their dad was set to testify against him on drug charges. He was specifically sentenced to death for killing the 2 kids.