It actually came to me this morning (Saturday, 18th). I think I now understand why the 'radical Right' supports Donald Trump no matter what he says or does. It was something new House Speaker Mike Johnson is reported to have said recently - that America had become 'depraved'. It seems to me that many of the Right have come to see Trump as the embodiment of "God's wrath" who will 'cleanse' the country. That's why they support him no matter what. It's not that they agree on his policies and that his values align with theirs, its that they expect him to 'smite' the unbelievers and, by implication, leave them occupying the 'sunlit uplands'. That explains *so* much. Now at least some of the illogic starts to make sense....
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He said it himself in a speech -- "I am your retribution."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/05/i-am-your-retribution-trump-rules-supreme-at-cpac-as-he-relaunches-bid-for-white-house
Even if Trump were not Trump, though -- if he took the office seriously, as a duty and a responsibility, and even if he were competent and cunning -- the problems affecting his base (deindustrialization, the collapse of their communities, an establishment that appears to be dismissive of them at best and contemptuous at worse) can't be fixed by a man or a program. They're on the Titanic and locked in steerage while DC parades around in five-figure "Eat the rich" dresses and lectures about inequality from their summer cabin at Martha's Vineyard.
My metaphor wandered a bit...my idea was the power-elite partying on the deck of the Titanic as it sank, happy to ignore the problem and even licensed to by virtue of the lifeboats they already have reserved seats on.
Well, we all know that no matter how bad things get, the rich *always* have better odds of survival or prosperity that the non-rich (AKA most of us).
Agreed that the problems that gave rise to Trump & Trumpism LONG predated his arrival and its the fault of the 'Establishment' (on BOTH sides) for ignoring the middle of the country (I've heard them called 'fly-over' States). Unfortunately for everyone, that neglect is probably going to bite people in the ass - HARD.
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