[-empyre-] Trump - Populism / Roy Cohn - McCarthyism

[Alan Sondheim]

I wasn't surprised by Sanders, only by the recalcitrance of his followers 
to rearm. From Nader and (god I forget the names), we've had heavy 
candidates with philosophies close to the left. What also did surprise me, 
though, was the repetition of his message; it was too monolithic, and 
after the primaries, he was too soft in his support of HRC. And I'm not 
even sure what you mean by "Populism"

The left is united, not only by hateful acts, but by a new kind of class 
warfare that's coming into existence - for example giving tax breaks to 
help those in need of post-Obamacare - but these breaks leave the poor and 
unemployed completely out of the picture.

You seem to think the left came together over this in the sense that there 
was not much of an organized left beforehand, but I don't feel that was 
the case, and we have marched before here, fought over all sorts of 
things. It's not the left of marxism, but a confluence of causes; for me, 
ideology's always an enemy, what's needed is praxis on the ground.

Here in RI by the way, there's been a spate of anti-semitic acts - in fact 
they're now ongoing across the US - and that scares me. All sorts of 
people are being targeted - everyone, it seems except for white male 
christian fundamentalists who seem to be calling the shots. Literally.

Not sure what you mean by "...I would be somewhat circumspect about 
exalting in the dromospheric pressure of molecularised misnamed social 
media ..." - who's exalting>

Maybe from a distance we're misreading each other?

- Alan

On Fri, 10 Mar 2017, simon wrote:

> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
> Hi Alan,
>
> On Populism, strange, the silence you hear: and strange what you say re a 
> nonniche Left--you don't think Sanders was a surprise? (not the miracle of 
> the T-Effect)
>
> ...bound to be a refractory effect (which to include in T-Effect) of 
> mainstream media, waves of which without fail wash over these shores, 
> Waiheke where I am, and NZ, in general.
>
> Here's the Pope with a call for moral action against Populism: 
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pope-francis-warning-donald-trump-populism-evil-die-zelt-ends-badly-western-democracy-a7620016.html
>
> Perhaps an auto da fe is called for? ...
>
> The Left more united than before, but over what? (In opposition? To the 
> hateful acts, which cannot be denied, and must be opposed, endorsed 
> under T-Effect, a friend visiting US stoned with stones in the streets 
> for the colour of her skin. (Not by many, but by a few, enough to count, 
> armed with rocks, not to kill, more a symbolic act, passing utility 
> trucks, GOP.))
>
> ...I would be somewhat circumspect about exalting in the dromospheric 
> pressure of molecularised misnamed social media ... the rising heat there, is 
> this not the definition of Populism? (pointless listening for the pop ... 
> insulated by transfat in the cornpopper hopper ...)
>
> And, no, I don't think your myopia. More my taking the clothes for the 
> emperor. (Or a vision of Putin shirtless at Washington gates astride a white 
> horse and invited in to declare himself Ruler of Byzantium.)
>
> Best,
> Simon
>
> On 10/03/17 17:31, Alan Sondheim wrote:
>> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
>> 
>> Hi and thanks! Could you say more? At least where I am, a few things - I 
>> don't hear the word 'populism' at all; as far as the left goes, as you 
>> know, HRC won the popular vote by over 3 million votes; it's a question of 
>> our miserable electoral college that skewed the election. I don't see the 
>> 'niche market,' at least from Rhode Island - if anything, the governor 
>> (Raimondo) and Providence mayor (Elorza) are far left of anything the state 
>> has seen before, and people here are putting their careers, if not their 
>> lives, at risk for others.. So it may just be my mypoic vision from the 
>> smallest state, but I don't see a 'reactionary and moral left' either - 
>> much less a de-politicization. As far as that goes, the left (again at 
>> least from here) seems more united than before, and social media allows 
>> Virilian speed in response and forms of TAZ (temporary autonomous zones).
>> 
>> Thanks again!, Alan
>> 
>> On Fri, 10 Mar 2017, simon wrote:
>> 
>>> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
>> 
>> (trying to cut out quotations in general)
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
>
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