LOS ANGELES, CA – In an Op-Ed published last week in the Los Angeles Times, a history professor warned Trump’s campaign language could lead to dark places, and severe consequences on marginalized people.
Benjamin Carter Hett, a history professor at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY, wrote about oppressive political systems in his most recent book, The Nazi Menace: Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Road to War.
Hett highlights in the LA Times an interview in which Trump claims the U.S. “open border” is to blame for the admission of 13,000 “murderers,” adding, “it’s in their genes. And we’ve got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”
The notion that criminal behavior stems from an offender’s genetic composition is an old and debunked notion, Hett writes.
Hett explains Cesare Lombroso’s theory of the “born criminal” reflects racism of the 1870s that justified mass violence, writing, “Lombroso thought that criminals were ‘primitive’ humans born into the modern world — identifiable by their thick hair, dark skin and small craniums.”
Additionally, Nazis in Hitler’s Germany adopted the idea of “criminal biology” and engaged in preventive crime fighting, Hett argues.
As stated in the Times Op-Ed, Hett writes this encouraged a dangerous dynamic where “criminal policy was about the ‘eradication of life unworthy of life,’ which meant genetic criminals.”
Hett points out in the LA Times, “Two things are important here: first, that the Nazis racialized criminals, holding that lawbreakers were defined by their genes… And second, that Nazis took the next step: This racial group had to be “dealt with in a different way” — in other words, killed.”
The Nazis developed gas chambers to execute criminals and marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, Jews, and others, with carbon monoxide, laying the groundwork for the Holocaust, Hett adds.
Hett charges in the LA Times, “When Trump makes statements about genetic criminals — especially when he equates criminals with immigrants and ethnic minorities, and talks about giving the police ‘one really violent day’ to deal with them — we should worry. We know the grim truth about where racializing, criminalizing and pre-genocidal language can lead.”
Unless you learn from history it’s bound to repeat itself. Lying about and demonizing immigrants and marginalized groups is just the tip of the iceberg. You can’t extrapolate what a few do to what an entire large group of people will do.
Are we really supposed to care about what some history professor’s opinion is at the Hunter College and the Graduate Center?
If it has to do with one of the two leading Presidential contenders we definitely should care. Trump’s own words are totally fair game especially when he doubles down on his rhetoric.
You’re right Walter. we should care about people’s opinions.
These women think Kamala is a “IDIOT”.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/she-s-an-idiot-kamala-harris-savaged-by-msnbc-s-wisconsin-women-voter-focus-group/ar-BB1qznZp
Trump’s allies are forced to defend his obvious mental decline. Even his MAGA cult has gotten bored with his nonsense.
“..Trump rhapsodized about the late professional golfer Arnold Palmer − with strong reference to Palmer’s genitalia − at a Pennsylvania rally.”
“Trump told the crowd of men, women and children that when Palmer showered, “the other men, they came out of there, they said, ‘Oh my god. That’s unbelievable.’”
Trump stopped taking questions at a recent town hall in Pennsylvania after a pair of medical emergencies in the crowd, instead dancing and playing music for 39 minutes as supporters trickled out.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/20/trump-age-fitness-questions/75737348007/
Two weeks until the election.
If I was forced to take a bet my money would be on Trump winning.
“Here’s What My Gut Says About the Election. But Don’t Trust Anyone’s Gut, Even Mine.”
But some guts are more trustworthy than other guts.
Nate’s gut feelings count.
Nate uses data, not guts.
So let’s look at data. Polls show a dead heat pretty much.
But the two elections where Trump was on the ballot, the polls significantly under estimated his strength.
That leaves three possibility:
1. They under estimate it again
2. They adjusted and have it right
3. They over-corrected in Trump’s favor.
Most likely are 1 or 2.
So then what? I always go with the more pessimistic outcome and figure that’s most likely correct, that the pollsters still haven’t figured out Trump and Trump can still get the infrequent voters to come out for him in enough key states to win.
David, you directly quote Nate Silver, though you don’t attribute it to him, then downplay it.
Nate Silver has a gut feeling that Trump will win. That’s big news. You yourself always turn to Silver for election predictions.
I didn’t downplay it – I walked you through my thinking
You also missed the nuance in Nate’s comment – which holds for my view as well:
“ My gut says Donald Trump. And my guess is that it is true for many anxious Democrats.
But I don’t think you should put any value whatsoever on anyone’s gut — including mine. Instead, you should resign yourself to the fact that a 50-50 forecast really does mean 50-50. And you should be open to the possibility that those forecasts are wrong, and that could be the case equally in the direction of Mr. Trump or Ms. Harris.”
Pretty much everyone I know has the same gut feeling. The problem is, the data is there for the taking. Pollsters have not fared well at predicting Trump’s vote take and generally for the same reason – Trump relies heavily on infrequent voters and if they vote like they did in 2016 and 2020, Trump will win.
David, if some Joe Blow off the street has a gut feeling I could care less.
But when Nate Silver, maybe the most esteemed election predictor, has a gut feeling that’s huge good news for Trump supporters. Nate is a big lefty, so it’s hard for him to admit that he feels Trump is going to win.
Nate’s take on election:
“Trump is going to win election, says America’s top analyst”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-going-win-election-says-131439680.html
I showed you the full quote of what he actually said. While both he and I believe that Trump will win, there is considerable uncertainty.
There is nothing Hitler did that was any good at all. Hitler and his generals were responsible for The Holocaust and the killing of over 405,000 American servicemen.
Trump said Hitler ‘did some good things’ and wanted generals like the Nazis, former chief of staff Kelly claims.
Donald Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff is warning that the Republican presidential nominee meets the definition of a fascist and that while in office, Trump suggested that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler “did some good things.”
The comments from John Kelly, the retired Marine general who worked for Trump in the White House from 2017 to 2019, came in interviews with both The New York Times and The Atlantic. They build on a growing series of warnings from former top Trump officials as the election enters its final weeks.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/trump-said-hitler-did-some-good-things-and-wanted-generals-like-the-nazis-former-chief-of-staff-kelly-claims
And this is why the Paradox of Tolerance should take primacy over “respecting everyone’s opinions” (no thanks, I don’t need to respect the opinions of racists, homophobes, transphobes, misogynists, Christian nationalists or any other of the assorted antisocials from the hive of scum and villainy that we have in this country).
Because we tell everyone that we must respect everyone’s opinions many people are going to ignore this and won’t consider it noteworthy that this disgusting man wants to be someone like Hitler and have absolute control over this country.
The media is finally calling him a fascist, which is correct. Take a look at the 14 characteristics of fascism (Umberto Eco’s list). He and his cultists hit every last one of them.
We fought a whole world war about this and people like Keith here continue to fluff him. How pathetic and delusional.
I can only imagine conservatives like Matt Rexroad will also vote for the incoherent and authoritarian one.
Dang Walter, why do you bring up Matt Rexroad?
Because he happened to comment on another article this morning?
Democrats are in desperation mode.
Calling Trump a fascist, a dictator and now the accusation of some model saying he groped her 30 years ago.
All this says is they know Trump is likely to win.
I think you’re overstating things. It’s not like one side possesses inside knowledge. There is a good deal of fear on the left right now that Trump will prevail but that doesn’t mean he will.
“And this is why the Paradox of Tolerance should take primacy over “respecting everyone’s opinions”
You’re right, I have no respect for your opinions.
I’m real broken up that a right wing fascist fluffer doesn’t respect my opinions. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.
😆🤣😂😆🤣😂😆🤣😂😆🤣😂😆🤣😂
NY Times/Sienna poll has Trump leading Harris with popular vote 47% to 46% when counting third party candidates still in race.
That Yuge, as Trump would say.
Nate doesn’t agree (posted for entertainment only):
“To my surprise, model thought NYT national poll was a nothingburger. There’s already a lot of decline for Harris priced into our national polling average, NYT nat’l polls have generally been bad for Harris, and state polls looked typical.”
Nearly a century ago, Nazis held a rally at Madison Square Garden while demonizing trans and queer people as “groomers.” They’re at it again at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. Speakers at the rally have explicitly called it a Nazi rally (“Jokingly”), called Puerto Rico a floating pile of garbage in the ocean, and jokes about black people “craving watermelons.” Meanwhile, the campaign is running $30 million in ads targeting trans and queer people. Some things never change.
-Erin Reed
Disregard their ‘joking’. They actually mean what they say.
“Shocking viral video shows Kamala Harris supporter screaming in little girl’s face outside Houston rally with Beyoncé”
https://nypost.com/2024/10/27/us-news/kamala-harris-supporter-screams-in-little-girls-face-outside-houston-rally-with-beyonce/
Donald Trump may have a secret death wish for the United States and himself.
Trump faces backlash from Bad Bunny, Puerto Ricans amid fight for Latino vote
Puerto Ricans, including Grammy-winning artists Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin, widely condemned Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump after a comedian performing at his closing campaign rally in Madison Square Garden derided the island as a “floating island of garbage.”
The backlash comes as Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris are locked in a razor-thin race – and are counting on Latino voters to help get them to the White House.
Puerto Rican voters living in the United States make up the second largest Latino group in the country, including in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.
Trump, who is seeing increased support among Latino men, touted splashy endorsements from Puerto Rican artists like Anuel AA and Nicky Jam that boast major followings from young Latino voters. But comments from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, have caused widespread and bipartisan backlash to Trump’s presidential campaign.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/28/bad-bunny-trump-harris-puerto-rico/75883153007/
Opening Act at Trump’s NYC Rally Spews Vile Racism
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s set featured disparaging remarks against Latinos and Black people.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump‘s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday opened up with comedian Tony Hinchcliffe—of the comedy podcast Kill Tony—calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” among other xenophobic and prejudiced punchlines. The ’quip’ did not appear to land with the crowd in attendance.
Hinchcliffe continued by deploying a crass sexual slur for Latino immigrants—joking that they should all leave the country.
“These Latinos, they love making babies, too, just know that. They do. They do. There’s no pulling out,” he said. “They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.”
He also delved into racist stereotypes for Black people and played into antisemitic tropes when addressing the Gaza-Israel war during a relatively short set.
HuffPost reporter Christopher Mathias, among those in attendance, labeled it “shockingly racist even for a Trump rally.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/opening-act-at-trumps-nyc-rally-spews-vile-racism/
MAGA election fraud efforts go down in flames across the US!
Donald Trump’s Republican allies have suffered a string of courtroom setbacks in battleground U.S. presidential election states as Election Day draws closer, losses that could boost voter turnout and speed certification of the eventual winner.
In the past three weeks, Trump’s allies have been dealt at least 10 court losses in battleground states that could decide the outcome of the Nov. 5 contest between Republican former President Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-battleground-state-legal-blitz-falters-ahead-us-presidential-election-2024-10-27/
“Jon Stewart Mocks Liberal Outrage Machine, Defends Tony Hinchcliffe”
https://dailycaller.com/2024/10/29/jon-stewart-mocks-liberal-outrage-machine-defends-donald-trump-rally-comedian/
‘Disgusted:’ Offensive remarks about Puerto Rico at Trump rally ignite furor in Florida GOP
A comedian’s offensive comments about Puerto Rico at a Donald Trump rally Sunday night have sparked outrage among Republicans in Florida, home to the largest population of Puerto Ricans in the continental United States.
Opening for the former president at Madison Square Garden, Tony Hinchcliffe described the American territory as a “floating island of garbage.” U.S. Reps. Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar of Miami — who encouraged voters at an event in West Miami on Saturday to vote for Trump — condemned the remarks and said that they do not reflect GOP values.
“This is not a joke. It’s completely classless and in poor taste. Puerto Rico is the crown jewel of the Caribbean and home to many of the most patriotic Americans I know,” said Gimenez. Salazar said she was “disgusted” by the remarks.
Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said the joke had “bombed” because it was unfunny and untrue, and pledged to “always do whatever I can do to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island.”
Hinchcliffe also made racist and vulgar remarks about immigrants as well as Latinos, Jews, and African Americans during his 11-minute performance. The reactions to the “island of garbage“ comment from local Republicans underscore the influence of the hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican eligible voters in Florida. In recent years the GOP has made efforts to reach a diverse coalition of Hispanics to secure the state as a Republican stronghold. Puerto Ricans are the second largest bloc of Hispanic voters in the state after Cubans.
https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article294648524.html
Misinformation and lies have become the providence of the MAGA cult.
An Elon Musk-funded super PAC is putting out fake pro-Harris ads / Progress 2028 is running ads presenting itself as the Democrats’ answer to Project 2025, but it’s actually the product of a pro-Trump PAC.
If you’re a swing state voter, you may have seen ads claiming that vice president Kamala Harris wants to institute a mandatory gun buyback program and make it easier for undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses. These ostensibly pro-Harris ads are the product of Progress 2025, a campaign designed to look like the Democratic answer to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 — but they’re actually funded by a group called Building America’s Future, a pro-Trump super PAC that is in turn funded by Elon Musk.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/29/24282957/progress-2028-elon-musk-building-americas-future-ads-pac
Trump got out of serving in Vietnam for allegedly having bone spurs. Who is the coward?
During Vietnam, an estimated 48,000 Puerto Ricans served in the four service branches of the armed forces. Of the More than 340 Puerto Ricans died in combat, and 17 were listed as missing in action.
https://www.defense.gov/news/news-stories/article/article/974518/puerto-ricans-represented-throughout-us-military-history/
Trump supporter and RNC official Valerie Biancaniello was cuffed and escorted out of line after multiple complaints she “harrassed” voters at a polling place and “told them who to vote for.”
https://www.mediaite.com/news/watch-trump-fan-cuffed-and-dragged-out-of-line-after-complaints-she-harassed-voters-at-polling-place/
Machete-wielding MAGA fan arrested for intimidating Dem voters
A machete-wielding teenager was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly trying to intimidate two women who were holding signs in support of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Beaches Branch Library in Neptune Beach, Florida.
The Neptune Beach Police Department said that 18-year-old Caleb James Williams tried to intimidate two unidentified women, aged 54 and 71, by brandishing a machete while they stood outside of a polling place.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-supporter-arrested-2669543014/
Audrey Plaza has been one of my favorite actresses for years. It’s deeply ironic that today Trump decided to play garbage man. He is trying to tell us something.
Aubrey Plaza Tells Trump Rally Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe to “Go F*** Yourself” in Response to His “Disgusting” Puerto Rico Joke
Aubrey Plaza is the latest star with Puerto Rican heritage to fire back at comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke about Puerto Rico during Donald Trump‘s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday.
Speaking at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on Tuesday night, the Agatha All Along actress said she wanted to “very quickly respond to the racist joke that was made at that Trump rally about Puerto Rico, where most of my family is from.”
“Thankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn’t here to hear that disgusting remark,” Plaza added, according to video from the event. “But if she was alive today, I think she would say, ‘Tony Hinchcliffe, go fuck yourself.’ And yes, The Wall Street Journal can quote me on that.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/aubrey-plaza-puerto-rico-garbage-joke-trump-rally-1236048908/
Donald Trump’s cognitive decline becoming a troubling concern
Donald Trump’s racism, sexism, xenophobia and penchant for corruption have long made him unfit for any public office, let alone the presidency. But as he continues his bid for a second term in the White House, there is an unsettling and undeniable shift that is leading many experts, observers and even some Trump supporters to conclude that the former president’s mental acuity and sharpness are also in decline, that his physical health and stamina are waning and that his frustration and anger are boiling over.
Americans from both sides of the political spectrum should be alarmed by Trump’s words and behavior. The nation must confront the fact that beyond his hateful character, he is crippled cognitively and showing clear signs of mental illness.
There’s no need to resort to armchair psychology to interpret what’s apparent. If victorious, Trump would be the oldest president ever inaugurated. In recent weeks, he has canceled an increasing number of public appearances, with Trump’s own campaign citing the candidate’s exhaustion. When he does appear publicly, Trump struggles to complete sentences or sustain coherent thoughts, and has shown a pronounced difficulty concentrating and a tendency to repeat himself, sometimes within the same sentence.
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/oct/30/trumps-decline-has-been-alarming/
Musk could have done his tweeting on the trip to Philly but no.
Elon Musk, Who Has Tweeted Over 109 Times Today, Is Too ‘Busy’ For Illegal Lottery Court Appearance
Musk’s swing state Trump support lottery goes to court
Elon Musk and his America PAC are being sued by Philadelphia’s district attorney over the allegation that the PAC’s million-dollar-a-day giveaway constitutes an illegal lottery. Musk was set to appear in court for the case today, but his attorneys argued that he’s too “busy” for trivialities like violations of state law.
https://jalopnik.com/elon-musk-who-has-tweeted-over-109-times-today-is-too-1851686440
Trump is planning a crackdown on legal immigration, too / While Trump promises mass deportations, his allies draft policies that would limit visas for refugees and tech workers.
Former President Donald Trump has made immigration a centerpiece of his campaign: he’s promised mass deportations, a crackdown on asylum at the border, and a ban on mortgages for undocumented immigrants. But while Trump rails against illegal immigration, his allies and advisors are also preparing to sharply reduce legal immigration, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Groups including the America First Policy Institute, a think tank that has been advising Trump’s campaign, have drafted executive orders, regulations, and memos that would narrow the paths for legal migration to the US, according to a dozen former Trump administration officials that spoke with the Journal. Some of the proposals — like a ban on travelers from certain Muslim-majority countries — are recycled from Trump’s first term. Other plans include a total ban on refugee resettlement and a pause on accepting applications for categories of immigration with large backlogs, including asylum and employment-based green cards for Indian tech workers.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/31/24284684/trump-legal-immigration-crackdown-america-first-policy-institute
We know that Trump is a Putin puppet despite Putin being a murderous despot.
U.S. officials say Russia was behind fake video of alleged voter fraud in Georgia
U.S. officials have determined Russia was behind a video that circulated online in recent days and that Georgia state election officials have labeled as disinformation.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the video, which purports to show Haitians claiming that they illegally voted for Kamala Harris, is fake and likely the work of a Russian troll farm.
In the video posted to social media on Thursday, a man claims that he and others featured in the footage are from Haiti, arrived in the United States six months ago, obtained U.S. citizenship within that time, and are voting for Kamala Harris in multiple Georgia counties.
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/georgia-video-fake-voter-fraud-russian-troll-farm/
GO TRUMP!!!!
That should bring em out.
Everyone say it with me, PRESIDENT TRUMP!!!
Trump not only crushed Kamala in the electoral college but he also won the popular vote.
Thankfully the country saw the Democrat’s for what they are and elected Trump.
They called him a dictator, a Nazi, a fascist and a felon due to their kangaroo court lawfare.
Now they can call him Mr. President.