padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
or he could very well be stuck in a ventilator
what a cheery election image that is
what a cheery election image that is
Election 2020
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
that is said ironically rather than gleefully tbc. I'd think that was clear but you never know these days so best to be sure.
tho it would be a fittingly grim near-end to the grimmest American year in living memory
2001?
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
9/11 was a shattering event without doubt, with huge longer-term implications
but of itself it was an essentially isolated event that killed 3000 people, and despite sharp disagreement about what caused it and how to respond, the country was basically united in grief
rn we're in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed over 200,000 Americans with no end in sight, the economy is a fucking wreck, faith in public insitutions is basically zero, the country is as divided as its been arguably since the 1850s, civil order is deteriorating to a level unseen in half a century, etc
I'd say 2020 has been much, much worse
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
I just remember 2001 very clearly and the sense of total disintegration was very brief
followed by months of lesser anxiety admittedly but nothing like this
we thought we were so divided back then, and later over Iraq, but compared to this the atmosphere was positively collegial
pretty sure you'd have to go back to the late 60s to find a time with a comparable feeling of looming societal collapse
followed by months of lesser anxiety admittedly but nothing like this
we thought we were so divided back then, and later over Iraq, but compared to this the atmosphere was positively collegial
pretty sure you'd have to go back to the late 60s to find a time with a comparable feeling of looming societal collapse
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padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
it's no coincidence that every time America threatens to tear itself apart - 1850s, 1960s, now - the key issue is race
this time it's happening in parallel with the worst pandemic in 100 years and on the watch of arguably the worst President in American history
this time it's happening in parallel with the worst pandemic in 100 years and on the watch of arguably the worst President in American history
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
the last time a contender for worst President in America history oversaw race tearing America apart we got the Civil War
IdleRich
IdleRich
At last!Trump's got the 'rona!
Covid: Donald Trump and Melania test positive
The US president and Melania Trump were tested after his close aide was confirmed to have Covid-19.www.bbc.co.uk
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
yeah Buchanan
people made Johnson-Trump comparisons during the impeachment
idk about Reconstruction enough to really speak with authority but - personally Trump seems more like Johnson
imperious, extremely poor understanding of - as well as in Trump's case actively not caring about - the limits that constrain a President
but the historical moment Trump is in more like Buchanan's - nation on the verge of falling apart rather, vs recovery mode from falling apart
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
the exact opposite of Lincoln btw, who was an absolute master both at moving within those limits and at knowing when he could bend or break them
Yeah, I was thinking about the intransigence, the disregard for political norms, the attempt to assert the authority of the presidency and pandering to racist interests. The context is a good point. I mean, these sorts of comparisons are probably pointless anyway.
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
yeah I was gonna say it's hard to draw direct comparisons across 150 years
with that disclaimer I do think your points are mostly good
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
the contextual point does matter because "political norms" were already in upheaval when Johnson came into office
or, they were just beginning to settle down after a decade plus of disintegration and half a decade of open civil war
you might compare it to English Parliament in the late 1640s trying to reestablish some kind of normality in the wake of the English Civil War
Congress did succeed where Parliament failed but only by making a devil's bargain over Reconstruction
or, they were just beginning to settle down after a decade plus of disintegration and half a decade of open civil war
you might compare it to English Parliament in the late 1640s trying to reestablish some kind of normality in the wake of the English Civil War
Congress did succeed where Parliament failed but only by making a devil's bargain over Reconstruction
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
that's American history in a nutshell of course, repeated devil's bargains to put off settling the bill for racial inequality
and here we are, with all the accrued interest from all those stupid, short-sighted bargains
and here we are, with all the accrued interest from all those stupid, short-sighted bargains
Leo
Well-known member
for the conspiracy thread: it's a fake illness (allowing plausible excuse for getting out of the remaining debates and distracting from the NY Times tax story), from which he will summon his extremely superior strength and alpha maleness to miraculously beat COVID down and rally a surge of patriotic support for Dear Leader to a triumphant reelection.