George Will : No one should want four more years of this taste of ashes
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
No one should want four more years of this taste of ashes
JUNE 01, 2020
This unraveling presidency began with the Crybaby-in-Chief banging his spoon on his highchair tray to protest a photograph — a photograph — showing that his inauguration crowd the day before had been smaller than the one four years previous. Since then, this weak person’s idea of a strong person, this chest-pounding advertisement of his own gnawing insecurities, this low-rent Lear raging on his Twitter-heath has proven that the phrase malignant buffoon is not an oxymoron.
Presidents, exploiting modern communications technologies and abetted today by journalists preening as the “resistance” — like members of the French Resistance 1940-1944, minus the bravery — can set the tone of American society, which is regrettably soft wax on which presidents leave their marks. The president’s provocations — his coarsening of public discourse that lowers the threshold for acting out by people as mentally crippled as he — do not excuse the violent few. They must be punished. He must be removed.
Social causation is difficult to demonstrate, particularly between one person’s words and other persons’ deeds. However: The person voters hired in 2016 to “ take care that the laws be faithfully executed” stood on July 28, 2017, in front of uniformed police and urged them “please don’t be too nice” when handling suspected offenders. His hope was fulfilled for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on Minneapolis pavement.
What Daniel Patrick Moynihan termed “defining deviancy down” now defines American politics. In 2016, voters were presented an unprecedentedly unpalatable choice: Never had both major parties offered nominees with higher disapproval than approval numbers . Voters chose what they wagered would be the lesser blight. Now, however, they have watched him govern for 40 months and more than 40 percent — slightly less than the percentage that voted for him — approve of his sordid conduct.
Presidents seeking reelection bask in chants of “Four more years!” This year, however, most Americans — perhaps because they are, as the president predicted , weary from all the winning — might flinch: Four more years of this ? The taste of ashes, metaphorical and now literal, dampens enthusiasm.
The nation’s downward spiral into acrimony and sporadic anarchy has had many causes much larger than the small man who is the great exacerbator of them. Most of the causes predate his presidency, and most will survive its January terminus. The measures necessary for restoration of national equilibrium are many and will be protracted far beyond his removal. One such measure must be the removal of those in Congress who, unlike the sycophantic mediocrities who cosset him in the White House, will not disappear “magically,” as Eric Trump said the coronavirus would. Voters must dispatch his congressional enablers, especially the senators who still gambol around his ankles with a canine hunger for petting.
In life’s unforgiving arithmetic, we are the sum of our choices. Congressional Republicans have made theirs for more than 1,200 days. We cannot know all the measures necessary to restore the nation’s domestic health and international standing, but we know the first step: Senate Republicans must be routed, as condign punishment for their Vichyite collaboration, leaving the Republican remnant to wonder: Was it sensible to sacrifice dignity, such as it ever was, and to shed principles, if convictions so easily jettisoned could be dignified as principles, for . . . what? Praying people should pray, and all others should hope: May I never crave anything as much as these people crave membership in the world’s most risible deliberative body.
A political party’s primary function is to bestow its imprimatur on candidates, thereby proclaiming: This is who we are. In 2016, the Republican Party gave its principal nomination to a vulgarian and then toiled to elect him. And to stock Congress with invertebrates whose unswerving abjectness has enabled his institutional vandalism, who have voiced no serious objections to his Niagara of lies, and whom T.S. Eliot anticipated:
Those who think our unhinged president’s recent mania about a murder two decades ago that never happened represents his moral nadir have missed the lesson of his life: There is no such thing as rock bottom. So, assume that the worst is yet to come. Which implicates national security: Abroad, anti-Americanism sleeps lightly when it sleeps at all, and it is wide-awake as decent people judge our nation’s health by the character of those to whom power is entrusted. Watching, too, are indecent people in Beijing and Moscow.
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This is the second article in the past two days I have read that compares the Republicans in Congress to the Nazi collaborators in Vichy France during WW2.
I hadnt really thought about it before but it seems like an apt comparison.
Those who collaborated with the Nazis in occupied France came to regret it .
Collaboration - like following an out-of-work lawyer on a firebomb campaign. He must certainly know what he's doing, right?
The NBC reporter Kayce Hunt has a clip playing on tv this morning. She asked a slew of republican senators to comment on trump's photo op at the church Monday night and about a dozen of them walked right past her after hearing the question.
No guts.
They are collaborators with Trump's wrongdoing and incompetence.
Maybe they just ignored Hayce's bait.
Saw the clip....... It wasn't bait...... they are just cowards refusing to stand up for the U.S. Constitution.... again!
I'm surprised George Will used a phrase like Cry Baby in Chief. That's a phrase somebody with my limited vocabulary would use.
He may have made up for it later in the column with obscure words like gambol and condign.
I really admire George Will's vocabulary and writing ability. I'm not that stuffy though.
I do, too, even tho I don't agree with him 90% of the time
George Will .... a never Trumper from the start.
Yawn!
Another Liberal type....."The Sky is really falling now" Opinion piece.
When do Liberal types NOT think the "Sky is ever Falling" again ?
I noticed that these protests are cooling down ……. SINCE TRUMP SAID...... !
George Will is not a liberal.
True, like i said he's a never Trumper.
Same thing really in this case.
That wasn't even brought up.
No, he is a no Trump RINO, who delicate sensitivities are in a perpetual fit of pique.
I swear I said ….. "TYPE" !
Ever consider that being a "Never Trumper" as you call them is good for America and the U.S. Constitution?
No, you'd never go there now would you.
Boy, you sure are trying to make things personal here aren't you. I wonder why?
To answer your question i disagree with Will. Did regularly long before he became a never Trumper. Smug bastard used to make me puke regularly with his sanctimonious drivel on the Sunday morning news shows. He was a prick long before Trump ever became POTUS but also was regularly bagged on by the left before that.. Now he's your hero because he's bagging on Trump. Hilarious!
You're allusion that i can't think for myself has become a classic gambit of the butt-hurt. Someone disagrees with you, then you try to insult their intelligence and in doing so you just show your lack of the same.
I suggest you find a new shtick. This one is getting boring.
Sorry, can't make that stretch .... not even close.
Everything he "spurts" is subject to court determination? That's just crazy delusional.
Lol, two days old? You’re really digging now but welcome to a Internet forum.
Stick around awhile, you might learn something .....
Conservatives with ethics and morals will never back Trump. Trump's Populist enablers that claim to be conservatives don't care about ethics as long as they "win" and if they can "win" AND stick to the liberals (i.e. anyone that doesn't toe their ever shifting line of reasoning) is a bonus.
Liberals defending George Will ........ this truly might be the seventh sign.
Get you affairs in order people.
And least most conservative have ethics. [deleted]
Care to explain the Lincoln Project or Michael Steel type republicans?
Try John McCain type republicans........You remember him. Center Right republican.... Can you explain Johnny Mac in Trump-speak?
It actually makes the point better.
Truly "thinking people" aren't delusional. Many, many "thinking people" on the left have been more or less completely delusional with anger since November 2016.
Thinking people?
Hilarious!
Life is not all black or white. There tend to be varying shades of gray.
We would be much worse off had we elected Trump's opponent. Think about that for a minute....the situation would be horrible now.
How would that person who shall go unnamed have handled the pandemic, and then have domestic terrorism piled on her plate to boot???
And now the Americans are being asked to elect another left wing goof ball to lead us out of this mess.
Come November, I'm sure that the vast silent majority who really run this country and make it all work will not be fooled by the lies
and propaganda and puffed up poll numbers will do the right and patriotic thing and reelect Trump.
Laughable.
Factual.
Speculation is, by definition, not fact.
It is highly likely Clinton would have had much much much less turmoil during her term if she had been president.
We can agree on that.
She wouldn't have had the murder of TDS ridden, liberal crows cawing away at her non-stop
Please. That bitch had turmoil almost her entire political career. Really the only turmoil the POTUS is having is coming from the leftists and Democrats who can't seem to get themselves together and do something productive for the country. And no, your constant temper tantrums hyperfocusing on hoaxes aren't productive.
Really, revisit Hillary's comments about Syria and get back to us.
She never met a military engagement she didn't love.
Based on what?
So the current situation isn't horrible to you?
One can only speculate. But I suppose we'll never know.
A mess the right wing led us right into.
Whom might that be?
Quit being cute and coy and answer your own questions.
"So the current situation isn't horrible to you?"
It's only truly "Horrible", to those that are bearing the burning, looting brunt of the protestors ! We just "See It" on TV. My life, and your life, goes on as it has.....right ?
"One can only speculate. But I suppose we'll never know."
Speculating can cause "World Wars !
"A mess the right wing led us right into."
Isn't where this "Floyd" thing happened, run by "Democrats" ?
Jacob Frey ……. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party !
Isn't Amy a Senator from there ?
What has she and Frey "Fixed" in "Their Police Departments" lately ?
I have to agree with Obama for once. Vote those folks out !
That doesn't answer my question.
A little melodramatic. And yet, it's all we can do.
Our "mess" is not limited to just the Floyd riots. And "Republicans" have not helped the situation.
I didn't mention Jacob Frey or Amy.
At this point, vote everyone out and start from scratch.
Quite deflecting and answer the questions posed to YOU!
It should of....if one is honest with themselves.
"A little melodramatic."
Reality Sucks ?
"Our "mess" is not limited to just the Floyd riots."
Sorry, that's the "Flava Flav" of the day. What ever happened to the Pandemic Scare ? Did they "Cure" it ?
"I didn't mention Jacob Frey or Amy."
I know..... I did....since you're all "Republican does" stuff !
Republicans don't run the town where Floyd WAS KILLED by the one Police officer !
"At this point, vote everyone out and start from scratch."
Why not ..... right ?
Or would that make for a larger curfuffle that "The People" could never handle ?
Really, people we getting tickets for not following social distancing, mask and stay at home rules but I guess looting and burning shit down while not following any good pandemic hygiene rules is okay right?
[deleted]
No Value [Perrie Halpern R.A.]
ooooo...… Ouch...… Twitter, take me away !
Maybe "Refute" before just deleting ?
The media has "Fact Checkers" to refute everyone they don't agree with.....which is anything not "Left" !
Give it a shot ?
All of them. Everyone.
Pass the tater's please.
I would guaranty you that the Obama transition team's pandemic presentation to her incoming administration would not have been ignored. I would guaranty you the the pandemic response team would not have been dissolved. I would guaranty you that she would read the PDBs. I would guaranty you that the August 2019 HHS pandemic simulation's disastrous report would have been read by her. I would guaranty you that when China quarantined Wuhan on January 28th, an action a Trump official called richter level 8, she would know about it. I would guaranty you that the War Powers Act would have been used to produce the COVID-19 test kits we need to reopen safely rather than just to make sure there are 'hamberders'. I would guaranty you that there would have been no Republican Tax cut adding almost 2 trillion to our debt. I would guaranty you that we wouldn't be involved in an ill conceived trade war with China that has devastated farmers and pushed manufacturing into recession. I can guaranty you that I am tired of typing.
Wait, I thought it was the "deep state" that ran the country, right? /s
The "silent" minority aren't so silent anymore now that Trump gave white supremacists so much cover and called Nazi's marching in the streets "fine people". I truly never thought I'd see the day when conservatives were more outraged by a washed up irrelevant comedian with a fake bloody Trump head than actual Nazi's marching in the streets with torches chanting "Jews will not replace us!". But here we are, the corner of Fucking Insane Ave and Toaster in Tub Lane where supposed moral conservatives are vehemently defending a serial adulterer who has cheated on all three wives, paid hundreds of thousands to keep porn stars silent during his campaign, been accused by over two dozen credible women of sexual assault and admitted on tape that he doesn't wait for consent and just "starts kissing" women he finds attractive and says he grabs them "by the pussy" because he thinks himself "a star".
Speaking of being fooled by all the lies, that's pretty rich when you're attempting to defend the most dishonest President in history whose supporters gobble up at least ten Trump lies before breakfast. I guess his sycophantic supporters can't tell horse shit from hollandaise so dishonest Donald passing the 18,000 lie mark is just a bonus for them. His lies are no doubt like a drippy, caustic, putrid "mana" from heaven each day to his sycophantic supporters as they slurp up his most recent diarrhea of the mouth.
I think Trump should have came out the very first day and said"Go ahead...burn your shit to the ground". If he had done that, there would have been peace in the country every night since.
George Will's attitude is why multilateral international cooperation has been a complete and utter disaster for the United States. The United States meddling in the affairs of other nations naturally results in other nations meddling in the affairs of the United States.
George Will is the poster child for Neville Chamberlain's statecraft of 'peace in our time'. The country has been sold out by people like George Will.
George Will cites the example of a photograph showing a smaller inauguration crowd. But that story isn't about a photograph. The real story is about a belligerently aggressive press attempting to impose it's worldview upon the Presidency. The story is about a press that not only participates in government but uses its unique status to manipulate government without accountability. Who the hell elected George Will?
The press has endowed itself with the authority to shape policy, shape legislation, determine who should govern, and determine how elected officials should govern. The press has become a clear and present danger to the republic.
It sure seems to have emboldened the radical left into believing they are relevant in todays world.
I still think the majority of patriotic Americans know the truth into what is going on and will do the right thing come election day.
There is no way that the good and honest people of this country will elect an idiot like Biden to "fix" what's wrong with this country.
The press has become a clear and present danger to the republic.
What... any more of a clear and present danger than the wealthy, and wealthy corporations that buy republican senators so they write tax laws that benefit them?
And case you forgot..... The press is the only business called out in the constitution and their freedom to operate is guaranteed under the first amendment.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Don't like the first amendment Nerm..... feel free to try and change it!
Lol .... so its just Republicans that buy access for the wealthy and get rich over it?
C'mon man! Some of the richest people in the world are liberal and have their grubby mitts all over Democrat American politics.
Citizens United screwed us all...... You and I have agreed in the past that it has to go, so you get no argument from me on the point.....
As to the press, good luck changing the first amendment. If you are so upset with what the press reports, maybe you should write a letter to the president to do better at his job for America.
The old adage still applies today...... "It's never smart to attack those that buy their ink by the gallon....!"
The lack of Journalistic integrity today is clearly a problem imo. Which IS a symptom of a truly free press which i still support wholeheartedly regardless. I blame the lemmings letting themselves be manipulated by it more than i blame the free press.
People have let themselves become so polarized by manipulative politicians and media that some may never see the light of truly unbiased ever again. And that ..... is the truly problematic thing.
Don't recall our discussion on election funding but my thoughts on the topic have been as follows more or less since Citizens United let the final genies out of their bottles.
Never thought i'd say this but i'm all for publicly funded elections. A lot of people on both sides, myself included aren't going to like that when their pet issues lobbying power gets the kibosh but it's the only hope we have to get special interests out of it and bring it back to the people where it belongs.
I don't like how the people vote, i can haul my fat ass right out of this country and will if need be. Same is true of anyone else.
We're aligned on both Citizens United and the need for publicly funded elections.
Furthermore, I'd like election season for the house to be limited to 90-days, and the presidential limited to six months.
They spend more time fund raising, and running for their seats than they do working at them.
What Clinton raised and spent last time was obscene and yet you hear little about that. People are to busy following their instructions for bagging on only the evil rich Republicans.
They are collaborators with Trump's wrongdoing and incompetence.
There is no proof or credible evidence that anything Trump has done is wrong or incompetent, or that Republicans collaborate with him.
Hey george, i’ll take 4 more years of a booming economy, 4 more years of a record breaking stock market, 4 more years of ultra low unemployment numbers, 4 more years of telling other countries that the American taxpayer won’t pick up your tab, and 4 more years of better trade deals.
You’re funny. After Reagan/Bush, we had unemployment at 7.5%, a recession, gov’t borrowing increased by 300%. After Clinton, we had full employment, a booming economy, and gov’t borrowing reduced by 2/3s. After GWB, we the worst recession since the Great Depression, unemployment at 8%, and gov’t borrowing increased by 1,300%. After Obama, we had full employment, a booming economy, and gov’t borrowing reduced by 2/3s. Right now, we have a trashed economy, 100,000+ dead, 15% unemployment, and we had increased gov’t borrowing by 50% before the gov’t pulled $6 trillion out of its ass to try and save us from Trump’s mismanagement of COVID-19.
“After Obama, we had full employment,”
apparently full employment isn’t actually full because unemployment numbers fell to all time lows under Trump.
“Right now, we have a trashed economy, 100,000+ dead, 15% unemployment, and we had increased gov’t borrowing by 50% before the gov’t pulled $6 trillion out of its ass to try and save us from Trump’s mismanagement of COVID-19.”
Covid-19 is not Trumps fault. He followed fauci’s advice. The George Floyd incident is not his fault either. How anyone can blame these two problems on Trump is ridiculous.
Google the term "full employment" for clarification on its meaning.
No, but the handling of it is. We should have done at least as well as any other country. We had every advantage going into the crisis: An additional 2-3 weeks time, virtually unlimited money, incredible manufacturing capabilities, the best scientists, and the best medical experts. But, this magnificent machine was put in the hands of a corrupt, narcissistic, puerile ignoramus. There are six Asian Pacific countries whose combined population is almost exactly the same as ours. When we had 90,000 dead they had 1,300. None of their economies are trashed. Trump lied about the virus for a month and a half, then refused to use the War Powers Act to make the test kits we need to re-open safely because testing would show the extent of the problem. Well, duh! People tried to get Trump's attention, like Senator Cotton, as early as the end of January, but Trump wasn't interested. The PDBs were talking about the virus last year -- not that Trump would ever read them. The first time Trump was called on to actually lead this country, he pretty much did only what he thought would help his re-election.
He has done nothing to address the racism problem that caused that death, nor has he done anything to try and unite the country. He just fans the flames.
I know you have your little partisan fantasy to spread, but try and keep it tethered to reality. Since I've already corrected you when you spread this falsehood, I don't have much hope you care about being correct, but here goes.
When George H.W. Bush left office, the economy was booming, having just grown 5%. When Bill Clinton left office, the economy was staggering and weeks away from officially entering a recession. Start with getting those basic facts correct, and one day I'll be able to finish a sentence you write without having to stop and provide a dose of reality.
Here’s the definition of “full employment”.
'No, but the handling of it is. We should have done at least as well as any other country. We had every advantage going into the crisis: An additional 2-3 weeks time, virtually unlimited money, incredible manufacturing capabilities, the best scientists, and the best medical experts. But, this magnificent machine was put in the hands of a corrupt, narcissistic, puerile ignoramus. There are six Asian Pacific countries whose combined population is almost exactly the same as ours. When we had 90,000 dead they had 1,300. None of their economies are trashed. Trump lied about the virus for a month and a half, then refused to use the War Powers Act to make the test kits we need to re-open safely because testing would show the extent of the problem. Well, duh! People tried to get Trump's attention, like Senator Cotton, as early as the end of January, but Trump wasn't interested. The PDBs were talking about the virus last year -- not that Trump would ever read them. The first time Trump was called on to actually lead this country, he pretty much did only what he thought would help his re-election.'
Also disassembling the pandemic response team that President Obama assembled added to this chaotic disaster.
It's like President Obama said - they're not even pretending to be in charge
Wow.... the Fox Bubble is strong with this one.
Keep listening to cnn or msnbc and get the latest on the impeachment proceedings and the russia hoax, the rest of us will move forward 🙄
That one's not alone.
Here are links to a few real news sources ....
Step out of Fox bubble and learn something Dennis.
Truth hurts until one is able to accept it.
Something tells me you are in for a world of hurt....
How come none of your links counter the sky high stock market? Record low unemployment, better trade deals, and getting allies to pay their share?
your original comment was a slur to me yet you can’t refute what i said, good job, fly.
His links deal with reality - not tRump supporter Bizzaro world