Opinion: Trump and other MAGA candidates campaign on tactics of fear
Category: News & Politics
Via: jbb • 2 days ago • 3 commentsBy: Bill Walz (The Asheville Citizen Times)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Bill Walz - Opinion
I am saddened and afraid for America because of Donald Trump and his right-wing Republican MAGA movement. I am most saddened and frightened, however, by sincere and honest people being pulled into this cult-like movement. Up and down the ballot MAGA candidates spread lies and radical agendas that undermine America as the pluralistic democracy intended by our founders to foster tolerance and inclusion.
Completely unqualified Republican candidates run for important public offices spreading conspiracy-theory lies, among them, the Republican candidates for Governor and for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Trump and these MAGA candidates campaign on the tactics of fear while attempting to diminish their opponents through mockery and insult. They paint false pictures of our society as riven with crime and decay caused by Democratic policies. They malignantly exaggerate the problem of immigration as murderous, raping, job and resource stealing undesirables flooding the country with drugs and crime. They insinuate that Democrats are corrupting America's youth into LGBTQ+ lifestyles by passing laws that recognize that such people exist and deserve the same rights as everyone else. They imply that Democrats' support of a woman's right to choose, in consult with their doctors, whether to carry a pregnancy to term is murder — even insinuating Democrats support murdering children as they are born.
They deny the dangers of climate change. They insinuate that to teach the truth of America's troubled racial history is teaching hatred for whites. While Republicans blatantly manipulate the election process, they accuse Democrats of stealing elections, but only when they lose, while all elections Republicans win are just fine. They deny all Trump's proven crimes and cry "witch-hunt." So, so many lies and surely more to come.
All this is intended to inflame negative emotions and polarize the country, to solidify support by turning political differences into mortal battle. And mortal battle it has become — by their doing — threatening to tear the country apart while crippling democracy and rule of law. Please notice Trump says nothing about strengthening health care, education, housing, infrastructure, addressing climate change or pulling people out of poverty, only fear and hate mongering. He selects emotional challenges our society faces, exaggerates them, and blames Democrats while offering no real solutions, just vague boasts about how he will make everything great. Compare this to the Harris campaign which addresses real problems and tamps down hateful emotion among supporters while pointing to the real threat that Trump and MAGA represents. Harris is running a happy campaign of realism and optimism.
Our country needs healing and Trump's MAGA movement only stokes fires of division. They have normalized slander, insults, lies and subversion of democracy. Trump has boasted that he is above the law, and he has manipulated our political and legal systems to make that boast mostly true. He campaigns against Kamala Harris in the most disrespectful manner possible, spouting lies and slander. He whips his followers into lynch-mob frenzy while turning reality upside down. He encouraged his followers to storm the Capital, attempting to overturn the results of his last losing effort and he insinuates violence should he lose again, convincing his people that a Democratic victory is, by definition, a "rigged" election. He is inviting violence.
This conduct by Trump and MAGA candidates frightens me, but what is most troubling is all the people who have been caught up in this dangerous movement who I know to be good, honest, truly patriotic citizens, capable of knowing right from wrong. The country needs these people, many who identify as Republican because of past loyalty, or family and community ties, to tune out the barrage of right-wing propaganda from FOX News and right-wing blogs and radio, to tune back in the respected journalism Trump labeled as "fake news" so he could discredit reports of his misdeeds. Find out what is happening here.
The once respectable Republican Party is now Trump's show, disregarding his every violation of law and decency. And so, to many who now vote Republican, I ask — is this really who you are? The country needs an honest Republican Party and only by honest people withdrawing support from Trump and MAGA candidates can it return to constructive, truthful, and positive messaging and America can then heal.
Bill Walz is a retired UNC Asheville adjunct instructor and clinical psychologist now teaching meditation and conscious living in Asheville.
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This is almost exactly as i see it, as good people ARE caught up with the Lies, the Lies that stoke the fears that are ruining a once great country
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Wake up people !
Trump and Maga are Maging fools out of our country!
Dont be one. Educate yourself on the actual FACTS, not maga/Trump distortions, and blatant LIES