The current freak-out by Donald Trump, J. D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Stephen Miller, and other right-wingers about democratic socialism is quite rational. In socialism, they see a formidable foe.
The current freak-out by Donald Trump, J. D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Stephen Miller, and other right-wingers about democratic socialism is quite rational. In socialism, they see a formidable foe.
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I’m not sure how you got that connection in your last sentence couple sentences. It’s not a choice between two evil acts. I’m pointing to it because no one ever talks about a “distraction” from Gaza.
The idea that Epstein needs to be “distracted” from is because it’s something that more Americans know and care about. But, more importantly, it’s something that happened TO AMERICANS. So, Americans believe that there is some justice they are due.
The false belief Americans have is that when children are dying and raped in those “savage” countries by our countries direct or indirect actions are just an unfortunate result of “how the world works”. But, Americans, we are special, we deserve justice.
If someone has this false belief they reach a contradiction when addressed with Epstein. That is, if they acknowledge the crimes of the Epstein class elsewhere. They must address this contradiction. So they continue to believe that the justice is just “on hold”. That when Trump is gone or out of power the system will bring justice. They keep reminding everyone of the crimes because they (rightfully) don’t want them to be forgotten. There must be justice FOR THIS!
But there will not be. Just as there has been no justice for Gaza. At least not from the systems of power that are controlled by the capitalist Epstein class. The only justice we will find for these crimes will be found outside of those systems of power.
Just as Gaza will not find justice in the American systems; neither will Epstein. They are crimes performed by that very system. The only justice will come when that system loses its power. By destroying those systems of power.
They aren’t “distracting” you from anything. Because they don’t care. If you think they care or think they worry you are confusing their own delusions of their own narratives with worry. Trump denying Epstein connections is not because he’s worried for justice. He’s doing that for his own narcissistic narrative. That’s why they don’t proudly say they are pedophiles (yet). It’s for their narcissism, not for their worry of justice. Like you said, even they know people don’t like pedophiles. They care as much as that narcissism needs them to.
They aren’t worried because they still see the rest of us pointing to their rigged system as a means of future justice. They laugh as you appeal to it as the solution.
I think you’re overcomplicating it. Just as humans focus on problems in their own communities, that’s the same impulse applied to countries. Pedophiles probably get off on getting away with their crimes as much as they do committing them, so I’m not sure why there’s such an urge to say they don’t care what we believe. They want to get away with it, and not just in the sense that they don’t go to jail. They want to rape kids and then take pleasure that people will say they didn’t. So when there’s evidence they did, of course they want to distract from it. Same as they want to distract from anything else they’ve done wrong. I think it’s that simple.
I think you’re the one simplifying it and appealing to existing nation structures to avoid addressing class structures. Which is, ironically, exactly the thing I’m critizing. And also trying to appeal to some “human nature” reason for why Americans ignore other crimes.
A distraction would be a form of entertainment. It’s the “bread and circus” of maintaining control. Rounding up people and putting them in concentration camps is not a “distraction”. Killing people that attempt to stop that, or that run away, is not “a distraction”. It’s the form of control that occurs when the “bread and circuses” are no longer able to be maintained.
If you think fascist physically enforcing their power with violence is “a distraction” I don’t know what to tell you.
Nope dude you’re wrong. I’m saying humans are simple in one way and that’s if they feel close to a problem they care more about it. You seem to be saying it’s a grand conspiracy we’re all complicit in. I have no interest in arguing with you, I just wanted to push back a bit with my perspective. It makes perfect sense to me. And if you think saying it’s human nature means I’m saying it’s not problematic, you’d be wrong. It is problematic. I truly wish online conversations weren’t loaded with subtext that isn’t even necessarily there. You’re saying shit I didn’t remotely say. Two things can be true, I’m simply disputing two of your specific points: 1) that rich people don’t care who is distracted from what and 2) that if anyone cares less about Gazans than their own country’s citizens then clearly they’re racist. This is just going out of your way to find evil intentions. The end result of that indifference indeed is a horribly unjust world, but it’s really not solving anything to say that unjust world comes from the malice of the (nearly) powerless.
Im sorry if I infered things from what you said. But, I am frustrated with the hoops people jump through to avoid discussing class conflict. You haven’t once responded to the points I’ve made about class conflict and class consciousness. You just said “I’m overcomplicating it” rather than attempt to understand what was being said.
I’m not sure if you’re purposely avoiding it. Or, more likely, you’re just not understanding what is being said and you’re filling it in with your own misunderstanding. But I’m not talking about “the rich” like they need to just pay more taxes and shits good. I’m talking about class not wealth. And more importantly, how that class structure gives only one class access to influence government (power).
I agree, online conversations like this are frustrating. But, you have now multiple times ignored my discussion of class and replaced it with things I didn’t say. Instead you appealed to tribalism, calling people racist, or acting like I’m discussing a conspiracy. Nothing of which I’ve said.
If you want to push back on a perspective someone has, you should probably understand that perspective first. Because it’s entirely based on class conflict. Something you’ve refused to respond to. I would have thought that was obvious from “capitalist Epstein class” that I mentioned in my literal first comment.
I appreciate that you’re trying to reign the tone back in but I’m just not sure how we even got here. The original article is about trump railing against socialism and someone said it’s a distraction, now we’re talking about the Nazis being Nazis in a specific, but in my mind, different way…? It’s not that I’ve totally misunderstood the points you’re making, I just don’t necessarily get how you’re connecting it all together. In any case I don’t always feel like I have the time to get bogged down in a conversation I wasn’t trying to have and I’m sorry if that feels dismissive. I just had specific things I was addressing. Turns out my day has not had much going on so here we are and I’m responding several times, which I didn’t anticipate. If you want to explain the connections you’re making again, I’m listening.
Fair enough. My comment was about people constantly calling everything “a distraction” from one specific crime. The article isn’t really meaningful to the comment I made. So not really a part of any of the discussion.
I would say you don’t understand what point I’m making because you are the very type of person lacking class consciousness that my initial comment was frustrated about.
I’m wasn’t really trying to educate anyone with it. It was more venting a frustration.
I’m sorry if I was defensive in my responses. Its usually right wing reactionaries trying to point away from class conflict to something else. It would be better if you have a specific question about what I said. Rather than me trying to “explain connections”. That’s too vague to really answer.
Seems like a rude characterization. To put it bluntly you were rambling and it felt pretty disjointed. And instead of understanding that you’ve blamed me for not getting it. I have awareness of the horrible power structure we live in. But you are the one who knows what you’re trying to say, I’m not really gonna comb back through all those paragraphs and then write 3-5 questions up. Is that what you expect? If I were you and had a cohesive point I could probably sum it up in 5 sentences max. Rather than expect another person who I’ve confused to coax the point out of me. We probably agree on a lot in reality but I’m getting a pretty strong vibe of “I read marx, you clearly didn’t and are therefore uneducated”. So I’ll take this as a lesson learned, I hope.