The Rise of Hyper-Partisanship and the Decline in Civility

By Dom Nozzi

Why are Americans more at each other’s throats politically than ever before? I agree with much of what is said in this short video (below) in the sense that there is a loss of a sense of community (and civility) due to the decline in institutions such as public schools, religion or military service.

I would go beyond the comments in the video, however. I think the hyper-partisan, hyper-incivility we see is also due to the decline in strong two-parent households, the rise in TV watching, the rise in travel by car, and the fact that the media has aggressively latched on to the discovery that they can make enormous amounts of money by terrifying us and making us furious about “oppressors” (ie, “racists,” “sexists,” white males, and Republicans).

Republicans Get It Right in Many Ways

By Dom Nozzi

The year 2020 was – politically — particularly tumultuous in America. I joined many others in observing many on the political left become cult-like fundamentalist zombies. This was highly disappointing and worrisome to me, as I’ve always considered myself (and still do) strongly on the political left on many issues. I am disgusted that many on the political left have become ideological right-wing zealots in their pursuit of achieving “justice.” For example, the “woke” (or zombie) political left tribe now champions the following measures more so than the political right:

*Censorship. Some speech should be considered “violence” or “counter-revolutionary.”

*Cruel means are justified by “glorious” ends.

*McCarthyism (ie, baiting someone as a “Nazi” or “misogynist” or “racist”).

*Militarism.

*”Safe spaces” on a university campus or workplace.

*Science is unreliable because it is “white male” or “western.”

*Free parking and free roads (“poor” people cannot afford tolls or parking charges).

*Identity is more important for voting or hiring or appointing or rewarding than merit or competency.

*The mainstream media (except Fox), the FBI, and the CIA are all reliable sources of information.

*Unfairness and double standards are useful tools in our crusade.

*Politically correct speech.

*Counterproductive bleeding heart concern for the “oppressed.”

*Divisiveness and hyper-partisanship.

*Black and white rather than shades of grey. It is easy and vital to classify “us” and “them.”

*Defamation (or “canceling” people).

*Domestic citizen surveillance.

*Open borders.

*NAFTA, TPP, and similar world economic agreements are beneficial.

*Discrimination based on gender or race is ethical and forever necessary.

*Two wrongs make a right.

Despite all of these inexcusable, shameful measures now passionately urged by the Democratic Party and most of its voters, I proudly remain on the political left (although I am now a registered Independent rather than a Democrat). For example, I continue to hold the following positions:

*Supporting a drastic reduction in military spending and ending all wars.

*Supporting equal opportunity, fairness, and civil rights for all, regardless of race or gender.

*Supporting merit or competency rather than identity.

*Supporting an end of tax exemption for churches.

*Supporting free speech, regardless of how much I hate the speech or how “hurtful” it is.

*Supporting environmental protection and restoration.

*Supporting increased education funding and research.

*Supporting increased funding for transit and drastically reduced funding for private motor vehicles.

*Supporting affordable housing through land use and transportation reforms.

*Supporting Medicare for all.

*Supporting free college.

*Regulating Wall Street and the large mortgage lenders.

*Supporting campaign finance reform.

*Ending subsidies for Big Ag.

*Ending support for the apartheid Israeli government.

*Ending highway widening.

*Ending subsidies for free parking.

*Significantly stiffening gun regulation.

*Strongly supporting abortion and gay rights.

*Opposing the death penalty.

*Supporting a “FAIR” tax.

*Reforming nutrition guidelines.

*Supporting a drastic reduction in police and fire department funding by cities.

*Supporting rehabilitation rather than retribution for prisons.

My disgust for many of the anti-democratic, counterproductive measures many Democrats now strongly support led me to – for the first time — spend time reading and listening to books, essays, and speeches by those on the political right (ie, I stepped outside of the political “bubble” I had always been in). The result is that I now believe the Republican Party is far better than the Democratic Party when it comes to the following. Each of these is an epiphany for me, as up until recently, I have always believed the Democratic Party was far better than the Republican Party on each of the following items:

*Affirmative Action.

*Minimum wage.

*Gender gap.

*Welfare.

*Gentrification.

*Tolling roads.

*School choice (vouchers and charter schools).

*Promoting advances by black Americans and reducing problems faced by black Americans.

*Free speech.

*Regulating mortgage lenders.

*Regulating “herbal” products.

*Getting America out of wars.

*Responsibility, accountability, stronger families, and civil behavior.

*Crime reduction.

*Financial and job health for cities.

*Compact, mixed-use development in cities.

*Controlling American borders and reducing illegal immigration.

Given the above, I feel nothing but shame and disgust for the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party is Far More Responsible for Political Divisiveness than Republicans

By Dom Nozzi

By far, in my opinion, it is the Democrats, not the Republicans, who have lost their minds and are sowing political divisiveness for the past four years — aided and abetted by the highly pro-Dem Party mainstream media. Here is a list of what the Dems are strongly promoting (in hopes of getting voters to vote for their candidate Joe Biden — the worst candidate in US history). Each of which will trigger an explosion of divisiveness in America…

• Promoting the “Black Lives Matter” slogan
• Promoting “critical race theory”
• Making it as easy as possible for ANYONE to vote. Significantly lowering the bar for qualifying a person for voting is a sure way to substantially increase the likelihood of voter fraud. You bet I’d be suspicious of election results if Dems greatly reduce voter registration requirements and I’m a Repub.
• Calling for the defunding of police
• Demanding group “diversity”
• Discounting merit in favor of skin color or gender (ie, promoting “identity politics”)
• Angrily accusing any white person who dares to deviate from the “wokester” party line that they are protecting or promoting “white superiority” or “white privilege” or “white supremacy” or “systemic racism.”
• Engaging in extreme, often unfounded attacks on Donald Trump 24/7 (FAR more than Repubs and the media attacked Obama when he was president)
• Accusing males of misogyny or sexism
• Promoting cultural Marxism, whereby all in society must be labeled as part of the “oppressor” group or the “oppressed” group.
• Promoting the bizarre idea of “transgender fluidity” (there are 72 genders, not 2)
• Cancelling people who deviate from the dogma of the woke tribe
• Excusing looting by rioters by calling it a form of “reparations” for whites engaging in racism (the BLM leader in Chicago claimed this very thing)
• Engaging in censorship of speakers considered to be fascists or racists or sexists
• Being far too quick to label someone a fascist or racist or sexist whenever there is even a minor deviation from the dogma of the Dem Party
• Calling for ongoing affirmative action (ie, discrimination) against white males

I could go on and on, but will stop here. A huge number of people look at the promotion of the above list and accurately say, “this is madness! Me and my friends are not fascists or racists or sexists!” Given that understandable reaction, it is obvious that a huge amount of anger and divisiveness is created in our society. Anger and divisiveness bred by the enormous levels of resentment that inevitably comes from the above list.

You can be sure that a civil war is brewing. And when it erupts, I will be fighting against the Dem Party for fomenting it with the above list of unfounded yet highly divisive grievances.

One excellent example of why this list represents bogus claims — besides the fact that there are no laws or programs anywhere in the US that push any of the racist or sexist items (indeed, the reverse happens all the time — often by law) — is that a very large and growing number of women and blacks have recently renounced the Dem Party for these insane, blind-to-reality claims, and have become Repubs. Yes, there are groups such as “Proud Boys,” but it seems obvious to me that the rise of such groups is a REACTION to the above list of unfair, divisive, discriminate against white male actions.

All of this insane, mob-like witch-hunting to gain more votes for Dems. It is disgusting and criminal that the Dem Party (and its mainstream media ally) is pushing the above list as a way to gain more Dem votes. It is time for the Dem Party to be abolished as the most corrupt party in US history.

Unfortunately, even the brewing civil war that the Dems are largely responsible for fomenting will likely not be enough to hold them accountable.

The Shocking Number of Desirable Initiatives Proposed by Donald Trump

 

By Dom Nozzi

Disclaimer: I dislike nearly everything about the politics of Donald Trump, and believe that overall he is a dangerous menace as the US president.

Ever since Donald Trump emerged as a presidential candidate in 2015 (2014?), he has been attacked, ridiculed, and despised by nearly all US media outlets relentlessly. So much so that nearly everyone who pays any attention at all to the media are convinced that he is an evil, insane idiot who cannot do ANYTHING acceptable.

It is a great shock to many, therefore, that the list I have assembled below shows a large number of acceptable initiatives promoted by Trump that political progressives should support – initiatives that they are either unaware of, or shamefully have opposed.

Because of the continuous bombardment of media attacks against Trump, millions of Americans – particularly those on the political left and center – are now irrevocably convinced that Trump is utterly incapable of EVER proposing anything beneficial. Therefore, on the occasions in which Trump has proposed something that political liberals should vigorously celebrate, nearly all liberals will bend over backwards to rationalize why the proposal is unacceptable.

Indeed, the man is so regularly and thoroughly assaulted with vitriol that he has become a cheap, safe bonanza for virtue signaling and comedy. “Look at how virtuous (or funny) I am as I viciously attack or ridicule Trump!” It is a safe way to show virtue because the person knows there is no danger such ridicule will step on toes or offend anyone, given how much nearly everyone within a thousand light years of planet earth surely despises the man.

In part, this knee-jerk opposition to ANYTHING Trump proposes is the result of the hyper-partisan age we live in, where both Republicans and Democrats put the welfare and promotion of their party above the welfare of the nation. In our age, therefore, Republicans have a knee-jerk reaction against Democratic proposals, EVEN WHEN THE PROPOSAL SUPPORTS RIGHT-WING OBJECTIVES. Likewise, Democrats have a knee-jerk reaction against Republican proposals, EVEN WHEN THE PROPOSAL SUPPORTS LEFT-WING OBJECTIVES. This, of course, is toxic to a nation seeking to better itself, as it leads to a political paralysis where nothing meaningful is achieved.

But even without extreme partisanship, the unprecedented media assault against Trump means that those on the political left and center now find it impossible that Trump could ever propose anything agreeable. One can understandably conclude that even if Trump were to push for such progressive goals as free college education, Medicare for All, increased minimum wage, or the re-regulation of Wall Street, nearly all Democrats would angrily oppose him. To do so, they would predictably come up with some form of cockamamie reason why they could not support something they have long supported.

As Matt Taibbi describes in detail in his book Hate, Inc. (2019), the US media fall all over themselves to attack Trump 24/7 (and thereby make unprecedented media profits) has resulted in the endless Much- Ado-About-Nothing spectacle of “RussiaGate,” where Taibbi points out the years of breathless 24/7 media reporting on alleged “treasonous” Trump “collusion” with the Russians. This reporting (and the overall “scandal”) has turned out to be a wildly exaggerated, often false, innuendo-filled, witch-hunting crusade by reporters who have abandoned all sense of journalistic ethics (by not confirming the credibility of sources or the accuracy of charges, for example) in their wild-eyed efforts to expose Trump for impeachable crimes. Indeed, this RussiaGate reporting has been so shoddy, unfounded and untrue that, as Taibbi notes, it has surely resulted in ensuring that millions of Americans will no longer trust the media for accurate reporting well into the future. And that, of course, is extremely dangerous for our society, as trusting our media is one of the most essential pillars of our society. What happens, in a world, where so many have seen their media abandon unbiased reporting, when the media does report on a massive scandal in the future that turns out to be legitimate, yet is rejected by millions of Americans due to the massive, shameful, profit-driven media lies regarding RussiaGate, not to mention the shameful media parroting of the Bush Administration lies regarding Iraq and its alleged “Weapons of Mass Destruction”?

Shame on the political center and left for almost invariably opposing the Trump initiatives I list below. Or not even being aware of such initiatives. Many are not aware due either to their blinding rage against Trump (which leads to a strong form of confirmation bias), or because the US media that has so single-mindedly worked to defeat Trump that agreeable initiatives by him are largely ignored by the media – perhaps in the hope that no one will notice such initiatives.

• Convinced Republicans to back down and reverse their plan to gut the Ethics Office (Jan 2017, BEFORE he even took office)
• According to Jimmy Dore in Jan 2017, Trump is proposing to build LESS ships for the US Navy than the Obama administration is proposing as of January 2017.
• 1/16/17 Daily Camera LTE: “Michael Bennet and 12 other Democrat senators joined 39 Republicans and voted down a bill by Bernie Sanders designed to lower drug prices by allowing importation of identical drugs…Strange isn’t it: Democrats supporting high drug prices and President-elect Trump saying the drug companies have too much power in Washington and he will negotiate reduced drug prices?…the Trump-proposed corporate tax bill will penalize companies that import foreign goods and reward those that export goods. But the Democrats are already arguing against this plan. Now Democrats are pro-big business and anti-labor.”
• “Big Pharma is getting away with murder.” – Donald Trump, January 2017, on the fact that US health medicines cost twice as much as Canada.
• TV news report in January 2017: Trump signs a document that removes the US from participation in the TPP. “…effectively discarding longstanding Republican orthodoxy that expanding global trade was good for the world and America — and that the United States should help write the rules of international commerce. Although the Trans-Pacific Partnership had not been approved by Congress, Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw not only doomed former President Barack Obama’s signature trade achievement…” NYT, 1/23/17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJxeh_LTcOg

• Appointed a Defense Secretary (Mattis) who does not think that torture works (January 2017).
• When asked on 2/5/17 by Bill O’Reilly how he could get along with a killer such as Putin, Trump responded: “There are a lot of killers. We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country’s so innocent”? Both Democratic and Republican congress members (both parties are corrupt) then attacked Trump for suggesting the US has been involved in unlawful or unethical killing of people. Cheney’s daughter responded by slamming Trump for his deeply troubling Russia defense.
• Told the Israeli prime minister he needs to be flexible and slow down settlement activity in February 2017.
• His Defense Secretary told NATO they need to put more $ into their own defense or risk seeing US spending for NATO go down. February 16, 2017.
• Trump’s Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao supports tolling roads. March 7, 2017.
• In March 2017, the Trump administration vowed to reduce the power of the Deep State.
• Trump questions credibility of CIA. Dec 2016 Wall Street Journal.
• Trump criticizes FBI. Feb 2016 Politicus.
• Trump’s candidacy has upended traditional political alliances and bankers that usually contribute more to the Republicans have been flinging money at Clinton.
• Employees of the 17 largest bank holding companies and their subsidiaries have been sending Hillary Clinton $10 for every $1 they contributed to Trump, according to a Reuters analysis. In 2012, the same group contributed twice as much to Republican candidate Mitt Romney as it did to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign…People who work for hedge funds and private equity firms have contributed more than $56 million to Clinton’s presidential campaign and the supporting groups that face no legal cap on donations. Trump’s campaign and related groups received just $243,000 from donors in the same sector, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. (“Why Hillary Clinton Is Wall Street’s Favorite Worst Nightmare,” by Amanda Becker / Reuters, Nov 02, 2016 Money Magazine.
• (Washington, DC, April 19, 2017)—Today, the American Humanist Association (AHA) applauds the Department of Defense (DoD) for recognizing Humanism as a belief system protected by the Department’s ethical standards. In a memorandum released this month, on the recommendation of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB), the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense stated that the expansion of religious groups identified will assist the department with “demographic data.” In addition, the DoD has changed the title from “Faith Group Code” to “Faith and Belief Code” to incorporate non-faith belief systems into its wider scope of recognition, after a recent boom in the “religiously unaffiliated” demographic. American Humanist Assoc.org.
• Trump proposes to drastically cut funding for the office of the “drug czar” from about $364 million to about $24 million. Boulder Daily Camera, about May 23, 2017.
• The FDA, under Trump, proposed cutting the level of nicotine levels in cigarettes so they are not so addictive. AP, July 29, 2017.
• Repubs and Trump proposed to lower the cap for mortgage interest loans from $1 million to $500,000 (which would mostly hurt buyers of more expensive homes), Washington Post, Nov. 2, 2017
• Trump opposes giving local governments tax-exempt bonds to build pro sports stadiums. November 8, 2017 Boulder Daily Camera.
• “The worst single mistake ever made in the history of our country: going into the Middle East, by President Bush,” Trump said during an interview with the Hill. “Obama may have gotten [U.S. military personnel] out wrong, but going in is, to me, the biggest single mistake made in the history of our country.” “Because we spent $7 trillion in the Middle East,” the president said. “Now if you wanna fix a window some place they say, ‘Oh gee, let’s not do it.’ Seven trillion, and millions of lives — you know, ‘cause I like to count both sides. Millions of lives.” “To me, it’s the worst single mistake made in the history of our country. Civil War you can understand. Civil War, Civil War. That’s different,” the president continued. “For us to have gone into the Middle East, and that was just, that was a bad day for this country, I will tell you.” This is not the first time Trump has spoken about the cost of conflicts in the Middle East. He mentioned the $7 trillion figure in a tweet in February. “This will be a big week for Infrastructure,” he wrote on Twitter. “After so stupidly spending $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is now time to start investing in OUR Country!” Sept 20, 2018 Washington Examiner, Newsweek.
• ABC News on 10/26/18 reported that Trump proposes strategy to lower pharmaceutical drug prices.
• President Trump shocked the defense establishment on Monday with a tweet describing the current level of U.S. military spending as “crazy,” and endorsing a “meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race.” The president predicted that he and the leaders of Russia and China would one day begin discussing how to bring about such a halt. Dec 4, 2018 Forbes Magazine and Associated Press.
• After 80 years of being illegal to grow hemp in the US agriculturally, Trump signed into law a bill that legalizes hemp in US agriculture. December 15, 2018 Boulder Daily Camera.
• The [Republican majority] Senate approved and Trump signed a bipartisan bill that would roll back sentences for federal prisoners—including mandatory life terms for third-time offenders, as well as mandatory sentences for nonviolent drug users. Dec 18, 2018 NPR.
• The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it has started the process of withdrawing all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria after the White House confirmed President Donald Trump had given the surprise order to leave because ISIS there had been “defeated.” December 19, 2018 ABC News.
• Trump has directed the Pentagon to withdraw nearly half of the more than 14,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan. December 21, 2018 Washington Post.
• Trump Pledges to Stop ‘Endless Wars’ in Syria and Afghanistan. February 5, 2019 Bloomberg News.
• Trump signed into law a measure known as the First Step Act, which gives judges more discretion when sentencing drug offenders, eases mandatory minimum sentences and encourages inmates to use programs designed to reduce recidivism. The Act strives to reduce the huge US prison population of non-violent offenders. July 14, 2019 Associated Press.
• Trump administration states it will create a way for Americans to legally and safely import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada for the first time. August 1, 2019 Associated Press.
• Colorado Democrats who have spent months defending the state’s red-flag gun control law learned Monday they have an unlikely ally in Republican President Donald Trump. During remarks at the White House following two mass shootings over the weekend that left dozens dead, Trump backed red-flag laws, which in Colorado have been cause for a lawsuit, sheriffs’ public objections, and attempts at recalling Democrats from office. “We must make sure that those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety do not have access to firearms, and that, if they do, those firearms can be taken through rapid due process,” Trump said. “That is why I have called for red-flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders.” Dudley Brown, the director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which is suing to stop Colorado’s red-flag law from taking effect, slammed Trump’s remarks Monday. “You cannot infringe on the gun rights of millions of law-abiding Americans based on the actions of lawless madmen,” he said. The Denver Post, August 6, 2019.
• Trump supports stronger gun background checks. August 10, 2019 Associated Press.
• Trump wants to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan and end that endless war. Sept 5, 2019. Associated Press.
• Trump fires John Bolton as his national security adviserTuesday, noting the two “disagreed strongly” on foreign policy matters.  September 10, 2019. USA Today
• Trump decides to pull US troops out of Syria at the Turkish border (Syria represents one of the several endless wars the US has engaged in for several years). Washington Post, 10/7/10.