This most recent misstep by the Orange
Ogre is his worst yet. In trying to pander to his limited base he has
really stepped into some deep doo doo. Everyone right, left and
center is now up in arms as he clumsily ends up on the wrong side
history.
The sequence of events seems to be as
as follows. A liberal college town, Charlottesville, in the premier secessionist state of Virginia and the home state of Confederate hero
Robert E. Lee had recently re-purposed a city park from from being a
monument to the Confederacy by changing its name from Robert E. Lee
park to Emancipation Park - no doubt to the ire of local Republicans.
Next on the agenda the statue of General Lee was to be removed.
The Internet fueled Alt-Right got wind
of this 'outrage' and used it as a rallying cry to round up a rabid
pack of bitterly aggrieved white boyz. A permit was obtained to
hold a totally fascist looking looking night time march to the park
complete with torches all wearing white shirts. Several hundred showed up from all over the
nearby red state archipelago to demonstrate their solidarity to
this high minded cause. Video footage of the march could have been
filmed in Germany in the 1930s. A small badly outnumbered band of
local lefties probably from the college were there at the park to
meet (and greet) this hoard of angry white guys and a few gals.
This spectacle was bad enough but it merely set the stage for the
next day.. Many of these same high minded torch carriers, and
others since it was Saturday, also showed up all 'armed for bear'.
Many if not most seemed to have worn helmets, carried medieval
shields and cudgels. All were chanting industrial strength racist and anti-Semitic vitriol for all to hear especially the
counter-protestors. These counter-protestors for some reason were
opposed to an openly fascist march through their home town. Many
were also wearing helmets knowing a violent confrontation was
possible. This while the local police stood by enjoying watching
the action. And fighting indeed did occur. That was bad enough but
then later as things were winding down in a spontaneous act of
insanity some testosterone driven overwrought 20 year old, a member of
one the shield carrying factions, decided to drive his car ISIS
style into the ranks of the evil “socialists and Marxists' thereby
killing one woman and injured 19 others. All of this was captured in
by all means of video devices and cameras.
What at mess. Does all of this maybe
have some relation to the Trump Presidency? Clearly the ball was in
DJT's court like it or not. So what how does the Orange One respond? After all these alt-right people are among his most devout and
loyal supporters? In any case any normal sane politician would disassociate himself from this political devil incarnate, openly
declared fascists and racists, even if he secretly agreed with
them. But not 'the Donald'. First by the seat of pants he reacts
by saying he sees 'both sides as equally at fault'
,which caused the press to nearly fall out of their uncomfortable
folding chairs. Then dialing it back a little the next day he issues
a properly scripted response, only the next back to go back to his
original position - but more forcefully.
This was not a so-called free speech
issue where an incendiary right wing speaker is sent into an epicenter
of Trumpian opposition like the UC Berkeley campus as an inducement
to hard left anarcho types and anti-Trump hotheads to raise hell. This is not merely a test
of the limits of free speech visa vie the intolerant elements of the
left. This was a staged fascist/KKK event designed to further
their cause. And they believed DJT would have their back. And
apparently he does.
Trump apparently feels he must stand
with his rabid base even as the damage to his failing, incoherent,
disorganized presidency is significant.
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