“We pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections,” Donald Trump said this past November, in a campaign speech that was ostensibly honoring Veterans Day. “The real threat is not from the radical right; the real threat is from the radical left … The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within.”
What immediately leaps out here is the word vermin, with its echoes of Hitler and Mussolini. But Trump’s inflammatory language can overshadow and distract from the substance of what he’s saying—in this case, appearing to promise a purge or repression of those who disagree with him politically.
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Trump himself has changed, too—the old Trump seemed to be running for office partly for fun and partly in service of his signature views, such as opposition to immigration and support for protectionism. Today’s Trump is different. His fury over his 2020 election defeat, the legal cases against him, and a desire for revenge against political opponents have come to eclipse everything else.
Fellow Canadian here. The Conservatives in Canada are seeing Trump’s success at controlling Republicans and are bringing that to Canada. Just look at Alberta and Saskatchewan politics… Danielle Smith is like MTG and Scott is like Ron DeSantis albeit not as crazy but they’re trying…
Canada looks to me as an outsider who just reads and watched the news there, to be just about 7-12 years behind, but headed in exactly the same direction using the exact same playbook.
I super hope I just don’t get it, or my sources are wrong, bc if true that would be fucking awful.
BUT I mean, honestly, it’s the home of QAnon, so why not, right?
You’re right. I’ve seen Confederate Flags, Don’t Tread on Me Flags and people wearing MAGA hats. We constantly import US culture and usually with a 5-10 year delay.
I’m deeply sorry and embarrassed by that element of this country. Doing my best to fight, right here in the thick of it! ><
Hang in there, and don’t let the cancer spread as much as it has here!
Harper was our Bush, Trudeau is our Obama, Poilievre looks primed to become our Trump.