Paul Krugman on "Know Nothings"

[Cyrano]

There's virtually no difference between the Know Nothing Party that actually existed, and today's knuckle draggers.

These days calling someone a “know-nothing” could mean one of two things.

If you’re a student of history, you might be comparing that person to a member of the Know Nothing party of the 1850s, a bigoted, xenophobic, anti-immigrant group that at its peak included more than a hundred members of Congress and eight governors. More likely, however, you’re suggesting that said person is willfully ignorant, someone who rejects facts that might conflict with his or her prejudices.

The sad thing is that America is currently ruled by people who fit both definitions. And the know-nothings in power are doing all they can to undermine the very foundations of American greatness.

The parallels between anti-immigrant agitation in the mid-19th century and Trumpism are obvious. Only the identities of the maligned nationalities have changed.

snip

... will our modern know-nothings prevail? I have no idea. What’s clear, however, is that if they do, they won’t make America great again — they’ll kill the very things that made it great.

-- more --

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/opinion/trump-american-values.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region®ion=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

[Mc Mike]

1. Noticed this too. dRump and his handlers have used every

far right movement in our country's history. Nixon's Southern Strategy, Raygun's Make America Great Again, li'l bush's 'fuck you foreign policy', McCarthy's witchhunts, Lindberg's America First. All of them.

Quite purposefully. All attempts to create fascism.

[Eyeball_Kid]

7. You're speaking about social fascism. Economic fascism has already arrived.

[wasupaloopa]

2. What would happen if there was a concerted effort to get rid of Conservative radio and TV?

Three things I think, would turn things around. One is to reverse the Citizens United decision. Second is to get rid of conservative radio and TV, and the third is to put back a real honest civics studies and social studies classes in public schools.

The first relies on us voting in Liberals and taking over the government for the next 30 years and the second relies on us putting pressure on advertisers to not support conservative media out of concern for the country as a whole. The third is to take over school boards and effect the change.

It would take a long time but every trip begins with one step. It is all up to us to not sit back and watch the country go to hell but to get into action like the gatherings coming up this weekend.

[Cyrano]

4. Getting rid of hate radio and TV is difficult

They're funded by billionaires who don't care if boycotts cost them money. After all, their long term goal is a country which they own in its entirety.

In the long run, the way to get rid of the haters, or at least suppress them, is free, universal education right on through college. This would minimize the numbers and power of haters and push them over into some cave on the far fringe. (Or maybe a shit hole instead of a cave.)

[NewJeffCT]

5. True on the billionaires

I believe the Washington Times newspaper has been losing a good $100 million/year for decades, but Reverend Moon and family held onto it as a propaganda tool for right wing causes.

And, how many newspapers are owned by RWers, and that's been a business that's been losing money for decades as well.

[dalton99a]

3. "The party that controls all three branches of the government is for bigotry and against education"

Great piece

[Major Nikon]

10. This is how you know the Dixiecrats have truly taken over the GOP

The idea being ignorance is power because only from a base of ignorance can you convince people to vote against their own best interests.

[Girard442]

6. The natural adversaries of the very wealthy are the middle class.

Kochs and their ilk want to shrink the middle class to guarantee their dominance -- basically they want this country to be a paler version of Haiti.

[docgee]

8. Kakistocracy

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. The worst part about "know nothings"

is that they don't really care that they "know nothing", if they're not actually sort of proud of it.