(Thread) The GOP Death Cult (Part I)
3 strands come together to create the GOP’s death-cult response to Covid-19:
🔹Economic policies that kill people
🔹A base of voters conditioned to believe lies, which creates a leadership cult
🔹The Leader’s decision that people must die
3 strands come together to create the GOP’s death-cult response to Covid-19:
🔹Economic policies that kill people
🔹A base of voters conditioned to believe lies, which creates a leadership cult
🔹The Leader’s decision that people must die
1/ These three strands entwine and compliment each other.
President Hoover provides an example of what we might call death policies.
Industry in the 1920s was basically unregulated. This is known as "Laissez-faire economics. britannica.com/topic/laissez-…
President Hoover provides an example of what we might call death policies.
Industry in the 1920s was basically unregulated. This is known as "Laissez-faire economics. britannica.com/topic/laissez-…
2/ Notice that the definition I cited explains that laissez-faire economics assumes a "natural economic order."
Laissez-faire is justified based on a hierarchy theory of government: There is a natural order, and the government shouldn't interfere.
Laissez-faire is justified based on a hierarchy theory of government: There is a natural order, and the government shouldn't interfere.
3/ Slavery and women-belong-in-the home had the same justification.
bbc.co.uk/ethics/slavery…
In the 1920s there was no minimum wage or limits on the work week.
Factory conditions were unsafe, and injured workers were left to starve.
Laissez-faire economics ruled the day.
bbc.co.uk/ethics/slavery…
In the 1920s there was no minimum wage or limits on the work week.
Factory conditions were unsafe, and injured workers were left to starve.
Laissez-faire economics ruled the day.
4/ Caveat emptor, a concept that goes hand-in-hand with Laissez-faire economics, means “buyer beware.”
The idea is that if people are duped, it’s their own fault for not being wiser.
law.cornell.edu/wex/caveat_emp…
The idea is that if people are duped, it’s their own fault for not being wiser.
law.cornell.edu/wex/caveat_emp…
5/ In the old days, you could lie about what you were selling, and it was the buyer’s responsibility to inspect the goods. If you lied and he bought, he was stuck.
See: moglen.law.columbia.edu/twiki/pub/EngL…
You could pollute rivers if you wanted to because, well, laissez-faire.
See: moglen.law.columbia.edu/twiki/pub/EngL…
You could pollute rivers if you wanted to because, well, laissez-faire.
6/ The Supreme Court got in on the act. In 1923, SCOTUS ruled minimum wage unconstitutional.
The argument was that people had the right to enter contracts. If a person was willing to work for poverty wages, that wasn’t the government business.
oyez.org/cases/1900-194…
The argument was that people had the right to enter contracts. If a person was willing to work for poverty wages, that wasn’t the government business.
oyez.org/cases/1900-194…
7/ Remember the part of the definition of laissez-faire economics that said even though government should (mostly) stay out, it should enforce contracts.
See how it all fits together? Take advantage of a person, get that person to enter a contract, and you “win.”
Gotcha!
See how it all fits together? Take advantage of a person, get that person to enter a contract, and you “win.”
Gotcha!
7/ You can see how Trump fits into this.
MAGA = Bring back the good old days! People were free! They could cheat! They could manipulate markets and fix prices!
🎶Those were the days 🎶
I'm singing the All in the Family theme song⤵️(I’m also typing in the sarcasm font.)
MAGA = Bring back the good old days! People were free! They could cheat! They could manipulate markets and fix prices!
🎶Those were the days 🎶
I'm singing the All in the Family theme song⤵️(I’m also typing in the sarcasm font.)
8/ In the 1920s business “tycoons” got rich manipulating markets, fixing prices, artificially inflating the value of stocks, and other tricks.
Good point⤵️ Trump illustrates modern-day caveat emptor: Everyone buy my COVID-19 medicine!
Good point⤵️ Trump illustrates modern-day caveat emptor: Everyone buy my COVID-19 medicine!
9/ After the Stock Market Crash of 1929, President Hoover did nothing. He believed that government interference would make things worse.
The Great Depression worsened. There was starvation, pain, death.
Hoover still did nothing because, well, laissez-faire.
The Great Depression worsened. There was starvation, pain, death.
Hoover still did nothing because, well, laissez-faire.
10/ Probably the closest historical similarity to Trump doing nothing in a pandemic was Hoover doing nothing in the Great Depression.
FDR defeated Hoover in 1932, and radically changed the nature of our government by (among other things) giving us the New Deal . . .
FDR defeated Hoover in 1932, and radically changed the nature of our government by (among other things) giving us the New Deal . . .
11/ . . . minimum wage, a limited work week, and social security. The GI Bill, which educated returning soldiers and allowed them to improve their lives, thereby bringing us our first real middle class.
Notice that blacks were left out. Save that. I’ll get to it later.
Notice that blacks were left out. Save that. I’ll get to it later.
12/ Someone will come along and tell me the economy boomed because of WWII, not FDR.
No. The economy steadily improved after the New Deal. After the 1938 midterms, Republicans could hamper FDR.
FDR couldn’t resume his programs until the war forced his critics to back down.
No. The economy steadily improved after the New Deal. After the 1938 midterms, Republicans could hamper FDR.
FDR couldn’t resume his programs until the war forced his critics to back down.
13/ FDR (a "fairness" as opposed to "hierarchy" president) also gave us host of agencies to regulate business and prevent the cheating.
Now we have regulations that prevent things like polluting rivers and forcing people to work in unsafe conditions. Hierarchy people hate these.
Now we have regulations that prevent things like polluting rivers and forcing people to work in unsafe conditions. Hierarchy people hate these.
14/ So you see, policies that kill people are not new.
Letting business cheat people and drive them into poverty and turn them out of their homes is a Death Policy.
Letting people polute rivers is a Death Policy.
Letting business cheat people and drive them into poverty and turn them out of their homes is a Death Policy.
Letting people polute rivers is a Death Policy.
15/ Taking away health care and forcing people to go to work in a pandemic without protective gear is a Death Policy.
Telling people in a pandemic to expose themselves to the virus (to get 'herd immunity) is a Death Policy.
Telling people in a pandemic to expose themselves to the virus (to get 'herd immunity) is a Death Policy.
16/ Notice that people who suffer pain and/or die tend to be lower in the hierarchy. That's how it works.
Trump makes sure anyone who comes near him get a test for Covid-19, but that doesn't mean the masses get such protections. They are lower in the hierarchy.
Trump makes sure anyone who comes near him get a test for Covid-19, but that doesn't mean the masses get such protections. They are lower in the hierarchy.
17/ People advocating Death Policies have a problem: Persuading the people lower in the hierarchy to accept policies that kill them.
This brings us to #2 ⤵️Condition people to believe a lie so they accept death policies.
This brings us to #2 ⤵️Condition people to believe a lie so they accept death policies.
18/ This thread is already too long, so Part II will have to come in a later thread.
Free market economy?
"Free market economy" perhaps works as the weasel words. Sounds good, but what happens in a free market economy that is "pure," meaning no regulations at all?
investopedia.com/video/play/fre…
"Free market economy" perhaps works as the weasel words. Sounds good, but what happens in a free market economy that is "pure," meaning no regulations at all?
investopedia.com/video/play/fre…
Regarding the death cult (glorifying death), here's the clip of Trump saying that health care workers are "warriors" who are "running into death, just like soldiers run into bullets . . . incredible to see, it’s a beautiful thing to see."
This thread is also a blog post, here: terikanefield-blog.com/the-republican…
From @TimothyDSnyder: one reason to study history is that it shows us possibilities. If we only know our own time and place, we can feel overwhelmed (nothing like this has ever happened!), which leads to a feeling of helplessness . . .
When we feel helpless, we give up our agency. That's when the forces of evil can take over.
I am often told my threads are "depressing."
More frequently, I'm accused of being an optimist. Someone recently said I create harm through my "cheerleading."
Me=Depressing Optimist🤔
I am often told my threads are "depressing."
More frequently, I'm accused of being an optimist. Someone recently said I create harm through my "cheerleading."
Me=Depressing Optimist🤔
Part II is here:
