How different is creating a 'Basket of Deplorables' from building a wall?
When Hillary Clinton spoke to the mega-donors (her preferred audience), she suggested dumping nearly 30 million people into a basket – undeniably a trash basket – due to their misfortunes, ignorance and vulnerabilities. So Donald Trump would deport 11 million and Hillary would put 30 million into a virtual trash can.
While Trump’s racist and xenophobic positions are deplorable, the 60+ million who are following him are not – they are without hope and often without the means to obtain the types of education that has been bestowed upon the Clintons. It is the Clinton administration that removed the safety net from those who can’t afford homes in the Hampton’s, nor the wherewithal, any longer, to afford education for their children – education that would make them less pliable to the manipulation of the Trumps of the world.
The Obama administration has done nothing to assist with the economic deprivation and loss of social status that the majority of people are experiencing today. In the DNC’s neoliberal pursuit of identity politics – that women are good for women, and Blacks are good for Blacks – they have silenced the crtique of the mainstream media and frozen progressives in their tracks for the past 8 years. If Obama had put even 1/10th the effort into improving the lives of everyday people that he did to rescuing the big banks, Trump wouldn’t have such fertile grounds for playing upon the fears and extreme vulnerabilities of everyday people – who, my friends, are as much a part of the 99% as those of us on the left. Do not go gentle into that good night!
I grew up near Pittsburgh. Now taking a drive up and down the Allegheny or Monongahela Rivers takes one through one small ex-steel mill town after another. These communities have been decimated by the export of the steel industry – a conscious decision taken in the early 70’s by the captains of industry who had grown weary of the power of labor unions. The loss of hope that one’s children can lead better lives has inflamed racial tensions, increased drug use and led to intra-community violence… and to Trump. These conditions could not have developed back when people had jobs, food for their children, and a basis for hope. Is it any wonder that Obama’s fastidiousness in releasing drug dealers has further alienated people whose children have been consumed by the epidemic of drugs and associated violence in communities that no longer can see clearly to tomorrow? (Pun intended, HRC. What a distant irony “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow” is today.)
Trump is merely sowing the seeds of overt racism and fascism on the fertile fields of neoliberalism that the Clintons and Obamas have plowed for him. The fact that huge numbers of communities no longer have hope for themselves and their children has been whipped into a frenzy of blaming the other – the Mexicans, the Hispanics, the Muslims.
Yet talk of putting people into a Basket of Deplorables is dangerously close to that same Fascist approach. How far is casting millions into a virtual Basket of Deplorables from being led to one’s death -- for daring to resist the dominance of the wealthiest 1%? How far is bringing the super-predators “to heel” from deporting undesirables? How distant is returning children without parents to Honduras (to teach them a lesson) to the xenophobic call to bolster our borders?
It is not accidental that Mitt Romney’s characterization of the 47% as ‘takers’ was his plea for donations from the wealthiest, as he pandered to their own entitlement & class dominance. It is also not a coincidence that Hillary was speaking to the wealthy and the powerful when she planted her image of the Basket of Deplorables – the better to assure her donors of their own innate superiority.
First Hillary and the DNC ruthlessly tossed all of Bernie’s supporters into their Basket of Deplorables. We were removed from the voting roles, ballots were destroyed and our voices were silenced, as the DNC collaborated with the bankers in upholding their promise to crown Queen Hillary. So this latest volley is just a continuation of same. Women are good for women – that is if they are of the right class and have sufficient education not to join that ignorant rabble who fall for Donald Trump!
Well the people don’t want Hillary and her supposed support and protection from the 1%. The people want change, and they have approached that necessity both from the right and the left during this election. After the DNC’s silencing of the left – who were never trying to build change on the backs of those of other races and religions – now Hillary will place the Right populist movement into a virtual trash can – a trash can that would have to be much larger than the wall that Trump wants to build. You can visit Belsen or Auschwitz if you want to see trash cans that large.
If we continue to segregate those who are different and who have raised their heads in resistance, soon we will have built a mighty fortress around the 1% and their lackeys. And, if the left continues to accept this stuffing and fails to organize in the face of these threats and overt calls for suppression, then the rest of us will also find ourselves contained, suffocated and silenced.
Comments
Excellent essay.
Thanks for putting her words into the proper context.
Good break down of the
Good break down of the situation and her words and how they go together.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
"without hope" is right. The American dream denied not the
American dream deferred.
And why?
All so capitalists can make profits as quickly and easily as possible while using the environment as a free trash can. Guess what? Many millions of Americans have been thrown into that trash can.
It's important that the culprit be recognized and it's not the Honduran fleeing a repressive regime; and it's not an American Indian whose land and way of life are being stolen; and it's not the descendants of slaves: It's those whose only goal is the maximization of profit no matter who suffers; who is corrupted; and who is denied basic human rights.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
not at fault
Nor is it the fault of the Polish, Russian, Italian, Chinese, Irish, etc., working-class folks who were brought over to replace the now-freed slaves as cheap labor, whose union jobs were destroyed in those little ex-steel mill towns in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
The fault lies exclusively with:
as you yourself (duckpin) put it so very well indeed.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Bethlehem, PA. A wonderful and modern steel mill that had a
forward looking union, turned out tons of high grade steel products, and made large profits for the owners.
Many of the fathers in my neighborhood, as well as two relatives, worked at the Bethlehem(pronounced Beth'lem locally) steel plant at Sparrows Point, which at that time was the largest steel mill in the world in terms of output. Management spent the money to convert it to a continuous casting facility and it became even more efficient.
Instead of being satisfied with large profits, the owners made the decision to engage in the global labor arbitrage and move to places where slave wages were paid.
I think steel making capacity is in the national interest and it would have been appropriate to nationalize these mills to keep them open and to keep producing steel. We don't live in that kind of country. Those who control our political economy would rather cast aside these union workers, and those who would have come after them, and reduce many in the population to lives of need and want.
Thanks for the reply to my post.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
the national interest
If this country ever faced a real, non-choice war against a fully-equal enemy (a la World War II) again, we wouldn't be able to fight it -- and we'd lose. We produce only about 8% of the physical goods we consume here in the country (during WWII it was north of 90%) and most of that productive capacity today is foreign-owned, either in toto or in part. All to prevent ordinary American high-school graduate working folks from enjoying any sort of prosperity.
In other words, duckpin, you are right about our national interest. And, for that matter, the national interests of our allies as well.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Fully agree. Only 8% of US jobs are in manufacturing. Germany is
still at 18% and Japan at 15%.
The USA has had its productive capacity sold out from under the citizens and left the country poorer and weaker.
I think the MIC should rightly be renamed the MIFC - Military/Industrial/Financia/Complex, with the emphasis on finance which is a mostly nonproductive sector and has shown itself to be parasitical on the 90%.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I grew up a few miles from the Steel
I grew up a few miles from the Steel. My uncle worked there and my father at Ingersol-Rand, while my mother made Dixie Cups. It seemed to stretch for miles along the Lehigh River and the fires from the furnaces lit up the sky at night.
I was the first person on either side of my family to go to college and when I went to grad school around 1980 at Lehigh University which is just above it on a hill, the Steel was still an impressive sight to see. Later it was just miles of rust and now, it is all gone as are the jobs. There is a casino, a hotel, and an Arts Center there now, but the middle class (we thought) jobs that could send a son to a private university are not.
"People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be until they have learnt to seek out the interests of some class or other behind all moral, religious, political and social phrases."
I too remember the huge steel mill at night and it was
impressive. When they dumped the slag it was like a volcano(not so hot environmentally I am sure) and very impressive.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Ethnic v. Ideological Repression
Both are nasty tools of authoritarianism, but somehow I think repression of thoughts is more insidious. Certainly more malleable.
Wonderful job.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
That paragraph is what I've been thinking too.
Anybody who stands in the way of The Program will be neutralized. What's the big deal about "basket of deplorables"? It's what the Clintons do. After all, it was the last President Clinton who moved the Democratic Party firmly into the Neoliberal camp, all the while fooling the public with happy talk about diversity and fighting racism. Deplorables? Meh, it's basically the same thing they did with progressives, when they slandered Bernie's supporters as racist and sexist.
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Just another form of Otherism.
Another way to divide and conquer.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
If only Joe Bageant had lived to see this election...
Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
Excellent points, well done
and thanks for adding this
This is exactly what the Clintons did during their first time in the WH when welfare was reformed, the crime bill saw millions more poor people thrown in prison for buying crack cocaine which they could afford instead of powder which richer people could afford. Passing NAFTA which saw over 60,000 factories closed and over 700,000 jobs lost. Finally the deregulation of the banks that led to millions of people losing their homes to foreclosure and their losing their pensions.And if they get another go at it, what are they going to do to us this time.?
And as you wrote, exactly what has Obama done for the middle class or the poor in this country during his 7 plus years? For one thing, he has spent those 7 years working on another trade bill that will not only see more jobs be offshored, but will give away our national sovereignty.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
First they came for the Deplorables... n/t
Fascinating...
that Hillary sees the redneck simpleton with the "I Hate Muslims" t-shirt as an object of derision and contempt, while architects of mass murder and state terror like Henry Kissinger and John Negroponte are esteemed colleagues and valued advisors. Of course, if she was to ever start condemning war criminals, she'd have to condemn herself as well.
inactive account
Not sure I get this. Wasn't she referring to
the racists, homophones, Islamophobes, Ku Klux Klan etc., types that are supporting Trump? How does that include Bernie supporters and how does that infer they will be led to their death?
And where on earth did you get the number of 60 million who are following/supporting Trump?
I'm not defending Clinton, but picture a Wall around this country.
Forgot already Al?
It wasn't that long ago you know.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Let's see, what did I have for breakfast?
I don't know.
I hear ya man.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Excellent points in this essay
politicians like the Clintons, Obama, the Bushes, and their corporate masters, have been dividing us along racial and class lines for years while systematically making a few people incredibly wealthy at the expense of every American, the citizens of the world and the climate. The result is apparent in the two "choices" Americans have in the the two major party candidates this election.
Trump's followers blatant racism and xenophobia are are disgusting beyond words. But their ignorance and hate are a symptom of a disease, not the disease itself. You can work to cure ignorance but not greed.
What is the difference between 11 million and 30 million?
19 million in fact but no different in principle. Am I deplorable because I don't like Clinton? Are you deplorable because you liked Bernie or Jill or even Donald? People make constant comments that "Trump's a Fascist", which may turn out to be the case as he is certainly pandering to segments of the population. The real, proven fascist is Medusa who panders to the rich, is of the rich and for the rich. So screw any of us that can't (or won't) give you large donations because obviously were are not merely deplorable but disposable.
Great essay.
Can't vote for Trump no
Can't vote for Trump no matter how much people attempt to Blame the Clintons for Trumps deficiencies.
Excellent essay
What we are seeing is the result of the policies of Third Way Democrats like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The American people have been sold out to the oligarchs. We have been divided into smaller and smaller factions pitted against one another for a few crumbs while the oligarchy has been fleecing us and impoverishing more and more of our citizens. The Democratic party was supposed to be the party of the people. When the Democratic party abandoned the people, it created a vacuum for a Trump. The Democrats cannot blame Trump's followers after abandoning those people themselves.
Thank you for articulating it so well.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Agreed
I've thought for some time now that it wasn't the Republicans that created Trump, but the Democrats. The Faithful disagree obviously, but I don't think I'm alone.
One could see that element in Clinton's peronality
when she was confronted by the BLM protesters at one of "shows". She was immediately rude, defensive and dismissive, while Sanders on the other hand, let them up on the stage, shook their hands and ceded the podium so that they could have their say. .
I'm sure you remember that.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
Very different considering
Very different considering the fact that she put them their for racism, homophobia, and sexism, that half of them do in fact display according to polling data. Why defend them?
Trumps a phony anyway, and advocates eliminating minumum wage, and getting rid of the estate tax. He is just running to herd liberals to voting Hillary as a lesser evil. Hillary's a phony too, and promises, to keep our current deporations policy as it is, and is backtracking on her commitments to prochoice women. Her primary concern is enforcing neoliberal economic policies, and keeping the neocon war on terror going. Just because she's bad doesn't justify voting for Trump. That is just reverse lesser evil. Vote Jill Stein. Unless we support the alternative to the 2 party fuckup we are just bitching to no end.
So in your view
The history of the advent of neoliberalism begins with the Clintons and not with the Powell memo or Nixon or Lee Atwater? That's rich. My memory tells me that the rending of the social safety net didn't begin with Bill Clinton, it started with Ronald Reagan. The decline of unions didn't begin with Bill Clinton, it started with Reagan firing the air traffic controllers and decertifying PATCO. Really, it began long before the Clintons came to the White House.
Your attempt to draw false equivalencies between Clinton and Trump is really disturbing. Of course, a lot of his supporters are suffering and delusional, and Clinton's policies may not have helped them, but Bill Clinton has since acknowledged that his policies did a lot of harm, especially regarding criminal justice for African-Americans. I can empathize with the suffering of Trump's supporters, but I can't countenance their tacit or implied support for his tacit and implied hatred of Muslims, immigrants, and people of color. Trump even mocked a disabled person in a speech. So it's wrong for Hillary to point this out?
It's hard for me to come to C99P these days, harder than it is for me to visit TOP. There are too many people like you who are not living in reality, preferring to risk the election of a man who is steeped in racism, sexism, homophobia and ignorance of anyone not like him, in order to draw false equivalencies in Clinton's words or deeds.
For at least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to everyone that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still.
John Maynard Keynes, 1930
Strictly speaking, the Dem Party started its hard right turn
in 1976, when they nominated and ran Jimmy Carter. They thought the problem with McGovern had been that he was "too liberal" and not that he hadn't gotten his act together. So they figured to start beating the Republicans at their own game by nominating a conservative (for the Democratic Party of the time) Southerner and supporting pro-business policies. It "worked", but only because of "Nixon fatigue" - which they never, ever realized.
But they had set the Party on a collision course with the Republican Party and eventual amoebification (destruction by absorption). The process is now almost complete - conjugation has occurred (see Heinlein, The Puppet Masters) and the "difference" between the "two" parties is negligible.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
So in your view
The history of the advent of neoliberalism begins with the Clintons and not with the Powell memo or Nixon or Lee Atwater? That's rich. My memory tells me that the rending of the social safety net didn't begin with Bill Clinton, it started with Ronald Reagan. The decline of unions didn't begin with Bill Clinton, it started with Reagan firing the air traffic controllers and decertifying PATCO. Really, it began long before the Clintons came to the White House.
Your attempt to draw false equivalencies between Clinton and Trump is really disturbing. Of course, a lot of his supporters are suffering and delusional, and Clinton's policies may not have helped them, but Bill Clinton has since acknowledged that his policies did a lot of harm, especially regarding criminal justice for African-Americans. I can empathize with the suffering of Trump's supporters, but I can't countenance their tacit or implied support for his tacit and implied hatred of Muslims, immigrants, and people of color. Trump even mocked a disabled person in a speech. So it's wrong for Hillary to point this out?
It's hard for me to come to C99P these days, harder than it is for me to visit TOP. There are too many people like you who are not living in reality, preferring to risk the election of a man who is steeped in racism, sexism, homophobia and ignorance of anyone not like him, in order to draw false equivalencies in Clinton's words or deeds.
For at least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to everyone that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still.
John Maynard Keynes, 1930