Some people liked Trump’s press conference today. Mostly white supremacists.

Scildfreja:

Saw a video on twitter earlier today of some Alt-Right Proud Boy in khaki cargo shorts and a white tee shirt with some white pride bullshit on it hurling insults at a group of people… who then start walking his way. He started mewling and begging them to not beat him up before they even got close, taking his shirt off and surrendering. Guy with the camera followed him, asking him why he was here and what he was hoping to accomplish, and he was there “because he thought it’d be fun”, and “he just likes making people angry.”

If you think it’s “fun” to spout white supremacist bullshit, you’re a white supremacist. Even if you don’t actually believe those ideas – and I’ll wager that this guy does believe them – if you’re amplifying those ideas, to encourage those more sincere than you, then you’re a white supremacist. You don’t get to excuse yourself with an “only joking” defence.

Is there anything we can do from outside America? I feel so fucking helpless with you all having to go up against that – no matter that I firmly believe the decent people will win because as has been said before, the nazis are mostly pussies – and all I can do is stare in impotent rage.

Is there like a list somewhere for those outside America?

I am uneasy with the various reference that alt-righter are produce of incest, or somehow physically defective. I know the theory is that it point out their hypocrisy, but it very much look like a tacite endorsment of their “purity” theory. Incest-related disability are still just disability, and it’s not much of the poor sap fault.

Neither the Dune god emperor (who is mostly a manipulator with good intention and who prefer to shoot for an average outcome) nor the W40K god emperor (who hate religion and while still a dictator isn’t an hardline one) is what thoses bozos want. Then again, I don’t expect them to actually know shit about anything.

“I see no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them. I think it is important for all those in positions of responsibility to condemn far-right views wherever we hear them.”

Blooming hummer, that was our very own Theresa May. Now take it another step and withdraw the state visit invitation (and if you need a cynical motivation it’ll make you look relevant again, for a bit)

@PeeVee

How the fuck he can watch those torch bearing assholes chant “Jews won’t replace us” (with his daughter and grandchildren being Jewish!), watch the video of that asshole Fields plowing into people, and watch that video of those “very fine people” pounding the shit out of Deandre Harris and think “nothing to see here, move along!” is beyond me.

Because Trump literally can’t see beyond the boundaries of his own ego. He’s vaguely aware that “his side” and “the other side” got into a fight on Saturday. All he cares about is “his side” not losing face and making him look like a weakling. His ratings matter more to him than actual human lives. That’s not hyperbole. I honestly don’t think Trump sees anyone else as real, other than himself and possibly Ivanka. We’re all just props that either further his ego, or hinder it. He doesn’t understand how dangerous this situation is, how close we are to civil war, and that’s really scary. It’s like watching a toddler playing with a hand grenade.

@Scildfreja

That’s these guys. Whiny little man-children in belted khaki shorts and sneakers with socks on, stripping off their shitty home-silkscreen-kit white power tee shirts and whimpering with their knees knocking together. Clutching their backpacks and cans of Monster energy drink to their doughy chests. Then walking away and smirking, bragging about how they like making people angry as soon as they’re in a crowd full of hate.

That’s this crowd, all right. Kids wearing polo shirts and carrying citronella candles and whimpering that they’re not REAL Nazis the moment they get caught alone or someone outs them on Twitter. Someone on Reddit was actually wondering if, instead of demonstrating, they should have a “family friendly BBQ” to try to lighten up their image and recruit more people to their side. Can you imagine?

These are not people prepared to die for their beliefs. It’s also not an effective recruiting tool to have a bunch of pasty dudes in khakis and bad retro haircuts whining about not getting laid.

What scares me, though, is the militarized core. The ones who’ve been through basic training, or have actual combat experience, and have been stockpiling weapons for years, waiting for this moment. VA governor Terry McAuliffe said the reason the police response was so inadequate was that the terrorists were better armed and protected than the police. He also noted that stockpiles of weapons had been found around Charlottesville. There’s a theory being floated that this may have been more than just a protest over a statue. It may have been a rehearsal for taking over a small town with a militia. In Rwanda, stockpiles of machetes were found all over the country after the genocide. It’s how they were able to organize so quickly and, seemingly, spontaneously. I read a quote from one of the organizers, bragging that they were able to “move men and materials” in and out quickly with “zero losses”. That’s the language of a campaign, not a demonstration.

If true, that’s terrifying. It explains why the right and NRA have been so rabidly 2nd Amendment for the past few decades. It’s not about individual gun rights, it’s about quietly arming a small and deadly segment of the populace for a coup. I’ve been worried about this since the ’90s, ever since right-wing militia groups started taking to the woods and assembling huge arsenals. We’re at the point where it’s going to take a military response to deal with these vermin, and I don’t trust the US military to do that. Too many white supremacists are within the ranks. Their CIC is a racist orange fuckface who gets off on seeing people killing and maiming in his name.

They have to be stopped NOW, while 75% of them are still afraid of a lost job, social disapproval, and scuff marks on their pristine white shirts. Flood every rally with drones, Go Pro helmets, and facial recognition software. Out every last one. Make it clear that attending a Nazi rally means you will pay with your livelihood, education, and family. The Pepe kids who are just there for the lulz will slink away, unwilling to sacrifice, and their numbers will shrink. I don’t normally approve of doxxing, but these are not normal times. These people want to kill us.

@Buttercup Q Skullpants:

That analysis absolutely chills me to the bone, and I think it sounds horribly plausible.

What’s got me sleepless is this:

Suppose Trump orders the military to attack North Korea to distract the world from his current covfefe. Will the generals obey the order or not?

There’s a word for when generals disregard the authority of the President. That word is “coup.”

If only some of the generals obey and others don’t, there’s a term for that too. That term is “civil war.”

And if the generals obey? Then we have the makings of a very big war. China says it will defend North Korea if the Americans strike first. India has been moving vast numbers of soldiers up to the Chinese border. Pakistan has said that it will help China if India attacks them. The world suddenly looks to be made of dominoes.

The only winning move seems to be not to play.

There’s a lot of things in a similar vein to this doing the rounds now, but this is one of my favourites:

http://i.imgur.com/CoCioek.jpg

@Ohlmann – That’s so annoying when people say that. You don’t need to step in dog poop to know it stinks.

If so many people are apparently misunderstanding the ostensible point of the manifesto, that means it was badly written and unclear. (That’s also why I roll my eyes whenever Scott Adams pulls out the “you have bad reading comprehension” card, which he does nearly every time he responds to commenters. If people are missing whatever point it is you’re trying to make, then make your point more clearly, you delicate genius, you.)

@EJ – Yes, Trump’s instability is absolutely terrifying, and does have geopolitical repercussions. There isn’t anyplace on the planet that’s safe from him. I don’t think the military is 100% on his side, but I can’t guess what percentage actually is. From what I’ve read, the top brass dislike Trump intensely, especially after he swept into office, painted them as Obama lackeys, and threatened to fire them. Their oath of allegiance is to uphold the Constitution, not the President, so there’s some wiggle room for disobeying orders. I suspect the majority of the ardent white-power types either don’t make it through basic training, or stay low in the ranks, due to their social incompetence and inability to function as part of a diverse team.

The IC absolutely LOATHES 45 and they’re well aware of the threat he poses to democracy. I’d be willing to bet they have contingency plans for dealing with a coup or hostile takeover, refined over the past several decades of the Cold War. They’re not going to be caught flat-footed.

More white supremacist rallies are planned this weekend in Atlanta Boston, Seattle, and Mountain View (in and around Google), similar to Charlottesville. Sigh. They’re testing bigger cities now, to see what they can get away with.

JS

I’m fairly sure, like most of what Trump says other people say, she didn’t actually say it.

I heard a very good point about this from an ex-chairman of the Republicans on cable. He pointed out that the difference between the death of this woman’s daughter and her remarks to him was that only one of those topics is directly about him. He has neither the grace nor the wit to make an off the cuff remark about the virtues of the child and the harrowing grief of her mother as any other president would do. He just does what he always does. He homes in on, or fabricates, comments favourable to himself. (Perhaps we should all be grateful for platitudes and cliches in these situations – at least they give people something to say if they’re not gifted speakers themselves. Of course, this arse can’t be arsed to learn even these minimal basics of public life.)

One other observation from somebody or other about the resignations from the manufacturing advisory group. Trump managed to make a snarky tweet about the first bloke who resigned in less than an hour after the announcement. He’s made no specific tweets about the others. Guess which one of these people is not a white person.

Perhaps we should all take Klu Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke’s (R-Racist) example and thank the resident for his honesty and candor, for making things perfectly clear. No ambiguities, no beating around the bush, no bullshit. For bringing it all out into the open where we can all see it. That the illegitimate resident of the White House, his administration and everyone who supports him are Confederates and Klansmen; white nationalists and NAZIs. Are Racists with a capital R.

I’m appalled but unsurprised by any of this, sadly.