At least in the political world where the glacial habitats of the heretofore protected political establishment is melting away under heated rhetoric from new and neglected sources. Their feeble pushback seems based on leveraging accusations like those forming the basis for Godwin's Law common in an attempt to demean their detractors. With the rise of enthusiastic support of figures not part of the political Parties' Elite Cliques we are treated to more brash and frankly vulgar rhetoric from both sides. And we all know what that leads to.
And it isn't just Donald Trump.
In fact, obeying Godwin's Law is a transgression the Teflon Don has yet to commit. One of the few. Nonetheless he does share with some notable others having been compared to Hitler by some disgruntled members of the PolEliteClique from both the Left and Right Wings. But when it comes to extremist rhetoric Trump is actually quite mild.
Case in point is the "Punisher" Rodrigo Duterte (AKA "Duterte Harry") former mayor of Davao City and recently elected President of the Philippines. He boasts of Viagra-fuelled affairs, threatens to kill drug dealers and has joked about raping a missionary against which referring to his predecessor as a sonofabitch seems mild. CNN International has labeled him "Philippine's Trump" while others, more aware of his open support of vigilantes disappearing those folks who lack his approval have likened him to Hitler. The really important folks, the political establishment running the planet, are looking on with trepidation because Duterte Harry may be bad for bidness.
Halfway 'round the world we get Ken Livingstone, the deputy leader of the Labour party who stepped on a land mine making what were interpreted as anti-semitic remarks getting him suspended from the party with a threat of expulsion. Livingstone is quite surprised since he's been dancing in this minefield for some time making incendiary pot-stirring remarks for decades now. His "but it IS the truth" defense never gained traction and ironically other Labour members are reported to have been suspended. Why ironic? Because Jeremy Corbin, Labour leader, snubbed the newly elected London mayor, Sadiq Khan who is Muslim, by failing to appear at the swearing-in ceremony. While some moderate voices are questioning if it is even possible (for a Gentile) to criticize Israel without being anti-semitic, others have seized the stage to savagely condemn Livingstone as a holocaust denier for his inappropriate reflections on Hitler.
When you look outside our own little political bubble, maybe Trump is not as outrageous as we thought.
And it isn't just Donald Trump.
In fact, obeying Godwin's Law is a transgression the Teflon Don has yet to commit. One of the few. Nonetheless he does share with some notable others having been compared to Hitler by some disgruntled members of the PolEliteClique from both the Left and Right Wings. But when it comes to extremist rhetoric Trump is actually quite mild.
Case in point is the "Punisher" Rodrigo Duterte (AKA "Duterte Harry") former mayor of Davao City and recently elected President of the Philippines. He boasts of Viagra-fuelled affairs, threatens to kill drug dealers and has joked about raping a missionary against which referring to his predecessor as a sonofabitch seems mild. CNN International has labeled him "Philippine's Trump" while others, more aware of his open support of vigilantes disappearing those folks who lack his approval have likened him to Hitler. The really important folks, the political establishment running the planet, are looking on with trepidation because Duterte Harry may be bad for bidness.
Halfway 'round the world we get Ken Livingstone, the deputy leader of the Labour party who stepped on a land mine making what were interpreted as anti-semitic remarks getting him suspended from the party with a threat of expulsion. Livingstone is quite surprised since he's been dancing in this minefield for some time making incendiary pot-stirring remarks for decades now. His "but it IS the truth" defense never gained traction and ironically other Labour members are reported to have been suspended. Why ironic? Because Jeremy Corbin, Labour leader, snubbed the newly elected London mayor, Sadiq Khan who is Muslim, by failing to appear at the swearing-in ceremony. While some moderate voices are questioning if it is even possible (for a Gentile) to criticize Israel without being anti-semitic, others have seized the stage to savagely condemn Livingstone as a holocaust denier for his inappropriate reflections on Hitler.
When you look outside our own little political bubble, maybe Trump is not as outrageous as we thought.
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