Daz wrote:
@ Klaus
I agree that the racist/misogynistic/homophobic element existed before trump and that they represent a significant challenge across many states. As you mention, we've certainly seen this here in Australia. But my point is that this isn't the only phenomena at play, because as you said, that element has been active in US politics prior to Trump.
It's certainly true Daz.
I'll reiterate that if you want an understanding of not just an isolated election result but the deeper motivations of people you need to look at the big demographic and the way they've been cultivated within a party, though. Does anyone in here honestly think that the republican party is not a right-wing extremist party with views on science, climate change and gender that aren't just outdated but outright dangerous to the world? It certainly wasn't Trump who said that women can't get pregnant from rape, and he's not the one who has spent the last decades doing everything in his power to make life harder for women, gays and blacks. He's not the one who has tried to get intelligent design and creationism into schools.
The GOP are a party helmed by evangelical fundamentalists who are anti-LGBT, anti-science, anti-blacks, anti-feminist. That a sexual predator with fascist ideals has now gained executive power in their ranks is a nice summary of everything they've been working to achieve. Trump is zero pretense and all bigotry, and that makes him look honest to bigots. If material wealth created progressive people then rich, white Americans like Trump would be the most progressive, empathetic people in the country. Instead they constitute the base and main obsession of a party that is now a legitimate threat to the western world.
