Brian JopekTrump uses “Marxist,” “communist,” and “socialist” interchangeably, and when he and his allies accuse Democrats of being one of those things, they are not talking about an economic system in which the people, represented by the government, take control of the means of production. They are using a peculiarly American adaptation of the term “socialist.” - Heather Cox Richardson
John Gordon@BrianJopek @jsonstein I think she’s being too analytical. I doubt Trump cares what any word means. It’s just sounds he makes that he varies based on audience response.
Jeff Sonstein@jgordon @BrianJopek doesn’t care or cares but doesn’t understand? I’m for the latter interpretation. <shrug/> hard to tell with a pea-brain
Michael ☕️@jsonstein @jgordon @BrianJopek
I have to go with John on this one.
"We love the poorly educated." -Trump, 2016
The words he uses are chosen to create an emotional response, not a logical one.
And it works because his crowds have been programmed to respond negatively to the word "socialist." Even though those same people would sorely miss their Social Security benefits, Medicare, public schools, public roads, health insurance, etc.
@mcpinson @jsonstein @jgordon I believe, in so many words, that’s pretty much what Heather’s saying in this piece.
@mcpinson @jgordon @BrianJopek I am not sure he is making conscious choices; I think folks give him too much credit for conscious cleverness.
<shrug/> and I know I don’t know… just my wilda$$ guesses analyzing the psyche of someone I’ve never met: always a dicy business
Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌@BrianJopek Karl Marx, revolutionary socialist & author of "The Communist Manifesto" about Republican Abraham Lincoln:
"Lincoln is not the product of a popular revolution. This plebeian, who worked his way tip from stone-breaker to Senator in Illinois, without intellectual brilliance, without a particularly outstanding character, without exceptional importance-an average person of good will, was placed at the top by the interplay of the forces of universal suffrage unaware of the great issues at stake. The new world has never achieved a greater triumph than by this demonstration that, given its political and social organisation, ordinary people of good will can accomplish feats which only heroes could accomplish in the old world!"
— Karl Marx, "Comments on the North American Events", Die Presse (12 October 1862) —
Thus, when today's neo-Confederate "Republican" zombies are underhandedly slamming "Marxists, communists & socialists" it's all too obvious, who & what the enemies of Reconstruction really intend to strike & destroy.