Max Boot is one of those Beltway neo-conservatives who still doesn’t get it. He refuses to accept the reality that Conservatism begins at home. If this is his central thesis then he is essentially gaslighting.
I remember very clearly the moment that I heard Donald Trump was planning on running for President of the United States.
‘ Trump for President. You have to be kidding me?’ I remarked to my wife.
‘The guy is a big-mouth buffoon. It is just one big publicity stunt. Who would vote for him? and better still…why would they vote for him?’
I like so many others believed his candidacy had no chance. Jeb Bush was the establishment favorite and besides that, there were a host of other GOP candidates who were far better than him. My choice was Marco Rubio. I still like the Florida Senator.
Source: Free-Thought Blogs
Trump had to fail. There was no other option.
However he didn’t. In fact as we all know his campaign picked up steam.
On December 23, 2015 I wrote this in my blog
My sense at the moment is that Trump is essentially cutting across all strata and is drawing heavily from the Libertarian and Angry White Male base who feel rightly alienated from a system that under the Obama years has not served them well. In a way this makes his appeal very powerful as it draws support from groups that can shift between parties. It is the Ross Perot grouping plus more and that more, includes a substantial portion of the forty percent of Americans who don't normally vote in elections.
Trump continued to gain momentum and the answer was obvious.
He was the only candidate taking up concerns that elites in both parties refused to address. Elites such as Boot.
I added this to the blog entry.
I prematurely predicted (like so many) that Trump's candidacy would fizzle out but it hasn't. He continues to press hot button topics that both party elites have refused to confront and has juxtaposed his position as a breath of fresh air against a system well on the way to decline. I would not wish to see him as President but his Jacksonian appeal will resonate with those who see themselves disenfranchised by a Hamiltonian consensus. This is not an insignificant number of souls and unless the establishment takes these voices seriously such undercurrents will threaten the integrity of the Union. Trump may be just one in a series of 'warnings' that are likely to follow in the future.
So what then are these concerns?
Well they are numerous and except for the last of these, none are specific to white Americans.
- There is a genuine belief that under both the Bush and Obama administrations the US is in decline. The Decline of the West: Why America Must Prepare for the End of Dominance. The economy went through a tremendous recession that was further prolonged by the slowest recovery in history. It was a period of lost wealth. Obama Wins The Gold For Worst Economic Recovery Ever.
- Many key industries have been in decline. Even the Left wing Guardian understands what motivates many Trump voters. Big five US sectors whose decline has driven voters to Donald Trump.
- Add to that the fact that the benefits of Free Trade have not been forthcoming for many. China was given Most Favored Nation trading status in the 1990s which was made permanent on December 27, 2001. However they are not playing by the rules. How China doesn't play fair on trade. Politicians on both sides have acknowledged this however none act with conviction…until now with Trump. China always promises to stop cheating on trade, but never does
Source: Dumb Times
- The number of illegal immigrants in the country stood at 11.4 million in 2012 over three times the 1990 estimate of 3.5 million. Yale School of Management believes that the official number today is actually somewhere between 16 and 29 million. (1). Both Bush and Obama had no long term solution to this issue. Yes they could deport but that seemed a band-aid at best. Tough decisions had to be made to be made and neither party was willing to do so. Special Interests were ruling the roost and the American working class was paying the price.
- Race relations especially under the Obama administration had deteriorated. Most say race relations worsened under Obama, poll finds. He was supposed to be the unifying President but where it counted he stumbled badly at the time. Obama Has Some Regrets About Ferguson Response
- Interventionist wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya were costing the country lives and adding unnecessarily to the debt. Above all else they appeared to be thankless and were resulting in scenes like this.
Ambassador Stevens killed in 2012 Benghazi attack Source: Edmonton Journal
- The talking heads in Washington (of which Max Boot is one) were demanding that the US double down on such initiatives.ISIS Can Only Be Defeated by Boots on the Ground. Easy for Max Boot to talk. He is not putting himself in harm’s way. This of course was not necessary. ISIS has lost its final stronghold in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces says and The rout of ISIS gives the world an opportunity to defeat its ideology.
- Then you had the race mongers who have placed Identity politics at the front and center of their political philosophy. For them it is the will to power. To be White carries with you the original sin of slavery, and regardless of your status in society or personal well being are inherently privileged- part of the race bourgeoisie. The Frantz Fanon rewrite of Marxism using the concept of race over class is all too common the default position among Progressive elites, who with very little exception have inculcated ‘White Privilege’ as axiomatic to their worldview.
So you complain and are told by the elites that you don’t have a case. Even living in poverty you are reprimanded to check your privilege. After all wealthy whites control America. The fact that this has zero impact on your life is of no concern.
Until it finally sets in. Your alienation reaches a climax and in someone like Donald Trump, you see a champion. That he is a flawed person is a given. But so what? At least he talks to your concerns, speaks to your frustration and stands up to the elites like Boot who offer you nothing but derision
Then later on he brings success.Trump's Top 10 Achievements of 2018 | RealClearPolitics and so you say well he was good for 2016 why not give him another chance in 2020.
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