Why Take the Chance?

 ...get ready for a slew of ads in states all across America tying Republican candidates to Trump. This is going to be fun. 

-- A state-based Democratic blog 

With all due respect, the attitude and approach represented by the quote above is exactly what I have warned against in recent days.  I admit I don't understand exactly what the blogger is referring to -- his blog is too disjointed for that.  And he is clearly friendly to democratic interests.  

But making reference to anything having to do with Trump as a candidate for President as "fun" is inappropriate and a little sickening.  We must remember the demagoguery of this man.  Here is someone who admitted to Maureen Dowd of The New York Times that whenever he saw people in his audiences getting a little restless and leaving the hall, he shouts out "And we will build a wall!" -- and the people come to attention again.  This is a classic technique of demagogues.  Many more examples can be given -- the demonizing and scapegoating of whole groups of people, including Latinos, and Muslims.  And women.  The list goes on and on.

We must remember that demagogues can and do take over countries.  Yes, I do take comfort from the still-decentralized nature of government in the U.S.   But what some are forgetting is the nationalization of the media along corporate lines.  This is essentially an oligarchic media, some would say a fascist one.  And this media is not only having great "fun" with Trump, there is some fawning over him going on.  Bernie Sanders is just as meriting of attention as Trump, yet look at the imbalance favoring Trump over Sanders in the media, especially broadcast media, where most people get their news.  This is de facto propaganda -- fun with a purpose.  

And now, some stalwart Republicans are actually saying they are warming to Trump!  This is hideous and grotesque, certainly nothing to laugh at.  

Of course this is a great country, with wonderful people.  But why are we playing around with the possibility of a protracted Trump candidacy -- one which does not bring out the best in people, but the worst?  Such campaigns have been known to do lasting damage.  Here think of Mussolini or Franco.  More recently there were Amin and Qaddafi. 

So this is a screed against the Trump candidacy.  It's nothing personal.  I'd be doing the same thing if Cruz were threatening to take over the Republican Party.  But there is a difference with Cruz.  At least he does have experience in the national legislature, though brief.  

What this is not, is a road map laying out a plan for how to stop Trump.  In the reading I did earlier this morning, several action items did stand out for me.  But first and foremost is this wild media infotainment machine which keeps spinning out an ever more fantastical spew of hysterical and hostile folderol concerning the Republican campaign.  

America doesn't deserve this.  I say to the media:  let's stop this "Greatest Show on Earth" panoply of pomposity. pretense -- and propaganda.  It is uncalled for and dangerous.