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Class and the True Source of Trump's "Invulnerability" [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-05-02
Trump’s favorite quote.
In January of 2016, Trump remarked to reporters “'I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters, okay? It's like – incredible!” We’ve all have heard of the bragging Trump quote.
Many say it was the last time Trump told the truth.
But was his cult-like following the real reason for his invulnerability from suffering punishment from the consequences for his many crimes, dishonest practices, mega-sized lies, and his emerging true self racist and fascist second presidency?
While true about that Fifth Avenue business not mattering to true believing followers, it is not the reason Trump’s in office and not in jail.
A Tidal Wave Fueled by Citizen’s United
The oligarch’s gift to America.
Among the super wealthy billionaires who backed Trump in 2024 and condemned him, at least publicly, in 2020 include: big oil baron Harold Hamm, Wall Street equities giant Stephen A. Schwarzman, worth around 50 billion, Hedge Fund Manager Nelson Peltz, and real estate investor/executive Robert Bigelow. Many more are less known to the public.
In contrast, Biden’s team of advisors was under 120 million in collective earnings, only a fraction of both Trump’s and Obama’s. The Democratic Party’s problem is in it’s strategy of keeping pace, or trying to keep pace with the Republicans, in terms of campaign resources.
Wall Street Rules
The Democrats also depend largely on big money, and that cannot help but influence policy and political direction. They’ve become allergic to making fundamental charges to a badly broken, increasingly corrupted political system.
Citizen’s United created a new generation of oligarchs as destructive as a tsunami.
While there was corruption before Citizen’s United, the Supreme Court ruling dramatically increased corruption in government and politics. Afterwards the trend reached critical mass and helped twice deliver a Trump presidency for America’s greediest, most unprincipled oligarchs.
A literal tsunami of big money in politics played a major role in setting up the two-time election of Donald Trump. A ruling that, more than any others before it, stimulated corporate fascism’s grab for power and the White House, the ultimate form of corruption.
The Role of MAGA
The MAGA mob in 2020.
While MAGA rank and filers were a major force in and of itself themselves in electing Trump, never forget that it took decades of vicious, cruel and lying propaganda to make the growth of fascism tolerable and possible — to the extent that an incompetent jackass and six times bankrupt grifter like Donald Trump could capture the White House.
Paid for by the greediest, wealthiest and most unprincipled oligarchs in the country.
Half-hearted measures will not free us from the Trump regime. Nor will claims that the Democratic leadership enacted a flawless strategy against Trump’s 2024 efforts, or attempts to bring him to justice before that.
Bluffed by Deuces
Republican hand after January 6th.
After the failed January 6th coup, Republicans handed the Democrats the equivalent of four aces in a Poker hand to prosecute Trump. Then the Republicans succeeded in bluffing them somehow with a paltry pair of deuces and lots of oligarch money.
Current Democratic Party leadership also endorses the very same system that reared up and just showed it’s ugly fascist head.
Burying the “Good Old Days”
The now dominant side of capitalism, the one that busted unions, paid minimal wages, despised democracy, supported fascism in other countries, broke laws with impunity, defended slavery, looked down on free blacks, used child labor, used immigrants for cheap labor and denied worker rights in every way possible.
Substantial Change Requires Sufficient Class Awareness
Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio are not afraid of raising class issues.
Hidden from most of us is the class nature of the problem, for which all capitalist ruling classes in any country make sure that the working classes are never in a position to, willing, or capable of taking control over society and might desire regulating and taxing the economy in a way that favors working class interests.
Progressive Democrats and Independents like Ocasio and Sanders upset the current brand of Democratic leadership.
Self Inflicted Wounds
Schumer’s faux liberalism is being defeated, not just by the Republicans, but by it’s own self inflicted limitations. It can sometimes appear to be playing the class card, but in practice its willingness to endorse an authentic revolt against oligarch control over society is suspect.
What’s hardest to admit for the Democratic leadership is that the dominant powers in the capitalist system itself have opted for Trump and fascism and are out to destroy what’s left of the popular opposition to fascist rule. In a life and death struggle. []
A Quote to Reflect On First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. — Martin Niemöller
Now is a dangerous time NOT to tell truth to power, and to the American people.
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