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Donald Trump

Trumpism Is ‘Identity Politics’ for White People

By Editors' Choice

The president’s closing argument in the midterm elections lays bare the logic of his appeal. By Adam Serwer, The Atlantic — After Democrats lost the 2016 presidential election, a certain conventional wisdom congealed within the pundit class: Donald Trump’s success was owed to the Democratic abandonment of the white working class and the party’s emphasis on identity politics. By failing to emphasize a strong economic message, the thinking went, the party had…

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President Donald Trump blends all too nicely with Italy's fascist dictator Benito Mussiloni.

“I Am a Nationalist”: Donald Trump Apes Mussolini in Drive to Destroy America

By Commentaries/Opinions

It is important that everyone understand how dangerous what Trump said is. By Juan Cole, Common Dreams — Trump proudly says he is a “nationalist.” He is, of course, saying this to shore up support among white nationalists. The Nazi sites on the web were all having wet dreams in the aftermath. From the 1990s, polling has found that about 10% of Americans support far right militias. These are the…

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A Trump rally in 2016.

A new study reveals the real reason Obama voters switched to Trump

By News & Current Affairs

Hint: It has to do with race. By Zack Beauchamp, Vox — One of the most puzzling elements of the 2016 election, at least for a lot of Americans, was the millions of voters who switched from voting for Barack Obama in 2012 to Donald Trump in 2016. Somewhere between 6.7 million and 9.2 million Americans switched this way; given that the 2016 election was decided by 40,000 votes, it’s fair to…

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Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd after an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, Missouri.

How Fascism Works review: a vital read for a nation under Trump

By Commentaries/Opinions

Yale professor Jason Stanley enters a growing literary field with a sober examination of an inflammatory political concept. By Tom McCarthy, The Guardian — One of the insidious ironies of fascist politics, the philosopher Jason Stanley writes in his arresting new book, is that talk of fascism itself becomes more difficult because it is made to seem outlandish. The normalization of the fascist myth “makes us able to tolerate what was once…

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A sign promoting the visit of US president George W. Bush is seen in Dar es Salaam, February 2008.

The reason American presidents keep visiting the same few African countries

By News & Current Affairs

By Abdi Latif Dahir, Quartz Africa — Melania Trump has just concluded her trip to Africa, her first major solo international swing as US first lady. In her choice of nations to visit—Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt—she followed in the footsteps of not just former first ladies but also American presidents. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first US president to set foot in Africa, landing in Bathurst in British Gambia in…

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The Supreme Court Is Headed Back to the 19th Century

By Editors' Choice

The justices again appear poised to pursue a purely theoretical liberty at the expense of the lives of people of color. By Adam Serwer, The Atlantic — When the Louisiana State Militia finally arrived at the Colfax courthouse on April 15, 1873, all it could do was bury the bodies. Two days earlier, a large force of white supremacists had taken control of the courthouse from the mostly black faction…

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Bolsonaro's supporters at a rally in Såo Paulo.

Bolsonaro Hopes to Win Brazil’s Election By Channeling Trump

By Commentaries/Opinions

At a moment when few Brazilians trust their government, the controversial, ultra-conservative Jair Bolsonaro looks poised to win. By Chayenne Polimédio, The Atlantic — Tomorrow, Brazilians head to the polls for the first round of presidential elections. Running on the Social Liberal Party slate is Jair Messias Bolsonaro, an ultra-conservative military officer-turned-politician and likely top finisher. If he’s one of the top two vote-getters, he’ll be the favorite in the…

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President Donald Trump with a serious look as he delivers a speech at a campaign rally held at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Here is how Donald Trump becomes a dictator

By Editors' Choice

By Richard E. Frankel, Raw Story — Over the next few days, millions of Americans will be anxiously watching and waiting to see whether a few undecided Republican Senators will vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as our next Supreme Court Justice. Their vote will help shape the Court for a generation. More importantly, their vote holds the potential to help Donald Trump further transform this country into an authoritarian, exclusionary…

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