My politics can generally be described as moderate social conservatism paired with economic nationalism. My economic nationalism is, however, decidedly pan-ethnic. Indeed, I am a nationalist in significant part because of my belief in the power of American nationalism to unify across racial, ethnic, and cultural lines. During the 2016 election, Donald Trump's economic nationalism (and moderate social conservatism!) appealed to me as a breath of fresh air given the elite consensus in both parties that tended toward Davos-style globalism.

In retrospect, however, I think I allowed my desire for a conservative economic nationalist candidate to blind me to Trump's defects. I was willing to overlook his erratic behavior and apparent lack of serious reflection ("he can't really be that reckless, it's all an election-time act or 'opening bid'!"). Also, inured to claims of racism by years of shitlib wolf-crying, I was overwhelmed by the instinct to minimize, explain away, or chalk up to shitlib distortion, statements by Trump and/or his supporters that, in retrospect, truly should have been concerning (See, e.g., Trump's statements on Judge Curiel, crime-stats retweet). I also truly believed, and stood by the position that, there were very few actual racists on the American right and that the specter of white identity politics was largely a shitlib bogeyman.

I now think I was wrong about all of this. In office, Trump's recklessness and lack of serious reflection have become overwhelming. He truly comes off as a man who has never read a book. Someone linked me a few days ago to a comparison of Trump's Boy Scouts speech (rambling, often incoherent, self-aggrandizing, inappropriate to the setting and moment, lacking wisdom of any kind) with speeches to similar audiences by Mitt Romney and John Roberts (both wise, thought-provoking, humorous, self-deprecating, appropriate to the setting and moment, and classy all the way around). It has become clear to me, over many months, that his personality is uniquely "off" and ill-suited to the office.

Then came yesterday. His "on many sides" reaction to yesterday's violence truly sent a shiver down my spine. It was plain to me that this was a man who had, among his first reactions to political murder by white supremacist cretins, the overwhelming desire to make clear "hey there's violence on both sides here."

Yesterday also made me realize that true racists, and sympathizers with white identity politics, are not the exceedingly small sliver of the American right that I thought they were. That so many people here had any reaction other than the highest sympathy for the victims was actually shocking to me. It also threw into stark relief for me the toxic trend of true, sinister, racism on this board. There has been "irreverent" discussion of race on this board since almost the beginning, but it used to be largely ironic or edgy but benign (in the way that a comedian might employ racial humor). There has also always been a strong contingent of people vehemently against the law of disparate impact, affirmative action in education and employment, etc. -- often very defensible positions. But it is unquestionable that this aspect of the board has evolved into something else over the last two years or so. Like a frog in a pot, I didn't fully realize the evolution as it happened... but this place is now frequently host to vile racism of the worst sort. (see, e.g. "Reminder: Blacks don't feel guilt like whites do about anything" available at: http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699788&mc=89&forum_id=2 ). That trend on this board leads me to believe that similar sentiments are much more wide-spread in the population than I realized.

For the first time, I now view the rise of white identity politics to be a much larger threat to the country than the excesses of shitliberalism and I intend to act accordingly. I also am done with Trump and am committed to helping a true, responsible, conservative defeat him in the 2020 primary. I'm ashamed of not coming around sooner.

Finally, threads like the one above make me want to leave this place and never look back. But then I realize there are still a lot of good people here and a lot of good, interesting, funny, thought-provoking threads about life, law, etc. And I would hate to see that XO be drowned out and destroyed by the stormfront-style cretins. I encourage the good people here to stop tolerating the cretins and instead totally ignore or, otherwise, confront and ostracize them. That's what I'll do.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978188)

180

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978432)

cretins? more than one person drove that car, buddy.

"For the first time, I now view the rise of white identity politics to be a much larger threat to the country than the excesses of shitliberalism and I intend to act accordingly. I also am done with Trump and am committed to helping a true, responsible, conservative defeat him in the 2020 primary. I'm ashamed of not coming around sooner."

you should be ashamed because it was really fucking obvious the entire fucking time.

the problem is this-i believe you are dead fucking wrong about this white identity bullshit being a larger threat than shitliberalism. trump isn't a white identity guy, but he knows where his bread is buttered. the white supremacy bullshit is never going to go anywhere in large part because trump's policies ensure that it won't.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33980326)

but this is all cr

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978211)

no time for racism with HUGE GAINZ

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33979766)

As for this, I don't know why you're bitching about it. It's completely right, and your characterization of it "political murder by white supremacist cretins" is way off - it was one nutjob.

Then came yesterday. His "on many sides" reaction to yesterday's violence truly sent a shiver down my spine. It was plain to me that this was a man who had, among his first reactions to political murder by white supremacist cretins, the overwhelming desire to make clear "hey there's violence on both sides here."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978255)

don't worry, he will also destroy antifa

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978270)

This was some kind of white nationalist rally that got "counterprotested" by antifa/BLM/communist scum, who started throwing rocks, feces, and engaging in fist fights with the white nationalists.

The cops were told to sit back and do nothing.

The predictable and intended result then occurred. The white nationalist rally was cancelled by the authorities due to the violence caused by these leftists.

Then this attack happened.

So Trump is completely right to blame violence by both sides because that's exactly what occurred. It's why the rally had to be cancelled to begin with.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978278)

https://twitter.com/yeshacallahan/status/896754305801302016

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978316)

No one who wasn't there knows the context of this incident. This is the first I am hearing of it and I have no support for either "side".

But this was a flashpoint of political extremists skirmishing with each other. Yes, both sides sought to inflict violence on the other.

If this man was a bystander I feel bad for him but he was a casualty of the circumstances. Many people become so in these situations and if this escalates many more will be. That is how this goes.

I also don't know about stand down orders but the state should have intervened with force to keep the groups separated.

edit: his go fund me page seems to imply he was there to counter-protest and that there was a designated medical treatment zone for injured people. If you don't understand what this is I don't know what to tell you.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978560)

agree too many racists on xoxo

Don't really see the "violence on both sides" as an issue, since libs would never name Islamism. Seems like more standard "b b but we must NAME" the problem routine that both sides do, except only when the naming applies to the other side.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3699961&forum_id=2#33978275)