Matthew

I mean he wrote in his book how he used to think he was gay. And this dude is always wearing eyeliner. Definitely a lot going on in there.

Ah ok, explain how a law removing gender indentity from a state's civil rights act is not a law targeting transgender people. Nope, you've already admited that what I'm actually arguing in this thread is nothing that you care to discuss. The transgender politics is just another similar example of the trend. As usual, conservatives are reacting to a actual cultural trend that they have no way to actually combat. Democrats, as usual, then react to the republicans' unpopular shenanigans so as to politically benefit from it. It wasnt too different from gay marriage 15-20 years ago. Even in 2007 the Democratic party, and both Hillary and Obama were officially opposed to gay marriage. It wasn't until it gained wider acceptance at the state level, which republicans flipped out about, causing democrats to swoop in and suddenly become pro marriage equality.

Well that's your opinion. Trans people in my state certainly feel targeted and directly impacted by the laws targeting them. I have no stake or particular interest in transgender politics. Conservatives are the main ones elevating the issue and therefore promoting the cultural changes to wide appeal.

For real. When it comes to institutional systems, economic and regulatory policies, labor issues, voting rights etc victories of the past are much more easily lost and struggles of the past more easily forgotten. Segregation has mostly to do with the way school district governmebts are so fragmented and there not much of a pathway to changing that system. When it comes to more generalized attitudes about rights, what people expect from their government, social issues-- maybe these exist more in the culture and are less likely to revert.

One specific rationale doesn't matter in regards to the large-scale political phenomenon being described. Because I'm making a general point about the right-wing anti-trans movement, and the eventual large-scale long-term impact that will have in promoting transgender ideas in society. Nah, I live in a red state that has rolled out one authoritarian anti trans law after another. Republicans seem to actually think that gender ideas are being promoted primarily by government institutions and that if they crack down on those institutions it will go away. When in reality it's a sub-culture that spreads on its own in people lives and on the internet and in the culture they consume etc etc. Stong-arm government policies targeting trans people are utterly ineffective and just creative massive amounts of attention and promotion of their cause. By the time this generation of young people hits their 40s-60s, trans identity will be completely normalized thanks in large part to republicans of the 2020s.

True, by the time the issue is truely "won" in the minds and everyday lives of society, its not even an issue anymore.

I mean, ok if you say so. Whatever the particulars are from one republican to the next doesn't matter. Overall, this particular issue is playing out as a massive campaign against some group of people. Which increases awareness of that group and ultimately is contributing a lot toward that group and that way of thinking being accepted in society. This is not an argument for anything. Its an simply a fact that is analogous to every other similar situation where the largely disliked right wing social policy views serve to galvanized the entire country against whatever thing republicans are for. Conservatives are anti gay marriage for decades? = Gay marriage becomes widely accepted and normalized. Decades of republicans politicizing abortion? = Most people now pro abortion. Conservatives call their liberal opponents socialists every day? = Socialism becomes more popular (gotta move on to "communism" now I guess) This trend has been going on for many years. Its unavoidable too. The current anti-trans thing for example is an obvious way to signal to millions of bigoted voters that you're their guy. The appeal of getting those votes matters more to republicans than the reality that their political actions inevitably increase the thing they are saying they are against.

Yes he did, he stopped all white house Q&A press briefings for over 300 days just prior to covid. Who are these people?

Meh. Trump went almost a full year his presidency without doing a single press briefing. I'm sure if we go back you were real upset about that back then.

Ok sure, let's assume that's correct. I think that constant right wing use of socialist labeling for many years has ironically helped to normalize socialism in the US, especially in a positive light for about 55-60% of democrats and even for about 15-20% of republicans (based on a 2021 Gallup poll). So this whataboutism that you're doing--do you think that republicans are similarly growing fonder of dictatorship due to influence from democrats calling trump a wannabe dictaor?

amidoinitrite?

Well yeah I agree that the environment encourages this behavior. My point that I find curious is how certain lines of political attack from politicians actually seems more likely to boost the thing being attacked. Your idea about drag queens and hypocrisy is a perfect example. I don't know how many republicans actually deeply care about this obsessive gender stuff vs are just using it to mobilize people. In the case of transgender identity, probably most democrats are lukewarm to it, or at least were before Republicans got so involved. The end result of their manifold efforts will absolutely be a massive expansion and normalization of transgender and nonbinary identity in our society, probably beyond what would have naturally occurred in the same span of time. When a minority of outspoken people use overt hateful rhetoric and authoritarian policies to attack marginalized groups, most of society in the long run eventually gets behind those groups.

Some people just talk out of their ass. Pretending they have some meaningful point is a waste of time. I have yet to witness Nationalist discuss any topic in good faith.

To answer your original question I think absolutely the answer is yes, that frequent references to fascism in general does risk weakening people's already tenuous perspective of what actual fascism has been and continues to be historically. Its not an equal comparison though. Trump does mobilize and actively pander to actual fascist-adjacent people and neo-nazi groups and many self-identifying fascists are trump fans. The same is not true of communists attitudes toward Biden or Harris (and vice versa). Nevertheless, the official political rhetoric by democrats very rarely uses fascist comparisons or labeling of Republicans, while official republican labeling of democrats as some kind of communists is non-stop--rarely any public comment that does not squeeze it in.

Had to go back 2 years for something? And then what you did find was extremely measured.

Absolutely. Every childish insult and dumb name you guys come up with is like a neon sign for normal people that you're not to be taken seriously. And we'll see if your opinions and wishful thinking pan out the way you're fantasizing.

To be clear, I'm not complaining. I have no problem with republicans providing critical support for leftist ideology.

How many times this week has Harris or her campaign called Trump a fascist? I don't even know if her or Biden ever has. The communist and Marxist stuff from the trump campaign is non-stop.

What happens when you call all of your fairly moderate, centrist, opponents "communist," "socialist" and "Marxist" for decades? Especially when most normal people like the moderate, centrist liberal policies that you're labeling as such, and hate the vulgar hate and fear based politics of the right? Actual Marxist socialist ideology is pretty complicated and the average person has little comprehension as to what it is. And actual leftists have very little influence in any major party, and barely have anything resembling mass media. So I have to assume that the significant increase in American support for socialism over the last decade is due in large part to miscalculated republican messaging more than anything else. Out of a short-term desire to smear your opponent, you actually provide decades of free propoganda in support of actual leftist ideologies.

I've never been more enthusiastic about a politician as I am about Tim Walz.

Looks like UK has a lot of far right neo-nazis itching to come out of the woodwork even after it's clear that their original reason for their rioting was fake misinformation.

Actual government policy stuff is complicated and both parties have trouble conveying actual policy ideas to an ignorant population. Trump is a politician who is part of a long long tradition of people claiming to be outsiders here to tackle the establishment. Unlike most US politicians Trump relies entirely on comedy, a 3rd grade level of policy dialogue, and a cult of personality. I think he just likes the attention even though he knows very little about any topic related to the US government.

That's not what I said at all. Yes we are, the biological aspects of species pairing, mating, caregiving, etc are perhaps instinctual. But all of the ideas and customs and concepts related to family are made by people within their cultures. Cultural creation and social construct are synonymous.