Welcome to the Age of Trump


Since Trump’s victory, my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant in Phoenix, Middle Eastern Bakery and Deli, has had its windows smashed — twice. I know the owner and his wife and it is kind of ironic that they are Christians (from Lebanon). Huge crowds lined up at lunchtime today to show their support, and I plan to go tomorrow. It is encouraging that the central Phoenix community has set up a GoFundMe page to help the restaurant owner and it has garnered nearly $11,000 in the past 24 hours.

They say it’s too early to call this a hate crime, but I strongly suspect it is. And I expect we will see lots more incidents like this as racists and haters feel emboldened by Trump’s election, by a man who called for the ban on all Muslims entering the US, by a man beloved by white supremacists and ultra-nationalists. Welcome to the Age of Trump, where the new national security advisor has said “fear of Muslims is RATIONAL” (his caps), and where Trump’s strategic advisor has strong ties to the alt right. Since Trump’s election, incidents of harassment and intimidation have soared. It’s going to be a long and painful four years.

The Discussion: 16 Comments

This falafel place in New Haven is under surveillance by the Feds:

http://mamouns.com/locations#new_haven_ct

December 6, 2016 @ 3:09 pm | Comment

Yeah, we had a rise in attacks like this one too in the UK post-Brexit. Some people, probably not the majority of Brexit/Trump voters, treated their respective results like referendums on whether it’s OK to be racist.

Ultimately, this just shows we need to do something more than just shame racists into silence (which clearly hasn’t worked). What that is I have no idea.

December 6, 2016 @ 4:39 pm | Comment

@FOARP:

we obviously need a concerted, coherent political reaction in defence of old-style liberal and socialist values, which do not place the blame on minorities for a country’s problems.

December 26, 2016 @ 9:49 am | Comment

I’ll believe this was done by Trump supporters when the person is caught. There has been a number of fake hate crimes that turned out to be either fabrications or actually committed by lefties.

So if you believe the actions of some followers are the responsibility of Trump, do you also believe Obama is responsible for the violence of the BLM movement?

January 2, 2017 @ 11:00 pm | Comment

This was a hate crime, though I don’t know if it was committed by a Trump supporter. But I do know Trump has cultivated a climate of hate that makes events like this more likely, as we have seen by the numerous episodes of minority harassment that surged since Trump’s victory.

January 4, 2017 @ 7:50 am | Comment

Richard, that climate of hate is entirely in the left side of the aisle. BLM being paid by the DNC to attack Trump supporters. A homeless woman attacked and beaten for trying to prevent damage to Trump’s star on Walk of Fame. People attending Trump rallies in San Jose a Minneapolis/St Paul being attacked by anti Trump thugs. Violent rallies by leftists after the election. Electors being threatened with death and attacks on their families if they voted for Trump.

What surged was not harassment against minorities, it was fake incidents. The arson at the black church and racist graffiti that was done by a black church member. The muslim girl harassed on the NY subway turned out to be a complete fabrication. The muslim college girl claiming 2 guys wearing Trump hats ripped off her headcovering – another fabrication.

People no longer believe these media reports. People have seen the vicious attacks liberals launch against their opponents. We do not believe you anymore.

January 4, 2017 @ 6:29 pm | Comment

Cool, don’t believe me anymore. Everything’s the fault of liberals and the lies they tell. There is no rationalizing with people who say this.

January 5, 2017 @ 5:46 am | Comment

Go on with your bad self. Beat that straw man to a pulp. I happened to notice you did not address the points raised in that comment.

The “you” in the last sentence was referring to liberals, not you in particular. The liberal establishment has lost almost all of it’s credibility. Look around. What liberal voices are being taken seriously? Where is the condemnation of the violence emanating from the left? Where is the outrage about the collusion between the DNC, media and Clinton campaign – in the primaries and the general election? The left has reduced itself to temper tantrums and name calling.

January 6, 2017 @ 7:56 pm | Comment

What liberal voices are being taken seriously?

Oh, I dunno, maybe Robert Reich, Paul Krugman, Jonathan Chait, Ezra Klein, E.J. Dionne, Mark Shields, Eleanor Cliff, Rachel Maddow, Elizabeth Warren, Frank Bruni, Bill Moyers… I can list many more but it’s an exercise in futility because you don’t WANT to know the answer to your own question — you hate liberals, let’s face it. I hope you come to terms with your anger issues.

January 7, 2017 @ 6:56 am | Comment

An interesting list, but they do not carry the weight they once did. Check out Bob Somersby’s blog The Daily Howler. That is a liberal critiquing liberals. The liberal ideology is at an historical low right now. I don’t see any of these people turning it around. I don’t hate liberals. Don’t even dislike them. Such an assertion is just meant to be dismissive. You seem to see everything as an either/or construct. A person can only be a liberal or a conservative. The reality is that most people are a mixture. I have no anger towards those who disagree with me. Life would be extremely boring if a person was surrounded only by those who agrees with him.

January 7, 2017 @ 10:22 am | Comment

You seem to see everything as an either/or construct. A person can only be a liberal or a conservative.

Totally false. I have no trouble with conservatives, as long as they don’t thrust their ideology on me. I have problems with those who are dogmatic and hostile. But as I’ve said, arguing is futile; you have made up your mind about liberals and I can’t change that. When you write nonsense like “BLM is being paid by the DNC to attack Trump supporters,” I realize there is no hope. You have swallowed the GOP Kool Aid hook, line and sinker.

January 9, 2017 @ 1:07 am | Comment

You’ve gone too far, Jim, and I deleted your last comment- I don’t have to put up with such hostility. Go hang out at a site like Daily Stormer, where you will be greeted with open arms.

(Sorry everyone for losing my temper a bit; nowadays I have a low tolerance for Trump supporters who troll my comments.)

January 9, 2017 @ 6:13 am | Comment

I wish people would not demonize and caricature Black Lives Matter. Conservatives who revile the movement are in need of some empathy. They should try to put themselves in the position of an African American. In a certain sense, the U.S. is still in the 1960’s. The issues of poverty and police violence that existed during the 60’s are with us today. Although there are no more signs commanding the separation of people with different complexions, racism and segregation have not been eradicated (existing in the practices of some real estate agents, for example).

January 13, 2017 @ 2:51 am | Comment

Trust me it is better this way then anti-privacy and genocidal wars. Personally in my opinion with the 77% age gap waning it will not be long. It is like people just forgot about what really matters and just decided to ride the “blah blah terrorist are bad”. However I do wish “Make America Great again” like it was before 2001. Again 2001. Not 1776 or 1812.

Speaking of slaves. It cost more to keep a slave then feed a free man. A free person will take money instead of food, clothing, or shelter. That money can not even pay for the following. All the slave land was reclaimed and slaves do not have to be seen. When Lincoln freed blah blah equal rights he also dis-promoted mixing of races. His wife ( on record ) had slaves that was sold before being freed.

Speaking of slaves check out President Richie Richie wives. The first one was paid in dresses. The second one was in dispute with the first one and him. The third one is well……………………. I mean seriously just serious just seriously for one second think about that.
I have nothing against the guy. I understand him perfectly.

However it is just stupid the way protestors ( or people who civilly assemble ) react to him. Just as stupid as the supporters.

Even so I do love that hat “make America great again” it means so much. Just like that sign “I want my country back”. Those words means many things but the flat fact is that the United States has been associated in a war that is leading nowhere.

If we had Al Gore in office would things have been that bad? I mean think about it. That is why Hillary was not elected. If she wanted to be in charge it should have been during Bush when Kerry ran.

We have too many pro violent politicians in office. Genocide and Genocide and more Genocide. What is the difference between Tienanmen Square, and Mao.

Gaddafi and Saddam was killed for no reason. It was not about removing them. It was about humiliating and annihilating the people of the area.
I can not even say anything negative about the Zionist movement anymore because the “1972 Oil crisis” seems to over shadows them all. I mean dear god Syria, poor Syria. It is like another Germany, or Russian invasion of the polish, or Japan on Korea. It is that stupid and that awful and nobody has any intelligence enough to stop it.

One brave ex-soilder could take on an bunch of police. Why? Because of the words of Trump and the fact that Sanders was not up for office. Point being is that America ( on paper ) missed the Mark in terms of presidency and we are left with another clown.

All I see is the addiction of the fictional European image that was lost with the paint of Rome. Anybody who is unable to see this must be mad. It is like since the 1980’s it has been nothing but a trip of white washing and white washing the likes of huckleberry fin has seen in years.

January 23, 2017 @ 5:49 am | Comment

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