Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America shake their heads as the Republican National Committee furiously tries to line up a few Democrats to push Mike Pompeo over the finish line as the next Secretary of State.  They also hang their heads as large percentages of Americans demonstrate very poor knowledge about the Holocaust, including 41 percent of Americans and 66 percent of millennials who have no idea what Auschwitz was.  And they throw up their hands, as the Republican National Committee tries to discredit the upcoming media blitz from former FBI Director James Comey by favorable quoting Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Maxine Waters.

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  1. dicentra Inactive
    dicentra
    @dicentra

    Tit for tat?

    From REPUBLICANS?

    When have they ever retaliated against the Democrats’ dirty pool? The GOP gave Obama pretty much all his nominations, saying “oh, but if we fight Obama now, the Dems will fight us when GOP gets the White House. Wouldn’t be collegial for us to resist.”

    And sure enough, when the GOP is in the White House, the Dems fight the noms tooth and nail. Because they can, knowing the GOP won’t repay them in kind.

    As for the lack of knowledge about the Holocaust, that would go a long way toward explaining why Millennials don’t value free speech, why they don’t see a problem with brownshirt-esque tactics to shut down conservatives, and why they can’t see that Gleischaltung is such a dangerous thing to shoot for. I’ll bet the same percentage don’t know what the Gulag Archipelago or Iron Curtain was. Furthermore, it might explain some of why the alt-right doesn’t mind venturing into racial supremacy territory.

    Having lost Exhibit A for why a free society is the only way to go, the young ‘uns have no concept of where some current trends are likely to lead.

    Sounds like we’re doomed to repeat something, folks, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.

    • #1
  2. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

     Republicans are often given — and often take — the very bad advice, not to respond to attacks. Thus, GWB chose not to respond to the constant epithet, “Bush lied, thousands died“. Failing to respond, of course, is almost always taken as a tacit admission.

     At least, in a Republican. A Democrat can often rely on the liberal media not report the charge until/unless he responds to it. But a Republican cannot. 

     For example, when Bill Clinton was accused of rape on national television, he was asked about it on only one occasion, by the fearless ABC reporter, Sam Donaldson.  He calmly responded by referring any questions to his attorney who, of course, was in short pants when the rape occurred. Clinton was reasonably confident that no other reporter would ever raise the question again, and that is in fact what occurred. 

    • #2
  3. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

     What Jim and Greg fail to understand is that Comey‘s testimony will be front and center in the impeachment of Donald Trump next year. 

     At that time, the Democrats will be at pains to portray Comey as an angel of truth and light.  And when they do that, Trump’s defenders will properly use the Democrats’ prior statements about Comey to discredit both his testimony and the impeachment effort itself.

    • #3
  4. FredGoodhue Coolidge
    FredGoodhue
    @FredGoodhue

    Taras (View Comment):

    Republicans are often given — and often take — the very bad advice, not to respond to attacks. Thus, GWB chose not to respond to the constant epithet, “Bush lied, thousands died“. Failing to respond, of course, is almost always taken as a tacit admission.

    The current President repeated this slander of President Bush.

    • #4
  5. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    FredGoodhue (View Comment):

    Taras (View Comment):

    Republicans are often given — and often take — the very bad advice, not to respond to attacks. Thus, GWB chose not to respond to the constant epithet, “Bush lied, thousands died“. Failing to respond, of course, is almost always taken as a tacit admission.

    The current President repeated this slander of President Bush.

     Quite right.  GWB’s failure to respond permitted it to become the conventional wisdom, just like the “failure“ of the Iraq War or, going back farther, the “unwinnable“ Vietnam War.

     According to the New York Times a couple of years ago, those “no” WMDs we found in Iraq included 5000 poison gas shells. 

    Tom Dewey was another one of these Republicans who are too dignified to fight back.   Here’s a headline in the New York Times a week before the 1948 election:

    PRESIDENT LIKENS DEWEY TO HITLER AS FASCISTS’ TOOL; Says When Bigots, Profiteers Get Control of Country They Select ‘Front Man’ to Rule DICTATORSHIP STRESSED Truman Tells Chicago Audience a Republican Victory Will Threaten U.S. Liberty TRUMAN SAYS GOP PERILS U.S. LIBERTY

    • #5
  6. FredGoodhue Coolidge
    FredGoodhue
    @FredGoodhue

    In high school, I had two history courses, World History and American History.  In both, we did not get as far as WWII in the school year.  I think this is common in schools.  So if I had relied on school, I would be as ignorant as the polled young people.  I like history, so I’ve read lots, but most kids don’t read much history.

    However, as you point out, there are vast numbers of TV shows and movies covering WWII.  It boggles my mind that people could not know the basics of that era.

    • #6
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