Opinion | Trump Makes No Sense and Is Full of Meaning
On the question of his political opponents, he’s clear. He will punish them, if we give him the power to do so.
As ever, Jamelle Bouie is insightful: Springfield dogs & cats is not a meme; it is blood libel: incitement to racist violence. I've been thinking about his recent column: their insane rhetoric is meaningless on the surface, but deadly meaningful underneath. Media are missing this.
Here is Bouie's column about Trump and meaning. Quoting: "He may rant and he may rave, but his rantings and ravings aren’t static; they carry meaning." 2/
www.nytimes.com/202...
On the question of his political opponents, he’s clear. He will punish them, if we give him the power to do so.
Related: When Trumpists say they believe crazy shit--in meme or poll--they don't have to believe it. It's signaling of belonging. It is also permission: They don't have to believe in dogs for dinner when they want an excuse to attack Haitians. 3/
medium.com/whither-...
The crisis in democracy is not just about information
Bouie says he avoids media criticism (wish he wouldn't but understand why). I agree the memes are hilarious. But by covering only the crazy & the memes, news media miss the real story again--fascism!--and only spread the blood libel. That's not savvy. 4/
Yes, journalists, report on this crazy shit they say about dogs & cats; he said in the debate; you have to. Fine, show the funny memes. But NEVER stop there. ALWAYS report the context: in this case of blood libel, racism, incitement, and fascism. How? Study and share history. 5/