The American Dark Age (2016-2020) An archived history of the worst President ever

Washington and Jefferson were indeed slave owners. On the other hand, having a statue of Lee in the U.S. is a bit like having statues of Washington in London. Maybe there are some, I don’t know. They probably like ol’ Georgie there now.

There are paradoxes at the heart of this country. A nation conceived in liberty, founded in significant part by slaveowners. A revolutionary state that must, like any state, resist revolutions other than the one that founded it.

None of this is ever going to be resolved to perfect consistency. What interests me is the total obliviousness of many to the impact that Confederacy-glorifying public imagery may have on Southerners of non-European descent.

George Washington freed his slaves when he died. And Jefferson claimed he wanted to as well, though chickened out because in the end he chose maintaining his fancy lifestyle over his avowed principles. They weren’t on the correct side of history on slavery … but at least they turned to face in the correct general direction.

The Confederates, though, intentionally, deliberately, and defiantly decided to turn around and go back in the wrong direction. And that includes Lee - he signed on to the same agenda.

Yes, there are nuances, but the moral balance books are hardly clear cut, especially when you consider that the British were rather more liberal on the issue at the time (see Lord Dunmore). Also, there’s Dr. Johnson’s famous aphorism: “Why do we hear the loudest Yelps for liberty from the drivers of Negroes?” Then again, Dr. Johnson never had anything good to say about Americans.

Washington was a man of personal honor – whether he personally objected to the institution, or merely wanted to be nice to the slaves who had served him, I’m not sure. Jefferson did see the evils of the institution, though perhaps more in light of dangers it might pose for the U.S. than whether it was nice to the slaves themselves. (He lived at a time when the Haitian rebellion was much in discussion.) His legacy in this matter is mottled at best, as you note, even if one doesn’t subscribe to the darkest interpretation (see the controversial ‘Master of the Mountain’).

Ah, the full transcript is up now.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/15/politics/read-president-trumps-q-and-a-at-trump-tower/index.html

TRUMP: As I said on – remember this – Saturday, we condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence. It has no place in America. And when I went on from there.

Now, here’s the thing. As to – excuse me – excuse me – take it nice and easy.

Here’s the thing. When I make a statement, I like to be correct. I want the facts. This event just happened. In fact, a lot of the event didn’t even happen yet, as we were speaking. This event just happened. Before I make a statement, I need the facts.

So I don’t want to rush into a statement. So making the statement when I made it was excellent. In fact, the young woman who I hear is a fantastic young women, and it was on NBC, her mother wrote me and said through, I guess, Twitter, social media, the nicest things and I very much appreciate that.

I hear she was a fine, a really – actually, an incredible young woman. But her mother on Twitter thanked me for what I said. And honestly, if the press were not fake and if it was honest, the press would have said what I said was very nice. But unlike you and unlike – excuse me – unlike you and unlike the media, before I make a statement, I like to know the facts.

TRUMP: I didn’t know David Duke was there. I wanted to see the facts. And the facts as they started coming out were very well stated. In fact, everybody said “his statement was beautiful; if he would have made it sooner, that would have been good.” I couldn’t have made it sooner because I didn’t know all of the facts.

Frankly, people still don’t know all of the facts. It was very important that – excuse me, excuse me – it was very important to me to get the facts out and correctly. Because if I would have made a fast statement, and the first statement was made without knowing much other than what we were seeing.

The second statement was made after – with knowledge, with great knowledge. There are still things – excuse me – there are still things that people don’t know.

I want to make a statement with knowledge. I wanted to know the facts.

OK…

QUESTION: Do you think that the – what you call the alt-left is the same as neo-Nazis?

TRUMP: Those people – all of those people – excuse me. I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups. But not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were White Supremacists, by any stretch. Those people were also there because they wanted to protest the taking down of a statue, Robert E. Lee.

So – excuse me. And you take a look at some of the groups and you see – and you’d know it if you were honest reporters, which in many cases you’re not, but many of those people were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee.

So this week it’s Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson’s coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after?

You know, you all – you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop? But they were there to protest – excuse me.

You take a look, the night before, they were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee.

Lots more of this garbage fire at the link.

This is going to explode. Even Fox News is savaging his remarks.

Was running an investors/business trader swarm for the last couple of hours. Did anything ha…

OH SHIT.

QUESTION: … treated unfairly (inaudible) you were saying. You were saying the press has treated white nationalists unfairly? (inaudible) understand what you’re saying.

TRUMP: No, no. There were people in that rally, and I looked the night before. If you look, they were people protesting very quietly the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee. I’m sure in that group there were some bad ones. The following day, it looked like they had some rough, bad people – neo-Nazis, white nationalists, whatever you want to call them.

But you had a lot of people in that group that were there to innocently protest and very legally protest, because you know – I don’t know if you know, they had a permit. The other group didn’t have a permit.

So, I only tell you this, there are two sides to a story. I thought what took place was a horrible moment for our country, a horrible moment. But there are two sides to the country.

“Both sides, amirite?”

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHTQ5QkXkAIFfSs.jpg

How much would you pay for a livestream of Ryan, McConnell and Pence watching his remarks? Especially when he got to the end of the prepared bits and started speaking from the heart?

Toss in a Boehner-Feed and I’d go $49.99 easy.

Like I said, I was away, and even seeing FOX News go off with a vengeance…I’m thinking that this is going to be…well, it’s gonna leave a mark.

How in the world have we ended up with this person as the President of the United States of America? Please. How does this even happen?!

Always remember:

“I don’t think you can expect someone to be personally attacked day after day, minute by minute, and sit back,” Sanders said, arguing that the criticism the president and his aides endure is often personal in nature. “When the president gets hit, he’s going to hit back harder.”

fuck that guy so hard.

The “us” thing may not be accurate. I think he might have said “them”. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4679946/charging

Yep, who ever did that transcription did the President no favors.

General Kelly sure does have Trump dialed in.

I’m sure there will be lots of “concerned” Republican congressmen and women tomorrow. Pearls will be clutched!

A lot of wincing.