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The Lost Boys of the American Right

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by mutz87, Aug 14, 2023.

  1. mutz87

    mutz87 p=.06

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    The Lost Boys of the American Right
    Aug. 13, 2023, 6:00 a.m. ET
    David French, NYT Opinion

    Hard to disagree with much of what French wrote. I guess I'm happy that he's willing to write about it from the right. Though it won't make a difference.

     
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  2. danmanne65

    danmanne65 GC Hall of Fame

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    I think the trump supporters represent 30 percent of our country. 30 percent of our country is wrong about everything. lol
     
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  3. ThePlayer

    ThePlayer VIP Member

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    In dozens of essays over the last two years, French has routinely decried what he views as the sins of white evangelicals. While some of this writing has appeared in large, mainstream publications like The Atlantic and Time Magazine, most of his criticism is delivered in his “Sunday Essays”— a weekly op-ed that French publishes via The Dispatch on the day Christians set aside for worship and fellowshipping as local church communities. The tendency of the articles to spark dissension and arguments between Christians on what is known as “the Lord’s day” has even become something of a running joke on social media.

    Major Pastors Rebuke David French Over His Repeated Criticism Of Churches And ‘White Evangelicals’ | The Daily Wire
     
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  4. Orange_and_Bluke

    Orange_and_Bluke Premium Member

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    It’s not difficult to find a woke libbie article filled with hate towards pubs.
    [​IMG]
     
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  5. mutz87

    mutz87 p=.06

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    French is a life long conservative and until 2018, a republican. Heck, he's an evangelical conservative. You can whistle by the graveyard, but it's not as if there aren't some hard truths in his column.

    Funny, but I thought of several here and quite a few others on the right, including family & friends while reading it. Not about the racism and bigotry, but about what he describes as a cultural reality on the right:

     
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  6. sierragator

    sierragator GC Hall of Fame

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    Since he does not worship Trump he is a RINO in their world in spite of any conservative credentials he had before.
     
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  7. l_boy

    l_boy 5500

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    Yeah I thought the same thing. Indignation, trolling and online bullying.
     
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  8. l_boy

    l_boy 5500

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    So the leaders of the groups French is criticizing don’t like to be criticized. Shocking revelation indeed. They seem to be saying that Christian’s aren’t perfect so singling them out is unfair. But I’d argue that there is a point, when the messaging of the group and the leaders, strays so far from the original message (Christ’s teachings ) that you really have no choice but to call out the aberrant behaviors.
     
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  9. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    I'm just curious, what about the "cultural reality on the right?" What about it? Is it bad in your opinion, or... what makes it a topic of conversation for you?

    Are white people not allowed to have a culture, and is that a bad thing?
     
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  10. orangeblue_coop

    orangeblue_coop GC Hall of Fame

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    In their minds, the left is so evil — and represents such an existential threat — that any accommodation of it (or any criticism of the right) undermines the forces of light in their great battle against the forces of darkness. Attack the left in the most searing terms, and you’ll enjoy the thunderous applause of your peers. Criticize the new right, and you can experience a vicious backlash. The result is a relentless pull to the extremes.

    Wow this sounds exactly like the righties on here
     
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  11. exiledgator

    exiledgator Gruntled

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    The first part is the crux for me.

    A non trivial percentage of this country view 1/2 of their fellow countrymen as actual existential threats. Like, full on - if they win, me and my family will lose everything and maybe even die.

    Then, in an effort for which they believe they have no choice, they take actions and support candidates that threaten to dismantle our institutions and our Republic itself in an effort to wrest power away from the threat.

    Finally, when these actions are then scrutinized and criticized as dangerous, they feel vindicated for their beliefs and dig in deeper.

    Only a few ways I see to stop or slow this spiral. One is is to change the original messaging to one that emphasizes that we're all just fellow countrymen with different ideas on what types of decisions our government should take. With current news and social media options, this doesn't seem like it's an option anytime soon. The other is a rise of transcending political figure capable of leading back towards the middle in this environment. I'm not seeing that person on the ballot in '24 either.
     
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  12. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    I wish one day one of these guys would admit that "respectable" conservativism has very limited appeal outside the affluent and well-educated, and the big draw for many was always anti-liberalism, the French types didn't mind when they were running the show, but now they aren't. Take some ownership of what you enabled and ignored, stop blaming Trump, he's a symptom, not the cause. These guys survey the wreckage of their libertarian fantasies and they are shocked that people have gone feral lol.
     
  13. duggers_dad

    duggers_dad GC Hall of Fame

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    Lefties revile far right boys in America while cheering for them in Ukraine.
     
  14. g8trdoc

    g8trdoc Premium Member

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    Never heard of this French guy but I’m sure it’s much easier to make a living in mainstream media with drivel than thought.
     
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  15. gator_lawyer

    gator_lawyer VIP Member

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    I often disagree with French, but he's right on this one. IMO, it's one reason why young people aren't moving as much to the right anymore. The young Republicans they know are just utterly nuts.
     
  16. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    Yes and no, I mean the campus Young Republicans were racist, sexist, homophobic idiots when I was in school too (very much into lib ownage with affirmative action bake sales and such), they probably weren't flirting with fascist memes, but mainly because they weren't a thing then. The right has always drawn these types and always will.
     
  17. Trickster

    Trickster VIP Member

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    Rotten apples don't fall far from the tree.

    The only positive to take from this is that people with odious views have become a minority. There was a time until relatively recently when whites' feelings of superiority allowed them to justify enslaving Blacks and subjecting Native Americans to our very own Holocaust. Thanks in part to "wokeness", the vast majority of Americans no longer feel that way. (But see posts 9 and 14.)
     
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  18. mrhansduck

    mrhansduck GC Hall of Fame

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    In addition to the increasing relative power of women, I think many conservative men are especially worried about the changing demographics in a way that was more theoretical in years past. Here is Matt Walsh (a pretty "mainstream" guy) arguing that race and culture can't be separated. He apparently likes to use the phrase "Anglo Saxton," and maybe he thinks that sounds better than saying "White people." But ultimately, this isn't far off from the notion that "blood and soil" are more critical than the country's ideals and principles.

     
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  19. Gator515151

    Gator515151 GC Hall of Fame

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    Well said my friend.






    Sounds more like the too hot leftists to me.
     
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  20. orangeblue_coop

    orangeblue_coop GC Hall of Fame

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    This coming from the angry righty who wants to beat up 85-year old female lib politicians. LOL!
     
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