The RUDE PUNDIT: The Bad Guys Are Winning and I've Lost Hope That They Can Be Stopped

[kpete]

....................

I want to be dead wrong about all of this. I want to look goddamned foolish in a year or two. That's the most optimistic thing I can offer right now. I can't shake it, though, this feeling that the bad guys outplayed us. They did it right. They turned language itself against the left, outright changing the meaning of words. They made the news media afraid to be honest while creating their own information ecosystem devoted to lies. They made misdirected hate into a virtue and incoherent rage at the Other into a sacrament while declaring that the problem is the hate directed against them. They pushed a mutant version of Christianity into the central organizing principle while unapologetically committing every sin repeatedly. And while we have ourselves to blame for a whole lot of the ways in which we've slouched towards Armageddon, I have to tip my non-existent hat to the right.

Well-done, you moral lepers, you shit-spreading freaks, you savage monsters. Instead of trying to make it get well, you're fucked the dying country hard until it's become a corpse and now you're fucking the corpse while telling everyone that it's alive and more beautiful than ever. You played the long game. You sowed the wind, but the whirlwind belongs to us all.

the sad rest:
https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-bad-guys-are-winning-and-ive-lost.html

[Doremus]

1. I sadly agree.

[hurple]

2. Me too

I really don't see a way out at this point.

[yaesu]

16. "a republic, if you can keep it" nt

[Nevilledog]

3. I'm right there with Rude

[griffi94]

4. This is probably correct.

However, if we've lost, it isn't because of Trump, or any of the current jackasses. We lost back in the 80s. When we let big money start taking over completely. Repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, unlimited consolidation, gutting the social safety net one rope at a time.
The setbacks are too many to name here.

Every election cycle the Democrats ceded more ground to the RW. We can't get a public exchange for health insurance, but they can get Citizens United. And now we're clinging to the very basics of democracy and it looks iffy at best that we keep those.

Our social institutions are collapsing because they weren't maintained. People stopped voting. Then people stopped caring about very much besides this week's TV schedule.

Our side is smarter, but history has proven repeatedly that smart people are easy to beat. They want to think everything through. Cover all the different POV. And then make a decision that's best for everybody. The RW doesn't care about any of that. They want to have their way (Even if their way is contradictory to itself).

[snowybirdie]

5. As one of the older folks on DU

I have to disagree. We likely will be in for some tough times, but humanity will win out eventually. The pendulum will swing and America will again be a good place to live. Its happened before. We old folks have seen it. Take a very deep breath, and be encouraged that our nation will right itself. Sometimes you just have to believe. MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL.

[kpete]

7. I just turned 70

I have waited TOO LONG for that pendulum swing.
It may happen somewhere on another planet, but I just don't think the human species is up to it.
Humans cannot evolve unless we become more compassionate and empathetic.
In the USA, I believe our evolutionary process has been stunted by our desire for individualism.

[BamaRefugee]

18. Just turned 70 too, seen it all, and witty, snarky tweets seem to be all we have left to fight with

Against the hordes who no longer carry pitchforks and torches but AK-47s and zip ties.

[Missn-Hitch]

34. Which reminds me...I need zip ties.

I will fight when it is necessary.

I will not be zip tied.

Cheers!

[appalachiablue]

35. +1

[cadoman]

9. agreed but I think you meant to say "Happy Holidays"

[snowybirdie]

26. Sorry, you're right

Been in isolation so long, I forgot my manners.

[Tommymac]

10. agree somewhat. But the USA will cease to exist within 20 years.

There is going to be a violent Civil War. The US will Balkanize.

New York (NYC will somehow largely survive protected by dikes and sea walls), New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Eastern PA and New England.

California and the other West Coast States.

The Red South/Southwest/Mississippi region will be led by Texas and and Missouri and Virginia.

The Rust Belt/Great Lakes region including Western PA, Kentucky and Tenn will be a war torn battleground.

The Midwest, Plains and Mountain states will starve.

The Gulf Region will be largely underwater - including most of Florida and large parts of Louisiana.

Peace will fall upon some, but suffering will be the lot of most.

Not a pretty future but it is now more likely then not. Especially with Manchin hammering in the last nail in the lid of Democracy's coffin today.

[Dan]

12. Then to those that made this happen

There must be an accounting.

[housecat]

22. It's not over 'till it's over. Covid is leveling the playing field somewhat.

[snowybirdie]

28. Or all these old fools

will die and will be forgotten as folks concentrate on their lives and surviving. The worm may turn.....

[Tommymac]

29. Long term survival is going to be tough in a dried out and drowned world

And without the reforms to fight Climate Change included in BBB, the deck is really stacked against humanity.

[Arazi]

42. I wonder too if the Chicago area will just balkanize alone as well

Way too solidly blue and direct access to one of the largest freshwater lakes on earth, they may fortress up with a few of the blue collar counties for food production.

Milwaukee is also on the lake and that's blue. Same with some of the biggest Michigan cities. Gary Indiana is blue. Minnesota's blue with a lot of fresh water.

I think the key in 50 years will be water. Climate change is going to destroy any unity in this country. Forecasters predict the northern states with good water access will fare best.

I 100% share Rude's pessimism. I'd advise making plans- for the inevitable blue state v red state fracture that's ahead, and then for the more serious climate change-driven breakup of the US

[Bev54]

13. I hope you are right and I think the republicans have made a major error

They went after the schools and school boards, that is pissing off a lot of people who were never interested in politics. This has forced them to become more aware of everything. I sure hope that will make them rise up big time and get them out to vote like never before.

[Greybnk48]

6. The monsters will win. They always have, and always will.

Edit: I hope SnowyBirdie is right.

[cadoman]

8. I agree it seems like the bad guys are winning but...

...we've got a bottom of the 9th comeback in us that is going to be beautiful.

[Rebl2]

11. Don't care

for all the negativity I see on here anymore. If you give up it will be over.

[scipan]

38. Yes. In a way it doesn't matter who you think will win.

You have to keep fighting anyway. Imagine yourself on your death bed. Are you content that you did what you could?

These predictions are of no concern to us. All we need to do is keep on fighting.

[yaesu]

14. Again, letting the senate take a Xmas break before voting on at least one major bill

was a biggly mistake.

[Rebl2]

40. Yes! I don't

understand this.

[smirkymonkey]

15. I have to admit, this is pretty much how I have been feeling for a long time.

I will gleefully take a punch in the face and admit I was a pessimistic jerk if it turns out I was wrong a few years down the road, but I am one of those deeply intuitive people who is usually right about things years in advance. I have rarely called things wrong. Sorry.

i hate these motherfuckers with a passion. And I hate the people who aren't doing enough to stop it.

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

17. I have lost hope.

All I see is the evil taking over and its pace of doing so is getting faster.

There are already people who lost everything. There are people who are losing everything and some of us are just about to lose everything. After that ( we know who we are ) are going to lose everything also. I am scared. I do not have anything to fall back on because I never had enough to make something to fall back on like others ( we know who we are. )

Where do we go? What do we do?

I have worked with helping the homeless have at least one warm meal a week so I see where it is going. The numbers of homeless has been rising a lot over the last few years and is continuing to rise.

[childfreebychoice]

20. Hubby and I predicted the rise of a trump-like figure

the moment that black fella won the wh, and made plan to retire, out of the country, then and there. Our friends thought we were being overly melodramatic, with our predictions...sadly, we have been proven right, at every turn. Next yr, we will become citizens of our new chosen country. We are seeing more and more of our friends, either leaving or planning to leave. At 70, we are tired of fighting the same issues that the black Panthers, civil/women's rights organizations started fighting, in the 60's. We realize not everyone can afford to, or wants to leave, to those I say good luck and keep fighting the good fight

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

43. Wow, sounds nice to leave.

There are some countries I have in mind to move to but for me that will never happen. I wish you happiness getting away from all of this. I predicted the same when Obama got in. I really love the guy but there was to much controversy just about him being black. I am so happy we got Biden for at least 4 years. If trump wins again Biden will have been the last true president of the U.S.A. By the time the next elections the administration will have turned our country into something totally different which would not include much freedom.

[housecat]

19. I'm waiting for the 1/6 committee to finish and for DOJ to wake up.

If that doesn't happen, I'll throw in the towel as well.

[childfreebychoice]

23. The Doj, under Dem pres, has always feared indicting rethug pres, for

fear of rethug's retaliation against Dem pres. What they fail to understand, one day a trump-like figure would infect the gov, all three branches, to the point that it is a certainty. Come 22/24, when they steal back gov, first order of business, getting rid of filibuster, and sec, digging for dirt, starting with the Obama admin. Too bad hrc wasn't palatable to more voters, cuz she tried to warn us.

[housecat]

27. Hillary actually won. Russia put Trump in anyway

[mnhtnbb]

21. I read this about 10 minutes after the Rude One

posted it this am. Came to DU to see if anyone had already put it up--no--and decided against posting it myself.

I have just this week been hopeful that the law and justice will catch up with the orange one and his attempted coup enablers. Then this news about Manchin turning on his promises to Biden about the BBB bill. WTF??

We must have accountability for the attempted coup on January 6th. Democrats are trying to govern. All Republicans want to do is obstruct and pander to the already rich and powerful and spread their hate du jour for people of color, women, immigrants, LGBTQ, and anyone who won't kowtow to white males as the true and only masters of the universe.

I'm tired. At 70 I'm tired of these Republican a$$holes. And I am beyond worried about the prevalence of guns and the number of people in this country just itching to use them.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but I think that the rich and powerful are determined to have their way and they are more than willing to embrace autocracy or fascism in order to get what they want.

[temporary311]

24. I had hoped

that after nearly being mass-murdered by Republicans, Democrats would wake up and realize, finally, that they needed to be like Churchill. Instead, my fear that they would foolishly choose to remain Chamberlain seems to be playing out, and a whole lot of people are going to pay a heavy price for that.

[marie999]

25. In the bigger scheme of things this doesn't really matter.

Sure it would be nice to have things better for a short while, but what is coming in the next 40 or 50 years will be the worse humanity has ever seen. We are in our late 70s so we won't live to see it and our children won't have it too bad, but our grandchildren and especially our great-grandchildren will have lives that we can only imagine. Nothing significant is being done or will be done to slow down climate change. The reason I post this is that I see more and more about politics and less and less about climate change. I believe the world has given up on climate change. We can't stop it but maybe we can slow it down just enough to give people a little more time.

[housecat]

30. The only thing that really matters is climate change. Governments come and go.

[CrispyQ]

33. The biggest coalition to the COP26 was the oil & gas industry.

It's not looking good for humanity.

[CrispyQ]

31. I hope that after the New Year there will be indictments/arrests.

But I'm a pessimist by nature, so I know I'm just fooling myself. Our side just doesn't have the fight or see the threat. DiFi doesn't think democracy's in danger. I think too many of the old guard think that way & don't see their colleagues across the aisle, whom they've worked with for years, as fascist enablers.

[Glaisne]

32. He is right.

Still, so many of us believe that, somehow, the good guys will win.

Yes, the good guys will likely win, but not 2022 and not in 2024. In fact, not for a very long time. It is going to take a long time before the good guys win. It's going to be very long, slow, and brutal fight that will take decades. Yes decades. The right played the long game very well on all fronts. Now they are in charge. We are going to have to learn to play the long game now. We have to accept that it is going to be a very long, hard and costly slog. Strap in.

[Tetrachloride]

36. I am not dead. i don't give up .

i may be imperfect but my family is counting on me .

[Tetrachloride]

37. Joe Biden is not giving up.

that should be what needs being said.

my family doesn’t need to hear a eulogy at Christmas

[Texaswitchy]

39. I am hoping for the best but I planning for the worst.

Trump killed this country.

Putin got what he wanted.

To take out American and NATO.

Next time this year we will be in Canada.

Or Mexico.

We are not staying around.

Everything is sold but 30 acres in the Hill Country.

Keeping that back for the grandkids if things work out

I hope I am wrong.

[Javaman]

41. Twitter and instant messaging are interesting things

I have long believed they are what the rude has stated, pretty much completely useless. They are just ego satisfying stupidy of “owning the so and sos”

BUT

In the hands of a narcissist, those platforms become weaponized

we are heading for a civil war. No matter what we do, it’s coming

WHY?

Because, as someone else said in here, if the orange asshole runs for re-election, Twitter will have to let him back on or else they ban all politicians from Twitter. (Equal time and all that)

Once he’s back on, we are, in a word, fucked

As I have long said, we as a nation are sleep walking into a second civil war.

And what I find truly amazing about our current atmosphere in this nation, it appears that our current form of democracy can not, will not or isn’t able to stem the rising tide of fascism in this nation.

There appears to be so much political correctness among our elected Dems, that they will continue to argue amongst themselves while the country slides further into the pit.

I said back in October, unless they convict and start putting people in prison by April of 2022, we are fucked. The election cycle begins in ernest then and any investigation, trial or hearing will be purposely shouted down by the media.

The simple fact that the Dems have painted themselves into a corner of “being the adults in the room” that any time they wish to use the same tactics of rhetoric and hyperbole that the repukes employ, they get called out on it by the MSM, but not the repukes when they do it. Because the MSM expects the repukes to be shitheads

So here we are, trying to be honest, truthful and law abiding and the result? Death by 1000 cuts

Democracy in this nation will slowly bleed to death.

All I have to say to the repukes is this: remember Robespierre? He eventually was put to death via the Guillotine aka be careful what you wish for