That's what I LOVE about Rachel Maddow - she doesn't just report on current events - she digs deeper, to educate her viewers about the historical background and patterns that led to the current events in the first place - and this is a fine example. I am a great history buff, and believe that, without the benefit of history, we are a lot like Plato's cave dwellers, just watching the passing shadow plays on the walls without ever taking a look at the forces that are behind them - we see things happening, but we never know WHY. Our current political situation is a fine example of how the surface appearance of current events can deceive the casual observer. On the surface, the Republican party appears to be strong - heck, it won not only the presidency, but also both houses of congress in the last presidential election. But what lies under the surface - and not too far under the surface, I might add - for anyone who wants to investigate more deeply is all the questionable help and cheatiing, corrupt tactics that it took to get them there - voter suppression, vote stealing, gerrymandering, and even cyber-interference from the Russians. In reality, the Republican party is on its last legs, a bubble that's about to burst. They can't win elections fair and square anymore, because they are out of touch, out of step with an electorate that is younger, more progressive and more ethnically diverse than ever before. And what are these reclusive billionaire donors like Robert Mercer or the Koch brothers and their dark money donations to Republican politicians if not de facto secret societies? Anti-immigrant nativist propaganda flourishes in our country whenever the two party system and its legitimate political discourse begins to break down - brilliant! Thanks, Rachel! And thanks for telling me exactly who the "know nothings" were - I had heard their name bandied about in my studies of American history, but never knew quite who they were. This is why I LOVE Rachel Maddow - every show of hers is a history lesson, where you leave knowing and understanding significantly more than you did before watching.
= new reply since forum marked as read
