An interesting NYT opinion (not paywalled) by David French posits the following analysis related to MAGA "moral values", or more accurately, immoral values:
After enduring weeks of lies about the Haitian immigrants who live in Springfield, Ohio, and an entire news cycle devoted to covering Trump’s connection with Laura Loomer, one of the most overtly racist figures in MAGA America (she once spoke at a conference of white nationalists and declared, “I consider myself to be a white advocate, and I openly campaigned for the United States Congress as a white advocate”) — I’m hardening my view. Trump loses now or the Republicans are lost for a generation. Maybe more.
The reason is plain: The yearslong elevation of figures like Mark Robinson and the many other outrageous MAGA personalities, along with the devolution of people in MAGA’s inner orbit — JD Vance, Elon Musk, Lindsey Graham and so very many others — has established beyond doubt that Trump has changed the Republican Party and Republican Christians far more than they have changed him.
In nine years, countless Republican primary voters have moved from voting for Trump in spite of his transgressions to rejecting anyone who doesn’t transgress. If you’re not transgressive, you’re suspicious. Decency is countercultural in the Republican Party. It’s seen as a rebuke of Trump.
Trump has set the course of the Republican Party’s cultural river for more than nine years. Fewer and fewer resisters remain, and they’re growing increasingly exhausted and besieged. You can see it online in response to the Mark Robinson [the self-professed black Nazi] news. The mere suggestion that Republican primary voters can and should do better is greeted by scorn and contempt.
So, French's interesting assertion is that the GOP rank and file have (morally) degenerated from generally disliking transgressions to demanding Republican politicians who transgress. That opinion feels a lot more right to me than wrong. Of course my bias and probably minority opinion that all rank and file DJT supporters are MAGA may be clouding my perception here.
Defining transgression: As usual, the concept at issue ought to be defined. Exactly what is transgression in this context? French does not explicitly define it. Presumably it means immoral things like accepting dark free speech as legitimate. For example, denying inconvenient but obviously true facts. It also includes (i) employing bigoted rhetoric and engaging in bigoted behaviors, and (ii) joyfully, intentionally provoking target people and groups to inflict as much unjustifiable, unwarranted pain and unhappiness as dark free speech can inflict.
Assuming I am wrong and most rank and file DJT supporters do not demand transgressions in their politicians. The what do they demand? Truth telling? Hell no. Acting toward the non-MAGA world in good will and good faith? Hell no. Protecting civil liberties? Absolutely, positively not, e.g., abortion and voting rights.
Q: Do most of the MAGA rank and file demand that Republican politicians sufficiently transgress enough before they support them, assuming transgression is more or less as defined above?
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As Taliban starts restricting men, too, someregret not speaking up sooner
Women have faced an onslaught of increasingly severe limits on their personal freedom and rules about their dress since the Taliban seized power three years ago. But men in urban areas could, for the most part, carry on freely.
The past four weeks, however, have brought significant changes for them, too. New laws promulgated in late August mandate that men wear a fist-long beard, bar them from imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior, widely interpreted as a prohibition against jeans, and ban haircuts that are against Islamic law, which essentially means short or Western styles. Men are now also prohibited from looking at women other than their wives or relatives.
Apparently, the 20 year US war in Afghanistan did not turn out quite like some American nation builders had hoped. How much did that kerfuffle cost? Oh yeah, according to one estimate it cost about 2,400 American service members, an estimated 46,000 Afghan civilians, about $2.3 trillion (that includes interest on debt, veterans' care, and other indirect costs) plus an unknown current monthly cost for veterans benefits.
Sex alert: Don't look! Too sexy for looking
Dork on the street: Woof! Look at those hot toes! (catcall whistle)
Righteous Taliban thugs beating on the dork
with their clubs: You're under arrest, 10 years hard labor for you, pervert!
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From The Rock and Hard Place Files: Several sources report that the number of women dying from withheld abortion related health care is increasing. The situation is caused by radical Republican authoritarian zealots writing intentionally ambiguous forced birth laws. The ambiguity and threat of criminal prosecution makes health care providers reluctant to have anything to do with abortion-related care, even sometimes when it kills women seeking care. Radical right authoritarian theocrats who support draconian forced birth laws are blaming the dead and harmed women for breaking the laws. And in addition, now they are threatening health care providers for not providing care.
Republicans Threaten Doctors Who Fail to ProvideEmergency Pregnancy Care Amid Abortion Bans
As doctors refuse to provide necessary care due to abortion bans, providers feel threatened by Ron DeSantis’ admin and Louisiana Attorney General Liz MurrillMAGA thug DeSantis andMAGA thug MurrillFlorida health officials issued new guidance about abortion on Thursday, threatening to take “regulatory action” against doctors who delay in providing emergency medical care to pregnant patients, as providers say the state’s abortion ban has doctors afraid to do their jobs and is putting patients at risk.
“They know their law is what puts women in danger and they’re just trying to threaten physicians so that we feel scared, rather than taking accountability for what their law is doing to people,” an OB-GYN in Florida tells Rolling Stone. She asked that her name not be used because the state controls her license and she fears retaliation for speaking out against them.“You are simultaneously being told you are going to prison if you make a mistake and provide abortion in a context they don’t consider valid, while also being threatened with regulatory action and malpractice if you do not provide that care,” Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for Yes on 4, the ballot measure that would relegalize abortion in FL, tells Rolling Stone. “It’s an impossible choice — physicians are being threatened on all sides by the government intervening in their medical decisions.”In Louisiana, Attorney General Liz Murrill released a six-page statement with similar language to Florida’s health department. She claimed the media and politicians are spreading “disinformation” about Louisiana’s abortion ban.
“To be clear: nothing in Louisiana laws stands in the way of a doctor providing care that stabilizes and treats emergency conditions,” said Murrill. “Any statements to the contrary are flatly incorrect. Any hospital or doctor at any hospital or emergency room who refuses to treat and stabilize a woman having a miscarriage or suffering with an ectopic pregnancy could be committing both medical malpractice and violating federal law.”
Murrill’s statement comes after increased pressure on Louisiana for passing an unprecedented law reclassifying common pregnancy care pills, including misoprostol, as controlled dangerous substances. Hundreds of doctors have spoken out about concerns the law will cause delays in care for women, particularly since misoprostol is used to treat postpartum hemorrhage and will be removed from obstetric carts.
Given the shameless mendacity that all or essentially all MAGA elites routinely rely on, it is reasonable to believe that DeSantis and Murrill are cynical liars.
Q: Is it reasonable to believe that DeSantis and Murrill are cynical liars?
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