"Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know that we are the only ones who can stop them.... They know that we can defeat them. They know that we will defeat them. But they’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you and I’m just standing in their way. That’s all I’m doing. I’m standing in their way. And that’s why I’m here today. That’s why I’m standing before you, because we are going to finish what we started. We started something that was America. We’re going to complete the mission. We’re going to see this battle through to ultimate victory. We’re going to make America great again. With you at my side, we will demolish the deep state. We will expel the warmongers. They are people that don’t get it, although, in some cases, they get it. They get it for their wallets, but we can’t do that. We can’t let that happen. We will drive out the globalists, we will cast out the communists. We will throw off the political class that hates our country. They actually hate our country...."
Reading it — after watching it live — I'm struck by the intense repetition of the word "they." It makes me think of the unforgettable Saul Steinberg image:
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82 comments:
"They" are the ones who set up "us" and "them."
Trump's right, but he seems too soft to lead this thing.
Donald J. Trump is correct again.
It's all laid out here: The Disorientating Use Of The Word 'They'
"Who are they?" (Communists)
Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches-
Had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches-Had none upon thars.
Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small.
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.
But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
And whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.
When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball,
Could a Plain-Belly get in the game…? Not at all.
You only could play if your bellies had stars
And the Plain-Belly children had none upon thars.
Seuss pretty much nailed it decades ago...
It made me think of the unforgettable Dave Chapelle monologue:
' It shouldn't be this scary to talk about anything. It's making my job incredibly difficult, I'll be honest with you. I'm getting sick of talking to a crowd like this. I love you to death and I thank you for your support. And I hope they don't take anything away from me. Whoever they are.
If you know who "we" is, you'll know who "They" is.
Others will probably post this:
https://youtu.be/6sa6BnfNM5Q
Something about seeing "the unabridged transcript" in hypertext blue made me see it as "the unhinged transcript."
Those who stole this country
They is a lot if it covers AOC and the Senate Minority Leader.
"They" are the ones who said ivermectin, a widely used medicine, was only for horses and people shouldn't take it.
"They" are the ones who said don't wear masks, only health professionals should. "They" are also the ones who said we MUST wear masks to protect others, even if we're not sick and have no symptoms, otherwise we'll kill grandma. If not ours, someone else's who we've never met nor seen.
"They" are the ones that said selling white and premixed paint was fine, but mixing paint spread covid, and prohibited the selling of seeds because that would spread covid.
"They" were the ones that prohibitd worship services, but said riots are okay because riots for good causes don't spread covid like evil chruchgoers do.
There are currently so many examples of the mythical "They" that it almost isn't funny. Because it turns out the "They" are not so mythical after all.
WE are in decline.
Transnationalists, for one. Class-disordered ideologues, for another. Antisci, for a third. #HateLovesAbortion
"They know that we can defeat them"
We know who "they" are, and we despise "them." But they know nothing is easier than defeating Trump.
They are the Democrat party and the Chamber of Commerce/Wall Street GOP establishment.
@Althouse, “they” are “you.”
They:
Most of the Republicans, all of the Democrats, university faculties, the legacy news media, Hollywood, The military industrial complex, FBI, DOJ, CIA, the deep state, most of corporate America, the world economic forum, the EU, the people who run the big tech companies, George Soros, the big leftist foundations, the people who are keeping our southern border wide open, whoever it is that has now decided that the proles can no longer have gas stoves … you know, THEM.
Rory. Correct.
And to have to ask?
"Under my leadership, we will use all necessary state, local, federal, and military resources to carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history."
No one is talking about this. I think it's important.
I am guessing that "they" is a word mostly used by right wing conspiracy nuts and White Supremacists.
In a recent Chappelle special he speaks of a man telling him "They's coming for you." and his panicky response "How many theys?"
They are the teacher-school educators who elected avowed communist, terrorist, cop killer and bomber Bill Ayers as VP in charge of curriculum for all public K-12 schools through the nation's largest teacher-training association, AERA, for a decade.
They are Biden's senior advisor Anita Dunn, a card-carrying (little red book carrying), literal avowed Maoist.
They are every DEI lunatic taking over law schools, universities, K-12 curricula, and now every major corporation in America.
They are the Democratic Socialists of America, who now comprise a majority of Democratic elected officials in every major Democrat city and Congress and even legislative Democrat Parties in many red states.
They are the lunatics who want to eliminate free speech, police, incarceration of criminals, and legalize takeover of public property through "occupation," firebombing, propaganda, drug legalization, no regulations on homeless druggie and mentally ill squatters, and no prosecution of crime in every Democrat-run city and/or state.
They are the people who have, statistically, convinced most youth under 25 that capitalism and private property is bad and communism is harmless and positive.
They are the vast majority of Democrats, all leftists, and big-L Libertarian Party nuts who support completely open borders.
Need I be more granular?
Speaking of Ant Man, “Them” (1954)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9SnL2auGFwo
Let's see, a bona-fide loser fear mongering drama queen who couldn't fill a half filled rigged room for 62% while other despots Putin ERdogan etc always get at least 90%.Like the ZEP sang out " how many more times" cmon man people still take this fella seriously?Do THEY ever want to win again? Riding a dead horse!
To answer who “they” are, it helps to use a Venn Diagram.
I love Venn Diagrams!
'They' are my enemy.
"They" are the people who insist on being called "they/them".
Remember "Flyover country"?
We all know who "they" are. They don't even try to hide what they are doing.
Oh, and "God, guns, and religion."
I noticed many "we's" contrasting with the "they's."
Maynard said...
I am guessing that "they" is a word mostly used by right wing conspiracy nuts and White Supremacists.
And the gender fluid, of course.
"We're in a Marxism state of mind..."
I know Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind", but haven't heard this one yet. Could you hum a few bars?
Just remember Equity = Marxism and it all comes clear.
Between talk about retribution and 'driving out' fellow citizens, it makes you wonder where rule of law factors into Trumps plan.
Seems like commenters here are already stocking up on their brown clothing.
LLR-Democratical Chuck: "Something about seeing "the unabridged transcript" in hypertext blue made me see it as "the unhinged transcript."
Under current HIPAA privacy rules, its illegal to share the private medical records of individuals with the public, though I suppose in this case since this is you, as the patient, revealing what your (several?) therapists may have written about you, I suppose it passes muster legally.
Blogger Big Mike said...
@Althouse, “they” are “you.”
3/6/23, 2:31 PM
Not quite. I would have said, "you are they" to Althouse.
There is an old adage that if you think there is no dysfunctional child in your family, that just means it it you. In turn, if you don't know who "they" is, it is a pretty good indication that you are they.
Maynard said...
"I am guessing that 'they' is a word mostly used by right wing conspiracy nuts and White Supremacists."
And the non-binary (they/them).
Blogger Big Mike said...
@Althouse, “they” are “you.”
3/6/23, 2:31 PM
Not quite. I would have said, "you are they" to Althouse.
There is an old adage that if you think there is no dysfunctional child in your family, that just means it it you. In turn, if you don't know who "they" is, it is a pretty good indication that you are they.
I don't think he has a chance but man do I miss listening to him.
Seems like commenters here are already stocking up on their brown clothing.
You leftist thugs already bought out the entire stock.
Whoever they may be, the they in the media will be along soon enough to tell us its racist.
Whoever "they" are, "they" apparently constitute more than 50% of the votes that will be counted. "They" will automatically see to it that the Dems win California, NY, NJ, Delaware, RI, CT, PA, VT, WA, New Mexico, Illinois, Hawaii, Virginia, and almost certainly others. This projection conservatively assumes that the Dems nominate a senile or braindead candidate. Imagine what happens if they manage to find a likable, competent candidate.
The main problems are that Americans have no appetite for fiscal sanity, and 45% of the population has been convinced to despise Trump. This is a ship of fools candidacy. Only some sort of black swan event can produce a Republican victory. I despair.
"They's just plain-and-fancy they." -Mister Sikes, The Wild Bunch
Clue #1...
THEY put males into women's sports to make women's sports "better".
Is it getting any clearer now?
Clue #2
THEY will not allow audits on election software.
Still confused?
Maybe this will help...
THEY become millionaires on $174,00.00/year.
Good comment Tina Trent.
That's why we conservatives can't agree with them. We have no common ground. Two movies on one screen.
Who are "they?"
Well, in Atlanta "they" include a lawyer for the Southern Poverty Law Center, arrested in the domestic terror and bombing attack on a police construction site in Atlanta.
They ... the domestic terrorists ... are aligned with and employed by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
That's who "they" are.
I hadn't heard the speech or read anything from it, but I knew who was being quoted as soon as I read the title of the post. Trump has a unique voice. (I mean his phraseology, not his actual voice.) It's a blessing and a curse.
They gather in Davos. Greta Thunberg is their pet.
Who are They?
Starts around 7:00
"Seems like commenters here are already stocking up on their brown clothing."
First they came for the pig-ignorant Commie assholes. And Mark spoke right up, because he was a pig-ignorant Commie asshole.
I'd like Trump to prove his intentions by sharing who he would include as key advisors and cabinet. He talks real pretty and fires up his audience but when it came time to choose trusted folks he really stumbled. He's like a visionary architect who can't find a construction company who will actually make anything happen or last.
And here is Michelle Obama, doing her best to divide us more than her husband..."who fundamentally transformed the US into the shithole it is today" did. The real racists ALWAYS hit at COLOR being the ONLY thing that matters. She is the racist she keeps looking for...all she has to do is look good and hard at herself in her mirror. Fuck the Obamas..the great dividers.
https://nypost.com/2023/03/06/michelle-obama-says-there-werent-many-people-at-trumps-inauguration/
Mia : Is that a fact?
Vincent : No, no. It's not a fact, it's just what I heard. It's just what I heard.
Mia : Who told you?
Vincent : They.
Mia : They talk a lot, don't they?
Vincent : They certainly do. They certainly do.
Blogger Maynard said...
I am guessing that "they" is a word mostly used by right wing conspiracy nuts and White Supremacists.
Don't "guess." Out with it! as Dean Wormer said.
Blogger Mark said...
Between talk about retribution and 'driving out' fellow citizens, it makes you wonder where rule of law factors into Trumps plan.
Seems like commenters here are already stocking up on their brown clothing.
Lefty Mark is concerned about "driving out fellow citizens." Are those the "migrants" that we are not allowed to call "illegal?"
The lefties are upset about all this "white supremacy." Soon the Affirmative action airline pilots will give them something else to worry about.
I don't think it's fair to describe Mr. Trump as paranoid. Trump is the subject of persistent, unhinged attention from the "they" he describes as the "deep state" or "warmongers" or the "elites" or whoever. A lot of these people are clearly out to get him. Just the other day, MSNBC described Trump as a "serial rapist." This isn't just name-calling, it's dysfunctional and sick.
I wonder where we would be if Trump had won the 2020 election? I have no doubt it was stolen. I blame him a bit for not anticipating the role of mail-in ballots and preparing for the fraud. Some of this I blame on Kushner and the GOPe slobs he hired. Kellyanne Conway was preoccupied with her disastrous marriage so I can't blame her. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that SARS 2 was a planned epidemic to get rid of Trump. Millions died but the CCP doesn't really care about that. The Democrats eagerly cooperated. Biden, of course, is owned by China and I wonder how many other Washington characters are also on the payroll?
RideSpaceMountain said...Seuss pretty much nailed it decades ago...
Little known fact about the Sneetches--the star-bellied Sneetches really were the best Sneetches on the beaches. They were off having fun while the plain-bellied sneetches sat around feeling bad that nobody invited them to any of those fun things. But nobody was stopping them from planning their own fun things, they were just too lame to do it.
Dumb Lefty Mark: "Between talk about retribution and 'driving out' fellow citizens, it makes you wonder where rule of law factors into Trumps plan.
Seems like commenters here are already stocking up on their brown clothing."
The dark night of fascism is always reportedly descending on the right and yet lands only on the left.
Readering: "They is a lot if it covers AOC and the Senate Minority Leader."
Well said...even if inadvertently.
“The main problems are that Americans have no appetite for fiscal sanity, and 45% of the population has been convinced to despise Trump.”
You will be disappointed to learn that, when in power, DJT and the Rs have had no appetite for fiscal sanity. Jabbering about fiscal sanity is just something that they do when they’re out of power. They do this to trick people like you.
Sorry to crush your false reality with facts. OTOH, I’m certain that your brain can’t comprehend reality…..so carry on.
Say what must be said about Chuck, but the shitbird knows “unhinged”, knows it personally and all too well.
Well, AA, the "they" are those who run the Democrat Party.
But you knew that.
@FOWFan, I will take that as a friendly amendment. However …
There is an old adage that if you think there is no dysfunctional child in your family, that just means it it you.
Well, I have two sons that are well-adjusted members of society with good, well-paying jobs, lovely and intelligent wives, and happy, beautiful children. So you’re saying that therefore I must be the dysfunctional one? Hell, Althouse probably agrees!
Yeah, Trump is sure to lose. We sure to need some mysterious somebody to parchute out of the sky to be the nominee.
LOL. "They" who say this, don't want to win. They want to lose.
Framing things as a battle of we versus they in an election can only work if the we’s outnumber the theys.
In outlining who the theys are Trump listed a majority of people.
Coming in late here, thought someone else would have mentioned the irony of that New Yorker art. It imagines THEY as the wild hairy, scary sort, eww, while the WE are the fancy Vase-by-the-Pool sort.
In other words, its just the opposite of our current discussion. "THEY" have the fancy pool, (it should be full of nasty phallic playthings), and WE would be finely trimmed beards.
Also, I completely agree with Michael K at 6:13
G*dspeed, Everyone.
Granted, there are many who actually voted for Biden. How about the %39 who say he's doing a good job? Vacant Joe has some large peerage there. Biden/Harris was a judgement call. Says it all.
"Who are 'They'?"
All you need to do is read what the usual suspects write about this constituency and it becomes evident.
AMDG: "Framing things as a battle of we versus they in an election can only work if the we’s outnumber the theys.
In outlining who the theys are Trump listed a majority of people."
It seems like only yesterday Ted Cruz stood at a podium at the republican convention, a time to seek unity and come together to take on Hillary, and told the entire world not voting for Trump was super cool and all the GOPe-ers went sprinting to the media to tell them that Hillary wasn't so bad after all.
But again, as with ALL things now, Trump started everything and nothing that the GOPe-ers have ever done in history can be held against them because of the "TRUMP!!!!!!!" Get Out Of Jail Free Card. Everything bad started in 2016 and all the bad things will go away if Trump just goes away and we return to the happy status quo of Mitt Romney-ites as elder statesmen and leaders of the party.
But to address AMDG's point directly, yes its quite possible the combined forces of the GOPe with their democratical allies will be enough to defeat the republicans who want republicans to fight against the democraticals.
Paddy O: "I'd like Trump to prove his intentions by sharing who he would include as key advisors and cabinet. He talks real pretty and fires up his audience but when it came time to choose trusted folks he really stumbled."
Yes, Trump took the elected GOP leadership at their word and they stuck a knife in him along with their democratical allies.
But hey, that never deserves a mention. We're just supposed to get rid of the one guy that really fought for us because the people that stabbed us in the back along with Trump told us to get rid of him.
Sorry. Hard pass.
And while we are at it, why wouldn't you demand ALL the candidates name who their advisors would be?
Oh, that's right. The calvinball rules are for Trump only.
Paddy O said...
I'd like Trump to prove his intentions by sharing who he would include as key advisors and cabinet
=======
will that be like Trump painting/laser pointing target on people?
I would suggest why not ask for volunteers from the multitudes ?
That's the way speeches go at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but Trump has to be Mr. Fix-It, rather than Mr. Ideological Warrior. I certainly liked Mr. Fix-It and Mr. Entertainment better than Mr. Ideological Warrior grimly intent on settling scores. Trump isn't going to "drain the swamp" or drive the warmongers out or abolish the Department of Education. He can bring some policy changes, but the point has to be bringing the economy back, not churning out the same tired rhetoric about things that conservative politicians promise but never do.
You will be disappointed to learn that, when in power, DJT and the Rs have had no appetite for fiscal sanity.
Partially true. Certainly not Trump nor many Republicans. Most certainly no Democrats at all. There are a few fiscal conservatives in Congress (all Republicans
btw), but they stand the chance of a snowball in hell of bringing back fiscal sanity. Best they've been able to do is nibble at the edges. Kinda like Trump bragging about saving a few billion here and there. No meaningful difference to the big picture.
I've seen you bring up the fiscal sanity issue more than once but have yet to see any mention of Democrats. Not really interested in addressing the problem are you? First step is probably never electing a Democrat to public office again, but we can agree that even then the chances of getting ahold of the nation's finances would still be in the low single didgets. The American people as a whole have no appetite for doing what it would take, and without the willingness to make some hard sacrifice it's not going to get done.
But if you are serious there are some things that we could do that wouldn't cause too much pain and slightly mitigate the problem. Quit making Republicans build up the military and then let the Democrats deplete the resources. Clinton did it, Obama did it, and Biden is doing it. Control immigration. We've talked about it before, but the present costs of this failure are about equal to a quarter of our present military budget. Taken together that's a chunk of change. SS is easy, raise the age, but Medicare really needs reformed or eliminated if your serious about it.
So if you want to bring up the fiscal sanity issue you might want to forward some solutions. Otherwise you just come off as another idiot troll.
Q. What’s the definition of a demagogue?
A. Watch Mr. Trump’s CPAC speech and get back to us.
"will that be like Trump painting/laser pointing target on people?
I would suggest why not ask for volunteers from the multitudes ?"
That's a good idea. As far as painting lasers, no different doing it now or later. That's a huge downside for Trump and while unfair and unfortunate, still true for those of us who want real change rather than just wanting to avenge the last 6+ years.
If he can't get trusted folks to work for and with him, he can't do what he says he will do.
"And while we are at it, why wouldn't you demand ALL the candidates name who their advisors would be?"
You're weird.
So you're saying we shouldn't assess particular strengths and weaknesses of a candidate's history and that doing so is Calvinball? You must be terrible at chess.
If course he had people stab him in the back. That's politics. He didntbhave people he could trust and he picked wrong people for his own team who showed loyalty elsewhere. If someone doesn have the ability to get the job done and has staff who don't support him, he's not going to be successful.
It's an actual skill/trait to look for in assessing a real leader.
But if you don't think that's fair okay. Life isn't fair. And sometimes our boyfriend fails you even if he's really pretty.
Just reading the except in the heading from Trump's talk at a half-empty hall at CPAC, it becomes clear Trump's rhetoric is never anything but glittering generalities, grandiose claims to miracles performed and promises of more to come, (if he is elected), puffery, and insults. A profligate word-stream bereft of hard facts or explication of policies. His mind is a void, his supporters beguiled by their own projection onto him of their own grudges, hatreds, wishes, fantasies, and longings.
Douglas B. Levene: "Q. What’s the definition of a demagogue?
A. Watch Mr. Trump’s CPAC speech and get back to us."
Is that why you are okay with a weaponized federal bureaucracy framing a duly elected President for impeachment purposes?
"I wonder where we would be if Trump had won the 2020 election? I have no doubt it was stolen. I blame him a bit for not anticipating the role of mail-in ballots and preparing for the fraud. Some of this I blame on Kushner and the GOPe slobs he hired. Kellyanne Conway was preoccupied with her disastrous marriage so I can't blame her. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that SARS 2 was a planned epidemic to get rid of Trump. Millions died but the CCP doesn't really care about that. The Democrats eagerly cooperated. Biden, of course, is owned by China and I wonder how many other Washington characters are also on the payroll?"
You have finally passed over from being an unpleasant crank constantly shouting "Get off my lawn!" to those with whom you are peeved to becoming completely unmoored from any evidence-bound reality, seeing in every matter that has happened in the world these past few years, great and small, evidence of a vast, globally interconnected plot the primary (if not sole) purpose of which was to expel Trump from office. Occam's Razor tells us Trump's loss was simply the result of the great dislike so many US voters held for Trump. There's no mystery in that dislike; the mystery is in how so many could become (and remain) so beguiled by such a crude and offensive huckster, a lying and classless oaf serving only himself.
"They" are the people offended by being called communists, who are in fact fascists and fascist enablers. There are no "liberals" left in America. They've all converted or allowed themselves to become enablers.
Cook is right. Trump lost to Biden. And he lost despite having a great economy at the time. He lost because he has zero impulse control and many women and weak men who might have voted Republican were repulsed by him and could not hold their noses. They are not coming back. That is on him and it is fatal. Disqualifying.
He has also failed to learn a single thing about why he lost. I am grateful for his service, but he has lost me. I'll do everything I can to make sure he doesn't get nominated.
Of course, if he is nominated, I will vote for him. I'm not stupid.
'They' are the people Trump couldn't handle in his first term. But just give him another chance, and by Golly, he'll get 'em this time!
Darcy is correct.
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