This is such a wonderful, powerful piece of writing. Reaching the end and seeing how young the author is impressed me even more. I have had the exact same experience but as a middle age person. I voted for Biden and celebrated in the streets when he was elected. But a few days later when I found out that Trump gained in every category except white men I realized my blue bubble was giving me an inaccurate view of that world. I went on a journey to find different voices, such as this Substack, and have humbly had my eyes opened. So much of the rhetoric now reminds me of the rhetoric after 9/11. When the Democrats brought Dick Cheney on the stage during their January 6 melodrama I knew we were sunk. You're either with us or against us. The war on terror is coming home. But don't look at the fact that the Democrats have spent $43 million to elevate the terrorist candidates. I feel relieved and full of gratitude that there are young people such as yourself out there Kiyah. Keep speaking your mind. We need you!!
Kiyah: Joe Biden did not call you a MAGA Republican. The Democratic Party that you left a few years ago is definitely flawed and captured to some degree by loud and proud extremists who are playing the same game with Cancel Culture as the MAGA conspiracists and purveyors of misinformation are doing. The Republican Party of 2022 is wrapped in a leadership stranglehold that bows and scrapes to a dangerous man. Trump is no honest Republican. He is allied with demagogues and he is de facto leading the Republican Party. Biden has flaws and made mistakes in that speech insofar as he leaned into political grandstanding in the second half. But he is not attempting to overthrown the government as Trump is doing and a determined group of his MAGA followers, the most dangerous of which are in the US Congress---some clear to see and others just cowardly and invisible. We are in grave danger as long as we give any credence to Donald Trump and his followers.
She has titled her piece I Am a MAGA Republican. How does this not reveal a political philosophy? The bottom line is that she is calling out Joe Biden with claims unaligned with the facts. He did not call all Republicans MAGAs or extremists. This is a Fox News talking point and is not what he said in either presentation.
When you get to the subtitle, "Or so Joe Biden tells me," it should become clear that Kiyah's title is ironic. We would hate to think that irony can no longer be used as a rhetorical device!
Also, Kiyah makes clear that she heard Joe Biden's disclaimer that not all Republicans are "bad" Republicans. She can respond for herself, but we editors take her to be saying that that is cold comfort. If you identity as a Republican, are you supposed to breath a sigh of relief and say, "Well, at least my president doesn't think *I* am a threat to democracy! He knows I'm one of the good ones."
So, her overall point, in our reading, is that Biden's speech is disastrous political rhetoric. It's certainly possible to disagree with that assessment, and at FBT we welcome disagreement, but we believe that Kiyah is not merely expressing a Fox News talking point.
You say: “The bottom line is that she is calling out Joe Biden with claims unaligned with the facts. He did not call all Republicans MAGAs or extremists. “
Joe Biden quote from the article:
“Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. “
The woke phenomenon that is unscientific policies about gender, race, climate, covid, the law and history, that is infecting every institution in America, is a far greater threat to America and freedom than MAGA is. The last two years as well, have seen the greatest transfer of wealth up the social pyramid in the history of the world, dwarfing the great recession. So I say to Kiyah, welcome to deplorable country. There is an immense amount of work to be done, to rebuild America. Thank you for your work in that regard.
Agreed. However what the "excesses" of the right are according to the Left such "extremes" as individual responsibility, love of country, pride in our flag, free speech ( without the aid of partisan "fact-checkers knocking us off of social media) a balance of viewpoints in our institutions, reverence for our national history including and in spite of its flaws, equal opportunity as opposed to equal outcomes , the importance of merit, a classical education, and a return to measuring people by their character rather than their race, gender, or other immutable qualities. Nothing about any of this should be regarded as extreme. Cultural Marxism has made it so. That is the real and lasting threat to this country and it isn't coming from the Right.
Except to chose Dems at this point is to choose and accept fealty to those unscientific policies so dependent on cancel culture and censorship, and economic policies that are leading inexorably to reduced life expectancy and reduced population, aka a Great Reset to save the earth.
and to choose the far right is to accept fealty to lies, convenient truths, authoritarianism, abuse and abandonment of laws and the constitution, outlawing abortion, climate denial, and so on. the far right will not save us any faster than the far left. once you make a bad choice, you own the entire platform.
And Trump is forgiven and actually cheered on for antagonizing and threatening political opponents every day of his administration ("enemy of the people"); ruining countless lives in or out of his administration; lying about election results; bribing foreign leaders; intimidating and bribing local (republican) officials; and staging a deadly riot. And he's somehow forgiven or not responsible whereas the REAL enemies are: Biden, Clinton, Pelosi, and yadda yadda yadda. If people bumped their heads and have a short memory, go see a doctor. If y'all think you get to apply two standards, sorry, not happening.
In the interests of precision, I can't find Trump's use of "enemy of the people" applied to any groups other than "the press" (later qualified to "the FAKE NEWS media" and then indicating that he didn't consider every media outlet to be "FAKE NEWS."
What some , maybe many, perhaps most Trump adherents like about his attacks on political opponents is that they do not consider Trump a "politician" and dislike politicians enough that any attack on them is regarded as siding with the angels.
A small poster I saw in a storefront window exemplifies this attitude well: a photo of a very serious-looking Trump with the slogan, "They're not trying to get me: they're trying to get you. I'm justv standing in their way."
People are credulous by nature. Trump has said as much on a number of occasions. "Say it... and they'll believe it." He looks down on his supporters. All their good for is money and cult worship. He stole $200M with the big lie right under their noses. And people didn't suddenly get smarter or learn how to count.
I'm from a place called NYC. Sunnyside to be precise. Trump did WORSE in his home town than any place else in the country. You might ask yourself why when politicians almost always do better? Because we know him. Know him to be the racist clown, liar, cheat, scumbag for 40-50 years. "Grab them by the pussy..." is who he is. No one else. And it shocks us to no end that people can be so gullible and continue to buy his nonsense.
Sure, you could be excused 5-6 years ago. Even 2 years ago. But after the election and Jan 6, you have to have to be mental to think he belongs anywhere near the oval office.
Apparently it only counts as a lie or a smear if a Republican does it. Of course, if I only got my news from NPR, MSNBC or the NYT I would be as bereft of knowledge as the Far Left.
stick to the facts and you needn't worry, whether you listen to fox, msnbc, cnn, or the wall street journal. I observe all of the media across the spectrum and rely on myself, and only myself, to corroborate information.
I'd missed Jean-Pierre's remarks, which are pretty damn chilling. I am reminded (of all things) "Terrorist," a German punk rock song by a band called the Pack:
" let’s make no mistake that when he spoke about “extremism” in these two speeches, he meant anyone who disagrees with him or his administration"
I think is flatly wrong. You are twisting his words to fit your own agenda.
The threats to democracy are the Republican candidates for state office (governor, sec. of state) who have explicitly said that they would not have certified their state's vote for Biden in 2020.
These Republicans are indeed a threat to democracy. If you back them, so are you.
Thank you for engaging with our post and commenting!
As for "If you back them, so are you": Do note that the author does not mention backing anyone in this piece. She writes: "I have tried to avoid labeling my current political philosophy. Etc."
We think this is an area where it's possible to have any number of different opinions.
Kiyah was careful to point out that, in her reading of its various statements, the administration seems to go back and forth between saying "extremists" are just a few people and "extremists" are all who disagree with "the majority," which the administration then positions itself as representing.
The key passage is here:
Quote/
Despite Biden’s hedging, let’s make no mistake that when he spoke about “extremism” in these two speeches, he meant anyone who disagrees with him or his administration.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified this in a press conference shortly before Biden’s Independence Hall speech:
"When you are not with where a majority of Americans are, then, you know, that is extreme. That is an extreme way of thinking."
The Press secretary was also careful to specify that “the majority agree with” Biden. The inference seems to be that anyone who doesn’t agree with Biden, who faithfully represents “the majority,” must be an extremist dedicated to an “extreme way of thinking.”
The part of this that inspires me is the author’s vow to be her own person. By not succumbing to the pendulum effect of swinging across to the other side she shows independence and character. Power to Kiyah.
We all have this epiphany moment at some point or another and I am glad yours came early on. The next step you should make is to stop referring to the United States as a Democracy we are a constitutional republic and always have been. The closest we get to anything Democratic is our elections that's it.
As you venture on what will be a long and arduous journey, know that there are many folks like you who have your back. We all have moments when we realize that to some groups we have very little value beyond our votes. Mine personally happened at 19 in 1996 needless to say I never got to cast my first vote. There wasn't a single Republican responsible for that situation. It was Democrats that looked just like me.
There is an article I always suggest to people written by Zora Neale Hurston. The article is titled "Why The Negro Won't Buy Communism." You will be shocked to find how much she predicted our president day in 1951. There's a book by Manning Johnson titled "Color, Communism & Common Sense." You will be shocked to see what many of us thought was Democrat ideology has its actual roots in communism. Good luck Sis I know great things are ahead of you.
So, I think B\iden thinks like me. There are some MAGA Republicans who will follow Trump to the end. And there are Republicans who would like to move past Trump for whatever reasons. And there are Republicans who are really, really sad about the current Republican Party, who vote for Democrats because they fear for democracy in the hands of people who won't accept that they lost an election.
I watched some people who used to vote for Democrats change over Wokeism and vote for Trump. I wish they hadn't. But I agree with them that wokeism is bad and I want the Democrats to get past it. Still it is not the only issue that will decide how I vote. I no longer consider myself a Democrat and I enjoy the freedom of not having a label. Hope you will too. Don't misread Biden. Be indendependent.
Thank You Kiyah! Like You I'm politically homeless after voting for Biden. Not likely to make that mistake again. Same with Trump. No good choices it seems.
TY again. Great article. Comments interesting as well. TY FBT.
But don't let the ruling class bullies (and that is what they are) intimdate you into accepting their definitions, their terms, as when you write, "We need to extend to everyone the freedom to express their thoughts, even when they go against the mainstream narrative."
Who defines what the "mainstream" is? is it only the majority view? So are devout Muslims, Hindus and Christians who hold to a traditional definition of marriage "non-mainstream" even though the overwhelming number of people on this planet hold to those views? Do the Western elites really get to redefine their ideology as the only one that is "mainstream"?
Perhaps it is better that we simply state, "We need to extend to everyone the freedom to express their thoughts."
The legacy media's attempts to impose its belief system on the rest of society hardly qualifies those beliefs as solely defining "mainstream" thought.
Your creed is one many can get behind. Thank you for your example and now leadership!
This is such a wonderful, powerful piece of writing. Reaching the end and seeing how young the author is impressed me even more. I have had the exact same experience but as a middle age person. I voted for Biden and celebrated in the streets when he was elected. But a few days later when I found out that Trump gained in every category except white men I realized my blue bubble was giving me an inaccurate view of that world. I went on a journey to find different voices, such as this Substack, and have humbly had my eyes opened. So much of the rhetoric now reminds me of the rhetoric after 9/11. When the Democrats brought Dick Cheney on the stage during their January 6 melodrama I knew we were sunk. You're either with us or against us. The war on terror is coming home. But don't look at the fact that the Democrats have spent $43 million to elevate the terrorist candidates. I feel relieved and full of gratitude that there are young people such as yourself out there Kiyah. Keep speaking your mind. We need you!!
Thank you, well done.
Kiyah: Joe Biden did not call you a MAGA Republican. The Democratic Party that you left a few years ago is definitely flawed and captured to some degree by loud and proud extremists who are playing the same game with Cancel Culture as the MAGA conspiracists and purveyors of misinformation are doing. The Republican Party of 2022 is wrapped in a leadership stranglehold that bows and scrapes to a dangerous man. Trump is no honest Republican. He is allied with demagogues and he is de facto leading the Republican Party. Biden has flaws and made mistakes in that speech insofar as he leaned into political grandstanding in the second half. But he is not attempting to overthrown the government as Trump is doing and a determined group of his MAGA followers, the most dangerous of which are in the US Congress---some clear to see and others just cowardly and invisible. We are in grave danger as long as we give any credence to Donald Trump and his followers.
Thank you for your engagement with Kiyah's piece and your comment!
Please do note that nowhere in the piece does she say that she "give[s] any credence to Donald Trump and his followers."
She writes: "I have tried to avoid labeling my current political philosophy. Etc."
She has titled her piece I Am a MAGA Republican. How does this not reveal a political philosophy? The bottom line is that she is calling out Joe Biden with claims unaligned with the facts. He did not call all Republicans MAGAs or extremists. This is a Fox News talking point and is not what he said in either presentation.
When you get to the subtitle, "Or so Joe Biden tells me," it should become clear that Kiyah's title is ironic. We would hate to think that irony can no longer be used as a rhetorical device!
Also, Kiyah makes clear that she heard Joe Biden's disclaimer that not all Republicans are "bad" Republicans. She can respond for herself, but we editors take her to be saying that that is cold comfort. If you identity as a Republican, are you supposed to breath a sigh of relief and say, "Well, at least my president doesn't think *I* am a threat to democracy! He knows I'm one of the good ones."
So, her overall point, in our reading, is that Biden's speech is disastrous political rhetoric. It's certainly possible to disagree with that assessment, and at FBT we welcome disagreement, but we believe that Kiyah is not merely expressing a Fox News talking point.
You say: “The bottom line is that she is calling out Joe Biden with claims unaligned with the facts. He did not call all Republicans MAGAs or extremists. “
Joe Biden quote from the article:
“Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. “
The woke phenomenon that is unscientific policies about gender, race, climate, covid, the law and history, that is infecting every institution in America, is a far greater threat to America and freedom than MAGA is. The last two years as well, have seen the greatest transfer of wealth up the social pyramid in the history of the world, dwarfing the great recession. So I say to Kiyah, welcome to deplorable country. There is an immense amount of work to be done, to rebuild America. Thank you for your work in that regard.
Fortunately, we need not make a choice. We can objectively reject the excesses of both the left and the right without unreasonably empowering either.
Agreed. However what the "excesses" of the right are according to the Left such "extremes" as individual responsibility, love of country, pride in our flag, free speech ( without the aid of partisan "fact-checkers knocking us off of social media) a balance of viewpoints in our institutions, reverence for our national history including and in spite of its flaws, equal opportunity as opposed to equal outcomes , the importance of merit, a classical education, and a return to measuring people by their character rather than their race, gender, or other immutable qualities. Nothing about any of this should be regarded as extreme. Cultural Marxism has made it so. That is the real and lasting threat to this country and it isn't coming from the Right.
Except to chose Dems at this point is to choose and accept fealty to those unscientific policies so dependent on cancel culture and censorship, and economic policies that are leading inexorably to reduced life expectancy and reduced population, aka a Great Reset to save the earth.
and to choose the far right is to accept fealty to lies, convenient truths, authoritarianism, abuse and abandonment of laws and the constitution, outlawing abortion, climate denial, and so on. the far right will not save us any faster than the far left. once you make a bad choice, you own the entire platform.
There is a far greater chance of reforming the Republican party at this point than the Dem/Woke/Globalist/DeepState patrty.
good luck.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2022/09/08/lessons-from-the-2022-primaries-what-do-they-tell-us-about-americas-political-parties-and-the-midterm-elections
And Trump is forgiven and actually cheered on for antagonizing and threatening political opponents every day of his administration ("enemy of the people"); ruining countless lives in or out of his administration; lying about election results; bribing foreign leaders; intimidating and bribing local (republican) officials; and staging a deadly riot. And he's somehow forgiven or not responsible whereas the REAL enemies are: Biden, Clinton, Pelosi, and yadda yadda yadda. If people bumped their heads and have a short memory, go see a doctor. If y'all think you get to apply two standards, sorry, not happening.
In the interests of precision, I can't find Trump's use of "enemy of the people" applied to any groups other than "the press" (later qualified to "the FAKE NEWS media" and then indicating that he didn't consider every media outlet to be "FAKE NEWS."
What some , maybe many, perhaps most Trump adherents like about his attacks on political opponents is that they do not consider Trump a "politician" and dislike politicians enough that any attack on them is regarded as siding with the angels.
A small poster I saw in a storefront window exemplifies this attitude well: a photo of a very serious-looking Trump with the slogan, "They're not trying to get me: they're trying to get you. I'm justv standing in their way."
People are credulous by nature. Trump has said as much on a number of occasions. "Say it... and they'll believe it." He looks down on his supporters. All their good for is money and cult worship. He stole $200M with the big lie right under their noses. And people didn't suddenly get smarter or learn how to count.
I'm from a place called NYC. Sunnyside to be precise. Trump did WORSE in his home town than any place else in the country. You might ask yourself why when politicians almost always do better? Because we know him. Know him to be the racist clown, liar, cheat, scumbag for 40-50 years. "Grab them by the pussy..." is who he is. No one else. And it shocks us to no end that people can be so gullible and continue to buy his nonsense.
Sure, you could be excused 5-6 years ago. Even 2 years ago. But after the election and Jan 6, you have to have to be mental to think he belongs anywhere near the oval office.
Apparently it only counts as a lie or a smear if a Republican does it. Of course, if I only got my news from NPR, MSNBC or the NYT I would be as bereft of knowledge as the Far Left.
stick to the facts and you needn't worry, whether you listen to fox, msnbc, cnn, or the wall street journal. I observe all of the media across the spectrum and rely on myself, and only myself, to corroborate information.
Thanks Kiyah. Well said! Right there with you! Great reminder I’m not alone and going crazy.
Great point! I feel crazy a lot these days.. second guess myself.
I'd missed Jean-Pierre's remarks, which are pretty damn chilling. I am reminded (of all things) "Terrorist," a German punk rock song by a band called the Pack:
"My neighbor
Doesn't buy a new car
And doesn't need no pop star
So he's a terrorist.
My neighbor
Keeps talking about freedom
And liberty and justice
So he's a terrorist."
" let’s make no mistake that when he spoke about “extremism” in these two speeches, he meant anyone who disagrees with him or his administration"
I think is flatly wrong. You are twisting his words to fit your own agenda.
The threats to democracy are the Republican candidates for state office (governor, sec. of state) who have explicitly said that they would not have certified their state's vote for Biden in 2020.
These Republicans are indeed a threat to democracy. If you back them, so are you.
Thank you for engaging with our post and commenting!
As for "If you back them, so are you": Do note that the author does not mention backing anyone in this piece. She writes: "I have tried to avoid labeling my current political philosophy. Etc."
Right, she does not, which is why I wrote "If ... then ...".
But she does make an assumption (that I quoted) that I think cannot be found in any fair reading of Biden's speech.
Thanks for clarifying!
We think this is an area where it's possible to have any number of different opinions.
Kiyah was careful to point out that, in her reading of its various statements, the administration seems to go back and forth between saying "extremists" are just a few people and "extremists" are all who disagree with "the majority," which the administration then positions itself as representing.
The key passage is here:
Quote/
Despite Biden’s hedging, let’s make no mistake that when he spoke about “extremism” in these two speeches, he meant anyone who disagrees with him or his administration.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified this in a press conference shortly before Biden’s Independence Hall speech:
"When you are not with where a majority of Americans are, then, you know, that is extreme. That is an extreme way of thinking."
The Press secretary was also careful to specify that “the majority agree with” Biden. The inference seems to be that anyone who doesn’t agree with Biden, who faithfully represents “the majority,” must be an extremist dedicated to an “extreme way of thinking.”
/Quote
Thank you for such a coherent piece. Like another commented, I too can align with your creed!
The part of this that inspires me is the author’s vow to be her own person. By not succumbing to the pendulum effect of swinging across to the other side she shows independence and character. Power to Kiyah.
Well thought out well said. Concur.
This is excellent.
Thank you for a great read.
Well said.
We all have this epiphany moment at some point or another and I am glad yours came early on. The next step you should make is to stop referring to the United States as a Democracy we are a constitutional republic and always have been. The closest we get to anything Democratic is our elections that's it.
As you venture on what will be a long and arduous journey, know that there are many folks like you who have your back. We all have moments when we realize that to some groups we have very little value beyond our votes. Mine personally happened at 19 in 1996 needless to say I never got to cast my first vote. There wasn't a single Republican responsible for that situation. It was Democrats that looked just like me.
There is an article I always suggest to people written by Zora Neale Hurston. The article is titled "Why The Negro Won't Buy Communism." You will be shocked to find how much she predicted our president day in 1951. There's a book by Manning Johnson titled "Color, Communism & Common Sense." You will be shocked to see what many of us thought was Democrat ideology has its actual roots in communism. Good luck Sis I know great things are ahead of you.
So, I think B\iden thinks like me. There are some MAGA Republicans who will follow Trump to the end. And there are Republicans who would like to move past Trump for whatever reasons. And there are Republicans who are really, really sad about the current Republican Party, who vote for Democrats because they fear for democracy in the hands of people who won't accept that they lost an election.
I watched some people who used to vote for Democrats change over Wokeism and vote for Trump. I wish they hadn't. But I agree with them that wokeism is bad and I want the Democrats to get past it. Still it is not the only issue that will decide how I vote. I no longer consider myself a Democrat and I enjoy the freedom of not having a label. Hope you will too. Don't misread Biden. Be indendependent.
Thank You Kiyah! Like You I'm politically homeless after voting for Biden. Not likely to make that mistake again. Same with Trump. No good choices it seems.
TY again. Great article. Comments interesting as well. TY FBT.
Great piece, Kiyah.
But don't let the ruling class bullies (and that is what they are) intimdate you into accepting their definitions, their terms, as when you write, "We need to extend to everyone the freedom to express their thoughts, even when they go against the mainstream narrative."
Who defines what the "mainstream" is? is it only the majority view? So are devout Muslims, Hindus and Christians who hold to a traditional definition of marriage "non-mainstream" even though the overwhelming number of people on this planet hold to those views? Do the Western elites really get to redefine their ideology as the only one that is "mainstream"?
Perhaps it is better that we simply state, "We need to extend to everyone the freedom to express their thoughts."
The legacy media's attempts to impose its belief system on the rest of society hardly qualifies those beliefs as solely defining "mainstream" thought.