Memory Memonot in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

In politics, it pays to have a memory. In policy, it pays to have a memory. But people are just straight up using Memory wrong.

Positive Use of Memory: Mitch McConnel made it his mission since 2010 to obstruct, frustrate, complicate, and impede the Democrats in every way up to and including the illegal blockage of Merrick Garland.
Positive Why: This is positive because when the same man demands that Democrats work with him now, they need to remember that this is a man who puts HIS party over OUR country. So working WITH him should be done at best with both eyes open and exit strategies should they be needed.

DUMB fucking Use of Memory: “But Obama did it too!”

I don’t get why Trump Supporters and GOP backers think that this is a “Win Argument Instantly” card. I know they don’t know me but… GUESS WHAT, WORLD! I voted against Obama both times! So saying “Obama did it too” doesn’t mean DICK! But at the very least… can we potentially look at history through context and intelligence?!

Example 1: I was arguing with a Trumpist over the “Child Separation Policy.” They say they aren’t a Trumpist but their words betrayed them because they were (1) parroting his Twitter statements; and (2) decrying that all media was lying.

Trumpist claimed that the Child Separation issue was “media sponsored bullshit” because Obama put the law in action and did the same thing without all this media bullshit.
TRUTH: The law was put in place under Bush and both Bush and Obama used “investigation and interview” protocols which is VERY different from “zero tolerance.” Investigate and Interview means We’re going to scrutinize each incident in a manner intended to prevent human trafficking and limit criminal movement.. Zero Tolerance was implemented exclusively under Trump, in part (that was admitted to) in an effort to discourage migrants. The difference? Under Investigate and Interview, only the children that were reasonably victims of kidnapping, trafficking, or abuse were separated from their parents. Under Zero Tolerance, all children were separated from their parents.

Here is what I WISH the takeaway was: HOWEVER you feel about immigration, migrants, and politics in general… we can’t discuss anything if we aren’t discussing facts. YOU support Zero Tolerance policy? FINE! We can debate that on the merits. But don’t sit here saying “But Obama did it too!” and then argue with me when you don’t have the facts straight.

If you want to debate the value of Zero Tolerance versus Investigate and Interview? There are some legitimate arguments to be made. But stating the same debunked lies of President Narcissist isn’t debate… it’s shameful.

Example 2: I posted about how the immigration issue at the border right now is disgraceful. I mentioned that sending thousands of troops, attempting to build a wall, and all the Trump-backed anti-immigration shit going around is the wrong direction. If even HALF of the money used to fund the Publicity Stunt at the Border was directed to getting our Immigration Courts back up to Functional? That would make a difference. Because the issue, the BIG issue, with our courts isn’t “illegals crossing the border”… the BIG issue, where most of our “illegals” come from and where all the 9/11 Terrorists came from? Expired Visas and other individuals overstaying their lawful stays. A fact that we are ABYSMAL at catching in the system because our system is so backlogged, slow, and broken. If we wanted an Immigration System that actually worked… at all… and if we actually CARED about stopping Illegal Immigration while still respecting the Rule of Law pertaining to Asylum Seekers, we’d put our focus on fixing Immigration not militarizing our border. (That’s what I posted… it wasn’t a fuck you trump… it wasn’t a ‘i want open borders’… it wasn’t any of that.)

AND YET the Trumpist, the same from above, simply said “Moron, Obama did it, too” then linked to a report about ICE/Border Patrol Pepper Spraying people at the border.

I didn’t explode on him. I wanted to. I REALLY wanted to. Because “pepper spraying at the border” has a legal distinction to “launching teargas grenades into a sovereign nation”. The international law and sovereignty issues alone are significant enough to warrant separating those two items as “different as fuck”. But even beyond that… going back to the “Obama did it”.... did he? I mean… lets share fact here in the most intentionally stunted in-Trump’s-favor way possible:

(1) Under Obama, Government Officials assaulted Hispanics attempting to gain entry to the United States.
(2) Under Trump, Government Officials assaulted Hispanics attempting to gain entry to the United States.

So… we’ll start our Factual Basis with that. But, no matter how desperately people would like this to be untrue, context matters. In 2013, was Barack Obama a racist? Some have argued that he was because of his connections to Pastor Wright. I wouldn’t go that far. I’d say he may have been misguided about things and was perhaps too eager to “redress the wrongs” done to others. In 2018, is Donald Trump a racist? He has argued that he is not. However, he was censured by the Real Estate Board for unlawfully preventing black people to reside in his buildings… he did refuse to disavow David Duke initially… he did openly defend White Nationalists after a White Nationalist murdered an American Citizen… and based on the reports around the country of hate crimes increasing especially those motivated by race or religion… I’ll steal Mr. Gillum’s and amend slightly: “Donald Trump may not think he’s a racist… but the racists think he agrees with them.”

Add in the historical context… Obama had not made The Border a central focus of a recent campaign… in 2013 there was no campaign. Midterms wouldn’t be held for another year and Obama had already won his final re-election campaign. Conversely, Trump made the border and “the evil migrant caravans of disease and rapists and middle easterners” the damned FOCUS of his midterm campaign stump speeches. Fuck, Fox News Propaganda on the subject bordered the hysterical (both as in “reaching hysterics” and “laughably silly”). So… again… context. Obama’s Government Officials pepper spraying due to an incident at the border… compared to weeks of hostile, violent, hateful rhetoric that resulted in teargas grenades.

And finally, what Trumpists have been ignoring the whole time that always gets me during these “Obama did it, too” defense strategies?
WHEN was it?
Because if it happened after 2010, Obama was executive but GOP was legislative. There was no unilateral push for a SINGLE UNIFIED POLITICAL AGENDA and Obama often gave too much when the Congressional GOP demanded a compromise. MEANWHILE (how quickly they forget) Donald Trump has had the Executive and Legislative Branch for his entire Presidency. And not just “The Senate” or “The House”… he had ALL OF IT. Single Unified Political Agenda of the GOP (if they could develop one and put it in place before midterms). So… frankly… between 2010 and 2016… Obama had to juggle his policy goals against McConnel’s policy goals. 2016 to January 2019… Trump and the GOP can do whatever they want (and often have).

SO… ultimately… finally…
“But Obama did it, too!” is stupid, completely disregards history and… frankly… you’re saying it to the wrong audience. I was not an Obama backer. And I despised Hillary. But acting like Trump is doing a good job for any portion of this country? Unless you’re super rich.... you’re dreaming.

Oh, I can say that with confidence, too, because SO MANY Trump supporters list “The Tax Cut” as the example that he has done amazing things for the country.... that tax cut doesn’t go into affect for most private citizens until 2019. The Tax School training lawyers and accountants on that bill is being held (in Iowa) on December 6. So that “my taxes are lowered” bit, whether you know it or not, is bullshit unless you own your own company and your company take home is high.