Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Mark Latham - on board with Trump

I see that Mark Latham is getting rave reviews from the Catallaxy commenters for a column today in which he repeats so many of their favourite themes that  he could replace all of that mob using half a dozen aliases and no one would notice any difference.

It's all there - the Leftist "march through the institutions", cultural Marxism, the glorious Trumpian fight back as an outsider and populist who takes his message directly to the people, the complete disdain for civility in debate (because "they started it").   He even praises Trump for dumping the Paris Accord, when he (Latham) used to be adamant that politicians were foolish to reject climate change.

Getting caught up in the culture wars (which, in reality, has become a grand conspiracy theory believed in on the wingnut side) corrupts good sense and judgement, and Marks's a prime example.

No mention of the chronic lying and repetition of falsehood by Trump;  no mention of his political rise on the back of birtherism and climate change as a Chinese conspiracy;  no concern about repeat stories about how hard it is for anyone to give detailed explanations to him on complex issues; nothing about his less than useful contribution to health care reform; his simplistic understanding of tax, trade and economic policy; his dogwhistling to racism;  etc, etc.

Trump is personally obnoxious to opponents (which essentially means, anyone who criticises him) and on his side in the culture wars, and that's good enough for Mark.

What a loser.

6 comments:

not trampis said...

Does he believe this or is this merely an easy way to make money for Latham.

You would think he would not need it given his parliamentary pension but so be it.

It is interesting that the 'uneducated right wing' are so willing to pay to hear this lot of old cobblers . I have yet to see it on the left side of politics.

It is very much like the old unreconstructed commos of the 50s except they were educated and had a ideology that was rigid and somewhat coherent.!

Jason Soon said...

"It is interesting that the 'uneducated right wing' are so willing to pay to hear this lot of old cobblers . I have yet to see it on the left side of politics."

Yep no one would pay to hear you even on your own side Homes


"It is very much like the old unreconstructed commos of the 50s except they were educated and had a ideology that was rigid and somewhat coherent.!"

So two things where they were superior to you (educated and coherent). They are looking better everyday

John said...

They have jumped on the Trump train only to find it is now off the rails. Trump's approval ratings are as bad as bad gets, his namesake son appears to be in very big trouble, he can't get his agenda completed, no chance of the health care act getting through. Trump is already a lame duck president. Yet here in Aus the likes Latham, Bernardi and Abbott still think Trump is the way forward.

not trampis said...

Soony you are good at projection. Where is that intellect? It is nowhere to be found. Is this why you tweet. Get a headache if you read ot write too much?

Jason Soon said...

John
do any of these people really think Trump is a policy genius or are they just using him as a symbolic battering ram in the culture wars?
I think the latter

John said...

Jason

Not policy genius but political genius and there is truth to that, for one election. The One Nation Effect. Policy? I'm not sure what the relevant policies are. Bernardi and Abbott have a political philosophy, Trump is opportunistic. I don't know where Latham stands and suspect his position is also opportunistic because the Left can't stand him so he moves to the Right where at least he gets some time on screen. This strikes me as a last attempt by them to resurrect their idea of what Australian culture should be.