Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Trump and The Art of Hate Baiting

President Donald Trump

 Hate baiting is Trumpism's answer to race baiting. Tell them they are just hate baiting when a Trump supporter goes hateful with words that really don't matter.

Liberals and progressives have long been subject to getting a knee jerk response of race baiting whenever issues around racial discrimination or racial injustice were raised in order to take the legitimacy out of whatever the underlying argument was about. It did not matter if the issues were concerning African American deaths at the hands of police or harsh treatment of migrants from nations south of the United States border, the instant the color of the individuals involved were mentioned the reply from those unwilling to entertain race as a factor in the negative outcome was that race baiting was involved to cloud the discussion. We have now entered a new era under President Donald Trump when so-called race baiting on one side should be replaced by hate baiting on the other.

It should be clear that the type of insulting, vitriolic and often racist language coming from Trump and his supporters should have a label, hate baiting. Hate baiting is using intentionally toxic language such as calling Black athletes kneeling to protest police violence against African Americans sons-of-bitches, said migrants were infesting America and called the press the enemy of the people. Hate baiting has gone from words to actions with migrant children separated from their parents. Hate baiting by Trump and his supporters is designed to provoke a like response from opponents that will allow a coordinated attack by Trump supporters citing a lack of civility. Hate baiting includes flaunting demeaning acts such as former Trump campaign manager Corey R. Lewandowski when on a televised news interview made a dismissive, womp womp, sound when another guest mentioned a migrant child with downs syndrome child separated from his parents at the border. Lewandowsky was vilified by the left for his remarks, but lauded by Trump supporters. President Trump rewarded Lewandowsky with a seat on Air Force One as he flew to a campaign rally where he was applauded by the crowd in attendance. Hate baiting is a strategy and responding in kind is a trap for Trump policy opponents, but it is understandable when turning the other cheek just gets you another slap on your face.  Congresswoman Maxine Waters fell into the hate baiting trap and was attacked on all sides, but I guess she was tired of getting slapped in her face.

Next time Trump or his his supporters say something in the most hateful way possible, take their power and tell them they are just hate baiting. 

Let us try to save those hate baiting responses for voting if we can hold out.     

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