Quote:
Originally Posted by matteos
Although what these morons have done is deplorable and they deserve serious jail time. I don't blame trump. Trump is an idiot and a blowhard, but these Muppets actions are there own. They're just looking for an excuse and would have probably done it anyway.
I know a lot of people who have been saying what Trump has vocalised for years and as stupid and racist as they are they still never attacked anyone.
To be clear. Trump is a giant douche.
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Maybe they would have done it anyway--and maybe not. We can't know, so you're right that we can't say that Trump is directly responsible. But we can say that his rhetoric weighed on the wrong side in these guy's decision-making. In fact, the one guy offered Trump's verbal attacks as an excuse! So we have good reason to observe, as Boreas did, that "hearing it from a presidential candidate legitimizes it..... In a sense, giving them permission to take action."
And I observe that Trump's reaction, just smiling and calling the fellows nothing worse than 'passionate,' irresponsibly fails to cancel such permission. In fact, I'd say he in effect
praised them, with faint damns. The indulgent smile will be felt as approval, by guys with anti-Hispanic 'passion.' And Trump will get approval back. And he knows it, and is counting on it.
What does he care if a Hispanic bum or two get assaulted?