# My fears for my country **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 10, 2020, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724 "2020-02-10T10:10:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/61 "2020-02-16T16:40:34Z")
> [@margin](#): > > I provided a link to an obscure little rag called _The New York Times_, describing how Saint Bernie flew fourteen hours and changed planes three times to listen to people chant, “Here, there, the Yankee must die,” but like so many Bernie Bros, only dreamy worship of your savior is allowed. I don’t think Bernie flew to Nicaragua to sing or listen to anti-American chants. But since you can’t tell the difference between Ortega and Noriega perhaps your knowledge of history is lacking. He flew there to meet with Daniel Ortega during a bloody civil war that was being largely supported militarily and financially by the CIA. You may have heard of a little something called the Iran-Contra affair – that was the culmination of it, but the war itself involved the Contras [committing horrific atrocities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras#Atrocities) against the Sandinista government and civilian soft targets like schools and hospitals – outright war crimes that resulted in more than 30,000 deaths – all with the blessing of the US government and the covert support of the CIA. [More about that and Bernie’s visit here](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/who-was-naive-about-bernie-sanders-meeting-the-sandinistas/). At some point a reporter heard the referenced anti-American chant from someone during a rally. It’s a mystery why anyone would even bother mentioning it or be surprised by it, given the history of American-sponsored atrocities in the region. ---
**Author:** ![margin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/62 "2020-02-16T16:57:17Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I don’t think Bernie flew to Nicaragua to sing or listen to anti-American chants. But since you can’t tell the difference between Ortega and Noriega perhaps your knowledge of history is lacking. > > He flew there to meet with Daniel Ortega during a bloody civil war that was being largely supported militarily and financially by the CIA. You may have heard of a little something called the Iran-Contra affair – that was the culmination of it, but the war itself involved the Contras [committing horrific atrocities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras#Atrocities) against the Sandinista government and civilian soft targets like schools and hospitals – outright war crimes that resulted in more than 30,000 deaths – all with the blessing of the US government and the covert support of the CIA. [More about that and Bernie’s visit here](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/who-was-naive-about-bernie-sanders-meeting-the-sandinistas/). At some point a reporter heard the referenced anti-American chant from someone during a rally. It’s a mystery why anyone would even bother mentioning it or be surprised by it, given the history of American-sponsored atrocities in the region. It’s not that I can’t tell the difference, asshole, it’s a slip of the tongue, but just like I said, you won’t read or consider anything that criticizes Dear Leader, so fuck you for asking for cites when you knew goddamned well your mind was made up. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/63 "2020-02-16T17:27:35Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > {…} Why was Nixon really thrown out of power? Because 1974 was on the heels of the Civil Rights marches, the anti-Vietnam war protests. People got out in the streets back then. They were willing to swell the local jails with scores of activists - and both republicans and democrats damn well knew it, too. That’s just not the case now. In fact, republicans are banking on you not to get out into the streets. They’re hedging on the assumption you won’t. Why was Nixon in power? Oh yeah, > [@](#): > > {…} Nixon won the election in a landslide, taking 60.7% of the popular vote and carrying 49 states, and he was the first Republican to sweep the South. McGovern took just 37.5% of the popular vote, while John G. Schmitz of the American Independent Party won 1.4% of the vote. Nixon received almost 18 million more votes than McGovern, and he holds the record for the widest popular vote margin in any United States presidential election. {…}[RIGHT][CITE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_United_States_presidential_election)[/RIGHT] Now, as I recall it, the Civil Rights marches and the anti-Vietnam war protests did not happen between 72 and 74. So, maybe you’d kindly explain how said marches and protests swayed ‘middle’ America to not vote the greater of the two evils? ‘(At Least) For More Years!’ CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/64 "2020-02-16T21:05:43Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Why was Nixon in power? > Oh yeah,Now, as I recall it, the Civil Rights marches and the anti-Vietnam war protests did not happen between 72 and 74. So, maybe you’d kindly explain how said marches and protests swayed ‘middle’ America to not vote the greater of the two evils? > > ‘(At Least) For More Years!’ > > CMC fnord! Are you really that fucking thick? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/65 "2020-02-16T22:15:31Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Are you really that fucking thick? Are you just gonna insult me and not answer the fucking question? CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/66 "2020-02-16T23:01:28Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Are you just gonna insult me and not answer the fucking question? > > CMC fnord! Yes, I just might. Are you that fucking thick? Do you need your diaper changed? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/67 "2020-02-16T23:11:39Z")
Because 1972 was on the heels of the Civil Rights marches, the anti-Vietnam war protests. People got out to the polls back then. Electing a ‘law and order’ Republican was exactly what middle America wanted. Swelling the local jails with scores of activists was what they wanted. Your turn, I expect a decent insult, try hard! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/68 "2020-02-16T23:29:57Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Because 1972 was on the heels of the Civil Rights marches, the anti-Vietnam war protests. People got out to the polls back then. Electing a ‘law and order’ Republican was exactly what middle America wanted. Swelling the local jails with scores of activists was what they wanted. > > Your turn, I expect a decent insult, try hard! > > CMC fnord! Right, but did they get a law and order president, or a lawless president? You tell me, smartass. My point was, compared to now, people weren’t going to tolerate Nixon’s bullshit, once it was revealed. It took a lot of investigative journalism, some hearings, some tapes for people to recognize the shit stains on Nixon’s dirty drawers, but it was apparent that, unlike now, people weren’t going to accept a lawless president. In case you missed, you senile fucking tool, that was the point. I’ll conclude by saying that maybe you should stop pulling the “I was alive then” card. Guess someone should point out that your posting “acumen” (lol) is a bit off. You’re losing your acuity, pops. Go fuck with someone on the JV squad, 'cause I own your geriatric ass. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/69 "2020-02-16T23:45:51Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Right, but did they get a law and order president, or a lawless president? You tell me, smartass. > > My point was, compared to now, people weren’t going to tolerate Nixon’s bullshit, once it was revealed. It took a lot of investigative journalism, some hearings, some tapes for people to recognize the shit stains on Nixon’s dirty drawers, but it was apparent that, unlike now, people weren’t going to accept a lawless president. In case you missed, you senile fucking tool, that was the point. > > I’ll conclude by saying that maybe you should stop pulling the “I was alive then” card. Guess someone should point out that your posting “acumen” (lol) is a bit off. You’re losing your acuity, pops. Go fuck with someone on the JV squad, 'cause I own your geriatric ass. People were more than willing to tolerate Nixon’s bullshit, once it was revealed. Nixon’s bullshit was compared to Kennedy’s. “Well, when the President does it, that means that it is not illegal.” wasn’t dismissed with a chortle. And you forgot ‘boomer’! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/70 "2020-02-16T23:51:12Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > People were more than willing to tolerate Nixon’s bullshit, once it was revealed. Nixon’s bullshit was compared to Kennedy’s. > “Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.” wasn’t dismissed with a chortle. Right, according to your ole ‘Lemme sip some moonshine while I talk shit about ole times,’ fuzzy-ass memory anecdotes. :rolleyes: You forgot: Republicans caved. I’m guessing that people who do politics for a living are smarter than you and realized that people weren’t going to tolerate Nixon’s bullshit as much as you imagine they would have. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/71 "2020-02-17T00:03:02Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Right, according to your ole ‘Lemme sip some moonshine while I talk shit about ole times,’ fuzzy-ass memory anecdotes. :rolleyes: > > You forgot: Republicans caved. I’m guessing that people who do politics for a living are smarter than you and realized that people weren’t going to tolerate Nixon’s bullshit as much as you imagine they would have. You forgot ‘boomer’ again. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/72 "2020-02-17T01:28:38Z")
See my latest post in The Trump Administration Clusterfuck thread. Out of concern for violating the crossposting policy I’ll let you ook it up yourself. Go ahead, it will allay some of your fear. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724/73 "2020-02-17T04:39:46Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > You forgot ‘boomer’ again. > > CMC fnord! Weak. Limp. Try Cialis or Viagra. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-fears-for-my-country/847724.md?page=3)