Racism And Nativism

Trump Attack On Legal Immigrants And Naturalized Citizens After Attack On National Guard In DC: Outrageous!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is now inciting greater nativism, utilizing ICE, and targeting legal immigrants and naturalized citizens, some here for decades, and undermining the security of various ethnic groups that have settled in America, specifically Afghan nationals and Somali nationals in recent years.

Trump also has said he wants the end of immigration from “third world nations”, displaying his racism, considering only “white” immigrants from Europe and elsewhere, including whites who have been allowed to migrate from South Africa, to be acceptable.

This is all part of a plan that the Ku Klux Klan, and the American Nazi Party historically, and many recently formed hate groups, as outlined by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, and all other past and present white supremacist Christian groups and advocates, such as Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, as examples, are celebrating.

But it also threatens those of Jewish and Muslim religions, so is also an attack on religions outside of right wing Christianity.

Even Pope Leo XIV has promoted compassion, empathy, decency, and an open attitude toward immigration, reminding us that true Christianity and true democracy puts out its arms for the downtrodden, the oppressed, the victimized, totally opposite what Donald Trump is espousing and implementing.

Trump And Republicans Suffer Major Setbacks!

Ronald 19 Comments

Donald Trump and the Republican Party are suffering major setbacks, and giving hope to those who believe in the preservation of American democracy!

After resisting the issue of the Epstein files, Donald Trump finally caved in, and today, the House of Representatives saw all members, except for one Republican, give up on trying to avoid revelations on the issue of sexual abuse of women and young girls, by a host of wealthy people promoted by Jeffrey Epstein, who called Donald Trump his “best friend” for many years.

And a great victory against discriminatory Texas gerrymandering was won by the decision of a three judge panel, including a Trump appointed judge, that Texas was promoting an unjust action, negating it, which gives Democrats who successfully are redistricting California, a major edge for midterm elections in 2026!

And cases are being lost in court about the use of the National Guard and ICE agents around the country, in the midst of horrendous abuses being visited on immigrants who are victims of racial profiling, even when citizens.

The Catholic clergy are also taking a strong stand against the mistreatment of immigrants by ICE Agents.

Additionally, with the effects of tariffs causing rise in prices of all kinds of goods, public opinion ratings of Donald Trump are collapsing, coming close to an all time low, near what it was at the time of the US Capitol January 6 Insurrection!

The fight for democracy will be won by resistance of decent Americans against the abuses being perpetrated by Donald Trump and his Fascist lawbreakers!

It is a fight that will take patience and determination, but it can be won!

Right Wing Fanatics Who Endanger America With Their Rhetoric!

Ronald 15 Comments

Freedom of speech is essential as part of the Bill of Rights, but that does not mean that anything uttered by right wing fanatics should be be given slack as free to exploit for profit without accountability.

We have those who have no issue with dividing America for their own profit, and some of them are beyond the pale.

They would include Tucker Carlson, formerly of CNN and later before leaving, at Fox News Channel, now a loose cannon, and becoming more extreme and reckless by the day.

It also includes Megyn Kelly, who acts totally different than a decade ago, before she was on NBC and then dismissed, and now has gone off the deep end in her rhetoric.

It also includes Nick Fuentes, an avowed antisemite, racist, nativist, and misogynist, who has no issue with appealing to single white men who are finding it difficult to adjust to difficult economic times, even though he is himself of Hispanic ancestry!

Fuentes was a major critic of Charlie Kirk before his assassination, thinking he was not extreme enough in his utterances and beliefs!

These are just three of a much larger group of Republican Right extremists, who present a dire threat to political stability for the American future, and unfortunately, have the ear of Republican leadership, including Donald Trump, JD Vance, and the Trump Cabinet Officers, who often embrace them!

Magnificent Victory On All Fronts, And Repudiation Of Trump And MAGA!

Ronald 31 Comments

American Democracy survives, as on Election Day 2025, there was a magnificent victory on all fronts by Democrats, everywhere one looked!

From the victory of a Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York City Mayor, to a moderate centrist Democrat Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey elected as Governors, to a 2-1 victory for the Proposition of reapportionment of House seats in California, and even the retention of three state Supreme Court Justices in Pennsylvania, Democrats revived after the tragedy of the Presidential Election of 2024.

The Democratic Party showed its diversity, with a Muslim NYC Mayor, and Women Governors with military background in Virginia and New Jersey!

With all of the disillusionment the Democrats have gone through this past year since Donald Trump was elected, the reality remains that the Democratic Party IS “the party of the people”, of all backgrounds, and its diversity is its strength!

The Republican Party has become a party of sycophants to an authoritarian Fascist dictator wannabe, who is mentally deficient, mean spirited, cruel, heartless, and promoting an attack on democracy and the rule of law.

The Republicans are primarily a party of those who promote racism, nativism, misogyny, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and homophobia, allowing extremist white supremacist Christianity to become its central message, even though Donald Trump is, most certainly, totally irreligious!

Release Of Israeli Hostages A Major Accomplishment For Donald Trump, BUT What About Preserving Democracy In America?

Ronald 12 Comments

The deal struck by President Donald Trump that has led today to the release of Israeli hostages is a major accomplishment, for which Trump deserves credit and praise.

However, Trump is over the top in his belief that a new world has emerged in the Middle East, as if this arrangement solves all of the issues involving the Palestinians and Israel, and the reality that Hamas has not been totally dissolved.

So the likelihood is for future warfare and conflict, and more bloodshed down the road, if not immediately.

This is a sad situation, but is a realistic assessment.

So while Trump can be praised for what he has done, and it has made him popular in Israel, the reality is that it does not make up for the total destruction of American democracy and the rule of law at home in America.

Trump has been engaged with his sycophants in the Cabinet, in the MAGA Republican Congress, and in the Supreme Court, in undermining the Bill of Rights.

It is clearly well along toward establishment of an authoritarian Fascist government, that is nativist, racist, misgonynist, homophobic, and imperialist oriented on the world stage, with his threats toward Latin America, Canada, and NATO, and his creating tensions around the world with his crazy tariff policies.

Open Racism And Nativism Of ICE And Its Leadership! :(

Ronald 22 Comments

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become an agency promoting a policy of open, clearcut racism and nativism.

ICE has been horribly abusive, perceiving anyone with black or brown skin, or who has a Spanish surname or speaks Spanish as the primary language, as automatically the “enemy”.

Many of the people being picked up by ICE, abused, and often incarcerated in horrendous conditions, are US Citizens, not undocumented immigrants.

The tactics being employed, as recently in the brazen raid on an apartment building in Chicago, of putting children, the elderly, and all the residents of that building in handcuffs, zip ties, and injuring many of the residents, is an outrage that cannot be allowed to continue!

Kristi Noem, Thomas Homan, Stephen Miller, and others that are pushing this abuse of power, must be held accountable, and ICE must be put under control and restrictions, as basic civil liberies are being horribly abused!

Shocking Assassination Of Charlie Kirk A Danger Sign For Future Of American Politics! :(

Ronald 40 Comments

The shocking assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, at a Utah University speaking event yesterday, is a danger sign for the future of American politics.

Kirk was a controversial and outspoken figure, who had millions of followers on social media who followed his extremist rhetoric, which had elements of racism, nativism, misogyny, Islamophobia, and attacks on gay, lesbian and transgender people.

And despite his recent pro Israel support on the Gaza War, Kirk also had uttered antisemitic assertions, and was promoting a white Christian MAGA nationalism mentality.

Kirk had the full support of Donald Trump and his children, JD Vance, and all of the most influential Trump Cabinet and advisers, and was seen as the most controversial and divisive young advocate of Trump policies, along with Stephen Miller.

Now, sadly and troubling, we are seeing, already, right wing attacks on the left wing, without any idea of who the assassin was, and that person’s motivations, as the manhunt continues as I write this entry.

And the fear is that Trump and his Cabinet will step up even more abusive and aggressive attacks on the vulnerable groups that have already been victimized in the past eight months.

Here we are on the 24th anniversary of September 11, and now a crisis on what the American future will be, and the fear of many more victims of violence and bloodshed that may be perpetrated by the extremists of both sides of the political spectrum.

This is a time that America should be uniting in mourning a death that should not have occurred, not a time for retribution and revenge!

Epstein Congressional Resolution Opposed By All But Four Republicans, And Termed A “Hoax” By Donald Trump, Absolutely Stunning!

Ronald 4 Comments

It is stunning and shocking the the House resolution proposed by Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, to have a complete accounting of all government records on the Epstein Scandal, has been unable to gain the backing of more than three other Republicans—Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina–at this moment of time.

A majority of the House of Representatives is needed to force the issue, but it is two votes short, and no other Republicans seem ready to back the resolution, due to Donald Trump threatening his party members, calling taking such action as “hostile”, and saying the whole Epstein investigation is a Democratic “hoax”.

And this, despite survivors holding a press conference last week to reveal the horrors of what they went through, and wanting accountability and transparency!

Trump is opposed to any action, or revelations, clearly, because he clearly personally engaged in illicit sex with underage girls and young women, in league with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican Party in Congress is a total disgrace, and should be drummed out of office in the midterms in 2026 and in 2028, but sadly, many Americans, with their racism, misogyny, nativism, and ignorance of reality, are likely to continue backing Donald Trump and his party, as they destroy American democracy and the rule of law!

Hopefully, however, Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to reveal names, and if she does, she will have done one good thing, while otherwise, she has been a total nightmare in the House of Representatives with her various lunatic activities and behavior!

A Time To Celebrate: 17 Years Of “The Progressive Professor”, But Also A Time To Mourn The Demise Of The American Experiment! :(

Ronald 4 Comments

Today, August 11, marks precisely SEVENTEEN years of this author and blogger publishing commentary on this blog, “The Progressive Professor”, that was created in 2008, with the support and encouragement of my older son, David Feinman, who knew I had a passion to share my thoughts on American history, government and politics with others!

In those 17 years, there have been to date 8,550 articles published, and 28,532 comments made by my readers and followers. The comments added have been invaluable, and have, immensely, improved the whole concept of the blog, so I wish to thank all of those individuals who have committed themselves to contributing their thoughts and ideas, to the benefit of all those who read the blog daily.

In the present political climate, one cannot be certain that there will be a continuation of the blog long term, as these are dangerous times to be expressing thoughts, many of them critical, of events and personalities.

We may be witnessing the collapse of American democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law, and we may not survive the Presidency of Donald Trump, with the ability to restore what we had over nearly 250 years–an evolving nation with many faults which moved toward “a more perfect union”.

That has been destroyed by a quarter century of deceit and right wing extremism, motivated from the time of the Presidential Election of 2000, when Al Gore was denied the Presidency in favor of George W. Bush by a Supreme Court which showed it had no principles other than promoting aggrandizement of the nation by the wealthy.

Barack Obama came along and gave us hope of recovery, but faced great and fierce opposition, and the right wing extremist factions worked to, once again, undermine the American experiment by denying Hillary Clinton the Presidency in 2016 in favor of Donald Trump, who had ill intentions from the beginning.

Donald Trump worked at destroying the American Republic, and the nation was only, miraculously, saved in 2020 by the good fortune of Joe Biden coming along at the right time.

But the right wing forces attempted a coup d’etat, an Insurrection, NOT as some people claimed just a “riot”, but now being wiped out as if it never happened, as those who were involved in criminal acts have been “exonerated” by Trump pardons.

But the “disease” promoted by Trump and minions–the spreading of nativism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia by religious extremists—managed to convince gullible and poorly educated Americans to vote in 2024 to overcome and destroy the Republic that they did not fully appreciate, a shocking development.

Now, the rest of us are forced to suffer the ignorance, stupidity, and bias of ill informed and ill educated people, and are seeing our civil liberties destroyed.

Personally, having retired completely from teaching at the university level after 53 years, this author and blogger is, fortunately, continuing to give lectures to adults and senior citizens in South Florida, but it is difficult to predict what will happen in the short run and long run regarding this blog.

I just wish to hope for the best for myself, and all those who read my blog, as we move forward to chart whatever the future brings, which at this moment, does not look promising.

The future seems, sadly, likely to see the promotion of authoritarianism; the collapse of the economy with destructive tariffs; and the triumph of evil in international affairs, as witnessed by the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Gaza War.

Thanks again, for your support and encouragement, to all those who read and contribute to this blog.

Trump Calling Out Marines For Domestic Use, And Threatening Arrest Of Gavin Newsom Totally Beyond The Pale!

Ronald 7 Comments

President Donald Trump’s decision to call out the Marines for domestic use in Los Angeles to back up deportation raids, and his threat to arrest California Gavin Newsom, has escalated the crisis of Trump moving toward authoritarianism!

The possibility of the invoking of the Insurrection Act, when there is no rebellion or invasion, is horrifying, and moves America close to a true Fascist dictatorship, reminiscent in many ways to Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

And yet, millions of Americans seem content, as their racism, nativism, and lack of concern about anyone other than their selfish selves, is demonstrated for all to see.

The worship of money, and prejudice toward immigrants shows how sick and demented many Americans are, until the time comes, that they would become victims themselves.

When that horrifying moment occurs for many of these unprincipled, selfish people who only care about their financial bottom line, there will be no sympathy by those who have, vigorously, opposed Donald Trump and his evil supporters in the Republican Party, who are not patriots, but rather traitors to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the rule of law!