‘We’re going to lose our country’

Gilead

Donald Trump

Hush money


Fig. 1. Cartoon by Jesse Duquette, undated, via “Minneapple23” [pseud.] on Imgur, April 1, 2023, fair use.

Said unironically:

We’re going to lose our country. And we’re losing it now. We don’t have a fair judicial system.[1]

But that “we’re going to lose our country”[2] is a common conservative lament. “We” are losing it to non-Christian people, to people of color, to LGBTQ+ people, to anti-capitalist people, to migrants, to just about everyone. It’s a theme Donald Trump echoes:

“I never thought anything like this could happen in America. Never thought it could happen,” [Donald] Trump said in a speech that mostly repeated his standard stump material, with many false or exaggerated claims. “The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”[3]

John Cassidy, “The People v. Donald J. Trump,” New Yorker, April 4, 2023, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-people-versus-donald-j-trump

Jelani Cobb, “Alvin Bragg, Donald Trump, and the Pursuit of Low-Level Crimes,” Puck, April 4, 2023, https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/alvin-bragg-donald-trump-and-the-pursuit-of-low-level-crimes

Adam Gabbatt, “Trump gets underwhelming show of support on surreal day in New York,” Guardian, April 4, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/04/trump-protests-reaction-new-york-court

Jacob Gershman and Joe Palazzolo, “Case Against Donald Trump Leaves Defense Ample Openings, Say Legal Authorities,” Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/case-against-trump-leaves-defense-ample-openings-say-legal-authorities-518bea9d

Sarah D. Wire and Alexandra E. Petri, “Trump charged with 34 felony counts in alleged hush money cover-up case,” Los Angeles Times, April 4, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-04-04/donald-trump-alleged-hush-money-investigation-indictment-arraignment

Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey, “‘Frustrated and upset,’ Trump goes silent, then seethes,” Washington Post, April 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/04/trump-arraignment-speech-2024-campaign/


Imperialism

Russia

Ukraine


Fig. 1. “Destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk are seen as part of the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Kyiv, August 24.” Photograph by Gleb Garanich for Reuters, August 24, 2022,[4] fair use.

Andrew Roth and Pjotr Sauer, “Russian defector sheds light on Putin paranoia and his secret train network,” Guardian, April 5, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/05/russian-defector-sheds-light-on-putin-paranoia-including-secret-train


  1. [1]Pamela Menera, quoted in Adam Gabbatt, “Trump gets underwhelming show of support on surreal day in New York,” Guardian, April 4, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/04/trump-protests-reaction-new-york-court
  2. [2]Pamela Menera, quoted in Adam Gabbatt, “Trump gets underwhelming show of support on surreal day in New York,” Guardian, April 4, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/04/trump-protests-reaction-new-york-court
  3. [3]Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey, “‘Frustrated and upset,’ Trump goes silent, then seethes,” Washington Post, April 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/04/trump-arraignment-speech-2024-campaign/
  4. [4]Reuters, “Ukraine puts destroyed Russian tanks on display in Kyiv,” August 25, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/ukraine-puts-destroyed-russian-tanks-on-idUSRTSALV9Q

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