I've had my gripes with Fareed Zakaria, who should hardly be considered a member of the "Liberal Media," whom the Trump campaign so loathes. I've disagreed with his lack of alarm to the dangers of fracking and I've been touched deeply by his attention to the crisis of the Syrian refugees and I've been miffed over his validation of David Brooks as an expert on, well...anything. But he has been vehemently anti-tyrant since the beginning of this whole sordid GOP Presidential campaign, so his commentary this morning was rather welcome.
A few highlights:
So let me try to explain one last time why Donald Trump is worth special attention. I'm not a highly partisan person. I have views that are left of center, but others that are conservative. I came to this country when Ronald Reagan was president, and I admired him.
He knows that Trump is hardly the normal run-of-the-mill candidate and presents a unique and terrifying danger to our Democracy.
Donald Trump is different. Not just because he is obnoxious, tacky, and vulgar, or that his business dealings show him to be a scam artist. He's different because of what he believes. The simplest way to understand Trump's core beliefs is to look at his words and actions, not just today, but well before. You see, politicians pander to voters and Trump's views on, say, Social Security and Medicare -- which he promises not to touch -- or taxes, which he promises to cut, seem pretty insincere. They're reflections of what he thinks his supporters want to hear. But he does have deeper beliefs, values, and instincts.
The GPS host explained the racism that has dominated the core of this awful man's beliefs. The Central Park Five debacle cost the City of New York millions in reparations for imprisoning people wrongly for up to thirteen years, thanks to his efforts. His racial discrimination in business is widely known and infamous. But his sexism is probably the most alarming, especially since that affects 50% or greater of the electorate, all women should be deeply offended and concerned.
ZAKARIA: If there is one view that Trump has expressed consistently, openly, and with relish, it is that women exist fundamentally as objects for men's pleasure. He has said and done dozens of things over 30 years that confirm this demeaning view of women. In interviews with Howard Stern, during his ownership of the Miss Universe pageant, when describing working women, and when debating female candidates like Carly Fiorina and Hillary Clinton. "Women," he once said to New York Magazine, “you have to treat them like shit.”
He has openly feared the taking over of America by various groups, even the Japanese were feared to be 'taking over' which, of course, never happened. As Zakaria explains it,
'He never seemed to notice the future he predicted never seemed to happen!'
In closing he cautions Americans to heed the warning signs of a disastrous future for this country:
Racism, sexism, protectionism, xenophobia, and authoritarianism. His views on taxes and regulations are irrelevant. Your view of Hillary Clinton is irrelevant. Donald Trump is not a normal candidate. He is a cancer on American democracy. And that is why I will vote against him next Tuesday.
