Elissa Slotkin’s Politics of Rage to Destroy Trump “Enablers”
Elissa Slotkin spoke at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, a David Axelrod initiative. She framed what some see as a Stalinist threat as mere deterrence. She wants to deter young people from taking positions with Trump enablers by frightening them.
During an October 13 podcast taping, Slotkin called for ‘signature cases’ against Trump enablers. Enablers included Kristi Noem, Doug Burgum, and Jeanine Pirro. Her purpose is to send a ‘deterrence message’ to potential hires. She hoped it would encourage them to think, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems.’ Critics like Sen. Mike Lee labeled it a threat to political participation.
Her supporters claim it is essential to hold alleged abusers accountable. I am pretty sure Joseph Stalin told himself the same thing.
She isn’t talking about anyone who committed a crime. Slotkin wants to terrify teens from taking jobs with her political opponents.
Senator Elissa Slotkin uses “deterrence” to mean a strategic message that discourages potential future employees from joining the Trump administration by highlighting the legal and professional risks of serving in it.
Slotkin currently serves on four key committees.
The Politics of Rage
Jonathan Turley commented:
“The interview is evidence of the devolution of our politics where leaders are now fueling an anger addiction and promising unblinking rage in government. With many of her colleagues, Slotkin has gone full Kurtz.
“In the film Apocalypse Now, Colonel Walter Kurtz (played by Marlon Brando) explained the secret to his success in suppressing insurgents. The key was to act “without passion, without judgment, because it is judgment that defeats us.” In that way, he explained, he made “a friend of horror.”
“As Kurtz said, “Horror [now] has a face,” and it is seen in the gallery of our politics of rage.”
Senator Mike Lee wrote on X: Today’s Democrats embrace fascist tactics. Vote Republican. He included a lengthier clip.
To me, Slotkin is just another radical Democrat who took an important word and changed its meaning. Democrats have done the same with so many other words, such as racism, fascism, democracy, resist, the resistance, genocide, hate, love, equity, equality, et cetera.
