The substantive difference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is not really that great.
Allan NairnIf Trump wins, the only thing blocking complete implementation of the programs of Trump, Paul Ryan, the Koch brothers, etc., is the Senate filibuster by the Democrats.
Allan NairnSome people have made the argument, well, Donald Trump is bad, but Hillary Clinton may be worse, or there's really no difference. That's insane. That's completely insane.
Allan NairnFor years, overseas, the U.S. has been willing to not only tolerate what is in effect violent fascism, but implement it in country after country after country, in Latin America, in Africa, in Asia, overthrowing elected governments and backing the rise of military dictatorships.
Allan NairnIn fact, as far as one can tell, Obama seems to have killed more civilians during his first year than Bush did in his first year, and maybe even than Bush killed in his final year.
Allan NairnThere is some rationale backing Kim Jong-un's actions, which are survival - survival for his regime, survival for his country. And he has watched, I think, what has happened around the world relative to nations that possess nuclear capabilities and the leverage they have, and seen that having the nuclear card in your pocket results in a lot of deterrence capability. The lessons that we learned out of Libya giving up its nukes and Ukraine giving up its nukes is, unfortunately, if you have nukes, never give them up.
Allan NairnIf someone's pointing a gun at you, you get a surge of adrenaline, but it would be a lot better if they weren't pointing the gun at you in the first place.
Allan NairnPeople have a tremendous range of options of how they can behave. There's so much in people.
Allan NairnWhen Donald Trump attacks the trade deals, which have helped to gut the American working class, it's very powerful, even though his solutions are nonsense. And Hillary Clinton can't really defend it, because that's part of the life's work of her and her - of her and her husband.
Allan NairnWhites who otherwise were able to tolerate a black president, Obama, because on certain issues he appealed to them on substance, Trump was able to reach down into some of those same people and pull out this racism inside them.
Allan NairnWith what Trump is doing now, provoking North Korea, risking actual destruction of part of the US, he is violating the system's rules on its own terms. He's committing an actual threat against US national security. And you would think that in just pragmatic political terms in Washington, that is the kind of thing that could be grounds for impeachment. But as long as he sits in that chair, it's true, the commanders are obligated to obey his order.
Allan NairnI think it's true that if Trump wins, there will be a real activist mobilization, no doubt about it.
Allan NairnI wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of guns going off, you know, guns held by white men acting as vigilantes, cops who feel more free to open fire against African Americans.
Allan Nairn