Joe Scarborough slams 'anti-American drivel' coming from MAGA fans: 'Your country is doing pretty damn well'
More than halfway through 2023 and 16 months ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the United States Supreme Court recently ended affirmative action, ruled in favor of an anti-LGBTQ argument, and smacked down President Joe Biden's student loan debt relief plan.
In an op-ed for The Atlantic published July 10, contributing writer and MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough acknowledges the majority of Americans believe the country "is headed in the wrong direction," but he begs to differ.
The former Republican congressman is careful to recognize America's downfalls, such as the fact the "Declaration of Independence was written by a slaveholder," and "the government has yet to address what it owes to Native Americans." He also points to the GOP's "hypocritical attacks against American colleges and universities" and the overall "anti-American drivel coming from" dedicated fans of former President Donald Trump.
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However, Scarborough suggests "as politically disorienting as it may seem after the overturning of Roe and affirmative action, the Roberts Court also finally stopped Trump's efforts to steal the 2020 presidential election, and is now allowing criminal cases against him to move forward."
The ex-lawmaker insists "Uncle Sam deserves a modern-day Atticus Finch to argue his case before the American people," so in the country's defense, the host highlights the fact "it was American democracy that provided a swift political rebuke to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and led to right-wing defeats in red states such as Kansas, Kentucky, and Wisconsin."
He then emphasizes, "The political backlash to Roe's demise has been so dramatic that even Ann Coulter and The Wall Street Journal editorial page now take exception to the GOP's extreme abortion stance."
With that, Scarborough encourages Americans to consider, "Even with all of its failings, America has fed and freed more human beings than any other country in history. And despite the blather that cable-news hosts spit at you daily, your country is doing pretty damn well."
To prove his point, the host notes:
Overall, the U.S. economy continues to surge forward despite economists' dire predictions. America's GDP grew to $25 trillion last year; Texas has a bigger economy than Russia, and although California is routinely rebuked by right-wing critics, it has the fourth-strongest economy in the world—stronger than Britain's, France's, Canada's, or India's. The United States and its European allies collectively run an economic machine that doubles China's stagnating output. Despite record debt levels, a stubborn case of inflation, and other structural challenges, American capitalism continues to drive and dominate the world economy.
Additionally, last month, BBC reported the Department of Labor confirmed "the price of eggs has dropped 13.8% since last year - the biggest drop since 1951. Gasoline prices are down nearly 20%," noting, "at 4%, inflation is the lowest it has been since March 2021," having held "steady for three months in a row."
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Joe Scarborough's Atlantic op-ed is available at this link (subscription required).
