Originally Posted by Pete F.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete F. View Post
There is a daily Trump* Rally at the WH.
Everyone is required to praise Dear Leader, you would think you are in one of the countries with a leader he admires, like Putin, Kim, Erdogan, Xi, Orban, etc.
Nonsensical narrative.
Actually the nonsense occurs daily at the WH "briefing"
So you imitate it. I've said many times that you're like Trump.
As I have said before Trump* praises himself more than he deserves, I feel no need to add to his self aggrandizement.
He tries to balance what he considers the bigoted political characterization of him spewed out daily by the left.
He and his ship of fools are well on the way to sinking this country.
This country was rising not sinking until the virus hit. Of course, like the Russia hoax, phony impeachment, and constant barrage of fake news, the virus presented yet another chance to bring Trump down. Never let a crisis go to waste. So far, the "ship of fools" has gotten it right re the hoax and impeachment, and you got it wrong. You have been the fool.
Trump* used every tool possible to give life support to the oldest bull market in history. The trigger for it's collapse was a virus but the collapse was inevitable. Meanwhile he increased the deficit, just like all his recent Republican predecessors. The only deficit hawks in this country seem to be Democrats.
The country was rising, not sinking. That's why you guys kept saying that it was a continuation of the Obama economy. And yes, you were wrong about the Russia hoax and the fake iimpeachment, and who you referred to as "his ship of fools" got those things right. So, indeed, you were the fool.
This is the first global crisis in more than a century where no one is even looking to the United States for leadership. And it's not just the fact that Trump* is President, it's the fact that we elected him President in the first place.
I don't know who "no one" is looking to for leadership. I don't even know who "no one" is. I also don't know why the United States should be the leader of "no one" or everyone, or of the world, in this crisis. I don't think we should be concerned with jingoistic notions of being "the leader." And making Trump be the symbol who represents the leading country and we the puppets who voted for him is a Maoistic cult of personality.
The whole notion is essentially authoritarian--which I thought you oppose.
The USA has been the world leader with a plan since the second world war. It has never been about who our leader was, it was that we were consistently one administration after another, willing and able to lead, point out injustice, work against autocratic regimes and promote democracy. Apparently none of that makes any sense in your view of our place in the world.
We were the most powerful. The power enabled us to do things--for good and for ill. We did a lot of good and we did quite a bit of damage as well. You've pointed out a lot of our negatives. But there was also a latent humility in the traditional American character. Beating ones chest as a demonstration of leadership used to be frowned on (though it has become the thing to do in current popular culture, especially sports). Leading by example used to be the desired model.
The idea that people should look up to us as THE LEADER is arrogant. Being the best we can be is more of an American trait than the imperial pride that infused the British culture which we fought to free ourselves from. If you want to follow us, just be the best you can be--whatever that is.
Fighting wars and promoting democracy was about doing what best suited our interest, not boastful wielding of power to create an image of THE LEADER.
In some respect though, you are right. WWII was a dividing point in the changing of American culture from traditional individual pride to group and global think--the Progressive idea of the one world--the United Nations model as the starting point of a world order. And being the most powerful, we naturally took on the mantle of world leadership. I suppose, that is the America you hanker for. And Trump, being an America first nationalist, if he maintains power and influences the direction of this country, is the very threat to the America you desire--America the leader of the unified world order.
I prefer the entrepreneurial, individualistic America as the model which can evolve into one world as well, but one in which others copy us rather than follow us. And become a world of individual differences who cherish the freedom to be the best they can be in their own way, and who cooperate as equals in creating and inventing and living well.
Being the top dog model is a prescription for Progressive, socialistic, centralized top down world government which molds us into cookie cutter citizens that are easy to govern.
We have great works of fiction which don't paint a pretty picture of such a world.
All that stuff you claim is not mentioned is covered, just how did you find out about it? Somebody whisper in your ear? Or do you think the news lead should be: "The Great and Magnificent President of the United States, smartest man in the world has once again demonstrated his brilliance, blah, blah, blah"
You don't have to counter with extremism, exaggerated characterization. Stay calm.
Nothing extreme about that, though what you claim is the typical Trumplican argument: if you object you are an extremist!
No, not at all. You countered with an extreme characterization--""The Great and Magnificent President of the United States, smartest man in the world has once again demonstrated his brilliance, blah, blah, blah"
The press in this country has never functioned as the propaganda arm of the government until Fox.
More extremism, exaggeration, mischaracterization. And, anyway, The Press has always had a bias.
There has never been a symbiotic relationship between the press and the administration like Fox and Trump.
Fox is far less "symbiotic" with Trump than CNN, NBC, CBS, NY Times, WaPost are with the Dems.
Prior to 911 the border was much more porous. Mexicans and Central Americans came and went with the seasons. We gained their low cost labor, they gained our dollars and went home every year to see their families and had better lives. Pretty much a mutually beneficial relationship. Unless you did not like cheap produce.
For the most part they came to parts of the USA that used to be Mexican.
In the recent past we have #^&#^&#^&#^&ed around in Central American Governments and pretty much screwed them up.
Then we walked away and only paid attention if they looked like they might be more socialist than we thought they ought to, quick send the CIA.
Now we have a problem on our southern border that will not go away without some hard diplomatic and development work.
But, you said that "The USA has been the world leader with a plan since the second world war. It has never been about who our leader was, it was that we were consistently one administration after another, willing and able to lead, point out injustice, work against autocratic regimes and promote democracy."
This administration doesn't seem to have any interest until China or Russia pops up in that area and all of the sudden we remember the Monroe Doctrine.
A lot of work needs to happen there on a multitude of fronts to reduce problems there and here, spanning issues from poverty to addiction.
I doubt this clueless crowd of dilettantes is capable of putting together a coherent policy for anything, never mind the issues in Central America
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