Originally Posted by Sini
Originally Posted by JetStar
On a personal note, and knowing you for many years, I can't comprehend your support for the worst President in our history.

I am not blind to your criticisms of Trump, I was hoping you would go into specifics so I can show you we largely agree on the facts if not interpretations. I am glad you quoted George Conway, because I enjoyed him skewering Trump in most brutal and on-point way. There is no good-faith argument to be had that Trump's personal character makes him fit for presidency. Still, I see Trump as the lesser evil.

I don't think arguing over this worth the cost of personal relationships. Let's try talking about this in a year or so.


I find that Trump's disregard for the norms and even principles that underpin civic life and the fact that his following has managed to rationalize destroying the democratic underpinnings of peaceful power transfer as somehow patriotic to be far and away the greatest threat we face as a nation. When you combine the rampant corruption on display during his regime, and the bold-faced politicization of govt, and open favor-seeking, attempts to overturn the election and the spreading of an utterly false narrative of stolen elections that erodes faith in the system, I have come to consider Trump and co as no less of a threat to good governance than any number of pre-dictatorship insurgent groups that have overturned democratic systems across the world.

It can happen here, and the situation is far worse right now than many want to believe.

Not that the blue party isn't also plenty corrupt, but the T-crowd is just so completely shameless that it has become extraordinarily dangerous in that they are unafraid to assault norms and institutions that were actually functioning reasonably well, such as voting itself, simply to achieve their personal ambitions. The T-crowd is unjustifiably assaulting confidence in the very idea that we have a working system capable of facilitating peaceful exercise and allocation of political authority. Without a universal agreement of proceses by which disputes can be arbitrated and policy decided, you cannot have a functioning republic.

The Democrats have often assaulted common sense, decency, and good governance but at least they are not actively working at destorying the foundations of the republic itself. Yet. We might see some from their side if they go and try SCOTUS packing or something, but for now cooler heads seem to be prevailing.


For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)