Trump. Vaguely cheering news.

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Rhiannon R
Rhiannon Jul 7, 2018 10:54:17
Replying to phallus dei

Those are very interesting links with food for thought. It makes a change to see that perspective presented thoughtfully without flecks of spit.

My initial thought though is, yes he is perhaps a different sort of president to the previous recent republican presidents. But is his strategy of withdrawing from all these international agreements, and threatening to put a big wall up against Mexico etc, and altering trade tariffs and so on - all the 'America First' stuff, is it because he's a canny politician and thought it all through carefully, or is it because he's basically a egotistical businessman with no previous thought about the rest of the world, who tweets inflammatory comments to the leader of North Korea, because he's a moron? This is the question. Does he really care about the poor white people of America and their 'American Dream'? I really doubt it.

In the article - it's all very well carefully analysing Trump's moves, as though in retrospect they are part of a carefully constructed Plan, but can we not judge from his habit of firing off tweets in the middle of the night, that he's not the sort of character to be carefully weighing up the effects of his actions? I would imagine the writer of the article putting more time into what they wrote than the time it took the impulsive Trump to decide on his latest trade decision. We don't want an impulsive sociopath with their finger on the nuclear button.

The writer says ' Donald Trump is preparing a reorganisation of international relations.' Even if he is, I can't believe his motives behind this outcome would have the interests of the world in mind. So however clever and thoughtful and canny Trump might or might not be, he's not really adding to the benefit of mankind with his actions - he's an egotist, which is how he's got to where he is. And probably Trump and Putin will get along a little too well, they both enjoy destabilising the world. I'm not sure there is much to cheer really.

I thought the story about the landlord wanting to politely welcome the leader of our long-time friend America was naively sweet and well-mannered, his old mum would be proud (or actually I hope she'd hit him with a rolling pin for being such a wally). Also, all publicity is good publicity of course :)

P phallus dei
phallus dei Jul 8, 2018 14:25:32
Replying to Rhiannon

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It’s getting rare these days to have genuine debates, instead of two sides screaming at each other, both refusing to listen.

I agree that it can be hard to discern how much of Trump's actions are planned out, and how much are spur-of-the-moment outbursts. The image of rash late-night tweets is hard to shake. But the fact that he has managed to survive politically thus far, and make a few real accomplishments to boot, suggests that there is a "method to his madness." If Trump was the idiot he is made out to be, wouldn't he have been neutralized by now? How many times have the “experts” told us, "this is the end of Trump"? And yet?

Another question is if Trump means what he says. He's clearly an egotist, but which politician isn't? Aside from a Gandhi or Che Guevara, most leaders are motivated in part by self-interest. Perhaps Trump tapped into genuine public discontent, but just manipulated that discontent to satisfy his ego to become president. But if so, why would Trump maintain such a confrontational stance AFTER becoming president? For the sake of protecting his "legacy," wouldn’t it make more sense to act according to politics as usual? After all, that is what Obama did, promising a drastic change in direction but instead expanding American imperialism and getting a Noble Peace Prize in the process. Trump could have negated his campaign rhetoric once in office, played according to the “rules,” and the media would have loved him for it. (Recall that the only time the American media referred to Trump as “presidential” was when he was bombing Syria). The fact that Trump isn’t doing this – and gets continuously attacked in the process - suggests that he is sincere in his beliefs. Part of what makes him so refreshing as a politician is that he's actually speaking his mind.

Ultimately, though, what Trump believes is less important than the consequences of his actions. And his actions are for the benefit of humanity. The neoliberal paradigm – crystalized by the Thatcher / Reagan / Kohl axis of evil and continued by every “respectable” Western politician afterward – has brought the planet to ruin. Nations have been erased; cultures destroyed, classes decimated. But now, out of the "chaos" that Trump is creating –wittingly or unwittingly – a chance for a better future is taking hold. Thatcher’s life denying mantra – “There is no alternative” – no longer rings true, and more people by the day are questioning the status quo. Perhaps enough will awaken, and we will be able to save ourselves after all.