MAGA followers have to be able to shield themselves from all unpleasant anti-Trump information so well that they serve as an exemplary model of ‘information dissonance’ - a phrase I totally invented that describes the clash between reality-as-reported and the mental world constructed by (say) a cult.
Thump absolutely could have held on to power. The whole idea was to create enough doubt that the issue would be decided by the Supreme Court.
Now all he needs to do is get elected and with just rescheduling (& replacing) many civil servants he can reconfigure the government to a dictatorship à la Victor Orban. (Venezuela & Turkey have consolidated more power at the top of the government in this fashion.)
I think that his path to power is gone, so his chances of running his 2028 campaign from a jail cell are pretty high. And once Harris gets in, the Supreme Court will be re-adjusted.
As for his ability to hold on to power, it could not have been done. There was nobody more frantic to do that than Donald Trump, and he failed. He didn't create doubt - he erased it in court after court. Man is following the path of a disastrous business career...highlight in the Monday review.
I regret I did not save your excellent article in Medium on Trump owned by Russia. I do not understand why Harris or Biden do not openly repeat all the things you said in that article.
America doesn't seem to grasp the idea of 'community freedom'. These are the freedoms that reinforce our bonds of neighborhood, city, state and country. They include all those freedoms that MAGA opposes because they require collective action through our government: Quality education for all; robust health insurance for all; a tax structure that benefits the poor and middle, not the very rich; a healthy environment now and in the future. Instead, America focuses on individual freedoms, which come with the greatest hazard of humankind: our willingness to discount anything outside our immediate personal interests. Can you imagine a recently-legalized immigrant and a MAGA supporter being part of a single community? No? That's the problem of America today.
I think you nailed it! America understands negative freedom, but not positive freedom - the ability to be empowered by your fellow citizens. Thanks for your comment!
“It’s about a bigger issue than profits; some find this hard to believe, but economics is not the principle pathway to improved societies.”
However, economic forces play a mighty large role in determining the will of the electorate, at least for now. That’s true in Finland and Denmark and Canada, among the world’s happiest societies. However, choosing leaders in these societies, much much smaller in population than the US, still comes down to current economic conditions and the prospect of future favorable economic trends. Respect for the lives of the common worker is a big part of their social agendas to a far greater degree than in the US.
Economics does indeed play a major role in popular opinion, especially if jobs and wages are tight. However, for this election the main focus is on women's rights, not the economy...regardless of how it looks in the press. And Louisiana’s 1872 gubernatorial election was the most violent in American history (covering that next week) and economics had no play in that at all. Economics is the issue people fall back on when no one is rioting in the streets with flaming torches...
Thump absolutely could have held on to power. The whole idea was to create enough doubt that the issue would be decided by the Supreme Court.
Now all he needs to do is get elected and with just rescheduling (& replacing) many civil servants he can reconfigure the government to a dictatorship à la Victor Orban. (Venezuela & Turkey have consolidated more power at the top of the government in this fashion.)
I think that his path to power is gone, so his chances of running his 2028 campaign from a jail cell are pretty high. And once Harris gets in, the Supreme Court will be re-adjusted.
As for his ability to hold on to power, it could not have been done. There was nobody more frantic to do that than Donald Trump, and he failed. He didn't create doubt - he erased it in court after court. Man is following the path of a disastrous business career...highlight in the Monday review.
I regret I did not save your excellent article in Medium on Trump owned by Russia. I do not understand why Harris or Biden do not openly repeat all the things you said in that article.
Thank you for the thought, Fabio. Yes, Harris is missing some harder-hitting points...
America doesn't seem to grasp the idea of 'community freedom'. These are the freedoms that reinforce our bonds of neighborhood, city, state and country. They include all those freedoms that MAGA opposes because they require collective action through our government: Quality education for all; robust health insurance for all; a tax structure that benefits the poor and middle, not the very rich; a healthy environment now and in the future. Instead, America focuses on individual freedoms, which come with the greatest hazard of humankind: our willingness to discount anything outside our immediate personal interests. Can you imagine a recently-legalized immigrant and a MAGA supporter being part of a single community? No? That's the problem of America today.
I think you nailed it! America understands negative freedom, but not positive freedom - the ability to be empowered by your fellow citizens. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for this interesting article Barry
Always a pleasure, Gary. Thanks for reading!
“It’s about a bigger issue than profits; some find this hard to believe, but economics is not the principle pathway to improved societies.”
However, economic forces play a mighty large role in determining the will of the electorate, at least for now. That’s true in Finland and Denmark and Canada, among the world’s happiest societies. However, choosing leaders in these societies, much much smaller in population than the US, still comes down to current economic conditions and the prospect of future favorable economic trends. Respect for the lives of the common worker is a big part of their social agendas to a far greater degree than in the US.
Economics does indeed play a major role in popular opinion, especially if jobs and wages are tight. However, for this election the main focus is on women's rights, not the economy...regardless of how it looks in the press. And Louisiana’s 1872 gubernatorial election was the most violent in American history (covering that next week) and economics had no play in that at all. Economics is the issue people fall back on when no one is rioting in the streets with flaming torches...