Republican primary voters most popular issues: This is the way
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That may be true for you and me, but it's not true for most people. Most people will go die for a flag because "ME GOOD OTHERS BAD". This is also why I will not fight for king and country, because they are thoroughly evil, and they do not have sovereignty or independence.
They stand for plenty of things, a lot of them bad things. But I do think that a lot of people are 'reactionary' in the literal sense. They hate the vaccine because Biden said it's good. If Trump had won, my bet is that a lot of them would love it, and the Dems would be bashing it.
What makes you think that having principles is an advantage? I used to think like this, but an unending string of losses make me more inclined to "do whatever it takes". You can have the best principles, but if you do nothing but lose, it doesn't really matter, does it?
DeSantis seems too good to be true, except on foreign policy. My worry is that a lot of establishment types are backing him. Why? He has not burned his bridges with the establishment, so he can turn on his anti-establisment supporters in a way that Trump cannot.
I support Trump over DeSantis, insofar as my worthless support is worth anything:
And you say Lindsey Graham supports Trump. Yes, he does. Probably because he thinks he can manipulate Trump like he did during his first term by ingratiating himself. Neocons got almost everything they wanted out of Trump except a new war.
Winning with a Mitt Romney is like losing. I don't care about a 3% cut in spending, it does me no good nor any harm.
I care that a country from across the ocean is controlling everything my country does, that we are occupied and have no sovereignty, and that people here are freezing and starving because of its empire.
I'd rather lose with Trump than win with Romney.
You're a FOREIGNER but talking about American politics. Damn right. If I'm good enough to be occupied by Americans, I'm good enough to at least comment on politics of Americans, not?
I've also given up on winning. We're up against forces that cannot be defeated. Still, it's worth fighting the good fight, and at least trying to create the conditions where you can win if you estimation of the odds of winning are off.
"do whatever it takes" on the tactical level to win battles
have principles on the strategic level to create a lasting majority
This is how DeSantis fights. See for example how he fights Disney & pledged to ballot harvest. Principles are a weapon you use to entrench your supremacy. It's a way to weaponize being right. They aren't Queensberry Rules you handicap yourself with.
DeSantis foreign policy is Realist like Elbridge Colby. So if you support that, you'd support him. Trump has no meaningful foreign policy except to attempt to "be historic", which is why he will be subject to elite capture on it.
DeSantis is openly against the establishment & his relationship with them is strictly "you can support me but I'll give you nothing in return except a ticket to watch my victories". Trump desperately wants the approval of the establishment which is why he constantly talks to the NYT & other lib media personalities.
Despite you saying Trump "burned his bridges" he routinely flirts with & kisses up to the Establishment, including taking their side against DeSantis.
DeSantis being young means he can bring the Right 30+ years of owning the libs, just like Clarence Thomas.
Roger Stone openly said he manipulated Trump with flattery. It's obvious to everyone that Trump is easy to manipulate as long as you kiss his ass. Trump even praised Gavin Newsom. The Neocons would have a field day with him.
As soon as Trump decided pacifism & isolationism weren't cool anymore, he'd be the biggest warmonger you've ever seen. Trump wants to "go big" on everything he does.
Agree but Romney isn't running, DeSantis is. Dude is like Genghis Khan of the Right. Go to Florida & all you'll hear are the lamentations of their women.
Realists want to end the US occupation of Europe. Unlike you, we see this "occupation" as a scam by which Euros steal $33b per year from the pockets of the US taxpayer. We can't afford to subsidize their social welfare states anymore. Neocons sold us out to Europe so they could get their asses kissed when they vacationed there.
Even if you are demoralized you have to fight to win, to the bitter end, because you might get an upset & start to turn things around. DeSantis is the one to throw the libs from the walls & lead our counter-attack to drive them before us for the next 8 years.
What would be an example of that?
Saying that you want to ban ballot harvesting (strategy) but using it while it is allowed (tactical)?
I recently read his book. Rather interesting, although obviously I'm not obsessed with maintaining US hegemony, let alone willing to wage a war for it. I'd rather have China be a peer competitor so that we can play off the US against China, to our benefit.
I hope so, but I'm not sure. Simply self-interest decrees that he should be more pro-establishment, at least when he wins and he cannot be displaced.
We both know why that is, because DeSantis is his opponent. There is no chance of a reconciliation between Trump and the establishment. I do worry that DeSantis will reconcile, because the establishment is far more valuable than GOP populists.
How does his youth give him 30 years? It's not as if president is a lifetime appointment.
For now. I agree that DeSantis is very good, except on foreign policy (where he is still better than most GOP), and I hope he remains that way.
I think the neocons are very happy for us 'stealing' that money, because it gives the US all the more leverage over us. That is the reason European foreign policy is dictated by the US. It used to be called a protectorate. When your forces occupy another country, you are basically in control of that country.
$33 billion is pocket change to the neocons. If they can use it to control an entire continent, they will gladly do it.
Eh, no one kisses their asses. It is out of self-interest that they did it. If they'd pay $33 billion to occupy china and disband the PLA, they'd do it as well, and it would be a bargain!
Agreed.
Principles? The founding of the US & US Constitution. Did a very good job of taking some ragtag colonies & turning them into the most powerful country in the world.
Yes that works.
I'm trying to have my girlfriend read it. I took a pic of her with the book on the beach but it was probably too lewd for him to retweet. XD
Everyone thinks that until they actually deal with China & realize how much China sucks & wants to just be a bully Han ethnostate empire that kicks everyone around & throws a hissy fit over trivial things.
I think populism is the dominant force in the GOP now. Trump & DeSantis are both fighting over the populist vote while Pence & Haley are pandering to the elites with their joke tier polling numbers.
8 years as President then decades more in Congress &/or other high level roles as leader of the Party.
+1 I believe he will keep on winning.
I don't think we got anything for our money except to fight Europe's wars for it.
Neocons wanted it because 1) they are libs & love Europe 2) they vacation & have friends in europe & want their asses kissed. They trade billions in US taxpayer dollars so they can get flattery.
libs spending other people's money for their benefit.
They do! Liberal EU elites absolutely flatter the shit out of visiting US neocon policy elites.
I'm not entirely sure, I think it's dumb luck - if only European leaders had the wits to help the Confederacy become independent, then we would still be at the top of the world because we'd have a Ukraine on America's doorstep harassing it and keeping it from being great. Still, point taken.
Do be a bit careful though. You are even better at antagonizing people than I am, and you know full well how paranoid I am about revealing any information.
That's the beauty of it. They won't be able to throw a fit, because America is a peer competitor. China will have to be on its best behavior, or we will temporarily switch our allegiance to the Americans. Then when the Americans start pulling crap like blowing up infrastructure, China will bid for our support.
Among voters, not among elites and those who actually have power. That incentivizes defrauding voters and ensuring that you retain the support of the elites.
How do you reconcile such ideas with realism? No realist would say that "loving Europe" or a desire to get one's ass kissed (which your slaves in Europe would do regardless) explains any of thing. I think Mearsheimer has said the same thing I did: that the Americans are not unhappy with Europeans not spending much on defense, because it givces them complete leverage.
All the US has ever done is to try to prevent peer competitors from arising: first by driving Europeans out of the American continent, then by preventing Germany's quest for hegemony in World War I and II, then dismantling the British Empire with lend-lease and pressuring countries like France to abandon their colonial possessions, then by defeating the USSR's alleged quest for hegemony. Now China, it's the same old same old. The US wants to break up countries, encourage independence movements in order to prevent an empire or country strong enough that it can challenge the US.
I think you would be very happy to spend $33 billion to neutralize China as a military power, not?
Not because of any money that you spend, and the population sure as hell doesn't like them. EU elites flatter them because they hope for plum sinecures in NATO, IMF and other organizations controlled by the Muricans.
Though it's funny that we both think that we're getting screwed. If European leaders were 1/100 as effective at not being worms as you think they are, I'd actually be happy with them.