US Politics

Trump isn't going to change any of that is he?

Of course not. If you solve a problem, you can't keep telling people who to blame for it.

From the people I've spoken to, this rings true to a large part of the population. Part of it is true, part of it is mindset, but it still true for a lot of people. On top of this, I think Trump is the rebel candidate that also is a middle finger to the "establishment"

Somewhat similar to the Brexit vote. The "things can't get any worse" protest vote.

I am amazed every time I visit the US by how completely disenfranchised most Americans feel.
Most politicians want nothing to do with their constituents. People send letters to their congressman and never get replies or if they do it’s a meaningless form letter. Then they are on a mailing list asking for donations.
These people feel Trump is speaking directly to them, and other politicians ignore them.

For me what's really strange is how well the US is doing, yet how negative the (usually infuriatingly positive) population is.

We've had a global pandemic that has had massive ramifications, they almost had their democratic system fail, in many countries cost of living and inflation is running away, yet in the US it's not going that bad.

Unemployment is down. Debt is being reduced. I'd sooner have their economic outlook than ours!

Someone who's been let down by the system time and time again and see zero value in paying taxes cause they believe they never get any value back from the state.

FTFY.

Unemployment is down. Debt is being reduced. I'd sooner have their economic outlook than ours!

Yet Biden gets zero credit for this, despite everything he has done (and it's a lot) to achieve it.

Americans have been told for a century or so that they live in the best country in the world with the highest standard of living in the world, while the truth has always been that the average (mode rather than mean) U.S. citizen has a worse standard of living than most other places in the developed world. Plenty of resentment to be exploited, particularly if you're selling the myth that it used to be different.

He fell down the stairs a bit once though remember

“It’s less shit than the UK” isn’t exactly a vote winning slogan.

Dude have you heard the man speak? Incoherent ramblings, making up words and facts, pretty clear signs of serious mental decline?

…We’re talking about trump, right?

This is certainly how I feel about our federal politics (talking as an American btw), but not about state politics. While federal elections have felt like piss in the wind the past few cycles, the more frequent state voting cycles make me feel more engaged because the consequences hit much closer to home.

Biden is a liability. The Dems should cut him loose, and I think would if they had a viable alternative.

I think people underestimate the influence of the right wing media ecosystem here. A majority of republican leaning Americans get their news from Fox, Newsmax etc, or algorithmically via social media sites like Facebook or worse. When Kelly-Anne Conway coined the expression, 'alternative facts, ' it was a real wake up to just how brainwashed people are. To watch Fox, is to view the country through a different prism entirely, it's pretty much the upside down. They have created a completely alternate reality in the minds of millions of Americans, whether on the last election, the border and immigration, the economy, personal safety etc....

To add insult, there's a counter-factual both-sidesing in mainstream media that almost completely ignores that the GOP has moved to an authoritarian, post truth, anti-democratic platform, while endlessly parlaying failures of the administration in order to appear balanced. To borrow Christine Amanpour's phrase, this is the 'normalisation of the unacceptable' and drives disillusionment in politics in general, especially in the centre.

Found this short bunkerUSA on origins of the party system in the US interesting. Includes a bit of fisher price history as well which is always helpful

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HUWC7TrDy1jKe9Ln5gVRG?si=Lt-ibYEORnCAAfpyUfoxXw

News Agents USA special in Georgia is quite interesting to my point above.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5DEX6xpLX3sRpnpx79h3pP?si=bQAOc-LhSaKlIJ9ifn4e0Q

Groceries and gas seem to be how a lot of people define the economy. "I was better off under Trump, etc.".

I think people underestimate the influence of the right wing media ecosystem here.

Too true. You have to live with right wingers to comprehend the power of the delusion. Watching Louis Theroux and C4 News doesn't tell you how bizarre it is. It's like being stuck in a post-apocalyptic movie. The worst part is that these crazies are effectively ruling the world. We might as well give up and wait for oblivion.

This is a pretty terrifying vision if Trump wins next year:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/22/trump-revenge-game-plan-alarm

We need this guy to make a comeback.

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You just got put on a list. :/

Watch the film, no one gets hurt apart from poor Johnny, but he gets the job done!

Brilliant movie. And very prescient!

To paraphriase a Trump quote, he could use a baby as a shield and still get elected.

This is grim reading:

https://archive.is/VzXhv

I saw a clip of a Michelle Obama speech a few days ago and did wonder how many Democrats are thinking about her as a replacement candidate for Biden.

Haven't thought about that possibility, but why not. Doesn't seem like they have candidates left right center