What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Sophie Scholl]

There are a host of countries, displaced people, and graves around the world that would very much take issue with that analysis of what the US did and pursued during the Cold War.

[Tamas]

Also it's not just the US. In the UK it took very obvious economic incompetence to boot out the light version of the current US government and a proper clone of it is set to at least become the major opposition force (well it already is)

In Germany literal nazis are in ascendant again. France is holding off a Le Pen government by stumbling from crisis to crisis.

Most countries can muster, at best, a debilitating equilibrium standoff between fascists and people with morals. Which situation strengthens the fascists.

Only hope I have left is that disillusionment in the fascists won't take a world war like last time. Hopefully Trump's mad theatre will help with that.

[Jacob]

There are a host of countries, displaced people, and graves around the world that would very much take issue with that analysis of what the US did and pursued during the Cold War.

Using soft power does not preclude the use of hard power.

So while you're correct - the US did not attempt to use soft power exclusively, and certainly employed hard power quite vigorously - it does not really counter the argument that the US used soft power extensively and that a value change in the US is driving both a reduction in the use of soft power and the ways in which that soft power is being deployed.

[Sophie Scholl]

Back on topic, the press conference (which has been said to be about relocating Space Force command to Alabama) was supposed to start 10 minutes ago and... nothing so far. Rather odd.

edit: Apparently they moved it back to 2:30 PM EST?

[crazy canuck]

The scarier conclusion is that values of Americans themselves has changed - and if that conclusion is correct, this is the version of the United States of America we are going to see for a long while.

Yeah, I tend to agree.

Which then raises the question of what has driven - and drives - such value changes.

That is a question that will best be answered by historians like Oex in due course.  But with the limited information available to me, my best guess is economic inequality and the destruction of the American middle class. 

[Valmy]

The scarier conclusion is that values of Americans themselves has changed - and if that conclusion is correct, this is the version of the United States of America we are going to see for a long while.

My conclusion is that the values of Americans haven't changed they have just...been empowered. The internet has allowed the actual opinions of the ordinary people to dominate in a way the elites restrained in the past with all their gate keeping.

So yeah. This is who we are. And when somebody tells you who they are, believe them.

[Valmy]

That is a question that will best be answered by historians like Oex in due course.  But with the limited information available to me, my best guess is economic inequality and the destruction of the American middle class.

That plays a role, sure...but less than you would think. Using the military against immigrants and minorities is something I have heard people call for my entire life.

[Jacob]

My conclusion is that the values of Americans haven't changed they have just...been empowered. The internet has allowed the actual opinions of the ordinary people to dominate in a way the elites restrained in the past with all their gate keeping.

So yeah. This is who we are. And when somebody tells you who they are, believe them.

IMO a big driver is that one side has been actively and coherently been waging a culture war for decades with an end goal in mind (and funding it well), while the other has complacently let its dominance deteriorate. Values are defined, created, and changed through culture.

[PJL]

That is a question that will best be answered by historians like Oex in due course.  But with the limited information available to me, my best guess is economic inequality and the destruction of the American middle class.

That plays a role, sure...but less than you would think. Using the military against immigrants and minorities is something I have heard people call for my entire life.

That re-enforces my belief that the real problem is that too many people are inherently nasty, and that Trump / Putin / Orban etc are just the symptoms of that, not the cause. If anything the only time when their supporters are dismayed by them, it is because they don't go far enough.

[Sophie Scholl]

Ok, but... this press conference was pushed back half an hour and is now 8 minutes late with zero updates? Like... that's weird, right? 

[PJL]

My conclusion is that the values of Americans haven't changed they have just...been empowered. The internet has allowed the actual opinions of the ordinary people to dominate in a way the elites restrained in the past with all their gate keeping.

So yeah. This is who we are. And when somebody tells you who they are, believe them.

IMO a big driver is that one side has been actively and coherently been waging a culture war for decades with an end goal in mind (and funding it well), while the other has complacently let its dominance deteriorate. Values are defined, created, and changed through culture.

Not so sure about that. I think the left has been very good at suppressing the bigoted values of many people, but social media has now empowered the bigots to realise they are not alone and are much less shameful of expressing their views.

[Valmy]

IMO a big driver is that one side has been actively and coherently been waging a culture war for decades with an end goal in mind (and funding it well), while the other has complacently let its dominance deteriorate. Values are defined, created, and changed through culture.

Dominance? LOL. You think too highly of us.

And in any case I dispute the notion that any side of the culture war is complacent. They are constantly doing shit.

There were small periods of time when the more progressive views held the upper hand but the reaction was always swift and overwhelming.

[Tamas]

Ok, but... this press conference was pushed back half an hour and is now 8 minutes late with zero updates? Like... that's weird, right? 

Probably Trump has forgotten what he wanted to announce and they are now frantically trying to find something to announce.

[Valmy]

Ok, but... this press conference was pushed back half an hour and is now 8 minutes late with zero updates? Like... that's weird, right? 

Maybe? I don't really know what is normal for these clowns.

[Valmy]

Ok, but... this press conference was pushed back half an hour and is now 8 minutes late with zero updates? Like... that's weird, right? 

Probably Trump has forgotten what he wanted to announce and they are now frantically trying to find something to announce.

It is something completely stupid, right? Moving Space Army's HQ from Colorado to Alabama right?