The Bolton book.

[The Brain]

I would imagine that politicians should behave in an even more ethical manner than civil servants. 

I can see the need to be apolitical if you are a civil servant, but guys like Bolton do have an obligation to blow the whistle if they feel like a President is hurting the country or his party.

But he didn't, did he? He kept working for Trump long after Trump's crap was obvious. Bolton is scum.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I suppose that at some point Bolton concluded that Trump had lost the  天命 (mandate of heaven).

Is that still a thing in China I wonder 

[11B4V]

Eh, Bolton is old school GOP crazy. Not like these new upstarts.

[Josquius]

I have to say, from what I've read so far, Trump is not going to come off well.

But surely he never does?

I do wonder whether the sheer amount of facts out there about his behaviour helps to dilute stuff like this with those inclined to support trump seeing it as yet more of the same and dismissing it.

[Sheilbh]

Regardless of whether or not the book is a true account of events, nothing stated in the article particularly shocked or surprised me at this point.

I was legitimately surprised he asked Xi to help him win re-election. I thought he hated the Chinese.

He wants to do a deal - and said Xi is China's greatest ruler in 300 years. Which probably just reflects Trump's well-known admiration for the Kangxi Emperor

[Eddie Teach]

Trump merely produced 3 sons. Sad.

[Monoriu]

I suppose that at some point Bolton concluded that Trump had lost the  天命 (mandate of heaven).

Is that still a thing in China I wonder 

Not really. 

[Solmyr]

So, who is going to be fired next because of the revelations in the book? Pompeo?

[Syt]

Not to be mistaken with the man date of heaven, which is which is a dreamy date with you favorite male crush.

[The Minsky Moment]

There are anti-China factions in the administration - Navarro in particular on a trade/competition perspective and Pompeo more from a national security perspective.  Others - like Mnuchin or Kudlow - not so much so.  Trump himself cares only what is good for him in the moment and what "deal" or transaction is available.

[Razgovory]

I suppose that at some point Bolton concluded that Trump had lost the  天命 (mandate of heaven).

Is that still a thing in China I wonder 

Not really.

My world history textbook in high school said it was.  In retrospect many things in that book were wrong and known to be wrong when it was published.

[Monoriu]

I suppose that at some point Bolton concluded that Trump had lost the  天命 (mandate of heaven).

Is that still a thing in China I wonder 

Not really.

My world history textbook in high school said it was.  In retrospect many things in that book were wrong and known to be wrong when it was published.

Mandate of heaven is a bit of a dangerous concept.  See, a Mandate of Heaven could be lost.  Through natural disasters, peasant revolts, foreign invasions, etc etc.  It implicitly encourages people to rebel if they consider there is a just cause.  If you were an absolute ruler of a place, that's the last thing you want to promote. 

[Razgovory]

Yeah, well the text book said that the communist leaders might lose the Mandate of Heaven in the eyes of the populace and start an uprising.  This book was printed in the early 1990's but honestly it seems sort of absurd.  Like Commonwealth countries overthrowing their elected governments to make way for the divine right of kings.

[viper37]

What planet are you from?

Planet HK, I believe.

[Valmy]

Yeah, well the text book said that the communist leaders might lose the Mandate of Heaven in the eyes of the populace and start an uprising.  This book was printed in the early 1990's but honestly it seems sort of absurd.  Like Commonwealth countries overthrowing their elected governments to make way for the divine right of kings.

Does it? I mean I thought the term implied some kind of social agreement where the leaders had to provide good results for the people and in exchange they got to be the rulers. If they fuck up and bad shit starts happening then the people were required to replace them with people who could get good results.

Is that really that absurd of a concept? Granted there is some superstition in there that all bad things are the leaders fault but we kind of do the same thing in the United States where Presidents can get taken out, or are given credit, by factors often beyond their control.

The Divine Right of Kings is almost the opposite, where if bad things happen it is God's Will and it was probably your fault for God punishing you with a bad King. Better go pray and do better and maybe the next King will be good.