There are liberals who have seen the game for what it is and liberals who have not. McWhorter has not. He still lives in this make-believe reality where Trump is something so much different than anyone who came before. He's not. You know it; I know it. There are people on the right who do the same thing but opposite. They think that Trump is going to ride to the rescue and save us all. He's not. He's a businessman who turned to politics. His ethics always were a little suspect. He did some good things, but he also fell far short of the mark in many ways.
But losing your politics is a lot like losing your religion. (I'm not trying to insult you here. It's simiply that given that I am a lapsed Christian myself it's the closest I can come.) Can you live in a world where you don't know what comes after? Where you can't depend on the fact that the good are going to be rewarded and the bad punished? Where humans really are supposed to be engineering this train? Where morality is relative and you have to find a way to mentally navigate the world without a creed given to you and with no assurances that anyone one has your back?
Most people can't. And I'm not trying to diss those who are religious. I'm just trying to illustrate a mindset. Most people think those of us who leave our religion behind (whatever religion it is) are doing so because we don't like the constraints. But I'd say for most of us,, it is because we see something that shatters the narrative for us, we can't put the pieces back together, and we can't go back. I'll tell you, living life without *knowing* if anything has purpose, if *you* even have purpose? It's difficult, very difficult.
And I suspect the same thing is true when it comes to politics, though I was always independent enough that I was never under any illusions. Once you see the game for what it is, I think for some it is so difficult to let go because now you have to question *everything* and it may well turn out that all of this is pointless. There is no easy way to tell if you're doing right or you're doing wrong. There's no rush of righteousness. There is only horror, when you let go of that political narrative. And there is definitely no peace. And it would take far more strength than John McWhorter, as much as I too have admired him, has to finally open his eyes.
"McWhorter...still lives in this make-believe reality where Trump is something so much different than anyone who came before. He's not. You know it; I know it."
True - in some ways, Trump is somewhat different than any before him, and in some ways, not. To my way of thinking, he's different in that unlike W, or McCain, or Mittens, he will "play" by his own rules - those three idiots were happy to submit to the will of the swamp. Otherwise, if there are other differences, I couldn't tell you what they are.
"There are people on the right who do the same thing but opposite. They think that Trump is going to ride to the rescue and save us all. He's not."
Agreed – he may have the personal charisma to change the nature of the debate, perhaps to even change the trajectory of the conversation. In that way and that way only, he is much like Reagan, who had two consecutive terms but not much of a legacy in terms of people who would carry on what he started – sadly, it would be HW Bush who left behind a number of globalists in various outposts in the swamp.
Anyone expecting Trump to single-handedly transform this nation from the cesspool it has become is going to be bitterly disappointed. Any serious transformation that may occur will be in the years after he leaves the scene. In this way, the election is really about the veep. Assuming the Democrats, their allies in the deep state, and in the propaganda apparatus are severely decimated and still wandering in the political wilderness come 2028, the MAGA movement may have the opportunity to have some lasting impact in years to come, but those are planets light years away.
"He's a businessman who turned to politics. His ethics always were a little suspect. He did some good things, but he also fell far short of the mark in many ways."
A key difference is that he turned to politics out of a sense of obligation, not a dodge; and not because this was where he could leave a legacy of relevance - he didn't need politics – the Bidens, the Clintons, did – they would never have amassed their current wealth in the private sector.
"(I'm not trying to insult you here...)
No insult taken! :)
"Most people think those of us who leave our religion behind... are doing so because we don't like the constraints. But I'd say for most of us, it is because we see something that shatters the narrative for us, we can't put the pieces back together, and we can't go back."
EXACTLY!! We may not know just what the truth of the matter may be, but we know that what we've been taught, what we've come to accept because we trusted the authorities who taught us, is no longer true – maybe we were lied to, maybe not – the end result is the same.
It's why I left the chult (church with all the earmarks of a cult only visible after being on the inside for a few years) of which I had been a member; it's why I can never consider myself to be a Republican.
"Once you see the game for what it is, I think for some it is so difficult to let go because now you have to question *everything* and it may well turn out that all of this is pointless."
Having the granddaughter last weekend upended priorities (in a good way), and most everything got pushed back – work was also disrupted courtesy of the holiday falling in the middle of the week – please know that as one who once aspired to be an attorney, I can't be insulted.
Cotton is better than Rubio...but not as good as Burgum, or Gabbard.
My sense is that Trump's mind is made up - but he wants to keep SOME attention from the press and he's smart enough to not give in to the temptation to kick a tired, old man when he's down, and self-destructing.
As the governor of North Dakota, he has what I consider to be meaningful executive experience.
Despite the boom from having the Bakken formation, and much of the Wlliston Basin within its borders, it isn't California, which has a much more broad tax base: tourism, tech, ag, entertainment industries to generate revenue.
ND has oil, ag (which includes ranching), and what else? My point being that unlike California, Texas, or Florida - states that can thrive in spite of themselves - ND has to actually manage itself - as governor, Burgum has to manage competing interests.
The sister and I still have the family farm in North Dakota. We were over there during COVID. He went a little COVID nuts. That's why I'm not keen on him. But I appreciate your perspective. I suppose on a very shallow level it would be cool to have even a VP from this part of the country, though not Steve Bullock (gag).
McWhorter, who is at the top of linguistic studies in the US at Columbia University, writes for the NYT, is a close personal friend of Glenn Loury, (a public conservative) and yet with all that he knows, he reveals such darkness. That is a learned behavior that was created/enabled with an extraordinary amount of hubris. No excuses, he understands exactly what and why he said what he said. The reality that people continue to give McWhorter and other public intellects a pass with such abhorrent behavior is reason western civilization has hit the current nadir. Steve Bannon, last week made the comment that it's time to go "Old Testament". Read and weep, it's brutal.
I understand your point, and it says much about a lack of character that that is where he would go. There is a certain level of desperation right now. The Democrat Party has drifted so far from what it was, and I'm not even talking the "woke" stuff. I'm talking the lawfare and the censorship and the naked excuses for totalitarianism and turning a blind eye to the corruption. And those who have aligned with it are going to have to make a choice: do they continue to support it or do they walk away and let what happens happen? The real problem with men like McWhorter is that I think they see what is going on, but they are too weak to stand up to it because they hate the other side so much (not necessarily certain members of the other side but the thought of the other side having any power at all), and so they continue to enable the situation. That is the ugly part. Once you give into an "ends justify the means" mentality, you've invited whatever comes down on your head.
There are liberals who have seen the game for what it is and liberals who have not. McWhorter has not. He still lives in this make-believe reality where Trump is something so much different than anyone who came before. He's not. You know it; I know it. There are people on the right who do the same thing but opposite. They think that Trump is going to ride to the rescue and save us all. He's not. He's a businessman who turned to politics. His ethics always were a little suspect. He did some good things, but he also fell far short of the mark in many ways.
But losing your politics is a lot like losing your religion. (I'm not trying to insult you here. It's simiply that given that I am a lapsed Christian myself it's the closest I can come.) Can you live in a world where you don't know what comes after? Where you can't depend on the fact that the good are going to be rewarded and the bad punished? Where humans really are supposed to be engineering this train? Where morality is relative and you have to find a way to mentally navigate the world without a creed given to you and with no assurances that anyone one has your back?
Most people can't. And I'm not trying to diss those who are religious. I'm just trying to illustrate a mindset. Most people think those of us who leave our religion behind (whatever religion it is) are doing so because we don't like the constraints. But I'd say for most of us,, it is because we see something that shatters the narrative for us, we can't put the pieces back together, and we can't go back. I'll tell you, living life without *knowing* if anything has purpose, if *you* even have purpose? It's difficult, very difficult.
And I suspect the same thing is true when it comes to politics, though I was always independent enough that I was never under any illusions. Once you see the game for what it is, I think for some it is so difficult to let go because now you have to question *everything* and it may well turn out that all of this is pointless. There is no easy way to tell if you're doing right or you're doing wrong. There's no rush of righteousness. There is only horror, when you let go of that political narrative. And there is definitely no peace. And it would take far more strength than John McWhorter, as much as I too have admired him, has to finally open his eyes.
"McWhorter...still lives in this make-believe reality where Trump is something so much different than anyone who came before. He's not. You know it; I know it."
True - in some ways, Trump is somewhat different than any before him, and in some ways, not. To my way of thinking, he's different in that unlike W, or McCain, or Mittens, he will "play" by his own rules - those three idiots were happy to submit to the will of the swamp. Otherwise, if there are other differences, I couldn't tell you what they are.
"There are people on the right who do the same thing but opposite. They think that Trump is going to ride to the rescue and save us all. He's not."
Agreed – he may have the personal charisma to change the nature of the debate, perhaps to even change the trajectory of the conversation. In that way and that way only, he is much like Reagan, who had two consecutive terms but not much of a legacy in terms of people who would carry on what he started – sadly, it would be HW Bush who left behind a number of globalists in various outposts in the swamp.
Anyone expecting Trump to single-handedly transform this nation from the cesspool it has become is going to be bitterly disappointed. Any serious transformation that may occur will be in the years after he leaves the scene. In this way, the election is really about the veep. Assuming the Democrats, their allies in the deep state, and in the propaganda apparatus are severely decimated and still wandering in the political wilderness come 2028, the MAGA movement may have the opportunity to have some lasting impact in years to come, but those are planets light years away.
"He's a businessman who turned to politics. His ethics always were a little suspect. He did some good things, but he also fell far short of the mark in many ways."
A key difference is that he turned to politics out of a sense of obligation, not a dodge; and not because this was where he could leave a legacy of relevance - he didn't need politics – the Bidens, the Clintons, did – they would never have amassed their current wealth in the private sector.
"(I'm not trying to insult you here...)
No insult taken! :)
"Most people think those of us who leave our religion behind... are doing so because we don't like the constraints. But I'd say for most of us, it is because we see something that shatters the narrative for us, we can't put the pieces back together, and we can't go back."
EXACTLY!! We may not know just what the truth of the matter may be, but we know that what we've been taught, what we've come to accept because we trusted the authorities who taught us, is no longer true – maybe we were lied to, maybe not – the end result is the same.
It's why I left the chult (church with all the earmarks of a cult only visible after being on the inside for a few years) of which I had been a member; it's why I can never consider myself to be a Republican.
"Once you see the game for what it is, I think for some it is so difficult to let go because now you have to question *everything* and it may well turn out that all of this is pointless."
Fabulously stated! I fully concur!!
Thank you for the reply. I was a bit worried that I had offended you, which was not my intent.
Speaking of veeps, I saw on Fox News this morning that Trump is considering Tom Cotton?!?! Feelings?
Oh, my apologies!
Having the granddaughter last weekend upended priorities (in a good way), and most everything got pushed back – work was also disrupted courtesy of the holiday falling in the middle of the week – please know that as one who once aspired to be an attorney, I can't be insulted.
Cotton is better than Rubio...but not as good as Burgum, or Gabbard.
My sense is that Trump's mind is made up - but he wants to keep SOME attention from the press and he's smart enough to not give in to the temptation to kick a tired, old man when he's down, and self-destructing.
Don't apologize. I overthink things. I'm glad you got to spend time with the granddaughter.
So why do you like Burgum? Genuine question.
As the governor of North Dakota, he has what I consider to be meaningful executive experience.
Despite the boom from having the Bakken formation, and much of the Wlliston Basin within its borders, it isn't California, which has a much more broad tax base: tourism, tech, ag, entertainment industries to generate revenue.
ND has oil, ag (which includes ranching), and what else? My point being that unlike California, Texas, or Florida - states that can thrive in spite of themselves - ND has to actually manage itself - as governor, Burgum has to manage competing interests.
Good answer.
The sister and I still have the family farm in North Dakota. We were over there during COVID. He went a little COVID nuts. That's why I'm not keen on him. But I appreciate your perspective. I suppose on a very shallow level it would be cool to have even a VP from this part of the country, though not Steve Bullock (gag).
McWhorter, who is at the top of linguistic studies in the US at Columbia University, writes for the NYT, is a close personal friend of Glenn Loury, (a public conservative) and yet with all that he knows, he reveals such darkness. That is a learned behavior that was created/enabled with an extraordinary amount of hubris. No excuses, he understands exactly what and why he said what he said. The reality that people continue to give McWhorter and other public intellects a pass with such abhorrent behavior is reason western civilization has hit the current nadir. Steve Bannon, last week made the comment that it's time to go "Old Testament". Read and weep, it's brutal.
I understand your point, and it says much about a lack of character that that is where he would go. There is a certain level of desperation right now. The Democrat Party has drifted so far from what it was, and I'm not even talking the "woke" stuff. I'm talking the lawfare and the censorship and the naked excuses for totalitarianism and turning a blind eye to the corruption. And those who have aligned with it are going to have to make a choice: do they continue to support it or do they walk away and let what happens happen? The real problem with men like McWhorter is that I think they see what is going on, but they are too weak to stand up to it because they hate the other side so much (not necessarily certain members of the other side but the thought of the other side having any power at all), and so they continue to enable the situation. That is the ugly part. Once you give into an "ends justify the means" mentality, you've invited whatever comes down on your head.
Succinctly put, forward to Glenn Loury. Wow…