Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
5 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,815 Year: 3,072/9,624 Month: 917/1,588 Week: 100/223 Day: 11/17 Hour: 0/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Cultural, not Policy, Reasons for Opposing Trumpism
Percy
Member
Posts: 22391
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 1 of 3 (826407)
12-30-2017 12:11 PM


In today's New York Times conservative columnist Bret Stephens explains Why I’m Still a NeverTrumper. Highlights:
quote:
And want to preserve your own republican institutions? Then pay attention to the character of your leaders, the culture of governance and the political health of the public. It matters a lot more than lowering the top marginal income tax rate by a couple of percentage points.
This is the fatal mistake of conservatives who’ve decided the best way to deal with Trump’s personality the lying, narcissism, bullying, bigotry, crassness, name calling, ignorance, paranoia, incompetence and pettiness is to pretend it doesn’t matter. Character Doesn’t Count has become a de facto G.O.P. motto. Virtue Doesn’t Matter might be another.
But character does count, and virtue does matter, and Trump’s shortcomings prove it daily.
...
Responsibility invariably lies with the president’s intemperance and dishonesty.
...
Now look at the culture of governance. Trump demands testimonials from his cabinet, servility from Republican politicians and worship from conservative media. To serve in this White House isn’t to be elevated to public service. It’s to be debased into toadyism, which probably explains the record-setting staff turnover of 34 percent, according to an analysis from the Brookings Institution.
...
Trump is empowering a conservative political culture that celebrates everything that patriotic Americans should fear: the cult of strength, open disdain for truthfulness, violent contempt for the Fourth Estate, hostility toward high culture and other types of elitism, a penchant for conspiracy theories and, most dangerously, white-identity politics.
--Percy

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by nwr, posted 12-30-2017 2:41 PM Percy has replied

Percy
Member
Posts: 22391
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 3 of 3 (826426)
12-30-2017 3:25 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by nwr
12-30-2017 2:41 PM


Apologies, I never intended to post this to a new thread. I intended to post it to the The Trump Presidency thread, which I've done, see Message 1604. I'll post a copy of your response over there. Closing this thread down.
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by nwr, posted 12-30-2017 2:41 PM nwr has seen this message but not replied

Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024