You haven’t addressed by far the most important pro-Trump point—the left is worse and much more dangerous. Yes, Trump is a short-sighted clueless evil bumbling buffoon—therefore only psychopaths and fools could wholeheartedly endorse his vision, and so, unless they could somehow come to dominate the country, Trumpism isn’t a long-term concern. Whereas basically the entire “blue tribe” elite endorses wokeness as being the-right-side-of-history continuation of liberal ideals. To the extent that Trump frustrates their “progress” and provides the opportunity for the elite to come to its senses (or be replaced by a not insane one) I say that he’s the lesser evil.
therefore only psychopaths and fools could wholeheartedly endorse his vision, and so, unless they could somehow come to dominate the country, Trumpism isn’t a long-term concern
And yet Trump-like figures have obtained power outside of the United States as well. I think the demand for Trumpism goes beyond just the personal allure of the man himself, even though that has also been a critical part of uplifting the Republicans’ electoral success.
unless they could somehow come to dominate the country
They don’t need to dominate the country. Just dominating one of the two major parties is enough. Trump has remade the Republican party in his image. Those who opposed him (John McCain, Mitt Romney, the “Never Trumpers,” Fox News after the first primary debate in 2015, etc.) have either died, lost primary elections, voluntarily retired from politics, or joined the left. Fundamental policy prescriptions that Republicans had long stood for (freedom of business, increased international trade, increased immigration, interventionism in foreign affairs, etc.) have either been turned on their heads or been fundamentally altered to align with Trump’s policy views. Personal supporters of Trump, along with right-wing influencers like Laura Loomer, are obtaining more and more influence with every passing day. The “adults in the room” from the first administration (such as generals who kept the nation on track) have all either left or in some cases publicly denounced Trump, and they have been replaced with sycophantic lickspittles. Trump made the 2024 Republican primary a referendum on the 2020 election Big Lie, and everyone who didn’t fully buy into it was unceremoniously hoisted out of the party.
Giving power to an authoritarian who spits on fundamental liberal and constitutional principles isn’t the worst thing ever, as long as that’s temporary. But if doing so means also giving the authoritarian the levers through which he can purge one of the two main political institutions in the country of anyone who disagrees with him, well… that enshrines his control far into the future.
To the extent that Trump frustrates their “progress” and provides the opportunity for the elite to come to its senses (or be replaced by a not insane one) I say that he’s the lesser evil.
Has any of this happened? It seems to me the wokeness craze of 2019-2022 was in large part caused by Trump, in the sense that the left reacted to the 2016 election and the perception that America was fundamentally rotten at the core as a result of someone (in their eyes) so obviously unqualified becoming president by turning ever more towards left-progressivism.
Trump obtaining political power doesn’t seem to have made the left or the elites any more sane, in my estimation. Quite the opposite.
And yet Trump-like figures have obtained power outside of the United States as well. I think the demand for Trumpism goes beyond just the personal allure of the man himself, even though that has also been a critical part of uplifting the Republicans’ electoral success.
I’m claiming that Trump mainly channels the protest against the “respectable” elite consensus, and sure, people are fed up with it not only in the US.
Trump has remade the Republican party in his image.
Yep, because it was brain dead already, he pushed and the corpse toppled over. This is a blessing and a curse for the Dems—neither Trump nor anybody else on the right seems likely to offer any positive vision any time soon, so all the Dems have to do is to just be slightly less repulsive, something they impressively managed to bungle twice already!
Has any of this happened?
Yes. They aren’t in (complete) power, therefore some of the agenda has been slowed down.
It seems to me the wokeness craze of 2019-2022 was in large part caused by Trump
And Trump in 2016 was in large part caused by what was then called the SJW craze of 2008-2015. So it goes.
Trump obtaining political power doesn’t seem to have made the left or the elites any more sane, in my estimation. Quite the opposite.
Yeah, I’m not optimistic. Maybe benevolent robot overlords will swoop in to the rescue against all odds after all?
You haven’t addressed by far the most important pro-Trump point—the left is worse and much more dangerous. Yes, Trump is a short-sighted clueless evil bumbling buffoon—therefore only psychopaths and fools could wholeheartedly endorse his vision, and so, unless they could somehow come to dominate the country, Trumpism isn’t a long-term concern. Whereas basically the entire “blue tribe” elite endorses wokeness as being the-right-side-of-history continuation of liberal ideals. To the extent that Trump frustrates their “progress” and provides the opportunity for the elite to come to its senses (or be replaced by a not insane one) I say that he’s the lesser evil.
And yet Trump-like figures have obtained power outside of the United States as well. I think the demand for Trumpism goes beyond just the personal allure of the man himself, even though that has also been a critical part of uplifting the Republicans’ electoral success.
They don’t need to dominate the country. Just dominating one of the two major parties is enough. Trump has remade the Republican party in his image. Those who opposed him (John McCain, Mitt Romney, the “Never Trumpers,” Fox News after the first primary debate in 2015, etc.) have either died, lost primary elections, voluntarily retired from politics, or joined the left. Fundamental policy prescriptions that Republicans had long stood for (freedom of business, increased international trade, increased immigration, interventionism in foreign affairs, etc.) have either been turned on their heads or been fundamentally altered to align with Trump’s policy views. Personal supporters of Trump, along with right-wing influencers like Laura Loomer, are obtaining more and more influence with every passing day. The “adults in the room” from the first administration (such as generals who kept the nation on track) have all either left or in some cases publicly denounced Trump, and they have been replaced with sycophantic lickspittles. Trump made the 2024 Republican primary a referendum on the 2020 election Big Lie, and everyone who didn’t fully buy into it was unceremoniously hoisted out of the party.
Giving power to an authoritarian who spits on fundamental liberal and constitutional principles isn’t the worst thing ever, as long as that’s temporary. But if doing so means also giving the authoritarian the levers through which he can purge one of the two main political institutions in the country of anyone who disagrees with him, well… that enshrines his control far into the future.
Has any of this happened? It seems to me the wokeness craze of 2019-2022 was in large part caused by Trump, in the sense that the left reacted to the 2016 election and the perception that America was fundamentally rotten at the core as a result of someone (in their eyes) so obviously unqualified becoming president by turning ever more towards left-progressivism.
Trump obtaining political power doesn’t seem to have made the left or the elites any more sane, in my estimation. Quite the opposite.
I’m claiming that Trump mainly channels the protest against the “respectable” elite consensus, and sure, people are fed up with it not only in the US.
Yep, because it was brain dead already, he pushed and the corpse toppled over. This is a blessing and a curse for the Dems—neither Trump nor anybody else on the right seems likely to offer any positive vision any time soon, so all the Dems have to do is to just be slightly less repulsive, something they impressively managed to bungle twice already!
Yes. They aren’t in (complete) power, therefore some of the agenda has been slowed down.
And Trump in 2016 was in large part caused by what was then called the SJW craze of 2008-2015. So it goes.
Yeah, I’m not optimistic. Maybe benevolent robot overlords will swoop in to the rescue against all odds after all?