“What America needs is not people who are loyal to Trump, but people who will perform their duty and who are loyal to the country and who have a deep sense of honor that demands of them that they obey any legal order…” I agree with this statement but the folly is that neither politicians (either party) and MSM are loyal to country and honor. As you stated MSM kept thumb on the scale during elections, twists, colors and bends the news and politicians grandstand for themselves and partisan politics. Where is the Honor? Where is Truth? Even your reference to Trump “as a convicted felon” is entering the grey zone of truth (34 charges due to one action of a NDA…). So IMO if President Trump requires/demands loyalty I can fully understand why. Who is providing any shred of Duty, Honor, Country outside of the administration?
Yes, this is not a "their side is bad, ours is good" situation. Both parties are awful. Last year I argued that Trump was better than Harris. I never argued he was a good candidate. Or a good person for matter.
The solution is not an easy one: either join a political party and push to get honorable candidates nominated, vote for a third party candidate, or both.
Trump is doing what the people elected him to do. He expects the people in the executive branch to do what the people elected him to do. That is difference between a constitutional republic and a democracy. Someone living in a democracy might not understand that concept maybe in practice.
This is a system that answers to the people, not where the people answer to the government. It is very simple. Politicians forget that and crave the power. Some are trying to change the system and make the people dependent upon the government, but that isn't freedom. President Trump is a perfect example of someone that is fulfilling the will of the people. I've lived in this system for 61 years of my life. I served my country and swore an oath to our Constitution. Think what you like. I understand our system. I also understand systems where the people have to answer to the government.
I listened to an interesting podcast on Machiavelli. The interviewee, an expert on him, discussed how the managerial class stems from him. I think it was in the same interview where they discussed how a king would be more receptive to the common people, but it would become the managerial class would prevent this to protect their interests.
I doubt that a civil war will happen in the West... simply because there are no longer enough brave, young, agentic men in our world. Civil wars and revolutions are usually terrible events, but some things are worse.
My rule of thumb is that a revolution is a rational bet if you're willing to see half of your community and 1/3 of the people you know killed. If the status quo is THAT bad, then revolution may be warranted. Unfortunately, I think that the simulacrum has kind of captured us. Most people are now too distant from things like hunger or war or camaraderie... and the system certainly wants to keep us that way.
There are enough men and women in the American military to fight a very destructive civil war. I don't think it will come to that though. Until loyalty to country is eclipsed by loyalty to politicians/generals, the worst that we're likely to see - and this would still be very bad - is armed militias.
I can give one example that what you are saying is jaded. The have been laws on the books for immigration for years. The have failed to have been enforced for years. Trump enforces them. Judges decide to block laws that were enacted by Congress that the Executive branch is carrying out. People decry the Executive branch for overstepping its bounds and separation of powers when it is actually the Judicial branch that is overstepping its bounds. Illegal immigrants don't have the same Constitutional protections that citizens have no matter what some people say. The deployments of the military that he has made to this point have not been unconstitutional up to this point. The only people that have complained are liberals and illegal immigrants.
It's not jaded, it's just true. Neither party is moral/honest. Sure, you might be able to point to a politician or two who put the interest of the country above themselves, but there can't be that many.
Your response is typical of politics today, "when we do it, it's good, when they do it, it's bad." A perfect example is how judicial decisions are framed, "a Trump/Biden appointed judge has ruled..."
Personally, the Supreme Court is pretty much the only institution I have any faith in. Even when I disagree with a ruling I can usually see the logic in the argument.
Your bio states: "Truth and honesty are the most important values to me that are lacking in our society in my opinion."
Can you really tell me that Trump stands for either of these values? Before you answer, bear in mind that criticizing him does not mean I'm praising the other side.
One final note: it is possible for the Executive Branch AND the Judicial Branch to be overstepping their bounds.
He ran on a platform that he got elected on. In a Constitutional Republic our elected leaders are responsible to the people. Many get to Washington and do their own thing. Trump is doing what he was elected to do. I have not observed any actions up to this point that are unconstitutional. I believe he does stand for truth and honesty. I don't necessarily believe that everyone around him does. No other president has opened up the oval office to the press for daily briefings like him for transparency. The White House website gives daily updates to what is being done. MSM of course will tell their own story. I haven't followed MSM for many years. Since, before 2000's. I don't follow social media for news either like many do. Too much garbage there. Some people are in a culture shock because some laws are being carried out that have never been carried out like this before, but they have always been on the books. Although, Obama and Clinton did the same things he is doing and no one complained. They both downsized the federal government and deported many illegal immigrants. They only complain when certain people do it, including the judiciary. Obama appointed judges didn't block him from doing it because no one brought lawsuits to stop him from doing the same thing Trump is doing. That shows you the motivation is political. They don't really care about what he is doing, just that it is him doing it.
I agree, John. When the Democrats did precisely what Trump is doing, no one said a word against them. "Deporter in Chief" was not spat with the contempt shown to our current President. The media, and the leftists they represent, shriek that Trump is xenophobic when he removes known criminals from the country. They don't cover any story that conflicts with their narrative. I remain loyal to Trump because I believe that he is loyal to our Constitution. I left Canada decades ago because the US Constitution promised freedom and justice...and protection, not only from criminals, but from the government itself. Of course, the line between government and criminal has become very blurry since the rule of the Clintons. But Trump is restoring what they have destroyed, and what they ultimately destroyed was our trust.
You nailed the essence of the Constitution but I would urge you to read it again. America isn’t France or England or even Canada. “We the people…do ordain and establish this Constitution…” Our Constitution limited government (see Article 1, Section 8) and promotes liberty; protection of individual freedom.
As a former soldier, an NCO, I had a duty to protect the liberty of the people; and to fight and die if needed. I was not protecting the president or any institutions of government. My duty was to defend the people “and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”.
The trust value of a country seems akin to the goodwill of a company. You can't touch it, but, like air, you know if it isn't there. It isn't just about having money. Thomas Sowell writes about growing up in Harlem with a high level of community trust. My area was the same, even though looking back, some areas were poor working-class areas, but it was safe/tranquil, though behind closed doors, surely some were grim, as my house was with an alcoholic parent. Decades ago, an Israeli friend said she felt unsafe in US grocery stores because there was no security. Now we have armed security, dirty stores, and a malaise that covers everything like dust.
You've done some fine research and you have drawn rational conclusions from the past. But, time moves on. People typically start revolutions when their standard of living has suddenly improved incrementally. That's when people realize how poor they are and they go wild. In the new AI world of the 21st century, with robots assembling our cars and computers driving semi-trucks, it is easy to imagine a Western civilization, rotted from within, to be taken over by the BRICS. That much is inevitable. Will the peasants in the USA and Europe rebel or behave like overfed cattle? That is the only question worth asking.
Does America need a strong president? Was Joe Biden Lucid at any time in the past five years? Without strong executive leadership and the support of the Supreme Court, America will dissolve into the morass of the swamp and be remembered along with the British empire, Rome, and Greece.
“What America needs is not people who are loyal to Trump, but people who will perform their duty and who are loyal to the country and who have a deep sense of honor that demands of them that they obey any legal order…” I agree with this statement but the folly is that neither politicians (either party) and MSM are loyal to country and honor. As you stated MSM kept thumb on the scale during elections, twists, colors and bends the news and politicians grandstand for themselves and partisan politics. Where is the Honor? Where is Truth? Even your reference to Trump “as a convicted felon” is entering the grey zone of truth (34 charges due to one action of a NDA…). So IMO if President Trump requires/demands loyalty I can fully understand why. Who is providing any shred of Duty, Honor, Country outside of the administration?
Yes, this is not a "their side is bad, ours is good" situation. Both parties are awful. Last year I argued that Trump was better than Harris. I never argued he was a good candidate. Or a good person for matter.
The solution is not an easy one: either join a political party and push to get honorable candidates nominated, vote for a third party candidate, or both.
Thanks for the comment Dave!
Trump is doing what the people elected him to do. He expects the people in the executive branch to do what the people elected him to do. That is difference between a constitutional republic and a democracy. Someone living in a democracy might not understand that concept maybe in practice.
That's an interesting, simplistic, and most importantly, incorrect description of the differences between the two systems.
This is a system that answers to the people, not where the people answer to the government. It is very simple. Politicians forget that and crave the power. Some are trying to change the system and make the people dependent upon the government, but that isn't freedom. President Trump is a perfect example of someone that is fulfilling the will of the people. I've lived in this system for 61 years of my life. I served my country and swore an oath to our Constitution. Think what you like. I understand our system. I also understand systems where the people have to answer to the government.
I listened to an interesting podcast on Machiavelli. The interviewee, an expert on him, discussed how the managerial class stems from him. I think it was in the same interview where they discussed how a king would be more receptive to the common people, but it would become the managerial class would prevent this to protect their interests.
I doubt that a civil war will happen in the West... simply because there are no longer enough brave, young, agentic men in our world. Civil wars and revolutions are usually terrible events, but some things are worse.
My rule of thumb is that a revolution is a rational bet if you're willing to see half of your community and 1/3 of the people you know killed. If the status quo is THAT bad, then revolution may be warranted. Unfortunately, I think that the simulacrum has kind of captured us. Most people are now too distant from things like hunger or war or camaraderie... and the system certainly wants to keep us that way.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/rough-men-stand-ready
There are enough men and women in the American military to fight a very destructive civil war. I don't think it will come to that though. Until loyalty to country is eclipsed by loyalty to politicians/generals, the worst that we're likely to see - and this would still be very bad - is armed militias.
Thanks for the comment James!
I can give one example that what you are saying is jaded. The have been laws on the books for immigration for years. The have failed to have been enforced for years. Trump enforces them. Judges decide to block laws that were enacted by Congress that the Executive branch is carrying out. People decry the Executive branch for overstepping its bounds and separation of powers when it is actually the Judicial branch that is overstepping its bounds. Illegal immigrants don't have the same Constitutional protections that citizens have no matter what some people say. The deployments of the military that he has made to this point have not been unconstitutional up to this point. The only people that have complained are liberals and illegal immigrants.
It's not jaded, it's just true. Neither party is moral/honest. Sure, you might be able to point to a politician or two who put the interest of the country above themselves, but there can't be that many.
Your response is typical of politics today, "when we do it, it's good, when they do it, it's bad." A perfect example is how judicial decisions are framed, "a Trump/Biden appointed judge has ruled..."
Personally, the Supreme Court is pretty much the only institution I have any faith in. Even when I disagree with a ruling I can usually see the logic in the argument.
Your bio states: "Truth and honesty are the most important values to me that are lacking in our society in my opinion."
Can you really tell me that Trump stands for either of these values? Before you answer, bear in mind that criticizing him does not mean I'm praising the other side.
One final note: it is possible for the Executive Branch AND the Judicial Branch to be overstepping their bounds.
He ran on a platform that he got elected on. In a Constitutional Republic our elected leaders are responsible to the people. Many get to Washington and do their own thing. Trump is doing what he was elected to do. I have not observed any actions up to this point that are unconstitutional. I believe he does stand for truth and honesty. I don't necessarily believe that everyone around him does. No other president has opened up the oval office to the press for daily briefings like him for transparency. The White House website gives daily updates to what is being done. MSM of course will tell their own story. I haven't followed MSM for many years. Since, before 2000's. I don't follow social media for news either like many do. Too much garbage there. Some people are in a culture shock because some laws are being carried out that have never been carried out like this before, but they have always been on the books. Although, Obama and Clinton did the same things he is doing and no one complained. They both downsized the federal government and deported many illegal immigrants. They only complain when certain people do it, including the judiciary. Obama appointed judges didn't block him from doing it because no one brought lawsuits to stop him from doing the same thing Trump is doing. That shows you the motivation is political. They don't really care about what he is doing, just that it is him doing it.
I agree, John. When the Democrats did precisely what Trump is doing, no one said a word against them. "Deporter in Chief" was not spat with the contempt shown to our current President. The media, and the leftists they represent, shriek that Trump is xenophobic when he removes known criminals from the country. They don't cover any story that conflicts with their narrative. I remain loyal to Trump because I believe that he is loyal to our Constitution. I left Canada decades ago because the US Constitution promised freedom and justice...and protection, not only from criminals, but from the government itself. Of course, the line between government and criminal has become very blurry since the rule of the Clintons. But Trump is restoring what they have destroyed, and what they ultimately destroyed was our trust.
Phil,
You nailed the essence of the Constitution but I would urge you to read it again. America isn’t France or England or even Canada. “We the people…do ordain and establish this Constitution…” Our Constitution limited government (see Article 1, Section 8) and promotes liberty; protection of individual freedom.
As a former soldier, an NCO, I had a duty to protect the liberty of the people; and to fight and die if needed. I was not protecting the president or any institutions of government. My duty was to defend the people “and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity”.
The trust value of a country seems akin to the goodwill of a company. You can't touch it, but, like air, you know if it isn't there. It isn't just about having money. Thomas Sowell writes about growing up in Harlem with a high level of community trust. My area was the same, even though looking back, some areas were poor working-class areas, but it was safe/tranquil, though behind closed doors, surely some were grim, as my house was with an alcoholic parent. Decades ago, an Israeli friend said she felt unsafe in US grocery stores because there was no security. Now we have armed security, dirty stores, and a malaise that covers everything like dust.
Yes, trust is vital. As are social norms. The law is insufficient on it's own.
When I was growing up we never locked our doors when we left the house. Now it seems people lock their doors even when they're at home.
When you allow criminal behavior to go unpunished it's law abiding citizens that suffer.
You've done some fine research and you have drawn rational conclusions from the past. But, time moves on. People typically start revolutions when their standard of living has suddenly improved incrementally. That's when people realize how poor they are and they go wild. In the new AI world of the 21st century, with robots assembling our cars and computers driving semi-trucks, it is easy to imagine a Western civilization, rotted from within, to be taken over by the BRICS. That much is inevitable. Will the peasants in the USA and Europe rebel or behave like overfed cattle? That is the only question worth asking.
Does America need a strong president? Was Joe Biden Lucid at any time in the past five years? Without strong executive leadership and the support of the Supreme Court, America will dissolve into the morass of the swamp and be remembered along with the British empire, Rome, and Greece.
There's a fine line between "strong executive leadership" and an "imperial presidency."
It's also not the job of the Supreme Court to support the president.
The separation of powers was meant to prevent any branch of government from becoming too powerful.
I appreciate the comment Charles.