US pol
Disturbing information that, when one connects the dots, indicates that Trump hoped the insurrection would succeed (surprise, surprise). From journalist Ryan Grim.
https://badnews.substack.com/p/evidence-becoming-clear-trump-wanted
US pol
@JimG So what happens now that Trump has been acquitted of inciting an insurrection.?
re: US pol
@zleap Let me get out my crystal ball and respond concisely a bit later.
re: US pol
@zleap Here's my take. The more significant event is that the Nov. election failed to repudiate Trump, although Trump lost his race. A number of senate races that Democrats could have won, Republicans won, and Rep's picked up seats in the House. This, after a shambolic 4 years and a pandemic. There is still much to do. Had Trump been convicted, it would mean he couldn't run again in 2024 (if he's healthy enough then) but it wouldn't stop his influence.
I've come to think that, due to growing inequality and monopolism, the bipartisan neoliberal middle cannot hold, and we will either move towards progressivism or oligarchy (via Trump or Trumpism), one pole or the other. Democrats have 2 years to make a big impact and take oxygen away from Trump, otherwise he'll gain power again.
re: US pol
@zleap There's a question of whether Trump the person is critical for Trumpism. On the one hand he's a genius for playing a crowd. On the other hand, he's an inept politician. A shrewd president would have managed Covid even half-competently and would have been loved for it, and would have sailed to re-election. Trump managed to lose.
What if we get someone half as good at stirring people up, but twice as good at politics? Such a person would be our doom. Are these qualities mutually exclusive? Perhaps we were lucky to get Trump.
So, maybe having Trump be still viable is a good thing, otherwise that Trumpist energy might alight on someone still more dangerous. But if he's irreplaceable, it's unfortunate he's still viable. But either way, we have to deal with Trumpism.
