Michael, my comment is still missing, which is weird. It's not that big a deal if it never shows up. Thanks for trying?
3 weeks ago
Somehow I'm in the spam bucket after a comment with no links or anything else I can imagine would flag it.
3 weeks ago
"And Miller’s observations about what makes the world go around is how we get world wars. The man is a cancer on the nation."
I some sense Miller is right. The real questions is - how do you use the power you have? What kind of world do you want to live in? How do you maintain power and have some measure of influence over what happens around the world?
Miller's problem is that he sees the realities of strength, force, and power to mean that might makes right. You simply take what you want because you can without really thinking through what the long-term repercussions of your actions are.
GftNC's Atlantic link includes some discussion of this - how the world order post-WWII has led to wealth, prosperity, peace, and freedom to degrees never seen in human history. That's not to say it's all been perfect - far from it. But it's been better overall than ever before.
If you want to be the bully that everyone wants to kill, even if they're afraid to say so until they think they have a decent chance, and you want to live in a world that is a mix of chaos and repression, depending on where you are, I guess you can buy into Miller's worldview. But you might change your mind when you're eventually dragged through the streets and ripped to pieces.
3 weeks ago
bc, I'm glad your reasoning has more to do with conditions in Venezuela than with your trust in the current administration.
3 weeks ago
“We live in a world in which, you can talk about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world … that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,” he continued.
Does this mean I could beat the living sh*t out of Stephen Miller and it would be okay with him?
3 weeks ago
It’s always about “what happens next”, right? I have similar feelings about Venezuela, but to a lesser extent.
Why to a lesser extent? It appear that there was little forethought on this action. The administration is generally incompetent (even worse than Trump's first) and is terrible with follow-through once it becomes apparent that whatever they're trying to do is actually difficult or complicated.
DOGE? The healthcare plan from over a decade ago? Trump's infrastructure bill? Ending the hostilities in Ukraine and Gaza? Inflation? Rounding up all the actual violent criminals in the country illegally?
All they seem good at is breaking things.
3 weeks ago
This from GftNC's Atlantic link seems relevant to norm busting.
But in that sense, we are in a kind of breakthrough moment. I mean, it is a different kind of U.S. military operation. The U.S. has invaded other countries before; you can argue the U.S. has broken international law before. But to do so without any justification, without any explanation, without any support in Congress or any attempt to get it, without looking for any legal cover, even without having a coherent set of reasons or a coherent strategy, it’s all very strange.
I think you give Trump too much credit, bc. I see your line of reasoning. I think it's beyond him.
He shot her for trying to leave - for being disobedient. The bar for deadly force is almost on the ground.
No worries, MC. I appreciate the assistance.
Now I can see it, but it still has "awaiting approval" or whatever the exact wording is.
There's also this.
https://thehardtimes.net/breaking/ice-accidentally-sends-maduro-back-to-venezuela/
Michael, my comment is still missing, which is weird. It's not that big a deal if it never shows up. Thanks for trying?
Somehow I'm in the spam bucket after a comment with no links or anything else I can imagine would flag it.
"And Miller’s observations about what makes the world go around is how we get world wars. The man is a cancer on the nation."
I some sense Miller is right. The real questions is - how do you use the power you have? What kind of world do you want to live in? How do you maintain power and have some measure of influence over what happens around the world?
Miller's problem is that he sees the realities of strength, force, and power to mean that might makes right. You simply take what you want because you can without really thinking through what the long-term repercussions of your actions are.
GftNC's Atlantic link includes some discussion of this - how the world order post-WWII has led to wealth, prosperity, peace, and freedom to degrees never seen in human history. That's not to say it's all been perfect - far from it. But it's been better overall than ever before.
If you want to be the bully that everyone wants to kill, even if they're afraid to say so until they think they have a decent chance, and you want to live in a world that is a mix of chaos and repression, depending on where you are, I guess you can buy into Miller's worldview. But you might change your mind when you're eventually dragged through the streets and ripped to pieces.
bc, I'm glad your reasoning has more to do with conditions in Venezuela than with your trust in the current administration.
“We live in a world in which, you can talk about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world … that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,” he continued.
Does this mean I could beat the living sh*t out of Stephen Miller and it would be okay with him?
It’s always about “what happens next”, right? I have similar feelings about Venezuela, but to a lesser extent.
Why to a lesser extent? It appear that there was little forethought on this action. The administration is generally incompetent (even worse than Trump's first) and is terrible with follow-through once it becomes apparent that whatever they're trying to do is actually difficult or complicated.
DOGE? The healthcare plan from over a decade ago? Trump's infrastructure bill? Ending the hostilities in Ukraine and Gaza? Inflation? Rounding up all the actual violent criminals in the country illegally?
All they seem good at is breaking things.
This from GftNC's Atlantic link seems relevant to norm busting.