I wasn't going to, but I did watch most of his speech last night. Bottom line, I thought it wasn't too bad. To many voters this may have been the first real look at the candidate, and he looked electable... not like a ranting fool. Then again, this was probably one of the few times he delivered a well prepared speech. Let's see what happens when he starts speaking off the cuff again.
Meh, I am not scared of Trump anymore than I am of Clinton, both of them will have you executed with equal cold bloodedness if it suits their purpose. They are both Presidential material as it is now constituted and that is the problem.
I wasn't going to, but I did watch most of his speech last night. Bottom line, I thought it wasn't too bad. To many voters this may have been the first real look at the candidate, and he looked electable... not like a ranting fool. Then again, this was probably one of the few times he delivered a well prepared speech. Let's see what happens when he starts speaking off the cuff again.
Well, just read through his latest statements on the direction US foreign policy would be headed under his leadership.
1. A clear return to isolationism 2. Much more lax attitude to human rights abuses in other countries (who are we to lecture?) 3. Reneging on the all for one and one for all policy underlying NATO and only responding on a "what have they done for us basis" 4. Pursing US economic interests first and putting other interests (political, ideals, human rights, etc.) down a notch This is all kind of interesting and is going to leave a pretty big power vacuum in many regions. China will take the South China Sea, Russia will start eyeing the Baltics and its other satellites, like Belarus and the Ukraine. The EU is going to have to remilitarise to match Russia rather than rely on the US.
I have to say that I agree with these positions (with just a little dash of number 1 and a pinch of number 2) and if these things happen so be it, I submit that we have done more damage with our nation building (CIA meddling closely followed by bombs and drone strikes) than good and perhaps the world would be a little better place without our "help" and lecturing. Which is just another reason that I refuse to vote for either Trump or Clinton.
Well, just read through his latest statements on the direction US foreign policy would be headed under his leadership.
1. A clear return to isolationism 2. Much more lax attitude to human rights abuses in other countries (who are we to lecture?) 3. Reneging on the all for one and one for all policy underlying NATO and only responding on a "what have they done for us basis" 4. Pursing US economic interests first and putting other interests (political, ideals, human rights, etc.) down a notch This is all kind of interesting and is going to leave a pretty big power vacuum in many regions. China will take the South China Sea, Russia will start eyeing the Baltics and its other satellites, like Belarus and the Ukraine. The EU is going to have to remilitarise to match Russia rather than rely on the US.
Secondly, I still can't help the feeling that these strong dictatorial macho type of leaders have some sort of instinctive bond with each other. Erdogan, Putin, Trump, and possibly Xi Jinping, etc. Divvying the world up into their own little kingdoms and fiefdoms which they can screw over at whim. I see a huge risk for human rights, freedom of speech, religion, etc. in favour of mob rule. And lord help us if these types get dissatisfied with what they have and start fighting each other.
Then we will all be toast.
But what worries me most, idealist that I am, is that suddenly ideals have been eroded and benchmarked to their pragmatic value. Good to have if you have the luxury but something you can toss out when times get tough. Just think of the stance these authoritarian leaders (Putin, Trump, Erdogan, etc.) take on various issues: Hispanics? Build a wall. Muslims? out with them. Refugees? back to the war zone. Journalists? put em in prison. Opposition? Just murder the bastards and be done with it.
If that doesn't make you Trump supporters start to think, then our ideals are already toast.
Don't stir 'em up!