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Fabius Minarchus's avatar

Perhaps the biggest danger is from the fact that Trump isn't completely populist. He still likes Santa Claus tax cuts, even though we are running astronomical deficits. The old populist right knew that deficit spending is a subsidy for oligarchs. Trump needs some nudging, but few are out to tell the unpleasant truth.

(Pressure to import taxpayers will continue as long as we run gigantic deficits without adulting into the knowledge that we need government cuts and tax increases.)

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

Good points. Question is: How right will Trump be, on things like tariffs and tax cuts? Right enough to get support from the purists on those issues? (Mucho gracias for restacking!)

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Fabius Minarchus's avatar

Tariffs good. Should be 30% across the board. Back in 2017, this might have been enough to bring the budget into near balance. But the deficit has nearly tripled since. We are plunging into a doom loop.

I'll be proposing ways to take our enemies when I get back to Rule 10. Currently in the midst of Rule 12 "Use the Divine Wisdom". Want to get that out before I lose readers by insulting Santa Claus.

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Eugine Nier's avatar

> Perhaps the biggest danger is from the fact that Trump isn't completely populist.

Good. Unthinking populism is how the country got into the current mess.

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

Yes. populism, noun. Government accountability to the will of the people.

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Eugine Nier's avatar

Democracy: The theory that the people know what they want and deserve to get it, good and hard.

The New Deal was "the will of the people" when FDR had it passed.

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

Democracy is flawed and, over a long period if time, fails for many reasons, IMO. In practice, elected rulers are at the top of a hierarchy of control but are not really accountable to the people. The accountability becomes a fraud, as it is in the US now.

A government that is not a hierarchy of control, but which manifests common law and spontaneous order would indeed be "unthinking populism". The will of the people realized spontaneously; no government overlords needed.

(I think I misunderstood what you meant by "unthinking".)

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ALtab's avatar

That’s why a constitutional republic is the best form of government.

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Fred Singer's avatar

Well, Michael, we'll know in a week. An undisputable win is what we need. Ambiguity could lead to chaos. Rome emerged stronger under Augustus after a century of instability, but the zealously guarded Republic was dead. Anything is possible.

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

"An undisputable win is what we need." Yes and I'm convinced that's what we'll get. The handwriting is on the wall. When WaPo and the other big media began to back off from Harris and Dem Senators began to associate themselves with Trump in their ads it became crystal clear.

Those people are evil but not stupid. Barring a singular and truly unforeseeable event, it appears that it's all over but the screaming. Time to prepare for what comes next.

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Fred Singer's avatar

I hope so. In addition, the Republicans got the message about early voting from 2020, and it is looking good.

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ALtab's avatar

🙏🙏

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Julie's avatar

Hold that thought…

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Frederick R Smith's avatar

Lest we forget, perhaps it is the will of the machine to let Trump in to be the scape goat for the inevitable crash. Good overview too!

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

You got that right!

https://substack.com/home/post/p-150611335

The Deep State needs Donald Trump to be the American Empire’s fall guy

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Fred Singer's avatar

I hope you're right. The Washington Post's non-endorsement is something like the canary in the coal mine. Republicans have finally realized the importance of early voting, as the numbers suggest. We can stop analyzing in a week. Then, who knows.

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

"Then, who knows." It's knowable, Fred. The smartest leftists see the writing on the wall and are running for the exits to escape being crushed. A big change is coming. It's visible. The data is there if we want to see it.

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Jim McCraigh's avatar

Got my attention!

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DERICK AMUSTRONG's avatar

That's a sound of victory for the western economy and cultural reform

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Rightful Freedom's avatar

Absolutely, Derick. The horn is blowing and a change is in the air. It's real.

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Open Letters by Mersault's avatar

An Open Letter to Your Friend or Relative Planning to Vote for Trump: Your Vote for Trump Is an Endorsement of Bigotry, Cruelty, and the Erosion of Rights—No Matter the Reason You Give.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-150725410?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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