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Flyover 48 – Arahant and the Trump-men
Ricochet member Arahant joins us this week for a summary of presidential politics, as we further discuss the Trump phenomenon and the current state of conservatism. We also talk about science fiction, poetry, art… even film?
Opening sequence includes music from Ronald Jenkees. Closing music is from a sci-fi outer spacey type movie.
Published in General
Great! You did start with my innocent little laugh.
Innocent? It’s there to warn listeners of what’s to come.
So do I.
Another good reason to subscribe!
https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/237561877
You should have told me just how badly the Ps were popping. I thought it was just the few times you mentioned it, rather than every time.
:) Well, guest-audio is always an imprecise science. Even the flagship guys have funky audio with guests, so I rarely worry too much about it – unless it is incredibly distracting.
I’ve explained to Ryan several times how to do this.
FYI, the reason Arahant’s cats wake him up to feed them is that he gets up to feed them.
Anyone who doesn’t want to get woken up in the morning by his cats merely needs to stop waking up early in the morning to feed his cats. That’s it. Cats like routines. Stop reinforcing their routines. Problem solved. Unless you like the routine, too, of course. Then it’s not a problem.
Did you use charts and a powerpoint presentation? ’cause I don’t remember those.
He’s a lawyer, Max. You have to make it more complex, like the law.
As I have said before, the supporters of tRump are not conservatives in any meaningful sense. They may have picked up on some of our signals, but they always thought it was about “getting results”.
They didn’t think the free market was better because individuals are then free as individuals (able to be good or bad moral agents on their own), they thought it was good because then everyone is automatically good because its always getting the best results and by best results they assume a sort of “conservative” paradise.
They assume a world with automatically low employment, good manufacturing jobs and the like. They assume no illegal immigration or anything else that “hampers” the WASP culture which allegedly is what America is to them.
They don’t care if the state is dominating markets, so long as it “benefits” Americans (white blue collar Americans is what most tRump supporters cite). The only principles that are worth preserving are those which preserve some WASP like America (one example of a title they use is fiscal conservatives and they use this when referring to trade deficits and the like without any knowledge of comparative or absolute advantage in economics).
These individuals are more akin to some sort of Act Utilitarians that were raised culturally conservative but have no real intimate love of conservative philosophy. The tenets of conservative philosophy are only worth keeping if they get those results for what these individuals consider true Americans.
Really? Are you 12?
Come on. Grow up.
For all you know I could be twelve. Besides that point, tRump acts like a 12 year old (and I could call others that too).
To be honest I don’t think it fits the proper decorum. I honestly believe that I OUGHT to not say that. It does not fit with the ideals to which I aspire to.
However, tRump (and some of his supporters) brings out the worst urges in me. His manner of speaking and what he speaks about reminds of narcissistic morons that inherited their wealth and think of themselves as some messiahs. There is plenty of history to back up such assertions.
That being said, his supporters and sympathizers have not shown any such decorum (and they should). They have labeled individuals as RINOs and establishment and the like (along with other negative terms). They have not simply used such words for descriptive importance but rather as invective and they are calling people RINOs and establishment I don’t even like or really have any opinion of.
So the one thing I do anymore (as I have limited my insults to tRump to only his name; I used to use more negative words to describe him) is de-capitalize the t and capitalize the R. He DESERVES it.
If they wish to wage total war and act like they are righteous then we can all find out what that is together.
I got mentioned on a podcast! Woohoo!
(I was the one who made the comment about Reince Priebus endorsing Ted Cruz.)
Being mentioned on a podcast is on my bucket list. Yes, I am a dork.
I guess so; you’re acting like a 12-year-old.
Last I checked I distinctly remember someone in this thread making the implication that name calling (your a tRump or a 12 year-old) was wrong. I am glad that you have admitted that you too can freely use invective/namecalling/trash talking when trying to accomplish a goal.
I assume however, that you will try to justify this by saying you are simply making an observation of me. Let me take the first swipe by saying I am simply making an observation of tRump by spelling his name in a certain manner.
The truth of the matter is that in this primary season the standards have been lowered for a candidate and that candidate’s supporters decorum.
I am sick and tired of having to treat those that act like they had the world stolen from them (when it wasn’t) like rational and reasonable adults, especially when our side is supposed to be composed of rational and reasonable individuals. These individuals act as though they are somehow rebelling against some establishment conspiracy which abuses them when no such one exists.
Are there power plays in the party? Yes, as there are in every party. There are many different bases of power in the GOP and just because yours doesn’t always win doesn’t give you an excuse to act like a righteous victim.
By the way, I haven’t bothered reading the content of either of your comments in this thread, and I also skipped over one you made in another thread earlier today. I might actually agree with you about Trump, but I’m not going to take you seriously if you write “tRump.” There’s no real difference between that and “Bushitler,” “Obummer,” or “John Boner.” You may not care whether I take you seriously or not, which is perfectly fine, of course.
That’s your choice. Have at it. I didn’t come to this thread (or probably that one either) to please anyone. Besides I don’t think I see anyone on any thread (you or anyone else) decrying the name calling that happens to others.
So I am surprised that my simple insult (a simple switching of capitalization; no other slurs) has sparked such repudiation from you. I would expect you must have some degree of attachment to him if my simple insult ganders such attention when others do not.
I personally have not called any other candidate in the race a “derogatory” term. As I said, I don’t think I ought to do what I am doing. Then again, tRump’s entire strategy and a significant number of his supporters has been to act like a child. Threatening to leave the party or that I shouldn’t insult tRump because he is blah blah while they do it to every other candidate.
Max/CbA:
I am inclined to think that it is really beside the point whether Trump supporters or tRump detractors behave more or less childish – it might be somewhat interesting to see what sort of feelings or behavior he tends to inspire, but it doesn’t make much of a difference to the question of whether he is or is not an unmitigated disaster for our country (as I am inclined to say that he is).
Let us hope that he actually does crash and burn, and that enough of his supporters wake up after the first few primaries so that we can be discussing this all in the past tense.
Ditto. I know his anti-conservative, illiberal tendencies inspire in me a level of negative feeling generally reserved for democrats.
You guys covered a lot of ground. Well done!
Gee, I wonder why?
I could have sworn I heard Ryan saying on the podcast he was coming out about something. I don’t think you’re in the right part of the state to be coming out about anything.
Thanks for speaking up about the situation in Washington. There is a difference this election for Washington. We’ll have a primary instead of a caucus this time.
I was mentioned on HWX where they referred to me as a woman. It was cool, but I won’t be satisfied once my name is uttered on the flagship.
The only Lars Von Trier film I’ve seen is Antichrist, which was so pretentious it almost played like a parody of arthouse cinema. I say this as someone who loves violent media and avant garde art.
I haven’t seen that one, but von Trier is probably capable of parodying art house films.
Whoops! I tend to remember things that people say, but never who did the saying. That comment was spot-on, though, about the establishment.
No worries. I don’t exactly have a name made for quick recall.
Perhaps he is, but Antichrist was serious.
I did find it funny when Von Trier came under fire for his statements about Hitler. It was as if he hadn’t made a career of saying outrageous, controversial things.