What Trump is up to is some true 4th world shit. Worse than third world because when first worlds fall, they fall below third world levels. ribbonfarm.com/2019/04/08/wei
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In 2016 he just looked like many third world politicians. But the salting-of-the-earth type of vandalism he’s attempting now out of sheer rage is not something I’ve seen in even the worst third world politics.
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Talking to my mom in India in 2016, I explained “he’s like Lalu Yadav” (archetypal modern Indian populist, CM of the state I grew up in through much of my childhood; eventually went to prison for corruption). Now I have to say: Lalu looks more civilized
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(comparison limited to countries with actual governments doing some governance, not failed states with warlord cores — those fall outside the 1-4 spectrum)
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Ie there has to be a meaningful institutional political process for there to be people who count as politicians rather than warlords or tribal leaders
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Wait.. what is he been doing?
..other than the "You're Fired!" routine.
I haven't been paying attention.
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Completely agree, what we are seeing with Trump is the complete degeneration of american politique. What is even more telling is the ebullient support he gets from mostly uneducated masses.
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At least as a case study; we will be able to see if the liberal paradigm promoted by enlightenment thinkers was right and is true that strong institutions can hold back against a constant populist attack
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But tbh it is fair to say that the ascendance of such an idiotic populist it is the fault of pathological institutions. Trump in a non deranged society would have been banned from running or simply wouldn't have been voted into office.
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