Eh. Sounds like the queer version of a “the only moral abortion is my abortion” pro-lifer. It’s kind of a thing over there.

Whatever else comes out of the 2020s, I like that the era of ‘superpowers’ is pretty clearly over. The former Soviet Union can’t bring one of its former soviets back into the fold. The USA can’t get a regional power to roll over.

I hope that means a lot more coalition building among the regional powers. Actual compromise and consensus among people with different perspectives. I hope that means less kowtowing to Washington, Moscow, maybe even Beijing, because letting one nation tell the rest of the world what to do just sucks. We can get a lot more done working together than following a bully.

As an American, if that means giving up the global privilege I’ve had, being the ‘default currency,’ the ‘default language,’ and the ‘default rule,’ then I’ll suffer through it. Maybe it will even help us focus on fixing our domestic problems as they grow to crisis proportions.

Beyond “whomever holds the highest office at the moment,” there’s “whomever gets the biggest media coverage.” That might be Gavin Newsom, who’s not very popular, even in his home state. Bernie Sanders and AOC always get good coverage, but that’s partly because they’re so far outside the mainstream.

US isn’t really set up for singular leaders at the national level, which is part of what makes Trump so unusual.

I said I understand the argument. You can rage at how the people got on the tracks and look for the real culprits all day, but while you’re ‘solving’ the big problem, people die who didn’t have to.

How about the Blade Runner question: You come across a tortoise on its back, belly baking in the hot sun: do you flip the tortoise on its feet or worry who flipped it on its back while you watch it die?

I think these are the people who choose “Do nothing” on the 5-v-1 trolley problem. i.e.: they would rather let 5 people die than take an active role in killing one. I can understand the moral argument, but it really does make for objectively poor outcomes.

I’m trying to imagine Mohammad bin Salman or Kim Ju Ae going on a “re-elect President Trump” tour of the US. I can’t imagine it would be received well by either party. Can’t imagine why JD thinks this is a good idea. Maybe I’m just not that good at imagining.

My sense is that a lot of the people who say, “Well, I never had that, so why should others?” fail to recognize or remember the kindnesses and support they did receive. i.e.: they’ll also say, “I grew up the child of a single mom on welfare - no one gave us anything.” There’s a specific right-winger I’m thinking of, but I can’t remember his name.

Gonna be hilarious if the coalition negotiates re-opening the Straits of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions against the US.

Donors will abandon hmi for not supporting Israel. Voters will abandon him for supporting apartheid & genocide.