Please be inclusive and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their background, experience, or opinions.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
No. of Recommendations: 5
Enemy or ally?
Large parts of the Republican Party now treat Vladimir Putin as if he were an ideological ally. Putin, by contrast, continues to treat the U.S. as an enemy.
This combination is clearly unusual and sometimes confusing. It does not appear to stem from any compromising information that Putin has about Donald Trump, despite years of such claims from Democrats. Instead, Trump and many other Republicans seem to feel ideological sympathies with Putin’s version of right-wing authoritarian nationalism. They see the world dividing between a liberal left and an illiberal right, with both themselves and Putin — along with Viktor Orban of Hungary and some other world leaders — in the second category. NYT
Call it 'right-wing authoritarian nationalism', or fascism, it's sad that the Republican Party has aligned itself with anti-democratic forces around the world.
I never thought I'd see this day.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Trump has also avoided criticizing Putin for the mysterious death this month of his most prominent domestic critic, Aleksei Navalny, and has repeatedly praised Putin as a strong and smart leader. In a town hall last year, Trump refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to win the war.
Sick.
No. of Recommendations: 4
Instead, Trump and many other Republicans seem to feel ideological sympathies with Putin’s version of right-wing authoritarian nationalism.
It might be much, much simpler than that.
Trump and Republicans have a lot of conspiracy theories about Ukraine that long predate the invasion. They're convinced that Biden cooked things with Ukraine to help Hunter, they're annoyed that Trump was rebuffed by Zelenskyy in his efforts to get material to use against President Biden.
Remember the first Trump impeachment? The one that was supposedly going to mark his place in history, and which was ground entirely on dealings with Ukraine? Yeah, me neither, most of the time - it's pretty much gone down the memory hole. But Trump had a grudge against Ukraine - and has been convinced that they're not on "Team Trump" - for years before the invasion. And he's propagated that to the party. The "many other Republicans" are probably not sympathetic to Putin's version of authoritarian nationalism, but are very unsympathetic to Ukraine and Zelenskyy.
No. of Recommendations: 4
It might be much, much simpler than that.
I have to disagree. What you say might partly explain the MAGA view of Putin and Ukraine, but clearly Trump has shown respect for Putin and has admired other strong men. This does seem to appeal to the MAGA GOP.
No. of Recommendations: 4
I have to disagree. What you say might partly explain the MAGA view of Putin and Ukraine, but clearly Trump has shown respect for Putin and has admired other strong men. This does seem to appeal to the MAGA GOP.
Oh, sure - Trump has always personally been more favorably inclined towards Putin, moreso than others in his party. Strongmen fit the prototype of what Trump thinks a national leader "ought" to look like.
But I think that attitudes towards Ukraine among the broader party and the MAGA base were also significantly affected by hostility and suspicion towards Ukraine, not just affection towards Russia or Putin. And Trump as well, I'm sure - given his transactional approach to politics and his propensity to hold grudges towards folks he doesn't perceive as being sufficiently on his team, he almost certainly dislikes Zelenskyy for refusing to help him out after his "perfect phone call." An attitude that almost certainly hardened when he was impeached over the whole thing. Ukraine and Zelenskyy were on the Trump/MAGA sh!t list well before the invasion.
No. of Recommendations: 4
the underlying core issue is MAGA being incapable of independent thought and verification on any topic.
were trump to perceive any personal slight from putin, he would rapidly change his mind and so would MAGA.
[can you imagine if putin suggested a real president would not expect others to bail him out on civil fines?]
but that would still leave plenty of other anti-american authoritarians to admire. or whatever new grievance gets the most free publicity.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Call it 'right-wing authoritarian nationalism', or fascism, it's sad that the Republican Party has aligned itself with anti-democratic forces around the world.
I’d worry first over Biden’s destroying American cities and towns with his you all come welcome mat for illegal aliens.
No. of Recommendations: 7
Call it 'right-wing authoritarian nationalism', or fascism, it's sad that the Republican Party has aligned itself with anti-democratic forces around the world.
This is very real. And it's little solace that it seems to be happening around the world.
I’d worry first over Biden’s destroying American cities and towns with his you all come welcome mat for illegal aliens.
This is not real. There is no Biden "you all come welcome mat for illegal aliens." This is Trump's welcome mat because he saw it as his stepping stone into the Presidency. LM repeats propaganda endlessly.
