Excerpt from
The Governing Cancer of Our Time
By David Brooks (26 February 2016)
“And in walks Donald Trump. People say that Trump is an unconventional candidate and that he represents a break from politics as usual. That’s not true. Trump is the culmination of the trends we have been seeing for the last 30 years: the desire for outsiders; the bashing style of rhetoric that makes conversation impossible; the decline of coherent political parties; the declining importance of policy; the tendency to fight cultural battles and identity wars through political means.
Trump represents the path the founders rejected. There is a hint of violence undergirding his campaign. There is always a whiff, and sometimes more than a whiff, of “I’d like to punch him in the face.”
Every weekday, get thought-provoking commentary from Op-Ed columnists, The Times editorial board and contributing writers from around the world.
I printed out a Times list of the insults Trump has hurled on Twitter. The list took up 33 pages.
Trump’s style is bashing and pummeling. Everyone who opposes or disagrees with him is an idiot, a moron or a loser. The implied promise of his campaign is that he will come to Washington and bully his way through.
Trump’s supporters aren’t looking for a political process to address their needs. They are looking for a superhero. As the political scientist Matthew MacWilliams found, the one trait that best predicts whether you’re a Trump supporter is how high you score on tests that measure authoritarianism.
This isn’t just an American phenomenon. Politics is in retreat and authoritarianism is on the rise worldwide. The answer to Trump is politics. It’s acknowledging other people exist. It’s taking pleasure in that difference and hammering out workable arrangements. As Harold Laski put it, “We shall make the basis of our state consent to disagreement. Therein shall we ensure its deepest harmony."
Typical lame horseshit from David Brooks - a professional bitchman.
After Trump is elected, he will hopefully kill himself.
Typical unthinking response from mid atlantic.
Hey, MA, I’ll make a deal with you. If Trump is elected I’ll log out of the CFI Forums and never return. If he is not elected, you do the same. Deal?
That is an awful piece. That’s not worth reading.
David Brooks looks like he’s always just a hair away from crying.
The opinions he’s rendered over the years have made me cringe or laugh.
Brooks- Trump’s style is bashing and pummeling. Everyone who opposes or disagrees with him is an idiot, a moron or a loser.:lol: Sounds exactly like some of the people on this Forum. Ironically. Like real ironically!
Funny that, yesterday I spent a little time with Eisenhower’s farewell address to the Nation.
I think it fits right into this ‘thread’
Eisenhower Farewell Address (Full) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWiIYW_fBfY 6:30 - considering the military establishment's role in our society 7:45 - Now this conjunction, an immense military, and large arms establishment is new in the American experience. ... We recognize the imperative need for this development, yet we must not fail to comprehend it's grave implications. ... 8:20 - In the counsels of government we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence whether sought or unsought by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted, only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals. So that security and liberty may prosper together 9:10 - the technological revolution, research, universities and government... 10:21 - ... Federal employment project allocations and the power of money is ever-present and is gravely to be regarded. Yet in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific technological elite. 10:45 - It's the task of statesmanship to mold to balance and to integrate these and other forces new and old within the principles of our democratic system. Ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society... 11:10 - As we peer into society's future, You and I and our government must avoid the impulse to live only for today plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow. ...
CC, were there relevant parts of that excerpt that you wanted to compare to something?
Is there some sort of point to that?
10:21 - ... Federal employment project allocations and the power of money is ever-present and is gravely to be regarded. Yet in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific technological elite.I think he may be referring to Climate Scientists here. Maybe that's why Australia has cut funding to it's climate research? A big money sinkhole into the stranglehold of a scientific elite? Is that what he means?
Typical lame horseshit from David Brooks - a professional bitchman. After Trump is elected, he will hopefully kill himself.David Brooks is safe from suicide as a result of Trump being elected. I'm not so sure about you and a lot of Trumpers when he isn't.
Brooks- Trump’s style is bashing and pummeling. Everyone who opposes or disagrees with him is an idiot, a moron or a loser.:lol: Sounds exactly like some of the people on this Forum. Ironically. Like real ironically! Except for one thing. The people on this forum are not running for President of the United States.
CC, were there relevant parts of that excerpt that you wanted to compare to something? Is there some sort of point to that?Is there some sort of point to anything you say that rises above typical Right-wing kneejerk responses? Let me know if that ever happens.
Brooks- Trump’s style is bashing and pummeling. Everyone who opposes or disagrees with him is an idiot, a moron or a loser.:lol: Sounds exactly like some of the people on this Forum. Ironically. Like real ironically! Except for one thing. The people on this forum are not running for President of the United States. It starts at home Lois. It starts at home. And Lois...I'm Left Wing. If you had any dynamics to your political comprehension you would have no trouble in understanding my viewpoints. In a nutshell, the Western Left Wing has been smothered by way too many "isms", New Liberals, Internationalists, over-informed and under-comprehending individualistic technocrats and service based populations. The Left Wing in the West has become a huge clearing house for Misfit Toys basically. It's become a dumping ground for cultural phenomena and displaced ideas. This last sentence applies to the Right wing as well.
And CC, did you want to comment on how Ike’s farewell address has anything to do with today’s current affairs?
I’m assuming you’re making a correlation to Trump?
Please expound…
I wanna see if there’s any substance there, or are you just parroting something like this:
Ike is warning against a Military Industrial Complex and threats to Democracy…Trump is a fascist Dictator because he’s brash and boorish.
Is that about it?
Excerpt from The Governing Cancer of Our Time By David Brooks The answer to Trump is politics. It’s acknowledging other people exist. It’s taking pleasure in that difference and hammering out workable arrangements. As Harold Laski put it, “We shall make the basis of our state consent to disagreement. Therein shall we ensure its deepest harmony."The answer to Trump is politics? Oh politics David? You mean the thing 90% of Americans on both sides of the fence are fed-up with? That Politics? We know one thing so far....the answer to Democracy is Trump!! That's indisputable. :lol: The answer to Trump is politics. What's the answer to the SCOTUS nominee David Brooks? Picking a Republican Governor of Nevada to be the nominee? That's politics too isn't it?
Excerpt from The Governing Cancer of Our Time By David Brooks The answer to Trump is politics. It’s acknowledging other people exist. It’s taking pleasure in that difference and hammering out workable arrangements. As Harold Laski put it, “We shall make the basis of our state consent to disagreement. Therein shall we ensure its deepest harmony."The answer to Trump is politics? Oh politics David? You mean the thing 90% of Americans on both sides of the fence are fed-up with? That Politics? We know one thing so far....the answer to Democracy is Trump!! That's indisputable. :lol: The answer to Trump is politics. What's the answer to the SCOTUS nominee David Brooks? Picking a Republican Governor of Nevada to be the nominee? That's politics too isn't it? Oh, so Obama has nominated David Brooks to the Supreme Court? Funny, I hadn't heard. Apparently the media hasn't either. Maybe you should tell them.
Oh, so Obama has nominated David Brooks to the Supreme Court? Funny, I hadn't heard. Apparetly the media hasn't either. Maybe you should tell them.I was addressing Brooks with the question. Is that it? That's all you got?
Brooks- Trump’s style is bashing and pummeling. Everyone who opposes or disagrees with him is an idiot, a moron or a loser.:lol: Sounds exactly like some of the people on this Forum. Ironically. Like real ironically! Except for one thing. The people on this forum are not running for President of the United States. It starts at home Lois. It starts at home. And Lois...I'm Left Wing. You could have fooled me! If you had any dynamics to your political comprehension you would have no trouble in understanding my viewpoints. In a nutshell, the Western Left Wing has been smothered by way too many "isms", New Liberals, Internationalists, over-informed and under-comprehending individualistic technocrats and service based populations. The Left Wing in the West has become a huge clearing house for Misfit Toys basically. It's become a dumping ground for cultural phenomena and displaced ideas. This last sentence applies to the Right wing as well.
Sorry Lois, I’m colorblind. It is very hard for me to read the writing in the gray background of other quotes when the text is colored certain hues.