Trump - The good, the bad and the ugly

Have philosophical discussions about politics, law, and government.
Featured Article: Definition of Freedom - What Freedom Means to Me
Dolphin42
Posts: 886
Joined: May 9th, 2012, 8:05 am
Location: The Evening Star

Re: Trump - The good, the bad and the ugly

Post by Dolphin42 »

Burning Ghost:
I am happy that in the UK there is actually a party leader who is expressing his views irrespective of "winning" the election.
I presume you mean Corbyn (or maybe Farron, or Nuttall?!?)

Yes perhaps Trump's style of politics has ironically to some extent inspired Corbyn to do this. I'm not a Corbyn supporter myself. (Still hanging on to the New Labour idea. Stuck in the 90's. Waiting for the Blair comeback!) But if he does simply tell it as he sees it then I respect that and the country can vote accordingly.

-- Updated May 16th, 2017, 10:29 am to add the following --
Populist politics may very well be starting a steady decline in the UK, I hope the US follows and digs itself out of the horrible mess its been in for decades where policies are secondary to personalities. It is no wonder many became apathetic over there!
I don't think we in the UK can be too smug. It seems to me inevitable in any democratic system that policies will be secondary to personalities because there are good solid reasons, embedded in human nature, why that should be so.

Assessing the pros and cons of policies is complicated, difficult and time consuming. Most of us aren't qualified to judge the details and/or don't have time. But one thing we are all qualified at, from years of life experience, is looking a person in the eye and making a general assessment of their character. We fall back on our perception of their core personality traits because we simply can't know what they will actually do, of whether their states policies will work. So we want to see what's behind it all.

As left-wing comedian Jeremy Hardy memorably summarised it, with truth disguised as humour, in an episode of Radio 4's News Quiz: the mark of a proper Labour leader is that you can see his vest through his shirt.
User avatar
Burning ghost
Posts: 3065
Joined: February 27th, 2016, 3:10 am

Re: Trump - The good, the bad and the ugly

Post by Burning ghost »

Yes, I meant Corbyn. I would hardly compare him to Trump though (who has no experience in politics).

The UK has a better system and a fairer system by far. People in the UK demand and expect policies that are planned out. In the US it is about who has the monetary backing and personality. Someone like Corbyn would be viewed as an extremist in the US.

Don't worry I am not foolish enough to think the UK has a flawless system. I was saddened that Lib Dems attempts to push through to push though majority votes never happened. Was you aware that the REAL opposition by single votes to the Conservatives was actually the Lib Dems for a large period? We used to have THREE strong parties that were different. I hope Corbyn injects some much needed socialism into the political sphere in the UK. Sadly it may very well go the other way.

I don't live there anymore but I manage to catch a few interviews of May and Corbyn. The sane and honest one appears to be Corbyn. What shocks me is how people try to spin him being against nuclear war as some sort of ***** stance?? Unbelievable!! It is almost like some people are trying to say "If he won't start a nuclear war why vote for him?" It is quite clear to see the media backs the Tories simply because they want lower taxes. That is one comparison with the US, but the skewed, and frankly insane, news outlets on US TV are plain crazy compared to more muted, but still faulty, UK news outlets.

Watching US news channels from a UK perspective is a scary thing to see. The amount of sensationalism used is just plain criminal.

Anyway, I am stepping beyond the means of my own OP, but just wanted to clarify the stark difference between US and UK politics and the stark difference between media outlets. That said the UK certainly has far worse "newspapers" than the US, but the TV broadcasts (although obviously under government influences) are occasionally worth something. I should add I realized the news programmes were mere distractions when I in secondary school. I think at that age you start to understand that things are more about front and distraction.

Have you seen documentaries or opinions of UK students studying politics who go over to the US? There are plenty on youtube, and often they find the whole experience "surreal" compared to how things are done in the UK.

One huge superpower on Earth is not likely to be a good thing. That said I think the rest of the world has grown wise to US global influence so they are preparing for their inevitable downfall. The recent move by China, and moves made by South American countries over the past decade, is showing clearly they just ain't going to put up with it much longer.

I just hope the US breaks up without a war breaking out. It almost certainly will break up soon enough and I honestly cannot see fundamental Christians in the US letting such a thing happen without kicking up a considerable fuss (ie. civil war).

Trump seemed to say prior to election he'd stay out of foreign affairs. Up to now he's escalated tension around the world. If the US stopped harassing Russia, China and N.Korea, then stopped trying to destabilize the middle east and stopped interfering in European politics (not to mention African and Latin American politics!), then the world would probably be a safer place. I guess the UK would have no one to sell weapons to then though! XD haha! Irony!

The most greatest "region" to live in the world today is most certainly Scandinavia. They have been on top for a long time when it comes to standards of living (which is basically what governments should be concerned with, not starting wars and stripping other countries of their resources by bullying them out of the market - to which such accusations have to be pointed quite clearly at European countries to in their economic bullying of African nations especially.

I'll get off my soap box now and leave you gals and guys to it :)

The point of this thread was to say "Every cloud has a silver lining" and to step away from knee jerk reactions and questions and get ourselves to try and see things from another perspective. Merely attacking Trump does nothing much to solve the major problems. Which I see as being the inability to empathise with people of different values and opinions. I mean, in the US a many people think the second coming is going to happen so no need to worry about climate change because Jesus will fix it when he rises again ... what can I say to those people? Not a lot probably because they already feel marginalized and attacked from all sides. Non-aggressive dialogue has to be the way forward. That is why I like what Corbyn says about wars and aggression, and Brexit. No matter what a POLITICAL SOLUTION will end the matter, even after a conflict. He just makes it clear in all fields of politics that he wants to get to the POLITICAL SOLUTION quickly rather than get bogged down in aggressive rhetoric.

One thing is for sure. If only peole under 40 voted Corbyn wins. I actually think he'll win anyway. The people who won't vote for him are those who voted for Brexit on the ground of immigration, simply because he refuses to lie about the matter (unlike May). It is obvious that freedom of movement is important to staying in the European market. That is why voting to leave the EU soley because of immigration was blindsighted choice. It makes little to no difference to immigration, but there were other more suspect items that the EU have been progressing that warrrented serious consideration of whether or not to stay in the EU ... anyway, that is done (probably).

Now I'll get off my second soap box! XD haha bye
AKA badgerjelly
Post Reply

Return to “Philosophy of Politics”

2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
by Ali Master
February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God's Plan

The Biblical Clock
by Daniel Friedmann
March 2021

Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
by Jeff Meyer
May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
by Barbara Galutia Regis M.S. PA-C
June 2021

Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

Winning the War on Cancer
by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
August 2021

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
September 2021

The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
October 2021

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
November 2021

Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
December 2021