Christian evangelism always involves giving food to the potential converts. I think the guy “converted” simply because of food.

A one day old account defending imperial capitalism. Sure you aren’t fascist.

I’m not giving A reason, I’m stating a symptom of the problem.

You think Democrat neoliberals and Republican neoconservatives before Trump are better, because you thought that there is professionalism, even though they are under the pockets of the corporate lobbying, and gerrymander elections; the very same things that MAGA and Democrats have been doing all the time and still doing. The difference is that previously politicians lie, while the new administration doesn’t even pretend. Voters are apathetic because why would politicians lie when everyone can see that they are? Why vote for a snake in the grass, when one can vote for a snake in the open field?

I’m saying all these so that people would do something. All the things you mentioned such as lack of education and tax breaks are problems, problems that mainstream politicians don’t want to fix. Precisely the point. Put yourself in the perspective of the working class who work three jobs and 60% of their income goes to rent. If the snakes in the grass don’t want to fix them at all because they are under pocket of corporations, what is the point? You have a party that is either a closeted fascist or fascist-enabler, and then a party that is full on fascist. From the tired working class voters, what’s the difference? They are still not getting their free healthcare and education and affordable housing that the rest of developed countries enjoy.

It sounds paradoxical but voting for Trump fascism is a protest vote. If the affluent liberals get off their high horses and actually live the lived experience of 60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, then they would understand. And yet the same liberals who preach about social justice are the ones who keep voting down affordable housing, because they are also property owners, whose house value don’t want to go down by such projects. You can’t have social justice without economic justice. Sure the Democrats are pro-lgbt and minority rights, but if their corporate-friendly, poverty-inducing economic policies are not helping anyone regardless of race, gender and religion, then from the perspective of average voters, what’s the difference between a snake in the grass and the snake in the open field? One pretends to care and the other doesn’t pretend. Both are still snakes. That’s why the expression “choose the lesser evil” that many Democrats love to use is silly. Are they saying they’re also evil? I don’t see many liberals want to primary out establishment Democrats, and instead rail on “choose the lesser evil” tactic. How do you expect average voters not to feel apathetic? At least with AI starting to cause lay offs in many areas, the affluent smug liberals looking down and calling the 60% of Americans living pay check to pay check and Appalachians whose jobs are outsourced, as stupid, are starting to feel why the demagogues are getting elected.

If you want an answer, here it is, I didn’t think I need to spell it out to you. And I’m tired doing this to Americans who are in their own version of Orwellian thought policing and new speak.

Found a fascist.

What I’m saying is nothing new. Political analysts including Zizek are saying the exact same thing. The implicit message of the analysis is for the politicians to listen to electorate and do a better job, and for the electorate themselves to hold their politicians more accountable, and stop marginalising the working class disaffected by outsourcing.

I actually smirk everytime someone says I am being an apologist for making dispassionate analysis on a situation. It’s not apologia, it’s diagnosing a symptom. Voting for a crude politician is a protest vote on the false high brow-ing on the masses and sophistry of meanstream politicians, who always make up bureaucratic reasons not to actually do what their constituents want. It’s an implicit message on the politicians to do a better job on the issues you mentioned.

If you talk to many right wing voters, they are pretty articulate and smart, and actually agree on many left wing policies. Someone mentioned before that by his/her estimation, of the ten Trump voters he/she know, about four like Bernie Sanders. The real cause of the problem is class issue and voters want someone outside the status quo. Bernie and Trump are those options, but we know who won and favoured more by vested interests. At least the left is learning its lessons now with the rise of Mamdani.

There is so much voter apathy. Voters don’t care anymore if the representatives-- who is supposed to represent them-- don’t care to begin with. Why vote for someone who keeps pretending, when you can elect someone authentic for better or worse?

I don’t disagree, but if the often excuse of “our hands are tied” in actuality means “we don’t give a fuck about you”, voters feel they might as well vote for the person who never even pretends to care to begin with. It’s a sign of voter apathy and loss of trust in the system.

Precisely. And to belabour the point, if they really want to “do good”, just shut up and do it. No need to announce on the megaphone that they are good for wanting to donate most of their wealth, but are still billionaires and getting richer. If they are serious about helping, their net worth would have decreased by now and would not be billionaires anymore.

From cold hard rationale, Hayek and Friedman makes sense, but they do ignore reality that circumstances always change. Deregulation made sense at the time of 1970s oil crisis as the economy and welfare state stagnated, but we’re now in the age of economic prosperity again, but the wealth is hoarded by the few and act as though austerity still matters.

Not entirely sure about why Friedman’s claim that India was costing the British empire more to maintain, but it has also been repeated in many circles. I suspect that the data is not fully contextualised and repeated as if it’s the absolute truth. An Indian historian countered the narrative, mentioning that if we include the period of private control of India by the British East India company, before India was formally taken over by the British state in 1858, the total wealth plundered from India is about $1 trillion. The term “loot” is Indian origin, which became part of the English language after East India’s violent colonisation. When the British public found out of about the brutal occupation by a private company and were enraged by it, the British state took over the formal administration. But this only happened well after committing crimes against humanity, after a state-sanctioned plunder and massacre that made their private owners and their government enablers rich, while the cost of running another country is taken over by tax payers. It’s an early example of “privatise the profit, socialise the cost”.

VICTORIA NULAND!!

Degrees and grades only matter for younger and less experienced folks.

Conservatives: Then get a high demand and high paying job!

the field becomes too competitive and saturated and couldn’t find jobs

Also conservatives: Then work in a factory!

factory jobs gets taken over by AI

Conservatives for the final and umpteenth time: Fuck you!

This is what people voted for, precisely because they are tired of politicians who lie and spin. Wanting those in positions of power to “tell it like it is” comes from a genuine place of frustration to the democratic process.

I’m not poor, but I hate that I don’t feel financially secure enough to do more whatever I want. Working alone isn’t enough anymore to save a house but at the same time to have fun.

That’s why one should not trust billionaires who make noises about changing the world for the better. It is merely to stoke their egos. I’m not even religious anymore but I still remember being taught that it is better to share the success without bragging about it. There are genuinely good rich folks, but they don’t brag about how nice they are. Chuck Feeney, the billionaire founder of Duty Free, quietly donated the majority of his wealth by the time he died. He was left with $2 million after the donations and was renting an apartment in New York. There is also a millionaire who built houses for the homeless. But I would say that the “good ones” are far and few.

However, the darker side of trying to “be rich and be quiet about it” are some billionaires donating to regressive causes. I think I don’t need to mention the Koch brothers and Murdochs. Being the “power behind the throne” is more effective way to actually wield power. That’s why I don’t think ridding Trump will solve anything unless there is a more robust system to prevent money in politics being put ever again.

English isn’t my first language, so I get grammatical errors. Now, when I type in my own language, I still get grammatical errors because I’ve been away for so long from my home country. That should assuage any accusations that I’m a bot.

However, someone did mention that I sounded like an anime character before. I think it’s because I made an analysis that sounded too academic, like being dispassionate and analytical. I spent too much time in academia for my own good before. Well, that is better than sounding like middle managers, which people pointed out that AI sounds awfully like one.

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It’s just two of my friends who are like this tbh. And don’t get me wrong, even though they are supportive and loyal, they can be emotional and shallow when they are not in the right frame of mind at a given time. All in all, they are kinda conformist and parochial. They are the only ones in our core group who didn’t move out of town or went abroad. I noticed that people who moved out are more open-minded. I only have one friend left whom I can talk to more sincerely, but he is on another side of the country, although we meet up on occasions.

How do we even know you’re not working in a troll farm?