Comments on: President Trump https://habitablezone.com/2016/02/21/president-trump/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:00:29 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2016/02/21/president-trump/#comment-35721 podrock Mon, 22 Feb 2016 22:51:28 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=55899#comment-35721 <p>Virtues:</p> Chastity: no Temperance: probably not Charity: only when taxes are involved Diligence: perhaps Patience: nope Kindness: I haven't seen it Humility: uh, obviously no All vice, no virtue. Virtues:

Chastity: no
Temperance: probably not
Charity: only when taxes are involved
Diligence: perhaps
Patience: nope
Kindness: I haven’t seen it
Humility: uh, obviously no

All vice, no virtue.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2016/02/21/president-trump/#comment-35718 bowser Mon, 22 Feb 2016 05:48:22 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=55899#comment-35718 It's embarrassing. Conservatives love the Kool-Aid. It’s embarrassing. Conservatives love the Kool-Aid.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2016/02/21/president-trump/#comment-35716 ER Sun, 21 Feb 2016 17:48:55 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=55899#comment-35716 Those of the Hallelujoid Persuasion are more motivated by secular concerns than they're willing to admit, even to themselves. They subconsciously understand they can't get into heaven by kissing god's ass, but they still hope to buy their way in. Mr Trump understands this and has targeted them with great effectiveness. What I can't understand is why Mr Cruz, who has attempted to do the same, has failed to do so. Those of the Hallelujoid Persuasion are more motivated by secular concerns than they’re willing to admit, even to themselves. They subconsciously understand they can’t get into heaven by kissing god’s ass, but they still hope to buy their way in.

Mr Trump understands this and has targeted them with great effectiveness. What I can’t understand is why Mr Cruz, who has attempted to do the same, has failed to do so.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2016/02/21/president-trump/#comment-35715 podrock Sun, 21 Feb 2016 15:46:48 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=55899#comment-35715 <p>six out of seven</p> <img src="http://habitablezone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/sevensins.jpg" alt="" /> <a href="http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/" rel="nofollow">http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/</a> six out of seven

http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2016/02/21/president-trump/#comment-35714 ER Sun, 21 Feb 2016 15:16:29 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=55899#comment-35714 Well, at least, democracies do. If Trump (or Cruz) becomes President, it won't be the result of a rebellion or a coup, a revolution, war or sheer chaos. It will be because he was put in place by a viable democratic system. I don't think it will happen, but I can't say for certain it won't. The founders did have one conviction that isn't widely held today: that the mob, the rabble, was inherently dangerous. They were convinced that the franchise had to be limited, and that the tyranny of the majority had to be avoided at all costs. For them, it meant that the right to govern had to be shared, but only by white, gentleMEN of property. It is this conviction that a propertied elite should rule in a republic that is now being tested. That propertied elite has over the years gradually morphed to a larger and more representative fraction of the society, we were moving towards a true democracy. Everyone was convinced they too were members of that elite, or that they could be, or that at least their children might be someday. Now they are not so sure. Now more and more of us fear we are once again becoming the rabble. The remaining elites have harnessed this fear to prop themselves up in power, but I suspect they can no longer control the beast they have unleashed. I don't know how this is all going to work out. I may not even live long enough to find out; my apocalyptic ramblings have tended to be premature at best, and even I understand there is a great reservoir of common sense and plain decency in this country that may yet save the day. The system our founders left to us, as imperfect as it is, and as imperfect as they were, has proven to be one of great wisdom and resilience. It is no longer the eighteenth century and I am not confident that system will survive these stresses, but I am still convinced it is our best chance of getting through them. Well, at least, democracies do. If Trump (or Cruz) becomes President, it won’t be the result of a rebellion or a coup, a revolution, war or sheer chaos. It will be because he was put in place by a viable democratic system. I don’t think it will happen, but I can’t say for certain it won’t.

The founders did have one conviction that isn’t widely held today: that the mob, the rabble, was inherently dangerous. They were convinced that the franchise had to be limited, and that the tyranny of the majority had to be avoided at all costs. For them, it meant that the right to govern had to be shared, but only by white, gentleMEN of property.

It is this conviction that a propertied elite should rule in a republic that is now being tested.
That propertied elite has over the years gradually morphed to a larger and more representative fraction of the society, we were moving towards a true democracy. Everyone was convinced they too were members of that elite, or that they could be, or that at least their children might be someday. Now they are not so sure. Now more and more of us fear we are once again becoming the rabble. The remaining elites have harnessed this fear to prop themselves up in power, but I suspect they can no longer control the beast they have unleashed.

I don’t know how this is all going to work out. I may not even live long enough to find out; my apocalyptic ramblings have tended to be premature at best, and even I understand there is a great reservoir of common sense and plain decency in this country that may yet save the day. The system our founders left to us, as imperfect as it is, and as imperfect as they were, has proven to be one of great wisdom and resilience. It is no longer the eighteenth century and I am not confident that system will survive these stresses, but I am still convinced it is our best chance of getting through them.

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