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>Some of the most potent images produced by the political right in the 2020 cycle featured looters and rioters smashing stores and burning buildings in major Am

>Some of the most potent images produced by the political right in the 2020 cycle featured looters and rioters smashing stores and burning buildings in major American cities. Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, these ads warned, were the only thing standing between these rioters and your home. Acting like things happening under his rule were a problem detached from his responsibility. If only every leader could get away with this.

inglor_cz 5y ago
I am not even an American, but in a huge federal country like the US, not everything can be attributed to the presidency - negative or positive. Governors, state senators etc. have a responsibility too, and they should not be able to shirk it by screaming "look at the bad guy above me!" It is actually similar in the EU. The EU and the Commission has a lot of power, but not enough to pin everything on them. Local politicians love to point towards Brussels, though, everytime they fsck something up.
- mberning 5y ago
  Most of those cities being razed over the summer have been under complete democrat control for years.
  - inglor_cz 5y ago
    So the police departments that should be defunded according to some Democrat activists were/are under control of Democrat politicians? It seems that the main parties in the U.S. are really big tents. In another system, they would have split up to 6-7 smaller and more coherent parties. (That would nevertheless have to compromise on their ideas when forming coalitions, so not a dramatic difference.)
  - AntiWFH 5y ago
    No cities were razed you dumbass.
- OrvalWintermute 5y ago
  > Local politicians love to point towards Brussels, though, everytime they fsck something up. When I lived in Europe they did not point towards the EU and say, "we are going to handover much of our lawmaking power to these EU bureaucrats", but, that is exactly what has happened.
  - inglor_cz 5y ago
    There are some quotes by former EK chairman Juncker that touch on this: "We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back." (1999) "If it's a Yes, we will say 'on we go', and if it's a No we will say 'we continue'." (On the 2005 French referendum on the Lisbon Treaty) ""Britain is different. Of course there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?" (2007) "When it becomes serious, you have to lie." (2013) "There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties, one cannot exit the euro without leaving the EU." (2015) This mentality contributed a lot towards Euroscepticism. It is not as if Brussels is a confederacy of angels.
    - TheOtherHobbes 5y ago
      He said a lot of other things which put a much more humane gloss on your selective compendium. https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/jean-claude-juncker-quotes https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/jean-claude-juncker-quot... As for Brussels not being angels - it's true it's not enough of an immigrant-hating racist and corrupt failing state for some people.
- jrgoff 5y ago
  I agree with your general point, but not as a response to the gp. If the president and congressmen who were in power and were then running for re-election have no responsibility for the unrest than what was the point of them being re-elected to stop it? Either they can do something about it and didn't, or they can't do anything about it but for some reason are campaigning as though they can.
mberning 5y ago
Every administration in my lifetime has done this. Taking credit for certain things and shifting blame for others is not unusual. The state of the economy is the most shining example.

inglor_cz 5y ago

I am not even an American, but in a huge federal country like the US, not everything can be attributed to the presidency - negative or positive. Governors, state senators etc. have a responsibility too, and they should not be able to shirk it by screaming "look at the bad guy above me!" It is actually similar in the EU. The EU and the Commission has a lot of power, but not enough to pin everything on them. Local politicians love to point towards Brussels, though, everytime they fsck something up.

mberning 5y ago
Most of those cities being razed over the summer have been under complete democrat control for years.
- inglor_cz 5y ago
  So the police departments that should be defunded according to some Democrat activists were/are under control of Democrat politicians? It seems that the main parties in the U.S. are really big tents. In another system, they would have split up to 6-7 smaller and more coherent parties. (That would nevertheless have to compromise on their ideas when forming coalitions, so not a dramatic difference.)
- AntiWFH 5y ago
  No cities were razed you dumbass.
OrvalWintermute 5y ago
> Local politicians love to point towards Brussels, though, everytime they fsck something up. When I lived in Europe they did not point towards the EU and say, "we are going to handover much of our lawmaking power to these EU bureaucrats", but, that is exactly what has happened.
- inglor_cz 5y ago
  There are some quotes by former EK chairman Juncker that touch on this: "We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back." (1999) "If it's a Yes, we will say 'on we go', and if it's a No we will say 'we continue'." (On the 2005 French referendum on the Lisbon Treaty) ""Britain is different. Of course there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?" (2007) "When it becomes serious, you have to lie." (2013) "There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties, one cannot exit the euro without leaving the EU." (2015) This mentality contributed a lot towards Euroscepticism. It is not as if Brussels is a confederacy of angels.
  - TheOtherHobbes 5y ago
    He said a lot of other things which put a much more humane gloss on your selective compendium. https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/jean-claude-juncker-quotes https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/jean-claude-juncker-quot... As for Brussels not being angels - it's true it's not enough of an immigrant-hating racist and corrupt failing state for some people.
jrgoff 5y ago
I agree with your general point, but not as a response to the gp. If the president and congressmen who were in power and were then running for re-election have no responsibility for the unrest than what was the point of them being re-elected to stop it? Either they can do something about it and didn't, or they can't do anything about it but for some reason are campaigning as though they can.

mberning 5y ago

Every administration in my lifetime has done this. Taking credit for certain things and shifting blame for others is not unusual. The state of the economy is the most shining example.