3 ms·

That's fair. I agree. I was thinking of the USA as one actor. The USA votes, or chooses not to, and that has effects.

SilverElfin 7mo ago
True. In that sense the voters have self decapitated. I can’t understand how the Trump administration still has support from 40% of the country (per polls). I could understand voting for him due to some issue a voter has strong feelings about. But now we have seen it all play out and it’s a disaster leading to national ruin. And there is no talk of impeachment, trials, and accountability for everyone in his circle. So I guess that 40% DOES choose to self decapitate.
- b3ing 7mo ago
  They don’t care when the media on am and talk radio, evangelical and mega churches, and all the conservative news tells them what to believe
  - consumer451 7mo ago
    Media that is never critical towards one side is what started all of this. A politician's kryptonite is when their voters find out that they lied or were hypocrites. That is a universal truth. Single party media outlets like News Corp, Sinclair, Euronews, and so many others have broken that system entirely. My test to see if someone is a shill/moron is to simply ask them to say one obvious bad thing about "their side." If they cannot, it becomes clear that they are not worth listening to.
    - andsoitis 7mo ago
      What’s the worst thing, in your mind, about “your side”, assuming you have one.
      - consumer451 7mo ago
        I grew up in Seattle mostly, some of my policy positions could paint me as a progressive, and they are somewhat "my people." It turns out that progressives are just as easily fooled as any other group, by a slick turn of phrase. For example, "Genocide Joe." I once thought my group was more thoughtful. But, it turns out that ALL of us are easily programmed meat machines. Voted for Obama, he totally messed up with Russia and Crimea. I could go on, and on. I believe that the only -ism I can believe in is fallibilism.
  - georgemcbay 7mo ago
    > and all the conservative news tells them what to believe And most traditional news is conservative now. The idea that the mainstream media was ever leftest was always wrong, but these days its absolutely laughable and yet a lot of people still parrot this like it is the truth.
    - deleted 7mo ago
      [deleted]
- aaronbrethorst 7mo ago
  Heather McGhee's concept of 'drained pool politics' really resonates with me: https://newrepublic.com/article/171844/heather-mcghee-moving-beyond-drained-pool-politics https://newrepublic.com/article/171844/heather-mcghee-moving...
pjc50 7mo ago
People like to do this because it's simple, but it's so unrealistic that it's basically a fairy story in terms of explanatory power. You have to take account of warring internal factions.

True. In that sense the voters have self decapitated. I can’t understand how the Trump administration still has support from 40% of the country (per polls). I could understand voting for him due to some issue a voter has strong feelings about. But now we have seen it all play out and it’s a disaster leading to national ruin. And there is no talk of impeachment, trials, and accountability for everyone in his circle. So I guess that 40% DOES choose to self decapitate.

b3ing 7mo ago
They don’t care when the media on am and talk radio, evangelical and mega churches, and all the conservative news tells them what to believe
- consumer451 7mo ago
  Media that is never critical towards one side is what started all of this. A politician's kryptonite is when their voters find out that they lied or were hypocrites. That is a universal truth. Single party media outlets like News Corp, Sinclair, Euronews, and so many others have broken that system entirely. My test to see if someone is a shill/moron is to simply ask them to say one obvious bad thing about "their side." If they cannot, it becomes clear that they are not worth listening to.
  - andsoitis 7mo ago
    What’s the worst thing, in your mind, about “your side”, assuming you have one.
    - consumer451 7mo ago
      I grew up in Seattle mostly, some of my policy positions could paint me as a progressive, and they are somewhat "my people." It turns out that progressives are just as easily fooled as any other group, by a slick turn of phrase. For example, "Genocide Joe." I once thought my group was more thoughtful. But, it turns out that ALL of us are easily programmed meat machines. Voted for Obama, he totally messed up with Russia and Crimea. I could go on, and on. I believe that the only -ism I can believe in is fallibilism.
- georgemcbay 7mo ago
  > and all the conservative news tells them what to believe And most traditional news is conservative now. The idea that the mainstream media was ever leftest was always wrong, but these days its absolutely laughable and yet a lot of people still parrot this like it is the truth.
  - deleted 7mo ago
    [deleted]
aaronbrethorst 7mo ago
Heather McGhee's concept of 'drained pool politics' really resonates with me: https://newrepublic.com/article/171844/heather-mcghee-moving-beyond-drained-pool-politics https://newrepublic.com/article/171844/heather-mcghee-moving...

pjc50 7mo ago

People like to do this because it's simple, but it's so unrealistic that it's basically a fairy story in terms of explanatory power. You have to take account of warring internal factions.