An American; depressed about Trump and the presidential election

Watching the clips of the idiot fest that was the republican convention is equally terrifying and depressing.

It is so sad, to sit here understanding that the problems of the working class are very complex and mostly the result of rapid, rapid changes in globalized job markets and technological automation. Yet people still believe that Mexicans immigrants (currently at net zero coming in), and a “weak” liberal president are to blame and the cause of the decline of blue collar job’s and wages and have fallen hook line and sinker for a complete and utter fraud who has been a hypocrite on literally every one of his policies.

What makes me especially sad… is that it sees that perspective and educated analysis of complex world issues is the exception, not the norm. Nuance doesn’t exist to the masses and the trump fans put the ID in idiocy. It makes me wonder if educating large countries of people is simply an uphill battle that our evolution has yet to catch up to.

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It’s the sign of the times. Back to populism. It’s not only happening in the States.

This is partly due to the two-party system of the USA, vis a vis multi-party system.

I’m not sure. Consider Austria, Poland, even Spain

I am not responding to the populism part that you have your eyes on.

That’s the American mindset! Blame immigrants and liberals.

I have lived in a few countries including Canada and USA, and i feel like quite honestly Democracy really does not work. Two illiterate people have more voting power then someone who finished college and is literate in several languages. It feels elitist to say but i do not think someone who has no clue about the world should be allowed to vote. That is why Trump is so appealing, no substance just bit sized soundbites that fits in 140 characters.

I don’t know what honestly is happening to the fabric of America, but something is seriously wrong about this whole process

First of all only 25 % of college students in the US can read well enough to understand complex texts according to a recent study. Literacy is great and the great levellers in many ways. More should be done to improve literacy, and I even think LingQ can help in that regard. However, politics is about competing interests. The illiterate or less literate have their interests. It is up to politicians to identify these interests and cater to them. Democracy is not perfect but there is no other system that comes close.

Genuinely democratic countries are usually the most successful. I think the problem in the US is the decline in respect for the point of view of others. For this our politically correct educators on the one hand, and the media driving the lowest common denominator lower and lower on the other hand, are largely to blame. The Internet seems to encourage intolerant and often anonymous comments. We all need to think for ourselves and get informed.

The Trump phenomenon could happen anywhere. It is nevertheless sad to see that arrogance, ignorance, intolerance, and the generally boorish behaviour of Trump attracts so much support in a country like the US.

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Despite being far from the US, I’m looking at the bid for presidency with interest too, D Trump could’nt let anyone unconcerned. His behavior and most of all his declarations are too fun to listen too.
A clown who could be in a circus.
He has zero program, the only program is him, his name , his brand, nothing serious , a knowledge of the world and of the complex geostrategics relationships close to nothing.
A figure of fun… but I’m a bit afraid…
During the Cuban missile Crisis, the president Kennedy was surrounded by 12 councellors, 10 were favourable to a nuclear strike and 2 was opposed.
I wonder how Trump would bahave in a similar situation…!!!

We might as well ask: how would good old George Dubya Bush have managed the Cuban crisis? (Maybe by launching an all out nuclear strike on…oh I dunno…IRAQ…or somewhere?

And he happened. Yes, he was actually for real!

Could Trump really be any worse?

He is currently throwing a twitter fit at the former mayor of New York for being “mean” to him. he also sued the onion and bill maher for making fun of him. So yes it could be worse.

Although the road to hell is often paved with good intentions, I suspect that Trump’s ego is instead only occupied with his own interests. He seems to be an arrogant monster, who is popular with desperate people with an authoritarian personality. Desperate people with an authoritarian personality tend to yearn for authoritarian and brutal leaders, and will eventually be exploited by them.

Mr. Trump has routinely praised autocratic foreign leaders for what he characterizes as their steely leadership abilities. He has hailed Saddam Hussein, the executed Iraqi leader, for his skill at maintaining power, and said of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, “You have to give him credit” for consolidating authority. This week, amid reports that Russian-backed hackers had breached the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Trump said he considered Mr. Putin a superior leader to Mr. Obama. http://nyti.ms/2aAGEPu
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When people from all over the world are booing/laughing at you, that's a form of respect in their culture. #FakeTrumpIntelligenceBriefing
Twitter hilariously imagines Donald Trump's fake intelligence briefings ⏩ by @lee_moran http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-fake-intelligence-briefing-twitter_us_579c6bc6e4b0693164c1794d via @HuffPostWeird

“Two illiterate people have more voting power then someone who finished college and is literate in several languages. It feels elitist to say but i do not think someone who has no clue about the world should be allowed to vote”

I believe that democracy is the best system we have. I never went to college though, so I guess I´m just a drooling retard.

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I cannot agree with you about restricting the right to vote.

What I do agree with is that two people, whether literate or illiterate, have more voting power than one. It is up to us to educate / think for ourselves and try to influence others.

I have seen the political / personal manipulation which went here in the UK prior to the EU vote. The result is to my mind disastrous. It has made me determined to actually get politically involved, albeit only locally. We have to make sure we live our beliefs.

And Paule, you know perfectly well that you are a very intelligent chap!

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Well I’m going to wait until Trump has KILLED someone before saying that!

“…I have seen the political / personal manipulation which went here in the UK prior to the EU vote…”

I agree. I was shocked at the cynical lies that Cameron and Osborne told in order to try to bully and twist older people (especially) into voting to remain.

Didn’t help them though :slight_smile:

Afaik both sides lied. Farage lied about the “milllions for the NHS” for example. Can you believe it? Lying politicians? xD

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Yeah, I agree that all politicians lie. :smiley:

What I don’t really understand, though, is how some people on the remain side got so excited and upset about the 350 million figure?!

I think of it like this: if someone takes 350 Pounds from my bank account, and then generously uses 150 of that money to buy some things for me…well…then I lost control of my 350 Pounds, right??

Sure, it’s “only” 200 Pounds which completely disappears into thin air, while 150 indirectly comes back in my direction. But still, it isn’t truly my money if someone takes it from me and spends it for me at their discretion.

(As for the NHS, maybe we would be better with…ahem…a German style system of health care?)

Bingo.