It isn't for nothing -- if we face head-on what Republicans are after.
The right has been plotting for at least 50 years (and possibly since FDR) to turn the United States into an authoritarian, theocratic, plutocratic, kleptocratic nation. But until Trump, they've (mostly) done so slowly and quietly. Trump inspires such devotion in the base that he has given the GOP a chance to achieve escape velocity, to leave the gravity well of liberal, representative democracy behind completely. He's rocket fuel.
To use a framing from behavioral economics: Think in terms of *expected value.* The odds of this gambit succeeding might seem perplexingly low, given the risks. But the possible *value* of success for the GOP and its funders and enablers is astronomically high. Lowish odds x super-high expected value = take the risk. Add in sunk costs and loss aversion, and here we are.
Since this is a day for the defense of Trump, allow me to point out a positive about Trump. This is from an opinion piece in the Kyiv post (English language version):
“While Trump shares quite a few personality traits with Stalin and Hitler — notably, supreme narcissistic self-confidence wedded to considerable ignorance and combined with suspicion of expertise and intellect, as well as vanity, vengefulness and utter lack of empathy for other human beings — he is not a homicidal maniac, unlike the other two.”
Note the positive: “He is not a homicidal maniac.” Clearly Trump’s defense team should make this the centerpiece of their defense, and enough for the republican senators to acquit him.
It isn't for nothing -- if we face head-on what Republicans are after.
The right has been plotting for at least 50 years (and possibly since FDR) to turn the United States into an authoritarian, theocratic, plutocratic, kleptocratic nation. But until Trump, they've (mostly) done so slowly and quietly. Trump inspires such devotion in the base that he has given the GOP a chance to achieve escape velocity, to leave the gravity well of liberal, representative democracy behind completely. He's rocket fuel.
To use a framing from behavioral economics: Think in terms of *expected value.* The odds of this gambit succeeding might seem perplexingly low, given the risks. But the possible *value* of success for the GOP and its funders and enablers is astronomically high. Lowish odds x super-high expected value = take the risk. Add in sunk costs and loss aversion, and here we are.
Since this is a day for the defense of Trump, allow me to point out a positive about Trump. This is from an opinion piece in the Kyiv post (English language version):
https://www.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/alexei-bayer-the-secret-of-trumps-success.html
Excerpt:
“While Trump shares quite a few personality traits with Stalin and Hitler — notably, supreme narcissistic self-confidence wedded to considerable ignorance and combined with suspicion of expertise and intellect, as well as vanity, vengefulness and utter lack of empathy for other human beings — he is not a homicidal maniac, unlike the other two.”
Note the positive: “He is not a homicidal maniac.” Clearly Trump’s defense team should make this the centerpiece of their defense, and enough for the republican senators to acquit him.