Fascinating to read this a couple of months after the fact. Great, balanced analysis. I have been struck by the actual manifestation of common purpose among the cabinet and the sense of mission and history. Trump has already exceeded my wildest expectations on the foreign policy front. I think a big subtext of your writing is that one underestimates this man at their peril. I think about that a lot as his opponents can only flail around him critiquing the aesthetics of who he is and how he operates. I guess this is what happens to the Democrats when they turned their party over to a collection of paid activists because they are incapable of coming up with an affirmative vision for the future beyond open borders, UBI (the British called it the dole) and dudes in women’s sports. Lazy, not particularly bright in many cases, condescending, disdainful and generally incapable of, well, growing the hell up and getting a real job is not a particularly appealing vanguard of humanity to lead us into the future. I am a pretty tolerant person but good lord are these fanatical weirdos wearing thin. Conversely, Trump is in the proverbial “flow state” and I am enjoying watching him lead. As JFK once said: “The Greeks defined happiness as the full use of your powers along lines of excellence.”
“I think a big subtext of your writing is that one underestimates this man at their peril.” Bingo. But don’t forget that he takes big gambles. He’s gonna lose one someday; that’s just probability theory.
Yes. Rereading this it was not my intention to sound fawning, but I wrote what I wrote. I feel hopeful again and I didn't vote for him in 2016 or 2020.
It didn't come across as fawning. The phenomenon of Donald Trump creates so many contradictions. Almost everyone is angry in one way or another at how America and more broadly the West has evolved over the last 30 years, but oftentimes angry about different things. DJT is a manifestation of that anger and sense that society needs a radical turn in direction. I literally cried in April 2016 when I realised that he would win the nomination and the presidency (yes, I did that early). Yet, he has continuously surprised me on the upside. Even if you don't like him, he is one of the most remarkable individuals in history. Completely fascinating.
I think their opponents would argue that both Thiel and Trump are both evil and incompetent. I think both accusations are unfair. "Disruption" is really hard, since there isn't a roadmap, hence it often looks like incompetence; and few people attempt it thinking they're doing something evil (even if ex post is seems so).
Fascinating to read this a couple of months after the fact. Great, balanced analysis. I have been struck by the actual manifestation of common purpose among the cabinet and the sense of mission and history. Trump has already exceeded my wildest expectations on the foreign policy front. I think a big subtext of your writing is that one underestimates this man at their peril. I think about that a lot as his opponents can only flail around him critiquing the aesthetics of who he is and how he operates. I guess this is what happens to the Democrats when they turned their party over to a collection of paid activists because they are incapable of coming up with an affirmative vision for the future beyond open borders, UBI (the British called it the dole) and dudes in women’s sports. Lazy, not particularly bright in many cases, condescending, disdainful and generally incapable of, well, growing the hell up and getting a real job is not a particularly appealing vanguard of humanity to lead us into the future. I am a pretty tolerant person but good lord are these fanatical weirdos wearing thin. Conversely, Trump is in the proverbial “flow state” and I am enjoying watching him lead. As JFK once said: “The Greeks defined happiness as the full use of your powers along lines of excellence.”
“I think a big subtext of your writing is that one underestimates this man at their peril.” Bingo. But don’t forget that he takes big gambles. He’s gonna lose one someday; that’s just probability theory.
Yes
Yes. Rereading this it was not my intention to sound fawning, but I wrote what I wrote. I feel hopeful again and I didn't vote for him in 2016 or 2020.
It didn't come across as fawning. The phenomenon of Donald Trump creates so many contradictions. Almost everyone is angry in one way or another at how America and more broadly the West has evolved over the last 30 years, but oftentimes angry about different things. DJT is a manifestation of that anger and sense that society needs a radical turn in direction. I literally cried in April 2016 when I realised that he would win the nomination and the presidency (yes, I did that early). Yet, he has continuously surprised me on the upside. Even if you don't like him, he is one of the most remarkable individuals in history. Completely fascinating.
I have also been thinking a lot about Peter Thiel’s quip “I think I would rather be evil than incompetent.”
I think their opponents would argue that both Thiel and Trump are both evil and incompetent. I think both accusations are unfair. "Disruption" is really hard, since there isn't a roadmap, hence it often looks like incompetence; and few people attempt it thinking they're doing something evil (even if ex post is seems so).
Well said