12-22-2016, 12:49 PM
(12-22-2016, 08:45 AM)SomeGuy Wrote: Getting back to the original premise for a minute, here's a wishlist from another actual Trump voter, in order of precedence.This is a thoughtful post and I'll try to reply to it thoughtfully.
Quote:1. Avoid War with Russia - Avoiding WWIII is pretty much at the top of my list. The moral panic and inflammatory rhetoric concerning Putin's Russia was getting to the point where even my friends and family who don't follow current events much were shaking their heads in disbelief. We had the former NATO second in command writing a book on the coming war with Russia, supposed moderates like John Kasich demanding we "punch Russia in the nose", numerous other candidates (including the erstwhile presumptive nominee) talking about setting up potential confrontations with Russia in Syria and arming its foes in the Ukraine, going so far as to compare it to Nazi Germany. The Russians, in turn, were responding with talk of de-escalatory nuclear strikes. It was a recipe for disaster on a scale that would dwarf WWI, previously the gold standard for blundering political posturing leading to mass destruction. Look, Ukraine is not a treaty ally of the West, NATO is obsolete, the Crimea is majority Russian and shows little evidence of the sort of insurgency that has traditionally accompanied territorial occupation (and if you think those evil Russkies have found a way to suppress insurgencies without a huge occupying force, it might be worthwhile to buddy up with them just to learn how they do it, since we clearly haven't figured it out). How are Russia's interventions in Syria, Georgia, or the Ukraine qualitatively different from our invasion of Iraq, bombing of Libya, or worldwide drone program? How much worse are they than our supposed allies the Saudis, who behead people, support terrorism abroad, and invaded Bahrain and are presently attacking Yemen, bombing them from the air and blockading their ports, leading to famine? Don't think that has anything to do with us? It isn't like the Saudis have a domestic arms industry to speak of, or the logistic capability to sustain an extended bombing campaign without extensive US support. Thus far, with the exception of John Bolton, whose name has not been excluded from a Trump administration yet, he's getting high marks from me so far.What do you think about Trump's pick for ambassador of Israel? I am Jewish and strongly support the right of Israel to exist (side-by-side with a Palestinian state); I say this because David Friedman's stance on Israel frightens me to death.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Friedman_(lawyer)
Quote:2. Infrastructure - There is a critical need for a massive and sustained infrastructure push in this country. Broadband, highways, water systems, power lines, the list goes on and on. There is an opportunity to yield significant dividends in terms of not just improved capital, but mass employment for at least a generation. While there are questions as to what a Trump infrastructure program would look like, there have been numerous indications (Mnuchin discussing an infrastructure bank, Kushner stating that Trump's desires are closer to Schumer's than McConnell's) that it may in fact be a legitimate Keynesian stimulus package and not just a corporate give-away.I hope you are correct. What I've read indicates that it is nothing more than a bunch of tax incentives for corporations to build toll roads. However, I hope you are correct. Regardless of who we voted for, I think we all agree that we need to do a massive infrastructure push.
Quote:So there you have it, that's what I voted for. We'll see how it turns out.Yes, we will certainly do that.