You know what I'm not seeing anywhere in these stirring calls to arms? The big gaping hole in the center of their argumemts and warnings?
The phrase "the Republican Party". A fraction of the Republican party could end all of this in 1 day, gifting us President Vance in the process, but for some reason its easier to call for We The People to throw our bodies on the machine to make it stop.
Ever since Liz Cheney started talking about the Constitution and Trump's disinterest in it I was convinced every time she used the words "democracy" and "America" she meant the Republican party. Where we are now is the cliff she saw Trump aiming the party toward, and these leading Republican pundits have just now notced that the road under the wheels of the bus has disappeared. I will grudgingly admit they have some vestigal concern for the rule of law and the freedoms and rights defined in the Constitution, but their focus is on the rocks below that their party and political philosophy and personal livelihoods are about to get spattered upon.
The message is gonna be "it was all Trump, how could we have known? Anyway, this is no time to bicker over who enabled who, the people expect, need us to Work Together to fix this." And they'll probably get away with it. Again.
Very important distinction that the Republican portion of the electorate is being very slow to acknowledge any discontent with their spiritual leader. That was expected.
Many top contributors to Trump’s success that provide huge amounts of funding, and strategy —- with his multi pronged approach of anything, everything including flip flops are beginning to revolt.
Rupert Murdoch was the first to flinch at the treatment of the Ukraine war as a joke about the schoolyard victim, world hero Zelensky.
Now with leaders of our most important international allies over tariffs and financial titans worried about the viability of the wealth of the United States, the cracks are forming in the electorate. The worst group of Republicans are the politicians who unanimously stand solidly behind the fascist as if they are dressed in military parade attire.
They can’t seem to communicate the damage to farmers, to Veterans, to federal workers doing special work with limited recognition. They can’t seem to move off of a state of catatonia. As they play the fiddle, the the country burns.
I disagree with your previous commenters, but maybe that’s because I’ve watched Bill Kristol’s transformation almost in real time. We don’t have to approve of anyone’s past behavior. We don’t have to agree on policy. We need everyone who wants a spot on the front lines fighting this assault on our democracy, and I for one salute anyone brave enough to change their mind. Great newsletter, Dave.
Yes, Kristol has been a stalwart Never-Trumper since 2017. He saw what was going on, and didn't like it. Folks who don't want him on our side should read Morning Shots for a week, and it might change their minds. Regardless, we need to all hang together, or we'll all hang separately.
And yet… Will David Brooks recognize his role in having got us to this point where Trump is in a position to take this power? No, he will not. The lack of recognizing that connection is our problem in this country.
Nah, this ain't it. No one "needs" Brooks and Stephens et al. They don't have a constituency outside a small number of elite NYT subscribers, reflecting back to them what the elites are already saying privately.
You know where the real leaders are? Stephens mentions it in his column. Did you catch it? Probably not. "...the issue of antisemitism on campus, which is real, which is right and which I think the left was in denial about...." He's talking about Free Palestine protestors on campus. Those are the people who have gotten off the sidelines and are pushing back hard and are willing to accept the consequences. Add the immigrants rights groups and the trans rights groups and that's the core of your resistance right now. But the liberal dems want to destroy them and have their own polite resistance.
Ain't gonna happen. You can't win a fight if you dismiss your best fighters.
but the protestors are the wrong sorts of people, so they have to be excluded. Without them the neo-lib and neo-con elite can realize they've been the same all along and join hands to send everyone to camps in an orderly AND legal fashion.
Until Bret is willing to jettison Israel as the genocidal arm of American imperialism, and overcome his ethno-chauvinism, he is not part of any “resistance.”
If I could write blurbs of these articles, they'd be "David Brooks dons the balaclava." "Bret Stephens attends a punk show and jumps into a mosh pit. Will the fans carry him in a crowd surf? Tune in next week!"
What I like about Bill Kristol is that this guy went whole hog and basically became a Democrat! That's really the only solution--vote Democrat. Anything less than that just enables Trump
The “General Strike” is the weapon. It unites every target of the “all powerful state” and reduces the apparatus to its real power for everyone to see!
Did you read Henry Farrell's post this week about the difference in the coordination problems faced by authoritarian rulers and those who would resist their rule? I thought it was very good. It might not have seemed as interesting to you, since you are an expert in the area. But then you might underestimate the value of communicating its substance to the rest of us.
So be willing to recognize that Trump is doing amazing. The tariffs are excellent. Trying to stop WW3. The people against him (like Bret Stephens) are sowing division. Should be a wakeup call that he’s on your team.
I’m not sowing division. I didn’t ask for this antagonistic opinion to be in my feed.
You know what I'm not seeing anywhere in these stirring calls to arms? The big gaping hole in the center of their argumemts and warnings?
The phrase "the Republican Party". A fraction of the Republican party could end all of this in 1 day, gifting us President Vance in the process, but for some reason its easier to call for We The People to throw our bodies on the machine to make it stop.
Ever since Liz Cheney started talking about the Constitution and Trump's disinterest in it I was convinced every time she used the words "democracy" and "America" she meant the Republican party. Where we are now is the cliff she saw Trump aiming the party toward, and these leading Republican pundits have just now notced that the road under the wheels of the bus has disappeared. I will grudgingly admit they have some vestigal concern for the rule of law and the freedoms and rights defined in the Constitution, but their focus is on the rocks below that their party and political philosophy and personal livelihoods are about to get spattered upon.
The message is gonna be "it was all Trump, how could we have known? Anyway, this is no time to bicker over who enabled who, the people expect, need us to Work Together to fix this." And they'll probably get away with it. Again.
Very important distinction that the Republican portion of the electorate is being very slow to acknowledge any discontent with their spiritual leader. That was expected.
Many top contributors to Trump’s success that provide huge amounts of funding, and strategy —- with his multi pronged approach of anything, everything including flip flops are beginning to revolt.
Rupert Murdoch was the first to flinch at the treatment of the Ukraine war as a joke about the schoolyard victim, world hero Zelensky.
Now with leaders of our most important international allies over tariffs and financial titans worried about the viability of the wealth of the United States, the cracks are forming in the electorate. The worst group of Republicans are the politicians who unanimously stand solidly behind the fascist as if they are dressed in military parade attire.
They can’t seem to communicate the damage to farmers, to Veterans, to federal workers doing special work with limited recognition. They can’t seem to move off of a state of catatonia. As they play the fiddle, the the country burns.
I disagree with your previous commenters, but maybe that’s because I’ve watched Bill Kristol’s transformation almost in real time. We don’t have to approve of anyone’s past behavior. We don’t have to agree on policy. We need everyone who wants a spot on the front lines fighting this assault on our democracy, and I for one salute anyone brave enough to change their mind. Great newsletter, Dave.
Yes, Kristol has been a stalwart Never-Trumper since 2017. He saw what was going on, and didn't like it. Folks who don't want him on our side should read Morning Shots for a week, and it might change their minds. Regardless, we need to all hang together, or we'll all hang separately.
Bill Kristol has paid his dues. Stephens can go to hell.
I hate neocons more than anything and I have no problem welcoming Bill Kristol to the coalition.
I also find myself speaking approvingly of Amy Coney Barrett for simply being not corrupt. These are the times we live in, huh.
Bedbugfellows is right. And we're going to need a bigger bed.
And yet… Will David Brooks recognize his role in having got us to this point where Trump is in a position to take this power? No, he will not. The lack of recognizing that connection is our problem in this country.
Nah, this ain't it. No one "needs" Brooks and Stephens et al. They don't have a constituency outside a small number of elite NYT subscribers, reflecting back to them what the elites are already saying privately.
You know where the real leaders are? Stephens mentions it in his column. Did you catch it? Probably not. "...the issue of antisemitism on campus, which is real, which is right and which I think the left was in denial about...." He's talking about Free Palestine protestors on campus. Those are the people who have gotten off the sidelines and are pushing back hard and are willing to accept the consequences. Add the immigrants rights groups and the trans rights groups and that's the core of your resistance right now. But the liberal dems want to destroy them and have their own polite resistance.
Ain't gonna happen. You can't win a fight if you dismiss your best fighters.
but the protestors are the wrong sorts of people, so they have to be excluded. Without them the neo-lib and neo-con elite can realize they've been the same all along and join hands to send everyone to camps in an orderly AND legal fashion.
They’re far more powerful than you seem to recognize. Yes, we need them.
You're almost there: Trump won't rest until he has destroyed the US and Europe at Putin's behest.
We need to be shoring up our institutions. https://thesabot.substack.com/p/veritas
Well described reaction dissonance!
Until Bret is willing to jettison Israel as the genocidal arm of American imperialism, and overcome his ethno-chauvinism, he is not part of any “resistance.”
Well, I put him and Brooks in the same category, scrambling to CYA.
If I could write blurbs of these articles, they'd be "David Brooks dons the balaclava." "Bret Stephens attends a punk show and jumps into a mosh pit. Will the fans carry him in a crowd surf? Tune in next week!"
What I like about Bill Kristol is that this guy went whole hog and basically became a Democrat! That's really the only solution--vote Democrat. Anything less than that just enables Trump
The “General Strike” is the weapon. It unites every target of the “all powerful state” and reduces the apparatus to its real power for everyone to see!
https://open.substack.com/pub/newamp/p/so-you-want-power?r=1fplc5&utm_medium=ios
Did you read Henry Farrell's post this week about the difference in the coordination problems faced by authoritarian rulers and those who would resist their rule? I thought it was very good. It might not have seemed as interesting to you, since you are an expert in the area. But then you might underestimate the value of communicating its substance to the rest of us.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-161532136
Lots to think about and act on. Thank you for sharing!
If you’re happy to have teamed up with Bret Stephens, you have lost the plot. LOL.
An ally is not a friend, its a tool. And Bret is absolutely a tool.
Bret Stephens is a tool. But if you're happy to have pissed away our democracy so you can feel superior to craven idiots you are not a patriot. LOL.
We will remember who was on board early, who is triangulating, and who stays on the wrong side of history.
Unless someone is obviously not operating in good faith, we need all the support we can get.
Don’t sow division
So be willing to recognize that Trump is doing amazing. The tariffs are excellent. Trying to stop WW3. The people against him (like Bret Stephens) are sowing division. Should be a wakeup call that he’s on your team.
I’m not sowing division. I didn’t ask for this antagonistic opinion to be in my feed.