17 Jul 2017

Let’s Give Trump Credit for This

Foreign Policy 5 Comments

It is absolutely amazing that Donald Trump has pulled off what I would have thought impossible just a few years ago: He has made it “cool” for someone on Fox to tear into the neocons.

Over at EconLog, David R. Henderson notes that Steven Chapman writes a whole article complaining about how Trump has somehow gotten the entire GOP to abandon its traditional hostility to Russia. Chapman thinks this is (self-evidently) a bad thing, whereas I would say, “Well, that’s definitely a positive outcome, notwithstanding a collection of negatives.”

Incidentally, I don’t think this is a case of Trump having millions of followers who will believe whatever he tells them. No, I think the rank and file Rush-Limbaugh-loving conservative doesn’t think “the Middle East is worth one drop of US blood.” But it took Trump to smash through the Imperial power structure of intellectuals, policy wonks, and major media.

EDIT: I don’t know much about Tucker Carlson; I don’t have a TV. I think he knows what the country is ready for, and is riding the wave. But my point is, Trump made this flipping of the GOP rank and file possible. (Also check out this story about the time Fox News went to war with Carlson when he worked for CNN.)

5 Responses to “Let’s Give Trump Credit for This”

  1. Reply
    RL Styne says:
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    It’s good to see some movement in an antiwar direction from the right, but I doubt it will last. For now, though, it keeps things interesting. The only outlet who will put Alan Dershowitz on the air is Fox. NYT, CNN, etc seem to have blacklisted him for not succumbing fully to Trump Derangement Syndrome.

  2. Reply
    Bob Roddis says:
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    LK agrees with us on this one. And he’s citing Rothbard biographer Justin Raimondo as a source.Can’t we just all get along?

    http://socialdemocracy21stcentury.blogspot.com/2017/07/tucker-carlson-versus-crazed-neocon-max.html#comment-form

    • Reply
      Tel says:
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      Yeah, in this case I’m stuck agreeing with LK.

      Can’t feel sorry for the Neocons.

  4. Reply
    Mike Mc says:
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    Whether you are a Trump supporter or not, the beneficial byproduct of his election is that it has exposed the establishment Republications for what they really are. Statists with different gang colors.

    We had Paul Begala (leftist) actually suggesting we should seriously consider bombing Russia on a “news” show. When the left is aligned with the neocon Republicans war mongering, well it certainly tells a story.

    The good news is for those who wish to see it, it has become very clear for them the establishment Republicans are not conservatives, classical liberals or libertarians of any ilk. Nope just Statists.

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