The one good thing about Trump's abuses of power?

aociswundumho said:

Democrats want presidents to be able to impose tariffs. Most of the laws that give Trump the power to impose tariffs were signed by Democrat presidents.



Democrats will never roll those back. Biden pardoned his own son, remember? And the president who issued the most EOs in American history was liberal icon FDR.

Democrats are even more power hungry than republicans are. The reason Trump has so much power today is because of the precedents set by Wilson, FDR, and LBJ.

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Your statement is a partisan attack that attempts to discredit one party by selectively citing historical facts without providing the crucial context of legislative intent, political evolution, or the specific manner in which these powers were (and were not) used by previous administrations. While Democrats did pass laws that granted executive authority over trade, it's disingenuous to suggest they "wanted presidents to be able to impose tariffs" in the way implied, particularly given the historical context and the differing philosophies on trade policy between the parties.

Touché-Turtle said:

Your statement is a partisan attack that attempts to discredit one party by selectively citing historical facts without providing the crucial context of legislative intent, political evolution, or the specific manner in which these powers were (and were not) used by previous administrations. While Democrats did pass laws that granted executive authority over trade, it's disingenuous to suggest they "wanted presidents to be able to impose tariffs" in the way implied, particularly given the historical context and the differing philosophies on trade policy between the parties.

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I suspect you may be speaking a bit above the reading comprehension level of the poster in question.

Having said that, the Republican Party is disingenuous

RetiredAtLast said:

A very thoughtful, but wrong, analysis. The situation is much more simple than you might think.

Trump has two years of which he can be fairly certain, to pull the country back from its extreme leftward drift and away from it's lawlessness. He campaigned to do that, and was elected because of it. Examples are easy to find; the complete abandonment of the immigration laws and the widespread "no cash bail" release of criminals onto the streets. Having limited time, he's taken the approach of, "Better to ask forgiveness than permission." I believe he has much the same feeling about our relations with other countries; for too long we've acquiesced to other countries and the U.N. If voters approve of the change in direction, the GOP will pick up a few seats in Congress in 2026 to make policies into law

There's no ambition to be any shade of "Caesar," just a short time to undo what he and many voters see as years of deterioration. There's no danger of "the Republic [becoming] a fiction." It's just the pendulum being suddenly jerked back toward the right that has the other side so worried.

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Like so many you are looking at Trump as you would a typical politician who also thinks, apparently, as you do - not as someone whose behavior cannot be fully explained by that of an ideologically rationale and thoughtful person.

Trump's mental state is dominated by protecting the ego at all costs, and seeking domination and validation as his only real priority. His "goals" are not a product of thoughtful analysis (he doesn't read) and does not have the slightest understanding or appreciation of any ideology, left or right. His collection of "beliefs" are not interconnected, often inconsistent, and at best a compulsion without any real foundation.

His "intentionality" does not go beyond that. He does not advocate or believe in Caesarism as an idea, or even think about it as a long-term goal - he is a simple man. Whatever satisfies his ego, demonstrates he is making "big changes", and conforms with his gut is what he wants, including the power to do so.

That power is Caesarism - the Trump cry for the Presidential right to do what he likes because he has to have the power to act as he sees fit. He cannot see it any other way.

Roadvirus said:

Everything was going fine until Trump got into office back in Jan. Then the markets went to shit.

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Yeah. Those gamblers freak out over the littlest things.

maxparrish said:

Trump's mental state is dominated by protecting the ego at all costs, and seeking domination and validation as his only real priority.

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When did you (a) get your PhD in Psychology and (b) interview Trump?

maxparrish said:

He cannot see it any other way.

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I think that Trump sees things that he believes need fixing and that he is willing to try to fix. Global trade was seen by many to be poorly arranged during the Pandemic, in which so many of the nation's needs were at the mercy of other countries. He's trying to fix that. He sees a population that should be safe because of the laws, only to see laws ignored by too many leaders. He's trying to fix that. He sees a country that has become almost subservient to the rest of the world, and he's trying to fix that. He sees needless death in wars, and is trying to fix that.

He does much of his "fixing" by Executive Order, knowing (I believe) that his Orders will be challenged in Court and that he'll win some and lose some, but it's better (in his thinking) to settle the issue quickly, rather than spend years in meetings, conferences, studies, bureaucratic approvals etc.

Politicians aren't used to getting done what should be done, since they are primarily motivated by keeping their jobs for life, so many of them don't like his methods. I think, though (not being a psychologist who has interviewed him) that he is a bit of a gambler and a lot of a doer. I don't think he wants to be Caesar. I think he genuinely want the country to experience a "Golden Age" of rebirth, and to have that as his legacy.