In response to my last article on Trump, Karl Sanchez (Karlof1)had some interesting comments. For those who are not familiar with Karloff, you should visit his Substack site here. He is one of the most intelligent and informed analysts available to us. I first ran across him on Moon of Alabama—and was impressed at the depth of his work.
That doesn't mean I always agree— just that whatever he writes you should consider seriously. For example,
It appears Trump did learn something as he chose Vance instead of Rubio which enraged the Bush Rs. Perhaps that's also a sign that he'll nominate far more moderate Rs for Cabinet posts.
I'm not sure that Vance could be called a "moderate Republican"—but then Karl doesn’t actually call him that—just that he might mediate cabinet selection more pragmatically.
On the other hand, JD is not exactly a liberal - he supports Israel and its Gazan genocide.
According to Wikipedia, which doesn’t like him much, he was in favor of repealing Roe versus Wade, wants to ban pornography. (No, no, no!), opposes both gay marriage and trans gender healhcare. He’s a “neoreactionary” conservative who distrusts democracy.
From the point of view of the Damnednocrats, he is a Trump-Lover, which is kind of like being a Satanist without any chance of redemption.
But in 2016….
I’m a ‘Never Trump’ guy,...“I never liked him... As somebody who doesn’t like Trump, myself, I sort of — I understand where Trump’s voters come from, …
But I also don’t like Trump himself, and that made me realize that maybe I’m not quite part of either world totally. Charlie Rose Interview. Google a little — and you will find lots of stuff like that.
So, how did he get to be Trump’s presidential pick?
By not being Rubio maybe.
These days people choose a person for something just because he is not someome else.
In 2020, lots of people voted for Joe because he wasn’t Donald.
This year they are voting Donald because he’s not Joe.
On the other hand, he’s a good choice for Trump.
He’s not only really, really smart and flexible – but looks like a “ man of the people” – which he is – with working class, down-and-out origins, as you can read in his book Hillbilly Elegy.
Oh, I forgot, most Americans don’t read anything longer than a tweet. Forget the PDF download. Maybe just watch the movie.
J D has changed since he was a chubby kid. Now he’s a chubby adult with a beard. He was poor then. Now, he’s rich.
Read the book. Vance is a Survivor. Smart and creative. Born into poverty and angst. He wants to be President after Trump—who is neither smart nor creative—but was born into wealth and entitlement.
His record in the Senate shows considerable the flexibility you would expect from someone who has worked his way up.
He’s OK with abortions to 15 weeks (practically speaking four months) and termination after that in special cases. His views on gays and trans people are nuanced—one might say “rationalized”. It’s all right to be gay he thinks. But marriage is between a man and a woman. You can get a sex change operation if you are old enough choose – and can pay for it.
On the other hand, AIPAC is a donor….
So he will support Israel – perhaps knowing that there is no way he could change the position of BOTH parties in Congress. There is not morality in politics.
He’s a Survivor, as I said.
On the other hand, he is not a “natural” Republican— not that there's anything natural about Republicans.
More than Trump, he more precisely represents Trump's socio-political base —white, working-class, disadvantaged—or Young— an increasingly frustated, disadvantaged and angry group.
Let us keep in mind that once upon a time tjhis was an electorate that supported the Democrats as the Party of the Working Man (in the Young) when Republicans were the Party of Business— all guys with big smelly cigars.
All that has changed with deindustrialization, financialization and a rentier society where disposable income is eaten up by debt. Once, “working people” worked in factories. Now they are barristas. Or just live in Mom’s basement.
The point is that Vance is smart—and while he is the antithesis of Trump, the Donald will have to rely on Hillbilly brains— as Karl suggests — in choosing his cabinet.
However, as Karl also indicates the US election is really a sideshow from a global perspective— does all this really matter? In 2050, there may be no US of A at all. Trump is some way unimportant—as redundant as Biden
The real key action will be forthcoming at the BRICS Summit at Kazan where the new BRICS payment regime is sure to be announced . (Karl)
What is important now is BRICS and the rise of a new form of multipolar global civilization. A kind of international democracy, which most people don’t understand because they are sadly unaware of how democracy can work, when it is done right. .
The US will not give up its financial hegemony easily— so BRICS is leveraging modern technologies rendering systems like SWIFT obsolete.
Instead of creating a single currency, the BRICS countries are discussing the launch of a supranational unit of account in which the cost of commodity supplies can be expressed. At the same time, the BRICS unit of account will not become a currency in the usual sense. It will be used only by participants in foreign economic activity.
The upper (international) level of digital payments will use the infrastructure of the BRICS Digital Bank and the BRICS Pay payment system. The digital yuan (e-CNY) will be used as the digital currency of central banks.
Asia is the Heart of the world. I am not sure what the US is. Mouth? Anus? Suggestions please.
The BRICS Summit is in October 2024. US election will be about two weeks later.-- November 5. Given the accelerating rate of progress of Russia in the Ukraine , we might see Russia in complete control of the Donbass by that time, as well as Kharkov.
So if Trump negotiates, it will be, “Fine — keep Ukraine — can I build a hotel in Kiev?”
Will the US economy crash along with the collapse of Ukraine?
It could happen —but I don't think we should count anything so dramatic. Empires collapse one defeat at a time, losing one province at a time. First Ukraine – then Europe. Then California.
Belugas
I don’t have many friends. This is one of them. The Big One.
When I worked at the zoo, part of the zoo complex included an aquarium with the pool for dolphins— and a beluga.
Belugas are very intelligent and very social. This one needed the dolphins for company and when I came to visit and had my “conversations:, which consisted of a lot of whistling, he would always come and join in. They like to talk.
I really do not like to see cetaceans in captivity. After the zoo, I avoided zoos and especially places like Sea World.
If you like this article, please buy us , Ichi and Chappy and the Servant—Me) a coffee. Click here or on my Beluga buddy above.
Part One of the Special Article finished and I am working on proof reading and the mailing list. Part II almost finished. Looonnnggg. Please let me know if you want epub.
A teaser from the Article
The Center cannot hold
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
--William Butler Yeats (1919)
For Trump, this was about as good a pick as he could have selected. If he does get elected, I pray he keeps the neocon swamp monsters out this time around. I fear Ms. Haley will be his SoS. God help the USA and the world should he appoint her.
In his post yesterday, Lee Fang pointed out several bills that Vance cosponsored with Democrats and Bernie as well as marching with the auto workers when on strike. No doubt he is super ambitious, which isn't a great trait, but then is there anyone in the senate who is not both ambitious and bought by AIPAC? At least he's shown restraint on Ukraine and NATO. It should make for an interesting debate with Ms. Harris and Ms. Shanahan if she finds her way onto the stage.