I could never understand why Trump would say "I could end that war in 24 hours" or "were I in charge you'd have peace in a day"
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I could never understand why Trump would say "I could end that war in 24 hours" or "were I in charge you'd have peace in a day"
I didn't understand why he'd say this since, to me, it seemed so obviously false. Everyone wants all of these conflict over. If it could be ended so easily it would happen? Why did he say that? Why did it work on some people?
But I think I get it now.
1/
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I could never understand why Trump would say "I could end that war in 24 hours" or "were I in charge you'd have peace in a day"
I didn't understand why he'd say this since, to me, it seemed so obviously false. Everyone wants all of these conflict over. If it could be ended so easily it would happen? Why did he say that? Why did it work on some people?
But I think I get it now.
1/
If you think of US military might was overwhelming. If you think of US nuclear weapons as a kind of automatic win. And if you see wars as only contests of might and firepower why couldn't the US just say "do what we want or we'll nuke you?" and get everything that the US might want?
I think that's what Trump expected, why so many people went along with him and of course now it's not really working like that at all.
Is that what it was all along?
2/2
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If you think of US military might was overwhelming. If you think of US nuclear weapons as a kind of automatic win. And if you see wars as only contests of might and firepower why couldn't the US just say "do what we want or we'll nuke you?" and get everything that the US might want?
I think that's what Trump expected, why so many people went along with him and of course now it's not really working like that at all.
Is that what it was all along?
2/2
@futurebird Trump’s world view has the same sophistication and nuance as an 8 year old child. I suspect that, along with decades of him being convinced he’s the awesomest person ever (so, by extension, is anything he “owns”), is the reason for this debacle.
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I could never understand why Trump would say "I could end that war in 24 hours" or "were I in charge you'd have peace in a day"
I didn't understand why he'd say this since, to me, it seemed so obviously false. Everyone wants all of these conflict over. If it could be ended so easily it would happen? Why did he say that? Why did it work on some people?
But I think I get it now.
1/
And listen when I outline what I think they are really thinking it sounds bad and childish. And even Trump knows this.
But I really think this is the subtext. "but we have the power to totally destroy them why do we need to even think about this so much?"
It's the only way "end it in 24 hours" ever made any 'sense' at all. If I'm wrong and there was some other notion behind that... I'd love to know.
3/2
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If you think of US military might was overwhelming. If you think of US nuclear weapons as a kind of automatic win. And if you see wars as only contests of might and firepower why couldn't the US just say "do what we want or we'll nuke you?" and get everything that the US might want?
I think that's what Trump expected, why so many people went along with him and of course now it's not really working like that at all.
Is that what it was all along?
2/2
@futurebird seems a plausible, even likely, theory.
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If you think of US military might was overwhelming. If you think of US nuclear weapons as a kind of automatic win. And if you see wars as only contests of might and firepower why couldn't the US just say "do what we want or we'll nuke you?" and get everything that the US might want?
I think that's what Trump expected, why so many people went along with him and of course now it's not really working like that at all.
Is that what it was all along?
2/2
@futurebird Pretty much.
Calling for the 'glassing' of entire countries is a certain type of Republican's automatic response when these sorts of conflicts happen.
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@futurebird Pretty much.
Calling for the 'glassing' of entire countries is a certain type of Republican's automatic response when these sorts of conflicts happen.
Is it more monstrous? or is it more naive?
It think it's that this kind of naivety is monstrous. The work of thinking about the conflict, engaging with the complexity is beyond them.
I'm fearful nothing will hold them back at some moment but so far some kind of self preservation has won out.
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OK but what made him think it was that simple and easy?
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If you think of US military might was overwhelming. If you think of US nuclear weapons as a kind of automatic win. And if you see wars as only contests of might and firepower why couldn't the US just say "do what we want or we'll nuke you?" and get everything that the US might want?
I think that's what Trump expected, why so many people went along with him and of course now it's not really working like that at all.
Is that what it was all along?
2/2
@futurebird Yes. Exactly.
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If you think of US military might was overwhelming. If you think of US nuclear weapons as a kind of automatic win. And if you see wars as only contests of might and firepower why couldn't the US just say "do what we want or we'll nuke you?" and get everything that the US might want?
I think that's what Trump expected, why so many people went along with him and of course now it's not really working like that at all.
Is that what it was all along?
2/2
@futurebird@sauropods.win
Drinking his own coolaide's essentially of why Trump ended up taking on Iran and losing. -
And listen when I outline what I think they are really thinking it sounds bad and childish. And even Trump knows this.
But I really think this is the subtext. "but we have the power to totally destroy them why do we need to even think about this so much?"
It's the only way "end it in 24 hours" ever made any 'sense' at all. If I'm wrong and there was some other notion behind that... I'd love to know.
3/2
@futurebird yes, I think you're right. It's an allusion to a vastly oversimplified view of warfare. Like if you can "win" a barfight by pulling a gun, then same should work between nations separated by an ocean, right? (Rolling my eyes until it hurts)
Also the US could totally end the war by just backing out.
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