George Will is acknowledged as “our leading guardian of the conservative faith,” or at least the last one remaining. (While he himself has acknowledged that his beloved GOP, “drunk on 100-proof grievance populism, has careened into a ditch.”) Will— more curmudgeonly than ever if you’ve been ignoring him for the last decade— would be the very last person you would expect to endorse Kamala— even as he denounces her as an extreme progressive, something no progressive would do but might wish she would move even a tiny but in that direction. Will is praying for the kind of catastrophe— maybe a depression?— that will, in his mind, bring back the normal competition between progressives and his brand of conservatives— “The restoration of normal politics,” he wrote, “will require two things: The removal of Donald Trum— that Krakatau of volcanic, incoherent, fact-free bombast— from public life. And the rekindling of an irrepressible conflict. It is between progressivism, of which Kamala Harris is full to overflowing, and actual conservatism, about which Trump is contemptuous. As he ages, he mimics progressivism’s politics of throwing government’s weight around.”
I had dinner with a Wall Street Democrat a couple days ago— socially liberal, fiscally… like Will. I asked how how she felt about Kamala stepping away from Biden’s plans to raise the capital gains tax on people making over a million dollars a year from 39.6% (nearly doubling it) to a more wealthy people-friendly 28%, something that basically says, “No, I am not and will never be a progressive beyond women getting abortions and gays loving each other.” She was very happy and felt certain it would help Kamala win more votes. I’m sure in her world it will.
“In the debate,” wrote Will, “[Kamala] achieved three things. First, to the substantial portion of the television audience who knew next to nothing about her, and nothing at all about her proclivity for rhetorical gaseousness, she resembled a plausible president— more so than the former president. Second, she befuddled him into repetitious digressions about his abhorrence of immigrants— and his admiration of foreign strongmen who are in awe of his strength. Third, she imparted fresh momentum to her somewhat flagging ‘golly, this is fun’ one-note campaign. This election pits someone whose current persona is obviously synthetic against someone whose dishonesty in the service of his egotism is scarily authentic. Now, however, traditional conservatives can envision the least unpalatable November outcome. They have an unenthralled understanding of government’s proper scope and actual competence. So, their preferred outcome would be the election of Harris, and of a Republican Senate to regularly remind her that most Americans disagree with most of what she believes.”
Talk about the ultimate double-hater! I wonder if any conservatives will be paying him any heed… hopefully a few thousand in just two states: North Carolina and Georgia. He fears— and predicts— she’ll be a progressive president, “or as much of one as the Supreme Court and a Republican Senate would permit. Then, in 2028, Republicans could offer a choice, not a Trumpian echo of progressives’ executive highhandedness, fiscal profligacy and economic intrusiveness: his industrial policy (protectionism) against theirs.”
Now I want to ask you a question that touches on morality. Forget Will’s whining and let’s get back to Señor T, who, as you probably know, is launching a new fleece-and-grift operation on Monday evening, World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency platform he and his 3 sons— yep Barron’s in on this one— plan to use to drain Trump’s supporters of their money. Probably not the ones who got suckered into the DJT ride on the NASDAQ from $72.75 to $16.06. That’s a 77.92% haircut on your investment. In any case, Trump & Sons have much bigger plans for his supporters’ money via his crypto-scam. The crooked elder Trump, who has admitted crypto is a scam, tweeted “We’re embracing the future with crypto and leaving the slow and outdated big banks behind.”
Of course; it was only a matter of time. Crypto, primarily used by drug cartels, terrorist organizations and criminals, was tailor-made for Señor T. But my question is more about his supporters— and especially the ones stupid enough to buy into it— than about the Trumps themselves. These are people who have supported him despite years of documented unethical behavior, and despite the existential damage he has caused to our country. It would be understandable tif you feel anger— even rage— toward them for empowering him. I do.
How would you feel if thousands of them, even hundreds of thousands of them, are fleeced of everything they have, their savings, their homes, every cent to the extent that they wind up penniless under a bridge thinking about eating peoples’ stolen pets? Are you that cruel? Or is it something karma demands? It’s a question that delves into complex moral territory, as it involves grappling with feelings of retribution, justice and collective responsibility. Hoping for their financial ruin could seem like a form of karmic justice— after all, they've aligned with someone who has consistently engaged in grift and deceit, always targeting vulnerable people. Still, this isn’t all black and white. Some might argue that from a moral perspective, there are a few things to consider.
While it's true that Trump supporters willingly buy into his brand of angry, vicious politics and ugly rhetoric, not 100% of them may be fully aware of the consequences of their support. Some are incredibly stupid people and might be victims of misinformation, systemic failures and even economic hardship that Trump has exploited. In your heart, you probably know that wishing harm on them could mean wishing harm on people who are, in at least some cases, manipulated or desperate.
Also, morally, collective punishment is a no-no. Just as it's wrong to punish an entire group for the misdeeds of a few, some might say—not me though— that it's problematic to wish that all of Trump's supporters lose everything because they voted for him.
There’s no doubt that the Trumps’ new venture is another scam aimed at fleecing his supporters. It’s not just immoral because it's directed at a specific group; it's immoral because it involves predatory exploitation of vulnerable, usually really ignorant and stupid, individuals. Encouraging or hoping for such exploitation— even though we’re not doing anything to activate it— and even if it's against those who supported him, may not align with broader principles of morlality, justice and even fairness.
In the "stopped clock" department, Will IS correct here:
This election pits someone whose current persona is obviously synthetic against someone whose dishonesty in the service of his egotism is scarily authentic.
Anyone who vaguely recalls Obama 2008 is feeling a sense of deja vu now. Will then reverts to form with:
most Americans disagree with most of what she believes.”
Harris supports fracking, reproductive rights, a $50k tax credit for new business owners, and continuing current US foreign/military policies. She has consciously obscured most of her other policy positions. What she actually believes is a separate question.
Will's contention that most Americans oppose the positions she espouses has no objective data behind it.
The right always takes advantage of our principles of morality, justice and fairness…screw it…I hope they lose everything especially if it helps break his cult of personality. I’m not holding my breath…death cults end only with death or imprisonment.