Rick, you doubtless saw my post last week where I took apart the whole cold war apparatus and what I wanna do here is explain to my (former) Republican friends (still my friends) why there's so much more unambiguous moral clarity about Ukraine on the left than there is on the right. It's not just MAGA.
Conservatism has a penchant for strongmen, as in its essence it is anti-democratic and that's a feature, not a bug. Our Framers were terrified of populist demagogues and the tyranny of the majority, and so designed a supremely countermajoritarian system. It would work by "civic virtue," which meant strictly limiting the franchise to men like them. But democracy marches apace and soon poor white farmers got the vote (and trapised all over the WH at the great demagogue Andrew Jackson's inauguration, copping the free booze and trashing the place), followed by black men with the 13th Amendment. Then senators were popularly elected. Then women got the vote. And finally, in a response to the Vietnam war draft, 18-year-olds, our most recent amendment. I'm not a Hegelian; just sayin' ;)
Anti-statism is not at the philosophical core of conservatism. It was picked up from the Jeffersonian anti-federalists during the ideological switcheroo that occurred around the Gilded Age which Clinton Rossiter, in The Thankless Persuasion, called "the Great Train Robbery of American conservatism." Conservatism picked up ideas from classical liberalism, especially on free trade, to bolster American business interests. Conservatism, at essence, is aristocratic, monopolistic and not entrepreneurial. Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive-era Republicans bucked this by going after the trusts in the name of Free Enterprise. But the Bull Moose was an accidental president and alienated his party.
So it's easy to understand why the Taft Republicans of the 20s and 30s were so juiced by European fascism and had such high hopes for Hitler and Mussolini. They were going to restore the Natural Order of Things. And then we won WW2 (thanks to FDR) and everyone was a statist, or at least (like Ike) a reluctant New Dealer. Can't lead the world against global Communism without being a statist.
I think George Kennan in his famous X cable was right. The Soviets were sated with western expansion by Yalta and we greatly overreacted to their threat. Vietnam is unified and still a Communist country. Vietnam is also one of our trading partners and we sell weapons to them. Makes you wonder a little about North Korea. Makes you wonder _a lot_ about Iran, Chile, East Timor, Grenada and every other country whose dominating strongmen we gave aid and comfort to (and occasional help with coups) because we knew they'd never nationalize their extractive industries on us. Perish the thought.
So when I watch Russia invade Ukraine, I think of the US carpet bombing Vietnam. I think of the US invading Iraq over something they didn't do. I hear echoes of Ronald Reagan calling the Nicaraguan Contra death squads -- in a truly Putinesque Orwellianism -- "the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers" (and it doesn't matter how bad the Sandinistas and Daniel Ortega turned out to be). I see Ukraine standing up to an implacable bully the way other countries have stood up to us.
I was never a fan of John Bolton for many reasons (war hawk and abusive to his staff), but he actually comes across as being pretty sane in this interview, and I’m glad to hear this. Compared to tRump he’s a beacon of light in a dark, slimy sea of isolationism and (in tRump’s case) unfettered narcissism. I hope and pray he’ll spend his time and political capital to save us all from a second tRump term. We’re only going to get this one chance, after all.
Screw John Bolton. I have no interest in anything that sleazeball nutcase has to say. And Mr. Wilson, how could you possibly bring this lowlife on air?
He was an ideologue enjoying a downward career spiral when Trump hired him, and now he enjoys global infamy because he chose to make money off of his knowledge of the crimes Trump committed instead of helping the entire planet by sharing it with Congress. He does NOT deserve the platform you are giving him.
Even by my standards Bolton's quick on the trigger. The status quo hegemon can and should be patient, this leads to a more stable order, confident domninance. Nothing wrong with pointing out the crazies with a few airstrikes. Bolton is likeliest to succesfully develop and advocate for a stand-off off-shore suzerain approach to global hegemony. He gambled that Trump could be tamed and lost. I don't think his career is over but I also don't think he will get any political appointment in Biden's second term. A wise career move for him would be to position himself for secretary of state six years from now, though he may age out by then. If that is the case then ambassador to Germany or France so he can repair transatlantic relations. I don't think he's stupid but he miscalculated twice (trigger happy + trump). I am all about trigger discipline: I bark loud Because I bite and so I don't have to bite. 我是猫，野猫会咬！
And ha!! He’s going nowhere. The only way he’d get another job with the government is if Trump hires him again. When someone has dumb as George w thinks you have no judgement, you aren’t getting anymore gov’t gigs except with Trump or maybe Marjorie Taylor green (after our country has completely collapsed)
I think Bolton's mistake was being overtly overly aggressive. I imagine various trotskyite provocateurs must have unsettled him in one way or other. Pre-Trump you could legit accuse him of being too much loose cannon. Trump makes Bolton look good, real good.
Because Trump is a Russian agent of influence, tasked with destroying the USA from within and crippling U.S. foreign policy to benfit his criminal boss, Vampire Putin.
The enemy of my enemy can be my friend. While it's expedient. The good Mr. Bolton was busy in El Salvador in the early '80's in a way that has been entirely erased from teh intar-tubes. For some reason. Wink-wink, say no more. Cough, Death Squads, cough. Ahem.
I enjoyed this one and your episode with Peter Wehner even more. I disagree with both men though in one regard. They both seem to be stuck in a “both sides do it”. and apocalyptic thinking is always wrong. The fact that neither man mentions the parallels to dangerous times in our past is disheartening. While I think Wehner will endorse anyone but Trump (Biden), I believe Bolton will backslide. He doesn’t seem to remember how and why NATO was formed and why Ukraine falling is not just a “one off”’
I can’t get past the danger Bolton put us in because he wanted to wait to take in the money from a book. It’s easy to stand up and throw punches now, but not really helpful in the current climate.
Rick Wilson… trying how to reach you with an idea. Make an ad with Putin as the puppet master and Trump, and a couple toe sucking Republicans as the puppets dancing on Putins strings. Play the old song “I’m Your Puppet” from the 1960’s by Bobby Purify and Dan Penn. Look it up and listen to it. Perfect commercial!
If you prefer to not know John’s opinion, you’d better not ask! Don’t always agree with him, but you know where he stands!
I read his book. He should have said something way back. But that ship sailed. Any comment on the media merger of truth social ? Was approved.
Rick, you doubtless saw my post last week where I took apart the whole cold war apparatus and what I wanna do here is explain to my (former) Republican friends (still my friends) why there's so much more unambiguous moral clarity about Ukraine on the left than there is on the right. It's not just MAGA.
Conservatism has a penchant for strongmen, as in its essence it is anti-democratic and that's a feature, not a bug. Our Framers were terrified of populist demagogues and the tyranny of the majority, and so designed a supremely countermajoritarian system. It would work by "civic virtue," which meant strictly limiting the franchise to men like them. But democracy marches apace and soon poor white farmers got the vote (and trapised all over the WH at the great demagogue Andrew Jackson's inauguration, copping the free booze and trashing the place), followed by black men with the 13th Amendment. Then senators were popularly elected. Then women got the vote. And finally, in a response to the Vietnam war draft, 18-year-olds, our most recent amendment. I'm not a Hegelian; just sayin' ;)
Anti-statism is not at the philosophical core of conservatism. It was picked up from the Jeffersonian anti-federalists during the ideological switcheroo that occurred around the Gilded Age which Clinton Rossiter, in The Thankless Persuasion, called "the Great Train Robbery of American conservatism." Conservatism picked up ideas from classical liberalism, especially on free trade, to bolster American business interests. Conservatism, at essence, is aristocratic, monopolistic and not entrepreneurial. Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive-era Republicans bucked this by going after the trusts in the name of Free Enterprise. But the Bull Moose was an accidental president and alienated his party.
So it's easy to understand why the Taft Republicans of the 20s and 30s were so juiced by European fascism and had such high hopes for Hitler and Mussolini. They were going to restore the Natural Order of Things. And then we won WW2 (thanks to FDR) and everyone was a statist, or at least (like Ike) a reluctant New Dealer. Can't lead the world against global Communism without being a statist.
I think George Kennan in his famous X cable was right. The Soviets were sated with western expansion by Yalta and we greatly overreacted to their threat. Vietnam is unified and still a Communist country. Vietnam is also one of our trading partners and we sell weapons to them. Makes you wonder a little about North Korea. Makes you wonder _a lot_ about Iran, Chile, East Timor, Grenada and every other country whose dominating strongmen we gave aid and comfort to (and occasional help with coups) because we knew they'd never nationalize their extractive industries on us. Perish the thought.
So when I watch Russia invade Ukraine, I think of the US carpet bombing Vietnam. I think of the US invading Iraq over something they didn't do. I hear echoes of Ronald Reagan calling the Nicaraguan Contra death squads -- in a truly Putinesque Orwellianism -- "the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers" (and it doesn't matter how bad the Sandinistas and Daniel Ortega turned out to be). I see Ukraine standing up to an implacable bully the way other countries have stood up to us.
I was never a fan of John Bolton for many reasons (war hawk and abusive to his staff), but he actually comes across as being pretty sane in this interview, and I’m glad to hear this. Compared to tRump he’s a beacon of light in a dark, slimy sea of isolationism and (in tRump’s case) unfettered narcissism. I hope and pray he’ll spend his time and political capital to save us all from a second tRump term. We’re only going to get this one chance, after all.
Yikes! lose Bolton’s phone number, please.
Comforting to know, Bolton gives Trump critique on how he is missing the boat on expanding the scope of his power. Disgusting!!
Screw John Bolton. I have no interest in anything that sleazeball nutcase has to say. And Mr. Wilson, how could you possibly bring this lowlife on air?
He was an ideologue enjoying a downward career spiral when Trump hired him, and now he enjoys global infamy because he chose to make money off of his knowledge of the crimes Trump committed instead of helping the entire planet by sharing it with Congress. He does NOT deserve the platform you are giving him.
Even by my standards Bolton's quick on the trigger. The status quo hegemon can and should be patient, this leads to a more stable order, confident domninance. Nothing wrong with pointing out the crazies with a few airstrikes. Bolton is likeliest to succesfully develop and advocate for a stand-off off-shore suzerain approach to global hegemony. He gambled that Trump could be tamed and lost. I don't think his career is over but I also don't think he will get any political appointment in Biden's second term. A wise career move for him would be to position himself for secretary of state six years from now, though he may age out by then. If that is the case then ambassador to Germany or France so he can repair transatlantic relations. I don't think he's stupid but he miscalculated twice (trigger happy + trump). I am all about trigger discipline: I bark loud Because I bite and so I don't have to bite. 我是猫，野猫会咬！
And ha!! He’s going nowhere. The only way he’d get another job with the government is if Trump hires him again. When someone has dumb as George w thinks you have no judgement, you aren’t getting anymore gov’t gigs except with Trump or maybe Marjorie Taylor green (after our country has completely collapsed)
I think Bolton's mistake was being overtly overly aggressive. I imagine various trotskyite provocateurs must have unsettled him in one way or other. Pre-Trump you could legit accuse him of being too much loose cannon. Trump makes Bolton look good, real good.
Because Trump is a Russian agent of influence, tasked with destroying the USA from within and crippling U.S. foreign policy to benfit his criminal boss, Vampire Putin.
Yes. Besides El Salvador & his other racist obtuse xenophobic actions in government.
nice
The enemy of my enemy can be my friend. While it's expedient. The good Mr. Bolton was busy in El Salvador in the early '80's in a way that has been entirely erased from teh intar-tubes. For some reason. Wink-wink, say no more. Cough, Death Squads, cough. Ahem.
Seriously? Bolton is then guy you turn to for truth? The man is the consummate neo-con; he’s never met a war he didn’t like.
Not to mention, he’s bat-shit crazy!
I enjoyed this one and your episode with Peter Wehner even more. I disagree with both men though in one regard. They both seem to be stuck in a “both sides do it”. and apocalyptic thinking is always wrong. The fact that neither man mentions the parallels to dangerous times in our past is disheartening. While I think Wehner will endorse anyone but Trump (Biden), I believe Bolton will backslide. He doesn’t seem to remember how and why NATO was formed and why Ukraine falling is not just a “one off”’
Oh puhleeze. Where was he during the Trump impeachment when his testimony was sorely needed? A bit too little too late, if you ask me.
As always, great job with the interview, Rick, but I have a longtime hearty distaste for Bolton. It's difficult to listen to that blowhard.
I can’t get past the danger Bolton put us in because he wanted to wait to take in the money from a book. It’s easy to stand up and throw punches now, but not really helpful in the current climate.
Nope.
Bolton? Not even credible in my book. Sellout.
Rick Wilson… trying how to reach you with an idea. Make an ad with Putin as the puppet master and Trump, and a couple toe sucking Republicans as the puppets dancing on Putins strings. Play the old song “I’m Your Puppet” from the 1960’s by Bobby Purify and Dan Penn. Look it up and listen to it. Perfect commercial!
I'm still pissed at him for waiting to spill until he could get paid for it.
I won't listen to John Bolton, even here, in the Rick Wilson substack.