Etiquette



DP Etiquette

First rule: Don't be a jackass.

Other rules: Do not attack or insult people you disagree with. Engage with facts, logic and beliefs. Out of respect for others, please provide some sources for the facts and truths you rely on if you are asked for that. If emotion is getting out of hand, get it back in hand. To limit dehumanizing people, don't call people or whole groups of people disrespectful names, e.g., stupid, dumb or liar. Insulting people is counterproductive to rational discussion. Insult makes people angry and defensive. All points of view are welcome, right, center, left and elsewhere. Just disagree, but don't be belligerent or reject inconvenient facts, truths or defensible reasoning.

Friday, May 30, 2025

Did Americans vote for this?

Commentator Kevin Williams makes the argument that Americans knew about the damage and harms that djt and MAGA elites would cause, but voted for it anyway. He argues that djt supporters bear moral responsibility for choosing a leader characterized by chaos, corruption, and cruelty. 

Williams rejects excuses that djt voters were misled or ignorant, by pointing out that his history, e.g., bankruptcies, reality TV persona, and post-2020 election coup attempt, was all publicly well-known. He argues that Americans, "are not children" but "fully realized human beings" who consciously endorsed djt's well-known bad behaviors and performance while in office.

For example, economic growth under djt mirrored Obama’s presidency and lagged behind Biden’s, but his trade wars harmed farmers. He also claims that djt’s appeal stems from a "creed of cruelty," with supporters motivated by resentment toward perceived elites and a desire to retaliate against political opponents. Also well-known was djt’s admiration for Putin, hints at a third term, and disregard for legal norms. All of that is framed as threats to democracy and democratic institutions.

Williams condemns Trumpism as a rejection of decency, fueled by grievances instead of ideology. It likens his administration to a "reality TV show" marked by "lawlessness, incompetence, and corruption," arguing that re-electing him would deepen global disdain for the US, which has already happened.


Q: Do djt supporters bear more moral responsibility than djt and MAGA?