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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   1577 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for November 3, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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You're not nearly cynical enough. Notice how everything feels pretty normal? The sky isn't falling, at least not any more than it was five-ten-twenty years ago? It's always like this.

The president is mostly, not a figurehead, but a directional leader at best. The administrative state (and the MIC which is typically not included in that category by Republicans for some reason) has at times stymied or snookered every president since JFK. We are constantly having this conversation, about every president in my lifetime.

I don't think with Obama ("I have my pen and my phone") or Trump (who was supposed to overthrow democracy in 2016 but got too distracted by tweeting and forgot) there was a question about at least intent for the President to rule. Of course, no ruler is absolute - even kings and pharaohs learned that their power is not infinite if they pushed the limits - but at least they were trying to rule. With Biden, there's no plausible way he could.

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