[lotsofpulp]

The vice president writing they were going to pray makes me think the editor of the Atlantic was intentionally added to the chat.

I don’t see how it could be believable that Vance is actually religious and isn’t just using it as a way to get votes.

[cmrdporcupine]

Well they have completely redefined what Christianity is, so in a way it doesn't surprise me that they need/use this redefined religion to provide "spiritual" comfort while performing these acts.

Yes the cynicism is there, but the "praying" is the means by which the subject performing the acts is able to feel authentic while performing them.

Also they're all performing for each other, too.

[sorcerer-mar]

I find it very believable that he became legitimately convinced of whatever odd sect Peter Thiel created that justifies extreme wealth hording, because it brought him into Peter Thiel's orbit which has clearly served him well.

People are really, really good at believing things that benefit themselves.

[sofixa]

For what purpose? And if it was just for that, why did they also share classified information?

[AlecSchueler]

The "balling out Europe" stuff again. Their goal is to ultimately normalise the idea that the EU is an enemy in advance of the Greenland invasion. The leaking of clarified information doesn't matter because A) US service personal are expendable and B) the involvement in Yemen is now only to keep up appearances of being allied to Saudi Arabia who will in the long term also get the same treatment as the EU because their fuel output competes with US/Russia.

[lotsofpulp]

Maybe publicity? The group in charge knows they can do no wrong, and I would bet their voters liked the rhetoric in the chat. Maybe they use controversy as a tool to keep people distracted (or even lead them to check out).

[KoolKat23]

Agreed, absolutely everything done needs to be viewed through the lens of what will the ratings/viewership be. Everything makes more sense. Just think of the public spectacle, interviewing world leaders in the pulpit at the Whitehouse for example. It's a live TV show.

[pastage]

The question is what consequences will it have. I have only seen good outcomes for the administration from the chat debacle. It is worrying, this could have led to a VP resigning.