[jleyank]

Unfortunately, there is nothing in the US system (as far as I can see) that prevents Trump-like behaviour being the new standard. There were three supposedly independent, contentious branches of Government. One is inert (legislature), one enabled Trump (SCOTUS) and the third, of course, is Trump. I am unaware of any mechanism that can change things.

[vkou]

There is also the fourth - the press, which is either actively cheerleading him, or sanewashing every insane thing be does, or walks an eggshells around him.

[ianm218]

Trump-like behavior isn't the inevitable result of the US System though. We could've had another 20 presidents in a row who didn't go and break the norm of maintaining global alliances and not threatening to invade our neighbors and closest allies constantly.

So it's relevant to ask if this would still be happening without Trumps antics, even isolationists like JD Vance wouldn't force our allies hands like this.

[mschuster91]

> We could've had another 20 presidents in a row who didn't go and break the norm of maintaining global alliances and not threatening to invade our neighbors and closest allies constantly.

US Presidents and other influential leaders, particularly Republicans, breaking any and all norms when it suited them has always been a thing. 'member Watergate? Moscow's Bitch McConnell? Bush Sr invading Iraq? Bush Jr invading Afghanistan (I'll give him a pass on that one though) and Iraq? Trump all but eliminating NATO, setting the stage for Biden to completely get bonked on the Afghanistan retreat, and now invading Iran? Republicans yapping about "financial stability" when a Democrat is in power and gorging themselves on debt and tax cuts for the uber rich when they get in power?

The US political system has been rotting from the inside for well over half a century. Trump was inevitable because when you got a rotting compost pile, eventually there will be fat maggots rising out of it.

If us Europeans are to trust the US again, y'all need, just like us Germans after WW2, prove you can be trusted again. Reform campaign financing, voter suppression, FPTP, the entire way how Congress works, break apart your mega corporations, and finally arrest everyone involved in Trump's presidency and, while we're at it, Sam Altman. Y'all need to go through a serious reckoning, acknowledge how hard y'all fried not just your own country but everyone else as well, make amends for it and prevent a repeat.

[ianm218]

Eh that is just general rot, Trumps brand is a more acute rot.

He is brazenly corrupt and petulant in foreign policy in a way we haven’t seen before.

[mschuster91]

> He is brazenly corrupt and petulant in foreign policy in a way we haven’t seen before.

Oh, definitely (although I'd say Bush's WMD lies regarding Iraq come pretty damn close).

But my point was... when the entire foundation and basement are rotting, eventually there will be pests exploiting that. If it wasn't Trump, the Tea Party and rabid Evangelical crowd would most likely have found another puppet.

[jleyank]

Trump would have done nothing if he wasn’t aided and enabled by the rest of the government. There’s no indication this was a one off.

[kshacker]

Sure, but look at the alternative. Oppose him and he will support your primary opponent, like it happened yesterday in Texas.

The problem is his pied piper like hold on the populace which happened because the parties did not actually try to solve the problems. Sure they did solve some, but then they closed their eyes to the evils their group demanded - sanctuary cities on one side, and "right to life" on the other side.

[Spooky23]

The craziest maga people want open conflict.

We’re only a year into this madness. It’s only going to escalate.