At some point, we discover that the course of our lives has been molded either by reactions against our upbringing, or by imitations of it, or, most commonly, by some mixture of the two. This “imprinting” is indelible. There’s no escape. As parents, for instance, we tend to “fight the last war,” trying especially hard not to repeat any behavior by our own parents that we remember unfavorably. A personal example follows, slight but telling. Circa 1970, my mother became an early crusader against screen time. One day, when I was around nine, she imposed a television allowance. My limit was one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekends.
Do you think there’s any chance that the botched Afghanistan withdrawal has anything to do with Biden’s stance on Ukraine? I’m not dismissing the relationship between Democrats and Russia, and I know Trump was ready to get troops out of Afghanistan, too. But, Biden has certainly made himself look tough when it comes to Russia. (Although, I personally worry that he’s not doing enough.)
Quite revealing propping up your beloved Austin Powers character as a backdrop for your thesis that Biden may be afraid. Not unlike a "Let's Go Branden Flag" in a pickup driving around town.
My critique was that your article wasn't unlike the whole "Let's Go Brandon" group and to challenge your thinking behind the article. The entire LGB idea is in itself dishonest and deeply shallow. They are too afraid to say what they really mean. They use comedy as a mask for what's underneath. While I don't think that concept of referencing the character "Fat Bastard" is what you were intending, it may be more elemental to it than one may realize. Neither did I mention bias.
While one can never, ever, ever dismiss the effect of domestic politics on even the weightiest of presidential decisions, in this case, I think that the historical thread that you suggest is one of the less important of the many variables that affected the decision made by each the three men. In the case of Kennedy – an international geopolitical environment that both produced and resulted in Soviet encroachment in Germany and Cuba, Kennedy having been “pushed around” by Khrushchev in Vienna, and the resumption of Soviet nuclear testing probably had a much more direct influence on his decision. Johnson certainly could have had politics on his mind but was likely much more concerned about his place in history, “I won’t be the first American president to lose a war”. In Biden’s case, I would argue that the debacle in Afghanistan and the PRC eyeing Taiwan were the more immediate influences. But all of this takes a back seat to the Fat Bastard reference! Thanks for that! Next, “molé mole, mole!”
Do you think there’s any chance that the botched Afghanistan withdrawal has anything to do with Biden’s stance on Ukraine? I’m not dismissing the relationship between Democrats and Russia, and I know Trump was ready to get troops out of Afghanistan, too. But, Biden has certainly made himself look tough when it comes to Russia. (Although, I personally worry that he’s not doing enough.)
Quite revealing propping up your beloved Austin Powers character as a backdrop for your thesis that Biden may be afraid. Not unlike a "Let's Go Branden Flag" in a pickup driving around town.
My critique was that your article wasn't unlike the whole "Let's Go Brandon" group and to challenge your thinking behind the article. The entire LGB idea is in itself dishonest and deeply shallow. They are too afraid to say what they really mean. They use comedy as a mask for what's underneath. While I don't think that concept of referencing the character "Fat Bastard" is what you were intending, it may be more elemental to it than one may realize. Neither did I mention bias.
While one can never, ever, ever dismiss the effect of domestic politics on even the weightiest of presidential decisions, in this case, I think that the historical thread that you suggest is one of the less important of the many variables that affected the decision made by each the three men. In the case of Kennedy – an international geopolitical environment that both produced and resulted in Soviet encroachment in Germany and Cuba, Kennedy having been “pushed around” by Khrushchev in Vienna, and the resumption of Soviet nuclear testing probably had a much more direct influence on his decision. Johnson certainly could have had politics on his mind but was likely much more concerned about his place in history, “I won’t be the first American president to lose a war”. In Biden’s case, I would argue that the debacle in Afghanistan and the PRC eyeing Taiwan were the more immediate influences. But all of this takes a back seat to the Fat Bastard reference! Thanks for that! Next, “molé mole, mole!”