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.
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.)
I thought about that as another potential factor. And it could be.
But I think the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan against the advice of his advisors speaks more to Biden's foreign policy judgment. FP has never been his strength.
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.
Not every critique of Biden should be viewed as kinship with the deranged MAGA crowd. And there is no logical connection between my mention of a silly movie character and anything I wrote about Biden.
I recommend Tim Urban's book, "What's Our Problem?"
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!”
Those are the more directly linked and timely "causes," but the whole idea is that a past idea or "meme" is lurking surreptitiously in the background, at the edge of or beneath consciousness. And that it has more influence than anyone, including the decision makers, knows.
I could also say that the direct causes of our reveling in Disney with the kids were that while watching they were quiet and occupied, an effective babysitter, and that we loved the movies and the music as well. But the indirect cause, of which I was unaware until yesterday, was that I'd never impose a restriction similar to the one imposed on me.
"Losing China" created a huge and long lasting domestic political firestorm.
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.)
I thought about that as another potential factor. And it could be.
But I think the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan against the advice of his advisors speaks more to Biden's foreign policy judgment. FP has never been his strength.
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.
Not every critique of Biden should be viewed as kinship with the deranged MAGA crowd. And there is no logical connection between my mention of a silly movie character and anything I wrote about Biden.
I recommend Tim Urban's book, "What's Our Problem?"
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!”
Those are the more directly linked and timely "causes," but the whole idea is that a past idea or "meme" is lurking surreptitiously in the background, at the edge of or beneath consciousness. And that it has more influence than anyone, including the decision makers, knows.
I could also say that the direct causes of our reveling in Disney with the kids were that while watching they were quiet and occupied, an effective babysitter, and that we loved the movies and the music as well. But the indirect cause, of which I was unaware until yesterday, was that I'd never impose a restriction similar to the one imposed on me.
"Losing China" created a huge and long lasting domestic political firestorm.