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Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
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In the context of the piece, this was as wry as it was earnest. I don't think anyone seriously thinks this Presidency is going to stamp a boot on the face of democracy.
Most of the criticisms of Trump address his undermining of the press and the "institutions." This is a mixed bag that needs to be broken down a bit.
Regarding media, Trump's attacks on the First Amendment and suggestion we should adopt libel law similar to that of Great Britain are highly un-American. I'd call them downright treasonous. His more subtle undermining of the NYTimes and WaPo is not entirely unwelcome. It would be completely welcome if not for this: His embrace of Fox and Alex Jones. You can't call out the sometimes bullshitters and narrative slant artists at usually credible places like the NYTimes while celebrating the always-bullshitting crowd at Fox and the disgusting conspiracy theorists like Jones.
Regarding institutions, shining a negative light on federal law enforcement, which enjoys outrageous leverage over those it (often selectively) seeks to prosecute, and an often all-but-fixed forum in which to present its cases, is not a bad thing. Nor is it a bad thing to call out political prosecutions and investigations (Trump's hasn't been entirely political, but Menendez, McDonnell, and Bernie's wife have recently faced silly political witch hunts, and many others will continue to do so). Sadly, however, Trump's accidental positives on these issues are outweighed by having a vicious and abusive attorney general like Sessions, pardoning clearly guilty sorts like Libby, and endorsing proponents of cruel and abusive enforcement like Arpaio.
I attribute nothing good Trump has done in these regards to forethought. It's all of the "blind squirrel finding an acorn" variety. But I'll take what I can get with this guy. And these distinctions are worth noting.
