It can't be conservatives. The latest in this bizarre primary from the CNN town hall meeting:
When asked what the three most important functions of the federal government are, he didn't say to legislate, judge, and execute the laws. He did not say to protect the borders, enforce justice, and administer regulations on commerce between states and foreign nations. He said the greatest is security (so far so good). Then he added, "I would also say healthcare, education." So according to Trump, the federal government has failed miserably in two-thirds of its functions for most of its history since healthcare and education have mainly been functions of state and local governments.
He went on to say that abortion should be illegal and women punished for having abortions. But what conservative organizations have been taking that position? The conservative position has been that Roe should be overturned and the prerogative to legalize or illegalize abortions returned to the states. Abortion providers in some states would then be subject to punishment if they broke the relevant laws. (Trump later redacted his idiotic remark presumably after someone with a brain told him it was not the politically correct thing to say....)
![Tullius est [et Tullius non est Cicero]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDG4xhsMn9o9J6nFVbJuaWEgUYVbxr7B9gbOXGZ3gwOu55lJg3q0Ev-z3MhLy29603_fkvvngkYmsTvRd4BATcVzZvVOhgkPSy-GIAuaFE0sCVBc_zcTW_d2mKKeCWhMxsZhAPyqXzymO/s1600/cicero-right-1024x603.jpg)
Unlike my ancient predecessor, this Tullius hasn't had his hands chopped off. With hands attached I offer my thoughts on philosophy, religion, politics, and whatever else I find worth mentioning. I'm conservative religiously and politically (with libertarian leanings). I value reason and freedom but also traditions and "Oldthink." I relish being on the wrong side of history when history is wrong--part of a philosopher's job is to be unpopular. (Views given here may not represent my employers')
Well, Trump can never be accused of being PC but I fail to understand why the remark should be called idiotic? Certainly, it was not prudent for a candidate to say so in public but the remark in itself is entirely unobjectionable and indeed more logical than the mainstream conservative position.
ReplyDeleteIdiotic because prudence alone dictates it serves him no good purpose; thus he immediately took it back after clearer heads spoke to him. This is a repeated pattern with the Donald, i.e., taking things back not long after he has said them when apparently it becomes clear to him that he has said something imprudent.
ReplyDeleteAnd I for one am accusing him of being politically correct, since that seems to me the best explanation for why he corrected his position. If he didn't care what the politically correct position was, he should have stuck to his guns and taught the American public why it would be permissible and good to have and enforce laws punishing not only abortion providers but the women having the abortions. Trump is a populist. I don't think anyone disputes that. And as such he's politically correct when it suits his purposes.