It’s a shame that I browse these forums as an escape from the political insanity in the US only to run into the same here. Just in case I can prevent some poor soul from being sucked into the US political right rabbit hole, I’ve provided some links. It’s sad, but in this day and age we viewers have to take personal responsibility for fact checking, especially if the story sounds too good to be true for one side.
https://www.snopes.com/clinton-foundation-paid-for-chelseas-wedding/
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/new-york-times/
Trump isn’t a complete moron as the left would like to believe, he’s probably very people smart, based heavily on a lifetime of seeing how much bullshit he can get away with. The danger in terms of soft power isn’t necessarily Trump, who has been written off by most other leaders, but rather who the US elects next. If it, as I wishfully hope, acts as a wake up call to our political system, then it may have been worth the short term embarrassment. The real danger Trump poses in the long run is a lowering of the bar, a numbing of the public to mini-scandals. The issue was never if a country was or wasn’t a shithole, it was that it was inconceivably unpresidential to say it. The same goes for having alleged affairs with porn stars while your wife recovers from childbirth, or supporting alleged child molesters for office.
Lastly, John Oliver may be smug towards people who don’t agree with him, but honestly that depends on the issue. If it’s guns, immigration, or tax policy, I’ll be the first to admit it’s a nuanced issue. But there are plenty of topics where smugness and scorn are deserved: If you disagree with the overwhelming scientific world, or if you believe your feelings are as relevant or more important than facts on a topic, you deserve to be mocked until you crawl off in shame.
Sorry for the soapbox.
