Anonymous asked:

I like your posts despite the fact that I get a strong neoliberal vibe from your blog lmaoooo

kaelio answered:

I read this message and I think… is this one of those ironic messages? Is this one of those messages intended to get me to outline a political platform? Is this deadpan playing some fun games in my inbox? 

Let me tell you a bit about me, for context:

- I am passionate about American political history (and a bit of political history outside the USA, but you can only do so much). My bookshelves are stuffed with political biographies, many of American presidents, from authors of all personal political backgrounds, discussing presidents representing various ideologies. There are plenty of other political books, but I have just tons about presidents. Almost all are 1900-present.

- I talk about politics, all the time, all year, every year, among contentious assholes who love to dunk on one another and scrabble and generally be unpleasant. “Dilettante wonks” essentially.

- I am not a historian. I never have been. I’ve never been trained as one. I took ONE college course in history for a general education requirement and it wasn’t even about the United States. It’s a personal interest. I work in finance.

- I believe that there are fundamental truths, and I believe those fundamental truths have value.

- I believe in exposing yourself to all ideologies and genuinely distilling the correct one from having fairly assessed them all.

- I am relatively insulated from the downsides of bad American leadership.

- My family overwhelmingly works in government.

- I do not identify as a neoliberal, but if I had to guess, you have no idea what that actually means.

- I don’t think the average person has any idea what government exists to do (on principle), what it actually does (from a technical standpoint), or how it goes about the activity of government (”how the sausage gets made”). If people did, we’d still have earmarks.

- I DO NOT THINK DONALD TRUMP KNOWS HOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS, IS DESIGNED TO WORK, AND FRANKLY HE IS A DANGEROUS FOOL SO GENUINELY STUPID HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW DANGEROUS HE IS BECAUSE THE AVERAGE PERSON DOES NOT UNDERSTAND CIVICS AND HE’S JUST SOME IDIOT WHO GOT IT ALMOST BY LOTTERY.

- I think many people do not understand most political decisions, even by politicians, are emotional decisions and are informed more by emotion than reason as such.

- I do not have a political alignment that readily fits into any box, and though I supported Warren in the Democratic primaries, I am completely at ease with a Biden/Harris ticket. If you are eligible to vote, please register, and please vote. Every four years, you’re going to hear “this one really matters”. This one matters. When Obama referred to this as a referendum on democracy in the United States, he’s serious.

- I’m not even a particular fan of Obama! I think he made many domestic enemies unnecessarily. Donald Trump, ironically, was one of them–and is an enemy that a more experienced statesman would not have unintentionally platformed. Frankly, I don’t think Obama was experienced enough to be President. But I cannot overstate how unqualified Trump and his entire administration is. The only reason they have not been more dangerous is they don’t understand the government… they’re supposed to be running!!

- America has problems but they will absolutely, absolutely not be solved by destroying democracy. AS DEMOCRACY WEAKENS, YOU WILL SUFFER.