Strewth- a totally different point of view

It's strange how Trump's simplistic way of thinking can appeal to lots of clever thinking people. And why not? Sometimes uncomplicated ideas can bring about solutions. We won't know until the change of gear shows results.

I’m worried about the support for Trump and Reform, it’s described as a swing to the right in Europe. I don’t share their political views in any way. There have always been people who fear/dislike change, immigrants, public servants. It’s growing again like in the 1930’s. Finding it abhorrent is one thing, challenging it another

Galaxy

'Educate yourself' to think like me.
Confirmation bias, and specific use of the media to confirm that bias, is exactly why the progressives find themselves at a loss to understand Trumps win and his voters.

Oh dear - really? Promoting critical thinking doesn't equate to asking others to adopt a single perspective. Do you have to descend to this level of argument? Is that really all you have to offer?

In reference to my post above, accusing people of sexual crimes in relation to young girls seems to be a standard accusation against people and countries you do not like and it is amazing the people who will sign up for them.

Remember the accusations that Hilary Clinton was at the head of a paedophile ring centered on a Washington pizza restaurant? Trump did much to fan the flames of this conspiracy.

Sure listen to alternative views, but also check the facts. Sadly, a high level of education, and great intelligence does not protect people from believing things that are palpably incorrect.

nanna8

PoliticsNerd I don’t actually know any far right people. Do you ? I don’t know these two Americans, either but happened to sit with them for a meal. Genuine far righters are pretty rare I think but a lot of far left people claim that anyone who disagrees with their precious point of view is ‘far right’. Very dangerous presumptions and far more damaging. I nearly always vote for the Labour Party here, unbelievable though it might be for you but sometimes I look at a good candidate and vote for their party, whatever it might be. Sometimes Green, sometimes Liberal. I would never,ever vote for your leader as I think he is dreadful but that is my prerogative.

I do, nanna8, although they may not "appear" to be far-right in the way you would expect to see them. I have quite a cross-section of friends. I sit happily in the middle and can learn from all of them.

It’s the floating voters that carry the day in every election, not the confirmed supporters of one side or the other, who tend to vote for their team whatever they do.

'Educate yourself' to think like me.
Confirmation bias, and specific use of the media to confirm that bias, is exactly why the progressives find themselves at a loss to understand Trumps win and his voters.

Well the American doctors aare wrong. Transparency International, the group that monitors and assesses corruption places Ukraine at 105 in a list of 180 countries, nothing to be proud of but a long, long way from the worst.

Canada stands at 15, the UK stands at 20, the USA at 28. Brazil, Thailand, Turkey, Belorus, Pakistan, Mexico, Nigeria are all well below Ukraine, as is Russia at 154. All information from www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2024/index/can

PoliticsNerd I don’t actually know any far right people. Do you ? I don’t know these two Americans, either but happened to sit with them for a meal. Genuine far righters are pretty rare I think but a lot of far left people claim that anyone who disagrees with their precious point of view is ‘far right’. Very dangerous presumptions and far more damaging. I nearly always vote for the Labour Party here, unbelievable though it might be for you but sometimes I look at a good candidate and vote for their party, whatever it might be. Sometimes Green, sometimes Liberal. I would never,ever vote for your leader as I think he is dreadful but that is my prerogative.

Galaxy

Oh and calling them stupid obviously

Who has called anyone stupid Galaxy? I will agree the low level of an argument can make it seem weak, but that is the argument, not the person.

Grandmabatty

We have a saying, 'All brains and no common sense.' That comes to mind

We all have brains Grandmabatty. The problem is whether you use them or not. Critical thinking is a learned skill. Lack of education is a huge factor but it does need to stop the learning - that's a choice.

Confirmation bias is another pertinent factor. People like to exist in spaces where others think the same things they do (as we see so often on GN). They end up only interacting with people who share the same ideas. And they only consume media that agrees with their point of view.

Oh and calling them stupid obviously

Do you only know far-right supporters Nanna8?

America has a system called Medicare which was introduced in 1965. The vast majority who may and can use it are the over 65's. It is a long way from the "cradle to grave" care that the NHS sets out to provide. Otherwise people need private insurance. This is often part of your employment remuneration but the "co-payments" involved, and the limitations to the insurance many can afford, seems often to lead people not daring, for example, to call an ambulance or even seek care.

Without insurance, the base rate for an ambulance ride often starts between $400 and $1,200, with mileage fees ranging $10–$30 per mile. Advanced Life Support (ALS) can cost anywhere from $975–$1,300 (or more) for the trip alone. Extra charges—such as oxygen, bandages, or IV fluids—may add to these totals.

The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) was signed into law in 2010 and was fully implemented by 2014 during the Obama administration. It has seen many legal challenges, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on several of them. In 2012, the Court ruled that the ACA’s Medicaid expansion provision was coercive, making the expansion effectively optional for states. In 2014, the Court ruled that privately held for-profit companies could be exempt from the mandate to cover contraceptives. Then, in 2017, the Court affirmed the Trump administration’s ability to exempt employers with a “religious or moral objection” from providing such coverage. In 2015, the Court upheld the legality of tax-credit subsidies for people purchasing insurance from federal ACA marketplaces.

The Trump administration took several actions impacting the ACA. In 2017, President Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress unsuccessfully attempted to repeal and replace the law.

As part of COVID-19 relief legislation, the Biden administration temporarily expanded eligibility for ACA health insurance subsidies and increased the financial assistance for people at lower incomes who were already eligible under the ACA. These temporary measures were extended through 2025 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and Vice President Harris has proposed extending them permanently.

As a result of the enhanced IRA subsidies, there has been record-high enrollment (over 21 million) in ACA marketplace plans, along with the millions more from the law’s Medicaid expansion. There are ten states remaining that have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA.

To understand the far-right (Trump) in America is yo understand that they are as far to the right as communism is to the left. "Goodness" is measurured in dollars not acts.

That, and the anti-democratic actions of Trump and his supporters, many if which are now being judged in the courts, should at least make any critical thinker who has made an attempt to educate themselves re the facts, pause for thought.
should dure

The problem that the anti trump people have is that they believe everyone views him in the way they do. They therefore think effective opposition is ' oh he is so awful, etc, etc.

We have a saying, 'All brains and no common sense.' That comes to mind

I hadn’t realised how bad the American economy is just now and can but hope that Trump is able to save his country. No point being nasty- 34 trillion dollars in national debt is a real problem I guess? The interest repayments must be huge so Trump will want to mitigate that somehow.
It’s good to hear that intelligent people are talking about corruption in Ukraine as unfortunately, our government has committed 3 billion a year for the next 100 years to help Ukraine. Perhaps a rethink is needed?

I will say, there is a lot of fraud in our medical systems. They aren't wrong about that. The system needs a complete overhaul, no one disputes that. But taking Healthcare away from millions of people is not going to solve anything.

Well, if they are watching Fox News exclusively, they may not be fully aware that the stock market is tanking, that legal immigrants are being sent to El Salvador illegally or that women have died due to miscarriages.

A reminder that highly educated people do not always have common sense.