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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump believes 'Western liberalism' literally means liberals on the west coast
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-believes-western-liberalism-literally-means-liberals-on-the-west-coast-b9f8e2ac6fe0/?fbclid=IwAR2Y40GB1fgAl1JnCgVlES7MeNK42ekUnhqo6AJtt2DsT-eZmIaCtITRXi4
Trump believes Western liberalism literally means liberals on the west coast
"You dont want it to spread," he told the world.
Rebekah Entralgo
Jun 29, 2019, 12:50 pm
President Donald Trump embarrassed the country yet again on the international stage this past week during the G20 summit. Speaking to reporters in Osaka, Japan where the summit was held, Trump displayed a complete lack of understanding when it comes to basic history and political terminology.
When asked by The New York Times about Russian president Vladimir Putins comments about Western liberalism being obsolete, Trump took that to mean literally liberals living on the west coast of the United States.
I dont know what theyre thinking, he added. But when you look at Los Angeles, when you look at San Francisco, when you look at some of the other cities and not a lot, not a lot but you dont want it to spread.
What Putin was referring to, of course, is liberalism in the Western world, which consists most of Europe and the United States. In this usage, liberalism refers not to progressive or leftist policies, but to individual rights, equality before the law, and democracy and consent to be governed, in contrast to a dictatorship or populism or minority rule. In recent European Union elections, however, nationalist, populist parties have been gaining influence in countries like Italy and Poland. That is what Putin meant by those comments, not what liberal politicians in California or Washington state are doing.
This was hardlyTrumps only flub during the Saturdays news conference. He was asked by ABC News about an exchange between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) in Thursdays Democratic presidential debate over busing. Busing refers to the practice of transporting children outside of their geographic school districts in order to help integrate schools. After the Supreme Court struck down school segregation in 1954, some black children were sent to white schools and vice-versa, in order to integrate school systems.
Trumps made clear he thought the term busing meant using a bus to commute to school.
samnsara
(17,636 posts)happyaccident
(136 posts)When they try to parody trump, I believe it. Have enough of the real thing, it isn't funny to fake it anymore.
dalton99a
(81,590 posts)samnsara
(17,636 posts)Goodheart
(5,345 posts)Buckeyeblue
(5,502 posts)tblue37
(65,488 posts)tanyev
(42,618 posts)Goodheart
(5,345 posts)Devin Nunes, Louie Gohmert, Kevin McCarthy, Marsha Blackburn, Virginia Foxx will have no idea that he's actually off-topic.
"Good points, Mr. President!"
Grasswire2
(13,571 posts)Too bad he has the nuclear codes. He's hilarious.
AlexSFCA
(6,139 posts)keithbvadu2
(36,916 posts)Refer to his 'dumb Southerner' comment about Sessions.
Trump has those 'dumb Southerners' safely in tow.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)Instead of learning from his mistakes he just doubles down on them. His brain dumps knowledge. His memory is in forget mode. His brain consists of empty rental space and growing vacancies, and is covered in fuzzy spider webs of prolonged neglect and disuse.
TeamPooka
(24,255 posts)Response to babylonsister (Original post)
moondust This message was self-deleted by its author.
Igel
(35,359 posts)To be quite honest, it can't be ruled out that he sees one as the organic outgrowth of the other, so one is metonymic for the other. His examples are more in keeping with "modern liberalism"--even though that may make Putin's attack a bit more personal--but his lingo seems to suggest "classical liberalism."
Or it's a throwaway line in many respects. Putin can praise a thing one day and condemn it the next, depending on the response that he wants. Truth is malleable when talking to foes, and often his speech is less about communication propositions and more about rhetoric and reaction, an intent to divide in order to weaken.
It's a common failing among those who seek power or victory more than truth.