Think of the billions of dollars at stake here. If the Ukraine gravy train chugs off into history, many corporation's hot revenue streams will fade away with it. For the oligarchs who set up those revenue streams, that is akin to the end of the world. The pressure on Trump and Vance will be astronomical and will come with some carrots, and lots of sticks. So, as other's have pointed out, maybe they will just send the gravy train to Iran, or the South China Sea. Still, everyone knows that going after Iran or China will not turn out well for the US or the world, so there is going to be a lot of yelling and screaming at the White House when Trump gets back in.
What angers me most about U.S. foreign policy is that the bastards who push us into war will send other people's children out to the front lines to be cannon fodder so they can reap the rewards, but they will never put themselves or their loved ones in harm's way.
It's time to put uniforms on those chicken-hawks and send them to the front.
At least it said something about the leader taking responsibility. It is astounding the dangers and close calls that Napoleon faced without any hesitation. I think it was the Duke of Wellington who said he would rather learn that 30,000 enemy reinforcements were taking the field than that Napoleon would be there.
The domestic and foreign policy “moloch” of the insatiable military-industrial-congressional complex depends on a never ending cash supply to keep the “fire” burning. Besides, it is what keeps America’s economy going. Who can argue against having the biggest GDP in the world. Isn’t the USA still the wealthiest country on planet earth according to certain economists and politicians. It enables the current President to claim that he controls the world.
Apparently Bernie Sanders thinks that Joe Biden is the man for the job.
What does that tell You about Bernie Sanders? Who told The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner that he thinks Biden has the best record of any modern president, and that any effort to remove him would harm Democrats’ chances of winning in the fall.
“I think he is the best candidate, and I think if he runs a strong, effective campaign focused on the needs of the working class of this country, he will win,” he said. “And I think there’s a chance he could win big.”
At least they're tryin something/anything because the present agenda is bankrupt, and apparently not working. Pretty soon we'll all have to realize this is the only way to deal unless you want to see this world/ planet turned into a real literal twin/ Hell of its Sister World & Planet "Venus" with a extreme greenhouse effect, and also the ruination of the good Earth through total global warming and nuclear winter! It really is that simple, and the Earth that fragile...We have intelligence I think "sometimes" lol and much delusions of grandeur. Even tho we know next to nothing in the grand scheme of things. We've got to try something new when the old ways are non-productive and are also showing no results!!!
There are times I am enjoying the day and wonder how amazing it is that we are still here, still going full blast on an unsustainable path with evidence of that all around us.
Donald Trump’s contempt for the Washington establishment is well known. He challenges, confronts and subverts its institutions, its media, its consultants, its euphemisms and its unwritten codes of conduct. Choosing Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio to be his running mate is the latest example of the former president’s willingness to flout political convention.
Previous vice-presidential nominees were selected to forge party unity, capture a crucial swing state or help an outsider president navigate Washington. Mr. Vance doesn’t fit these criteria. But then Mr. Trump has never been a traditional candidate. And he probably had more on his mind than 2024 when he put Mr. Vance on the ticket. He was probably thinking of 2028 and beyond — and where he wants the G.O.P. to go.
The last time Mr. Trump named a running mate, he had more pressing concerns. He was the underdog to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Many Republicans, especially social and religious conservatives, viewed him with suspicion.
Mr. Trump selected Mike Pence, who had close ties to evangelical Christian voters and had served 12 years in Congress, to allay their fears. Mr. Pence was the governor of a Midwestern state. The idea was that he could help Mr. Trump deal with insiders and power brokers.
JD Vance and Trump want to wind down the war in Ukraine. That's true. BUT, that's becuase they want to intensify the war in the Middle East, including encouraging Israel to take on Iran, and they want to shift the US war effort to take on China. It's a question of priorities, Bill. The only 2 anti-war candidates are Stein and West. You should know better.
I'm mystified. I didn't say Trump or Vance is antiwar. I did say the Democrats, supported by mainstream media outlets like the Guardian, are attacking Trump and Vance for wanting to end the Russia-Ukraine War via diplomacy. That makes establishment Democrats pro-war in Ukraine. And pro-war in Gaza.
Neither major party, the red or blue teams, is pro-peace. Both are pro-aggression and pro-empire. They just choose different targets of their ire.
If he wins I certainly hope you are right, Dennis. He does offer a chance at ending the Ukraine mess and he has told interviewers from Israel (to their dismay) that "you have to wrap it up, you have to get to peace"
Looks like Vance is already on the platform ready to jump head first into the neocon swamp. War with Iran, anyone!? From Dave Decamp's post in Anti-war this AM:
“The most important part of the Trump doctrine of foreign policy is you don’t commit America’s troops unless you really have to, but when you do, you punch and you punch hard,” Vance told Fox News’s Sean Hannity at the Republican National Convention on Monday.
“A lot of people recognize that we need to do something with Iran but not these weak little bombing runs,” Vance said, apparently referring to President Biden’s airstrikes against Shia militias in Iraq and Syria.
“If you’re going to punch the Iranians, you punch them hard, and that’s what [Trump] did when he took out Soleimani,” he said, referring to the 2020 assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
The Ohio senator said ending the war in Ukraine would allow the US to focus on “THE REAL ISSUE, WHICH IS CHINA” Vance described China as the “biggest threat” facing the US, which aligns with the view of the Pentagon.
So our biggest trade partner is our biggest threat?
I wonder if Vance really believes this, or if it's the standard ruse of having to look tough against someone, because of course only pansies are for peace.
If the Universe is infinitely old-- If the Big Bang happened some 15 Billion yrs. ago and is only the most recent cusp in a infinite series of cosmic contractions and expansions-- then it was never "Created" and the Ques. of why it is as it is is rendered meaningless!!! #Saganism
Vance's view to Ukraine is same as Obama: no national interest there!
"America First" may be at odds with Lockheed first.
"America First may be at odds with "Putin is evil", worse than Hitler, who must be stopped at Austria! Even though, as in 1937, there is no force to go that far afield in Russia's neighborhood.
"America First" may be not at odds with "no more Pearl Harbors" after it became irrational and no longer US centric.
When did "America First" become a threat to the democrats;' arcane "our democracy", which is used to spur mostly peaceful assassination attempts.
"America First" became a threat to the democrats with FDR, who ran on a plank of no-war but became much more pro-war internationalist. Standard fare for many politicians including Zelensky, who effectively now is an illegal dictator.
And so the operative words are “Wealthy,” “Safe,” “Strong,” and, of course, “Great.”
But the Critical word is “Again.”
Which means that ~ at some time in the past ~ America WAS ~ and no longer is ~ Wealthy, Safe, Strong, or Great [whatever those terms actually, really mean in the lives of Americans].
Which raises the following set of Questions:
WHEN was America Wealthy/Safe/Strong/Great [WSSG]?
HOW and WHY did it get WSSG?
WHEN did it stop being WSSG?
HOW and WHY did it stop being WSSG?
HOW will Americans and the rest of the Planet know that America is WSSG Again?
Translation of above image: “Enough, my dear, enough!”
Said by Muhammed Bhar. Age 24 and living with Down's syndrome and autism, he was tortured to death in his home by Israel's military. When I hear the phrase "the end of history" I think of shit like this -- because the Western "rules based order" can't end soon enough as far as I'm concerned.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, addressed the United Nations Security Council about the rules based order on July 16. His speech is well worth reading in its entirety as it lays out not just the intention but a roadmap for avoiding another catastrophic world war.
I'm going to paste in the whole English translation found on Consortium New, or you can watch the video instead [link provided], or peruse these highlights I pulled:
Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks said the United States and its allies must be “prepared for the possibility of protracted war…and not just in Europe, either.”
...
Where are the free market attributes that the United States and its allies have been telling everyone to follow for so many years? Market economy, fair competition, inviolability of private property, presumption of innocence, freedom of movement of people, goods, capital and services – all of these have been scrapped.
...
It is necessary to reinstate professional diplomacy, the culture of dialogue, the ability to listen and hear and to retain the channels of crisis communications.
The lives of millions of people depend on the ability of politicians and diplomats to formulate something like a common perception of the future.
...
“The end of history”*** has failed to materialise. Let us work together in the interests of launching the history of genuine multilateralism that reflects the entire wealth of cultural and civilisational diversity of the world’s nations.
The text of speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the U.N. Security Council follows in full...:
*** Note: THE END OF HISTORY AND THE LAST MAN is a 1992 book of political philosophy by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama which argues that with the ascendancy of Western liberal democracy—which occurred after the Cold War (1945–1991) and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991)—humanity has reached "not just ... the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: That is, the end-point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government."
In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin: “We have given You a Republic; If You can keep It...” :
WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT LIBERTY AND THE AMERICAN FOUNDING?
In observance of this July 4th, the Cato Institute surveyed Americans about their views on liberty and the American Founding. The results reveal a nation deeply concerned about the future of its freedoms: 74% worry that without vigilance, we could lose the liberties enshrined by our Founders. Additionally, 70% believe that if the signers of the Declaration of Independence were alive today, they would disapprove of how the Constitution is currently being interpreted and followed.
The survey also highlighted the top five rights most valued by Americans today. These include the right for all people to have equal protection under the law, the right to privacy, the right to be informed of accusations when accused of a crime, the right to vote, and the freedom of speech. Surprisingly, only two of these are explicitly protected by the Bill of Rights.
Note: Where the “right to bear arms” stands on the List is a particularly interesting finding.
The survey asked how important specific rights and freedoms were to people, personally guaranteed by the US Constitution or through judicial interpretation. The following said each of these were “extremely” important to them personally:
77% The right for all people to have equal protection under the law
76% The right to privacy
75% If accused of a crime, the right to be informed of the accusation and evidence
75% The right to vote
74% Freedom of speech
71% The right to own private property
70% If accused of a crime, the right to a fair, speedy, and public trial
70% If accused of a crime, the right to have a trial by a jury
68% Freedom of religion
68% The right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure from gov’t
68% The right to due process of law
67% Freedom for people to assemble peacefully
65% The right to travel
62% Freedom of the press
61% The right to marry
61% The right to self-defense
57% Freedom to petition the government
54% If convicted of a crime, the right not to have a cruel and unusual punishment
Most European leaders can't stand either Trump or now Vance. But again European voters are rapidly voting their leaders out of office, where they are rapidly being appointed to positions in the undemocratic EU bureaucracy. So even in Europe the Trump/Vance ticket is populist.
Think of the billions of dollars at stake here. If the Ukraine gravy train chugs off into history, many corporation's hot revenue streams will fade away with it. For the oligarchs who set up those revenue streams, that is akin to the end of the world. The pressure on Trump and Vance will be astronomical and will come with some carrots, and lots of sticks. So, as other's have pointed out, maybe they will just send the gravy train to Iran, or the South China Sea. Still, everyone knows that going after Iran or China will not turn out well for the US or the world, so there is going to be a lot of yelling and screaming at the White House when Trump gets back in.
What angers me most about U.S. foreign policy is that the bastards who push us into war will send other people's children out to the front lines to be cannon fodder so they can reap the rewards, but they will never put themselves or their loved ones in harm's way.
It's time to put uniforms on those chicken-hawks and send them to the front.
EXACTLY.
The old days of the king leading his troops into battle had some advantages.
At least it said something about the leader taking responsibility. It is astounding the dangers and close calls that Napoleon faced without any hesitation. I think it was the Duke of Wellington who said he would rather learn that 30,000 enemy reinforcements were taking the field than that Napoleon would be there.
The domestic and foreign policy “moloch” of the insatiable military-industrial-congressional complex depends on a never ending cash supply to keep the “fire” burning. Besides, it is what keeps America’s economy going. Who can argue against having the biggest GDP in the world. Isn’t the USA still the wealthiest country on planet earth according to certain economists and politicians. It enables the current President to claim that he controls the world.
Apparently Bernie Sanders thinks that Joe Biden is the man for the job.
What does that tell You about Bernie Sanders? Who told The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner that he thinks Biden has the best record of any modern president, and that any effort to remove him would harm Democrats’ chances of winning in the fall.
“I think he is the best candidate, and I think if he runs a strong, effective campaign focused on the needs of the working class of this country, he will win,” he said. “And I think there’s a chance he could win big.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/bernie-sanders-wants-joe-biden-to-stay-in-the-race
[ courtesy a link from The Fiscal Times ].
They really must have something on Bernie and/or his wife.
At least they're tryin something/anything because the present agenda is bankrupt, and apparently not working. Pretty soon we'll all have to realize this is the only way to deal unless you want to see this world/ planet turned into a real literal twin/ Hell of its Sister World & Planet "Venus" with a extreme greenhouse effect, and also the ruination of the good Earth through total global warming and nuclear winter! It really is that simple, and the Earth that fragile...We have intelligence I think "sometimes" lol and much delusions of grandeur. Even tho we know next to nothing in the grand scheme of things. We've got to try something new when the old ways are non-productive and are also showing no results!!!
There are times I am enjoying the day and wonder how amazing it is that we are still here, still going full blast on an unsustainable path with evidence of that all around us.
Up is down and down is up in this f'd up chicken little world that surrounds us.
People
Planet
Peace
'Why Trump Picked J.D. Vance'
Donald Trump’s contempt for the Washington establishment is well known. He challenges, confronts and subverts its institutions, its media, its consultants, its euphemisms and its unwritten codes of conduct. Choosing Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio to be his running mate is the latest example of the former president’s willingness to flout political convention.
Previous vice-presidential nominees were selected to forge party unity, capture a crucial swing state or help an outsider president navigate Washington. Mr. Vance doesn’t fit these criteria. But then Mr. Trump has never been a traditional candidate. And he probably had more on his mind than 2024 when he put Mr. Vance on the ticket. He was probably thinking of 2028 and beyond — and where he wants the G.O.P. to go.
The last time Mr. Trump named a running mate, he had more pressing concerns. He was the underdog to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Many Republicans, especially social and religious conservatives, viewed him with suspicion.
Mr. Trump selected Mike Pence, who had close ties to evangelical Christian voters and had served 12 years in Congress, to allay their fears. Mr. Pence was the governor of a Midwestern state. The idea was that he could help Mr. Trump deal with insiders and power brokers.
Read this NYT article for free with this link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/opinion/jd-vance-trump-apprentice.html?unlocked_article_code=1.700.rv1Z.A1Q0110Ryfw4&smid=url-share
Thanks for the free link. I don't usually read the NYT but this guest article by Continetti was spot on.
JD Vance and Trump want to wind down the war in Ukraine. That's true. BUT, that's becuase they want to intensify the war in the Middle East, including encouraging Israel to take on Iran, and they want to shift the US war effort to take on China. It's a question of priorities, Bill. The only 2 anti-war candidates are Stein and West. You should know better.
I'm mystified. I didn't say Trump or Vance is antiwar. I did say the Democrats, supported by mainstream media outlets like the Guardian, are attacking Trump and Vance for wanting to end the Russia-Ukraine War via diplomacy. That makes establishment Democrats pro-war in Ukraine. And pro-war in Gaza.
Neither major party, the red or blue teams, is pro-peace. Both are pro-aggression and pro-empire. They just choose different targets of their ire.
Geee... . Can a Nobel Peace Prize be far behind?
Remember what Obama got his Peace Prize for? And what he did after he got it? Libya? Ukraine? Syria?
Yes, and then from him the MIC also got another $1 Trillion commitment for upgrading the nuclear arsenal.
If he wins I certainly hope you are right, Dennis. He does offer a chance at ending the Ukraine mess and he has told interviewers from Israel (to their dismay) that "you have to wrap it up, you have to get to peace"
Trump will pick whoever he is instructed to pick; and do whatever he is instructed to do.
If he doesn't, Mr Vance will become President a lot sooner than anyone is counting on now.
Looks like Vance is already on the platform ready to jump head first into the neocon swamp. War with Iran, anyone!? From Dave Decamp's post in Anti-war this AM:
“The most important part of the Trump doctrine of foreign policy is you don’t commit America’s troops unless you really have to, but when you do, you punch and you punch hard,” Vance told Fox News’s Sean Hannity at the Republican National Convention on Monday.
“A lot of people recognize that we need to do something with Iran but not these weak little bombing runs,” Vance said, apparently referring to President Biden’s airstrikes against Shia militias in Iraq and Syria.
“If you’re going to punch the Iranians, you punch them hard, and that’s what [Trump] did when he took out Soleimani,” he said, referring to the 2020 assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
DeCamp's article ended:
The Ohio senator said ending the war in Ukraine would allow the US to focus on “THE REAL ISSUE, WHICH IS CHINA” Vance described China as the “biggest threat” facing the US, which aligns with the view of the Pentagon.
https://news.antiwar.com/2024/07/16/trumps-vp-pick-vance-says-iran-needs-to-be-punched-hard/ ; EMPHASIS added.
So our biggest trade partner is our biggest threat?
I wonder if Vance really believes this, or if it's the standard ruse of having to look tough against someone, because of course only pansies are for peace.
My bet is that he is reading scripts prepared for him by the same people who write Trump's [and Biden's] scripts.
MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!
Blessed are the Peace Makers for THEY shall be called the Children of God - Christ Jesus Sermon on the Mount
Children of WAR are on the increase!
If the Universe is infinitely old-- If the Big Bang happened some 15 Billion yrs. ago and is only the most recent cusp in a infinite series of cosmic contractions and expansions-- then it was never "Created" and the Ques. of why it is as it is is rendered meaningless!!! #Saganism
Vance is in his "formative years," all right. And in his very FORMABLE years, as well.
Sort of like Biden was when he first went to Swampland when Nixon was still President, eh?
And let's see if America makes it past 2026 before we start making plans for 2028, shall we?
How'd Team Cheney put it back in 2003, on the eve of America's search for Saddam's "WMDs" and Phase II of The Forever War?
"Everybody wants to go to Baghdad. Real men want to go to Tehran."
Cheney, of course, avoided the draft, saying he had better things to do at that age. Figures. (sarc)
As did Clinton, Trump, and Biden [among others] avoid the Draft,
Indeed! We're quick learners, aren't we?! I still haven't figured out what Iran or Russia have ever done to us. We're loco.
Iran is easy to figure out. Until 1979 and the overthrow of The Shah, the US owned Iran and its Oil.
And the problem with Russia is that it has never quite bought into the idea of first European and then American Civilization running the world.
The real question ~ as Bill just pointed out ~ is "What has China ever done to us?"
What has China done? Those damn communists beating us at our own capitalistic game.
If I could "like" this twice, I would.
Vance's view to Ukraine is same as Obama: no national interest there!
"America First" may be at odds with Lockheed first.
"America First may be at odds with "Putin is evil", worse than Hitler, who must be stopped at Austria! Even though, as in 1937, there is no force to go that far afield in Russia's neighborhood.
"America First" may be not at odds with "no more Pearl Harbors" after it became irrational and no longer US centric.
When did "America First" become a threat to the democrats;' arcane "our democracy", which is used to spur mostly peaceful assassination attempts.
NATO is not the papacy!
"America First" became a threat to the democrats with FDR, who ran on a plank of no-war but became much more pro-war internationalist. Standard fare for many politicians including Zelensky, who effectively now is an illegal dictator.
i just learned something very interesting. Here were and are the Themes for each nite of the Republican National Convention:
Monday's theme was "MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY ONCE AGAIN";
Tuesday was "MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN";
Wednesday’s is/was "MAKE AMERICA STRONG AGAIN"; and [drumroll....]
Thursday will be "MAKE AMERICA GREAT ONCE AGAIN".
[ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz47lq85lx7o ]
And so the operative words are “Wealthy,” “Safe,” “Strong,” and, of course, “Great.”
But the Critical word is “Again.”
Which means that ~ at some time in the past ~ America WAS ~ and no longer is ~ Wealthy, Safe, Strong, or Great [whatever those terms actually, really mean in the lives of Americans].
Which raises the following set of Questions:
WHEN was America Wealthy/Safe/Strong/Great [WSSG]?
HOW and WHY did it get WSSG?
WHEN did it stop being WSSG?
HOW and WHY did it stop being WSSG?
HOW will Americans and the rest of the Planet know that America is WSSG Again?
The Republican Party’s Official Plan to MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY, SAFE, STRONG, AND GREAT is at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform .
What some suspect to be its UnOfficial Plan is at https://www.project2025.org/ .
And now Biden is diagnosed with COVID... . [Subtle, background suspense music... .]
RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER ON HOW TO AVOID WWIII: “The end of history” has failed to materialize by Lisa Savage 17 Jul 24
Image: https://x.com/AdameMedia/status/1813307074987823227
Translation of above image: “Enough, my dear, enough!”
Said by Muhammed Bhar. Age 24 and living with Down's syndrome and autism, he was tortured to death in his home by Israel's military. When I hear the phrase "the end of history" I think of shit like this -- because the Western "rules based order" can't end soon enough as far as I'm concerned.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, addressed the United Nations Security Council about the rules based order on July 16. His speech is well worth reading in its entirety as it lays out not just the intention but a roadmap for avoiding another catastrophic world war.
I'm going to paste in the whole English translation found on Consortium New, or you can watch the video instead [link provided], or peruse these highlights I pulled:
Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks said the United States and its allies must be “prepared for the possibility of protracted war…and not just in Europe, either.”
...
Where are the free market attributes that the United States and its allies have been telling everyone to follow for so many years? Market economy, fair competition, inviolability of private property, presumption of innocence, freedom of movement of people, goods, capital and services – all of these have been scrapped.
...
It is necessary to reinstate professional diplomacy, the culture of dialogue, the ability to listen and hear and to retain the channels of crisis communications.
The lives of millions of people depend on the ability of politicians and diplomats to formulate something like a common perception of the future.
...
“The end of history”*** has failed to materialise. Let us work together in the interests of launching the history of genuine multilateralism that reflects the entire wealth of cultural and civilisational diversity of the world’s nations.
The text of speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the U.N. Security Council follows in full...:
Source: LISA’S SUBSTACK at https://went2thebridge.substack.com/p/russias-foreign-minister-on-how-to
*** Note: THE END OF HISTORY AND THE LAST MAN is a 1992 book of political philosophy by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama which argues that with the ascendancy of Western liberal democracy—which occurred after the Cold War (1945–1991) and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991)—humanity has reached "not just ... the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: That is, the end-point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government."
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_History_and_the_Last_Man ]
In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin: “We have given You a Republic; If You can keep It...” :
WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT LIBERTY AND THE AMERICAN FOUNDING?
In observance of this July 4th, the Cato Institute surveyed Americans about their views on liberty and the American Founding. The results reveal a nation deeply concerned about the future of its freedoms: 74% worry that without vigilance, we could lose the liberties enshrined by our Founders. Additionally, 70% believe that if the signers of the Declaration of Independence were alive today, they would disapprove of how the Constitution is currently being interpreted and followed.
The survey also highlighted the top five rights most valued by Americans today. These include the right for all people to have equal protection under the law, the right to privacy, the right to be informed of accusations when accused of a crime, the right to vote, and the freedom of speech. Surprisingly, only two of these are explicitly protected by the Bill of Rights.
To delve deeper into the insights from this comprehensive survey, explore the full article here: NEW POLL: 74% WORRY AMERICANS COULD LOSE OUR FREEDOMS IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL at https://www.cato.org/blog/new-poll-74-worry-americans-could-lose-our-freedoms-were-not-careful .
Note: Where the “right to bear arms” stands on the List is a particularly interesting finding.
The survey asked how important specific rights and freedoms were to people, personally guaranteed by the US Constitution or through judicial interpretation. The following said each of these were “extremely” important to them personally:
77% The right for all people to have equal protection under the law
76% The right to privacy
75% If accused of a crime, the right to be informed of the accusation and evidence
75% The right to vote
74% Freedom of speech
71% The right to own private property
70% If accused of a crime, the right to a fair, speedy, and public trial
70% If accused of a crime, the right to have a trial by a jury
68% Freedom of religion
68% The right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure from gov’t
68% The right to due process of law
67% Freedom for people to assemble peacefully
65% The right to travel
62% Freedom of the press
61% The right to marry
61% The right to self-defense
57% Freedom to petition the government
54% If convicted of a crime, the right not to have a cruel and unusual punishment
39% Freedom to keep and bear arms
Most European leaders can't stand either Trump or now Vance. But again European voters are rapidly voting their leaders out of office, where they are rapidly being appointed to positions in the undemocratic EU bureaucracy. So even in Europe the Trump/Vance ticket is populist.
CAN'T WE ALLL... JUST GET ALONG?
NO