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fuzzylightbulb | 7 months ago

This administration has zero ability to build or bring people together, able only to destroy what others have made. On the bright side, it isn't effective until December 31, 2026 so there is plenty of time to chicken out.

discuss

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throw0101b|7 months ago

> This administration has zero ability to build or bring people together […]

Someone observed a lot of stuff that Trump is doing is through Executive Orders because he really can't do deals. Of course when (some of) his desires overlap with (some of) others', we get:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act

which is mostly about implementing:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

> […] so there is plenty of time to chicken out.

TACO:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_Always_Chickens_Out

* https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/02/dona...

(Being reliant on TACO may backfire at some point.)

echelon|7 months ago

> it isn't effective until December 31, 2026 so there is plenty of time to chicken out.

That's within the current administration. Unless a change in congress can prevent this, it's a done deal.

AnimalMuppet|7 months ago

Even if Congress changes hands in the 2026 election, they won't take office until early 2027.

nozzlegear|7 months ago

I think they were alluding to Trump's now notorious penchant to flip flop and waffle on every decision he makes. It's why the TACO Trump meme sprang up and continues to be used in reference to him – Trump Always Chickens Out.

CGMthrowaway|7 months ago

Some history is called for here. The UNESCO issue extends far beyond Trump.

Under the Obama administration, the US stopped financing UNESCO in 2011(!) after it voted to include Palestine as a member state that year.

The Trump administration decided to withdraw fully from the agency in 2017.

The Biden administration rejoined UNESCO in 2023 and agreed to pay it $600 million(!) in back dues.

Now, the Trump administration is quitting it again.

ajross|7 months ago

The 2011 thing keeps getting cited in this thread, but it's wrong. The funding was cut because of what amounts to a booby-trap condition in pre-existing legislation. And they tried to get it overturned by it was blocked in congress.

In fact this is an almost perfectly partisan issue, and the 2011 canard is giving cover to some horrifying both-sidesism.

BigJ1211|7 months ago

Ironically the claim about corruption also applies to this admin. (See crypto scams for access to the president, and the Epstein files promises for well-known examples)

I do agree with them that there is a 'rot' in these institutes. Though I don't know anything specific about the UNESCO that would warrant the withdrawal.

For institutes like the UN and UNRWA it does ring true however. It is wild to see claims of genocide where there isn't one and zero claims or calls for arrest when clear unambiguous genocidal massacres start taking place. UNRWA funded and run schools having theater classes where the children role-play murdering Jews is absurd and shouldn't be happening. (To name an example from before the 7th)

The UN should be setting a singular standard and holding everyone to account roughly equally. Not this clear and open corruption of its proclaimed principles. Whether it's in the main body or it's subsidiaries.

The current media and political landscape is a joke, there don't seem to be any standards. Frankly the future looks rather bleak. I really hope we can find to way back to 'common sense'. Good journalism, holding politicians to account and treating everyone equally, holding them to the same standards.

tmountain|7 months ago

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bm3719|7 months ago

Hegel, and later Sartre (but from a very different perspective), emphasized the importance of The Other, in the sense of the definition of the Self.

In short, by defining the other, one demarcates the boundary of the self and defines ones identity. Self-identity necessitates the other, in its self-conception and interdependence of the latter's existence. To be reductionist, what does it even mean to be oneself if there is no other?

orblivion|7 months ago

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wredcoll|7 months ago

What is it with people and their blind faith in this kind of dogma?

If you think something is "cruft", then name it.

hightrix|7 months ago

Do you truly believe the US involvement in UNESCO was cruft?

This is entirely because of Palestine.

eapressoandcats|7 months ago

What they are actually doing is deliberately entrenching an authoritarian ethno-nationalist regime.

I don’t think one can say that any of their decisions are rationally made for the benefit of anyone but themselves and their supporters.

The idea that these are smart people just optimizing cruft is delusional. The current administration meets most of the elements of fascism.

ilaksh|7 months ago

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idontwantthis|7 months ago

Evil cannot create it can only corrupt.