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Stephen Riddell's avatar

A fascinating conversation between you and Morteza. I'm impressed with how you are able to largely maintain objectivity, and clearly state your personal biases when they emerge.

During the video, there was a large discussion around the COVID-19 pandemic response and the justification of emergency measures. In Michael Lewis' book Premonition (2021), he looks at how the pandemic plan developed during the second term of George W. Bush (which had clearly prescribed limits on dictatorial emergency measures) was thwarted by the bureaucracy of the CDC and 'Operation Ward Speed'.

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Grant Duncan PhD's avatar

Thanks for your comments, Stephen. Cheers.

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Sean Jenner's avatar

Listening to you talk about Authoritarianism, reminds me of a genial chap sitting in his armchair dispationately talking to his audience about the danger of fire, as the room behind him is engulfed in flames. Every Western so called liberal Democracy has been coming under sustained attack from within, by a captured political class hellbent on ushering in a tehno surveillance censorship state. From the total subordination of the mainstream media to State and corporate interests, the attempts at suppressing free speech, to the ideological capture of academic and civil institutions. We see how it is playing out in the UK, and Europe, and it is not an understatement to say society is in serious trouble from an elite who consider our rights and civil liberties an obsticle to the implimentation of their agenda. It is no longer the subject of rather dry abstract intellectual musings, but a full blown emergency. Id rather hear you yelling FIRE !!

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Grant Duncan PhD's avatar

That's a vivid image, thanks Sean. I think you'll be even more alarmed by the next video about media and free speech. Will look forward to your reaction. Cheers.

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Kumara Republic's avatar

The biggest obstacles to Trump acting like a king are the slimmest House of Reps majority since Herbert Hoover was in charge (1929-1933), and a handful of GOP senators brave enough to put country over party.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/05/politics/house-majority-republicans-what-matters/

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Grant Duncan PhD's avatar

Good point! Let me try another theory. Trump won't become an autocrat because (despite things he's said) he can't bothered. It's not in his character.

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Kumara Republic's avatar

I forgot to mention that sheer incompetence & hubris is another factor.

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Grant Duncan PhD's avatar

Perhaps the Trump White House is more like a circus than a Byzantine palace. We'll see.

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