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6 tweets,
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Wonderful. Thanks! Precis of conclusion:
"We have an immature politician sitting
atop the apparatus of a mature—but perhaps precariously so state. Implications? 1) If one shares the bureaucracy’s general disdain for Trump’s governing passions, one should be grateful he 1/
"We have an immature politician sitting
atop the apparatus of a mature—but perhaps precariously so state. Implications? 1) If one shares the bureaucracy’s general disdain for Trump’s governing passions, one should be grateful he 1/
pursues them immaturely, facilitating bureaucratic pushback. A less vain president would give bureaucrats less to work
with in opposing him. 2) The fact that it facilitates pushback limits the dangerousness of Trump's vanity, short term. 3) We should focus on his attempts to 2/
with in opposing him. 2) The fact that it facilitates pushback limits the dangerousness of Trump's vanity, short term. 3) We should focus on his attempts to 2/
weaken the bureaucracy, which are both bad for governance and unbalance the state in favor of the charismatic politician [aka "imperial president"]. The vanity of _this_ dominant
charismatic politician reminds us that a mature state requires a balance between 3/
charismatic politician reminds us that a mature state requires a balance between 3/
the bureaucratic and the political."
Before this, very good comments on post-Bismarck [and post-Roosevelt?] bureaucracy:
"Weber was dismayed by what he perceived to be the absence of any force counteracting the bureaucracy. He was upset by the lack of a political 4/
Before this, very good comments on post-Bismarck [and post-Roosevelt?] bureaucracy:
"Weber was dismayed by what he perceived to be the absence of any force counteracting the bureaucracy. He was upset by the lack of a political 4/
counterbalance. Bureaucracy without political pushback is what lands a polity in an iron cage of rationality."
"The extent of bureaucratic [including judiciary] pushback against Trump has been remarkable—so much so that Trump’s supporters have imported the foreign, 4/
"The extent of bureaucratic [including judiciary] pushback against Trump has been remarkable—so much so that Trump’s supporters have imported the foreign, 4/
and ominous, concept of a 'deep state' to describe it"
We may now be seeing more open bureaucratic pushback - and increased fact-free claims about a "deep state." Welcome to American government! 5/
We may now be seeing more open bureaucratic pushback - and increased fact-free claims about a "deep state." Welcome to American government! 5/
