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Reflections on the Counter-Revolution in America
American Greatness ^ | 31 Mar, 2025 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 03/31/2025 4:43:41 AM PDT by MtnClimber

Trump is racing to dismantle decades of leftist policies, but success hinges on speed, discipline, and the Supreme Court—while facing fierce resistance from entrenched institutions.

When Donald Trump entered office, he faced a number of choices that had confronted the last three Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. They all had the choice to either shrink government and reduce deficits or slow government growth while cutting taxes.

They had the choice of using American power to restore deterrence by invading belligerents (e.g., Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan) or targeting enemies without deploying ground troops to change governments.

Republicans could either impose tariffs to ensure trade balances and fair trade or argue that free, even if unfair, trade was in the U.S.’s interest by lowering consumer prices, keeping domestic producers competitive, and assuming foreign subsidies were unsustainable.

They had the choice to either reverse the left-wing domination of culture or moderate its fated influence.

They could have shut down the open border and eliminated illegal immigration or publicly condemned it while tacitly maintaining an influx of hundreds of thousands per year for the corporate world, rather than millions.

In general, no Republican president of the past 50 years sought to radically reduce the size of government and balance the budget. None closed the border and began deportations. None avoided optional ground wars while solely hitting aggressors from the air. None led a cultural counter-revolution to reverse the left’s long march through our institutions.

Why?

(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: lawfare; trump; vdh; victordavishanson

1 posted on 03/31/2025 4:43:41 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

Why? Because they were RINOs.


2 posted on 03/31/2025 4:44:13 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: texas booster

VDH ping


3 posted on 03/31/2025 4:45:09 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Trump needs to work with Congress.

Invaders shouldn’t be able to get $14,000/year in tax credits.


4 posted on 03/31/2025 4:50:11 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: MtnClimber

BTTT


5 posted on 03/31/2025 4:50:33 AM PDT by nopardons
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To: UMCRevMom@aol.com; 5th MEB; 6ppc; agondonter; Alberta's Child; AndyJackson; Aria; ...
Ping! Out to the Victor Davis Hanson list

In sum, we are witnessing the greatest effort to reinvent or, rather, restore the U.S. since the first 100 days of FDR’s radical New Deal revolution. It can succeed even against the street theater nihilism, mainstreamed vulgarity, neo-terrorism, lawfare, and the congressional circus arrayed against it.

FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR

Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall

American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness

His website: Victor Davis Hanson

Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.

As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.

Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience.

https://freerepublic.com/tag/victordavishanson/index

6 posted on 03/31/2025 4:51:50 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: MtnClimber

Why? The Bushes never really cared about smaller government or illegal immigration. Reagan went on about smaller government, but not illegal immigration. Trump cares about both, and acts. That is the difference.


7 posted on 03/31/2025 5:03:47 AM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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To: MtnClimber
the rapid reassertion of its constitutional duties by the Supreme Court

I wouldn't hold your breath there, Victor.

8 posted on 03/31/2025 5:13:43 AM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: texas booster
In sum, we are witnessing the greatest effort to reinvent or, rather, restore the U.S. since the first 100 days of FDR’s radical New Deal revolution. It can succeed even against the street theater nihilism, mainstreamed vulgarity, neo-terrorism, lawfare, and the congressional circus arrayed against it.

I sure hope VDH is correct. He usually is.

9 posted on 03/31/2025 5:25:41 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Brian Griffin

Congress needs to work with Trump, period.


10 posted on 03/31/2025 5:26:36 AM PDT by bigfootbob (Arm Up and Live Free!)
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To: MtnClimber
In general, no Republican president of the past 50 years sought to radically reduce the size of government and balance the budget. None closed the border and began deportations. None avoided optional ground wars while solely hitting aggressors from the air. None led a cultural counter-revolution to reverse the left’s long march through our institutions.

Trump - - greatest Republican President...

11 posted on 03/31/2025 6:24:15 AM PDT by GOPJ (Cheaper for Soros to 'rent a small mob' for Town Halls than buy BLM thugs to burn down cities. )
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To: MtnClimber

We must hang together, or we shall hang apart.


12 posted on 03/31/2025 6:38:52 AM PDT by ChessExpert (The Democratic party must be destroyed.)
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To: ChessExpert

13 posted on 03/31/2025 12:01:47 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: MtnClimber

I am hopeful. More than I can say for the last 20 years.


14 posted on 03/31/2025 12:33:47 PM PDT by redgolum
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To: MtnClimber
As usual, The Prof nails it: He [Trump] must see most of his major counterrevolutionary steps enacted this year while avoiding a recession...

Yep...The '26 midterms will be the most important in my nearly completed seventh decade of life. And the key to continued success in the most important and desperate political reclamation effort since 1860 is in the swing districts...in the midterms.

I'll be sending money to Trump-endorsed candidates in tight races across the nation. Just like Elvis crooned...It's now or never.

15 posted on 03/31/2025 3:59:50 PM PDT by PerConPat (The politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.- Mencken)
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