Join Victor Davis Hanson and cohost Jack Fowler to consider the assassination attempt on Trump, the Republican National Convention, Joe Biden’s exit, Kamala’s impending nomination, Trump’s tactics for the new campaign, and the pros and cons of JD Vance.
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Hanlon’s Razor
Stephen Hodecker
”Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence,” is a long understood concept expressed in various forms throughout history. Also known as Hanlon’s Razor, it reminds us to consider alternative explanations before jumping to conclusions.
Afghanistan, 30 August 2021; “The Great Skedaddle.” 13 United States service members dead, countless Americans left behind and 80 billion dollars of military weapons, munitions and equipment in the hands of the Taliban. Incompetence?
Consider our open border with Mexico, allowing an estimated 12 million unvetted and undocumented illegal immigrants into this country in the last 3 1/2 years. The White House stated, ”We’re working to address the root causes of migration and taking steps to secure our border.” (KJP—July 18, 2022)
Now, think of what the unrelenting expenditures of the federal government, funded primarily by by debt, salvaging our savings accounts, blowing up our grocery and fuel bills. Causing over a 30% loss of purchasing power over the last 3 years alone, calculated by the more realistic formulas used in 1980.
DEI hiring practices throughout all government agencies and branches, including the armed forces where individuals are hired and advance on the basis intersectionality and ideology rather than the time-tested system of meritocracy.
The list goes on.
Let us turn now to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, 13 July 2024. Nothing short of a massive s
I have been told all of my life to lower my expectations and I will not feel so angry at lazy stupidity, so on. So now I live mostly like they did in the 1800’s, tho I do still pay a large amt. of income to the electric company. I do like modern plumbing. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of stupidity in the running of those things, except for the billing.
Happy you are back, I have been shot at by a sniper, I assure you it’s not fun!
Regarding J.D. Vance being 39, that means that he would be 43 at the end of a Trump administration; the same age as JFK in 1960 and with similar experiences — participating in war, college grad, law review editor, U.S. Senator, Roman Catholic.
I didn’t think Trump would pick JD Vance as he wasn’t the best strategic choice that, say, a Youngkin might have been. I was elated when Trump chose JD not only because of his fine qualities that Victor enumerated, but also because I felt it was Trump boldly signaling “there’s no going back!”. Whether or not it was that conscious a declaration , JD means that the old country club Republicanism is dead and gone and it ain’t coming back! Oh, and the never Trumpers can lump it.
Dr Hanson, I believe you were the first serious scholar to say Biden was “non compos mentos”. I understand you meant that as a studied opinion, not as a medical diagnosis since your expertise is in other fields. I have heard you say that for 2 or 3 years. Perhaps I am wrong on the timing.
Can you recall when you first uttered that term describing Biden as such? Suddenly this summer even Biden’s friends are saying similar things. Thank you.
I have several of your books and your discussion of the Ancient Greek authors, play writes, and philosophers has been very informative.
Best regards,
Scott Hutton USMA 1978
We don’t need Victor or Ben Shapiro’s opinions on the assassination attempt. Both denied the election fraud, that we all saw play out live on Twitter, cost Trump the election. We know what went down there and we know what happened here.
Yes, VDH’s short shrift of the assassination attempt on Trump left me stunned. Of course, he’s not prone to opine or speculate. Rather he hugs the facts not hidden and the media and the Dem clown show shout “incompetence”.
So let disciples of VDH not investigate further.
Ignorance is bliss.