Jean-Paul Faguet

It's something else to cheat if you're losing 70-30. And having lost 70, like the people know, Venezuelans know this, right? They know that in my community, in my neighborhood, in my town, they have a sense. Try governing a country where you just lost an election 70-30 and then you declaimed that you won it. Yeah, it's going to be tough.

It's something else to cheat if you're losing 70-30. And having lost 70, like the people know, Venezuelans know this, right? They know that in my community, in my neighborhood, in my town, they have a sense. Try governing a country where you just lost an election 70-30 and then you declaimed that you won it. Yeah, it's going to be tough.

Oh, God, this is the scariest question of all in my field, Sean, because you try... I have a friend, a Brazilian friend, who says when he's in a seminar and people complain about from developing countries, the US does this and the US does that. He says, yeah, absolutely. The US has done all kinds of things. It's made mistakes. It's done malicious things in Vietnam, et cetera.

Oh, God, this is the scariest question of all in my field, Sean, because you try... I have a friend, a Brazilian friend, who says when he's in a seminar and people complain about from developing countries, the US does this and the US does that. He says, yeah, absolutely. The US has done all kinds of things. It's made mistakes. It's done malicious things in Vietnam, et cetera.

But you just try being a developing country in a world where the US is an autocracy or is a dysfunctional democracy. And then it's actually being run by China plus Russia, by whom? So this is a terrifying question. We talked about the kind of very academic ideological separation that's happened in the country amongst voters and amongst legislators.

But you just try being a developing country in a world where the US is an autocracy or is a dysfunctional democracy. And then it's actually being run by China plus Russia, by whom? So this is a terrifying question. We talked about the kind of very academic ideological separation that's happened in the country amongst voters and amongst legislators.

There's something additional which is even more terrifying, which is that one of the two political parties has been taken over by, frankly, crazy people as far as I can tell. many of whom seem to want to degrade the institutions of democracy itself, break down the checks and balances and warp in really fundamental ways how democracy works.

There's something additional which is even more terrifying, which is that one of the two political parties has been taken over by, frankly, crazy people as far as I can tell. many of whom seem to want to degrade the institutions of democracy itself, break down the checks and balances and warp in really fundamental ways how democracy works.

And this has never happened before in the American experience. You had Democrats and Republicans who often fought viciously, who accused each other in the 19th century of being child molesters and homosexuals and all the worst things you could say at the time, right? but they didn't actively try to degrade the institutions of democracy. There was respect.

And this has never happened before in the American experience. You had Democrats and Republicans who often fought viciously, who accused each other in the 19th century of being child molesters and homosexuals and all the worst things you could say at the time, right? but they didn't actively try to degrade the institutions of democracy. There was respect.

The other guys won, that really sucked, but oh well, we're gonna continue playing fair because we'll get our chance four years from now. And some of these people at least are trying to degrade the institutions. And I fear if they get into power,

The other guys won, that really sucked, but oh well, we're gonna continue playing fair because we'll get our chance four years from now. And some of these people at least are trying to degrade the institutions. And I fear if they get into power,

then, you know, a system with all the problems that we talked about with ideological polarization, where additionally people are trying to break the rules or change the rules to systematically favor one side, the minority side over the other, you know, it's not a system I want to live in.

then, you know, a system with all the problems that we talked about with ideological polarization, where additionally people are trying to break the rules or change the rules to systematically favor one side, the minority side over the other, you know, it's not a system I want to live in.

Yeah, I don't want to end on such a dark note. I hope... I don't want to speak ill of all Republicans, but I think the MAGA people are really toxic and really dangerous. And so I hope if this election is not won by them, then there is a generational change and an ideological change in the Republican Party.

Yeah, I don't want to end on such a dark note. I hope... I don't want to speak ill of all Republicans, but I think the MAGA people are really toxic and really dangerous. And so I hope if this election is not won by them, then there is a generational change and an ideological change in the Republican Party.

Because then, you know, Trump and his followers will have lost too many elections and they'll say, OK, we have to try something different. And then hopefully the system reverts. The US has been in bad places before, but it hasn't been in this particular bad place. And that's what's scary.

Because then, you know, Trump and his followers will have lost too many elections and they'll say, OK, we have to try something different. And then hopefully the system reverts. The US has been in bad places before, but it hasn't been in this particular bad place. And that's what's scary.

Bye.

Bye.