From my perspective, this doesn’t seem very complicated. Putin is rumored to be the richest (now second or third richest) man in the world. Elon gave what would have previously been well within Putin’s budget and look at the absolute subjugation Trump is willing to put up with. This was always a quid pro quo, but Trump doesn’t operate on Kompromat. In my opinion, it’s just buying favor because it literally is that transactional. Trump will only rip you off if he thinks he can get away with it unscathed.
Not at all. He’d still do the evil stuff that benefits him personally, or that he does out of spite, or that he does because it riles up his supporters. Honestly, he’d probably still do some things to benefit Putin for free too, just to help out someone he admires. Still, I think he’d do less (or at least different) evil stuff if no one had been willing to buy him.
What would be notably different, I think, would be the amount of “disrespect” he puts up with from his buyers. Elon hasn’t once been publicly deferential to Trump, when everyone else he’s working with has to toe the line very carefully or get fired
I would say anyone looking for buyers on favor is inherently a bad person, especially if those favors are always anti-“the one thing you’re supposed to do”
From my perspective, this doesn’t seem very complicated. Putin is rumored to be the richest (now second or third richest) man in the world. Elon gave what would have previously been well within Putin’s budget and look at the absolute subjugation Trump is willing to put up with. This was always a quid pro quo, but Trump doesn’t operate on Kompromat. In my opinion, it’s just buying favor because it literally is that transactional. Trump will only rip you off if he thinks he can get away with it unscathed.
Doesnt this assume that if it weren’t for evil people giving trump money, that he would be a good person?
Not at all. He’d still do the evil stuff that benefits him personally, or that he does out of spite, or that he does because it riles up his supporters. Honestly, he’d probably still do some things to benefit Putin for free too, just to help out someone he admires. Still, I think he’d do less (or at least different) evil stuff if no one had been willing to buy him.
What would be notably different, I think, would be the amount of “disrespect” he puts up with from his buyers. Elon hasn’t once been publicly deferential to Trump, when everyone else he’s working with has to toe the line very carefully or get fired
I would say anyone looking for buyers on favor is inherently a bad person, especially if those favors are always anti-“the one thing you’re supposed to do”