Episode 2981 CWSA 10/07/25 — Scott Adams Philosophy

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tland says no there's not too much crime. There's just the right amount. We'd like to keep it this way. Or something like that. And one way that Trump could in theory overrule the local government and send in the National Guard would be if it's an emergency. And an emergency would include something like an insurrection. You know if there was a raging insurrection going on then it would be totally…

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could go and one of them would be described as strong as in maybe an authoritarian but the other way would be described as you know weak. He will always take strong even if weak is a better argument. Does that make sense? He will always pick strong even if you think going weak is a better argument.

Here's why. Because the specific argument matters a little. You know does he or does he not go into Portland? That matters. But what matters way more than that is that he can create a pattern that says I'm always going to take the strong position. Because remember he's got to convince all the other countries that he's strong. He's got to convince both sides of this country that he's strong.

So every time you see Trump just reflexively take this strong position, even if you think it's the wrong decision, even if you think it's not entirely constitutional and if he tried it the Supreme Court would throw it out, it's still the right choice. And only he can do that. And well it's not true. Not only he but you would have to be a real special personality to always take the strong side and pull it off and still pull it off. And he does. It's kind of amazing.

All right. Well you won't believe this. I would like you to hold your chins because you might get injured when I read you this news story. Your chin is going to drop so far that it might come disconnected and then you'd be hospitalized. So you don't want that. So everybody if you could just hold your chin when I tell you this shocking and surprising news.

Are you ready? You won't believe this but another college president has been accused of plagiarizing and being a huge racist against white people. Oh. Oh hold it. Hold it. Hold it. All right. All right. I think the danger has passed. All right got it.

Okay now nobody saw that coming.

Apparently the US federal government's going to take a 10% stake in something called Trilogy Metals according to investing.com. So and then give some warrants for som

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e extra percentages. I guess what they do is some kind of metals. Some kind of rare metals. Which ones? Seems like they should tell us right in this article which rare metals are getting. It's the good stuff. So that would be another 10% maybe 17.5% if the warrants are used. And so I went to Grok and I said if the US took a 10% equity stake in every company in the US that was involved in rare ear…

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Wisdom from this episode

"The specific argument matters a little. But what matters way more than that is that he can create a pattern that says I'm always going to take the strong position. Because he's got to convince all the other countries that he's strong. He's got to convince both sides of this country that he's strong."

The details of any single decision matter somewhat, but far more important is consistently building a pattern of always taking the strong position to project power to foreign countries and both sides of the domestic audience.

"Every time you see Trump just reflexively take this strong position, even if you think it's the wrong decision, even if you think it's not entirely constitutional and if he tried it the Supreme Court would throw it out, it's still the right choice. You would have to be a real special personality to always take the strong side and pull it off."

A leader's reflexive choice to always project strength is often the correct strategy even if the specific decision appears wrong or legally shaky, but it takes a uniquely skilled personality to consistently execute it successfully.