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I know few bloggers who post about Trump, and I know some who do their utmost to avoid the news. After all, when a president does or says several things a week that would have amounted to major scandals under another administration, what's the point in trying to keep up with them all? I know that I can't keep up with them all because they come at me so fast and furiously that they run together, giving last week's scandals the feel of events that happened years ago.
If there's one thing about which all Americans can agree, Trump is different, most presidents being two-dimensional figures who do their mediocre best to run the country while upholding the dignity and honor of the office. By contrast, Trump treats the country as "The Donald Trump Show," and he either has no use for dignity and honor, or, more likely, doesn't know what they mean. For instance, he just spent the better part of a week writing racist Tweets about the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and its black Congressman because he's mad at the Congressman. Prior to that, he Tweeted that four minority-group Congresswomen should "go back to the crime infested places from which they came," although three of the four were born in America, and the fourth was brought here as a child. All are U.S. citizens.
Lying and pettiness are not what Trump does; they are who Trump is, but the fact that he's pathological isn't the worst of it. The worst of it is that 43% of Americans believe his lies; and of that 43%, 90% are Republicans; and of that 90%, nearly all are Christians. While I know that people of intelligence and integrity can disagree about abortion, immigrant rights, and so on, my jaundiced attitude toward Trump supporters isn't based upon disagreement but upon indecency and hypocrisy. They elect a man whom Democrats and Independents loathe--not just dislike or disagree with--but loathe, and they imagine that something good will come of it. Republican leader Mitch McConnell expressed this sentiment well when he said, "Winners make policy; losers go home," his implication being that Americans should expect their elected officials to take turns remaking America. It wasn't always like this, and I see nothing but ruin coming of it.
I know a Texas blogger who avoids talking to anyone about politics, because if she discovers that a person supports Trump, she writes that person out of her life. Trump has split families and made enemies of lifelong friends. I've lost long-time blog buddies because of my anger toward Trump supporters. When Peggy's Trump-supporting father dies, our disillusionment toward him for his abandonment of the noble ideals that we once imagined him to hold dear will forevermore poison our memories. Americans are more divided now than they've been at any time since the Civil War, a war that ended 154-years ago. It's one thing to shun the friendship of a person who is in a minority, but what is the effect of turning against 43% of the nation? I just know that it's beyond sad to truly believe that when it comes to supporting Trump, a person's politics doesn't just make them wrong, it makes them evil.
12 comments:
From this side of the world I watch in horror, not least because he encourages some of our own politicians and shock jocks. Sadly I fear he WILL be re-elected. And would be very, very glad to be wrong.
I agree with your sentiments. However I have been paying attention to this narcissist. Whenever something that will negatively affect him he begins a huge controversy. When that controversy begins to affect him negatively he starts another. That does not mean that I ignore his stupidity. It simply means that in order to know what is really happening I look for the underlying issue. He keeps his base attached to him by issuing false and outlandish statements. As far as not posting about him I will not give him the attention that he craves. Why should I give him free publicity?
I disagree with your sentiments. For one thing, I don't think we're more divided now than at any time since the Civil War. For example, the 1960s and Vietnam War. For another, not all Trump supporters are Christians. I have three family members (that I know of) who support Trump. One is religious, the other two are not. And actually, it's the religious brother-in-law who imho is the the nicest and most moral of the three. And finally, I don't think we should hate (for what else is shun than hate) people who disagree with us, or have a different point of view. Yes, surely there are some odious people who are Trump supporters, but a lot of them are more like you and me than you might think. (But just to be clear, while I try to understand Trump supporters, I do not agree with them, and did not and would never vote for Trump).
It’s really sad when people cut friends and relatives out of their life just because of one man
If he is this divisive in just your personal relationships. How do think he is going to be in the world in general.
Just his alone should make you think
Unfortunately he is the POTUS. Please. Let’s all hope he won’t get in for a second term and that any damage he does is not reversible
I have one brother who idolizes Trump and one who really dislikes him for everything you mention. I love them both. Am hoping the Trump era will pass and Americans will again value morality one day and doing right.
"Yes, surely there are some odious people who are Trump supporters, but a lot of them are more like you and me than you might think."
I have no trouble believing that there exist numerous, perhaps millions, of Trump supporters with whom I share various important traits, interests, and values, but then I could say the same about almost any group of people. The term "banality of evil" impacted me profoundly when I first heard it because I was still naive enough to imagine that really bad people go through life looking like bad people. Another phrase that impressed me was "trust only movement," its meaning being that if you want to know who people really are within their deepest selves, pay attention to their actions rather than their words. That said, I also came to understand that, as our friendship grows, people invariably tell me exactly who they are, so it's important that I believe them rather than to try to convince myself that they don't really mean what they're saying and that in any event, they won't do the same shitty things to me that they did to past friends and lovers. Our political choices mirror our values. Few people will come right out and say that black people are incapable of effective leadership; that only stupid people pay taxes; that grabbing women's genitals without permission is permissible; that murderous dictators can be lovely people; that the elimination of a free press is desirable, or that inflicting lifelong harm upon children is an appropriate tool for controlling those children's parents; but if they knowingly support a man who whose words and actions consistently and unerringly prove that he holds these values, they might as well say them because to deny them is to fail the straight-face test.
"And finally, I don't think we should hate (for what else is shun than hate) people who disagree with us..."
My feelings are unrelated to the holding of different values regarding things like abortion and gun control; they are instead based upon the immorality of openly and unapologetically supporting a politician whose words and behavior stand in stark contrast to the values that one professes to hold dear.
"I have three family members (that I know of) who support Trump...And it's the religious brother-in-law who is the the nicest and most moral of the three."
How do you explain this to yourself? I would submit that:
(a) the Muslim faith has become primarily known for its oppression, sexism, and violence;
(b) the Catholic Church has become primarily known for sheltering of thousands upon thousands of pedophile priests; and
(c) evangelical Christians have become primarily known for supporting Donald Trump; for being anti-science and therefore anti-reason; and for using the government to force their values and observances upon others.
Conclusion: It's not secularists who bear the bulk of responsibility for turning a rapidly increasing number of Americans against religion (the latest number being 23.1%: https://religionnews.com/2019/03/21/nones-now-as-big-as-evangelicals-catholics-in-the-us/); it's religion itself. At one time, a great many non-religious people supported religion for the salutary effect that they imagined it to have upon society, but those days are gone in the face of the undeniable fact that religion not only doesn't have answers to society's ills, religion is the cause of many such ills.
Is Peggy going to the Button convention?
Kris
"Is Peggy going to the Button convention?"
Peggy IS going to the National Button Convention and will be serving as one of the judges.
"Sadly I fear he WILL be re-elected. And would be very, very glad to be wrong."
He was elected last time because the Democrats ran a candidate, Hilary Clinton, who was widely mistrusted by people in her own party, and it later came out that she and her party's leadership conspired to destroy the candidacy of a highly respected candidate named Bernie Sanders, a man who might actually have won. The funny thing about Bernie is that while many hate his socialistic stands, I've yet to hear anyone question his personal integrity.
"However I have been paying attention to this narcissist. Whenever something that will negatively affect him he begins a huge controversy. When that controversy begins to affect him negatively he starts another"
I don't know to what extent he does this by design rather than because he simply thrives upon being the only person on earth who knows over breakfast what he is going say and do before lunch (Peggy's father, a fairly secretive man himself, considers this the mark of a great president). I recently heard that Trump isn't a narcissist but a psychopath. I had imaged that a person could be both, but the shrink who was talking about it said that one difference is that narcissists have at least a smidgen of conscience while psychopaths, of course, do not. She also said something else that interested me; it was that psychopaths are born that way, whereas sociopaths become sociopaths due to life experiences. Serving time in prison is one way that this happens.
"As far as not posting about him, I will not give him the attention that he craves. Why should I give him free publicity?"
I don't think that Trump represents the kind of problem that will go away if you ignore it, and unless our little blogs happen to be picked-up by Fox News, it's exceedingly unlikely that more than a hundred people will even know we exist unless we were so foolish as to threaten him. I fully believe that Trump would squash all dissent if he were able, but he's not even close, and so it is that I revel in the freedom to trash him for being (in his own superlative-laced words) "a very low IQ individual. So sad."
"It’s really sad when people cut friends and relatives out of their life just because of one man."
Yes, it's sad, and, no, I'm not doing it (although I've inspired some people to cut me from their lives), yet I don't fault anyone for doing it. I have a friend who visited Italy's Pompeii and came home with a tiny piece of tile that she had stolen. Is that reason enough to cut her from my life? I haven't done so, but I have altered my trust in her integrity, this despite the fact that I used to steal found artifacts from the Vicksburg National Battlefield site (Vicksburg was a major Civil War battle). The thing about cutting people from one's life is that even if they do later see the error of their ways and change their behavior, you won't know it. Still, there are things that are SO bad that even if I didn't cut them from my life, I would at the very least have to report them to the police. I'm thinking of two friends I had who were pedophiles. Pedophilia has since become something that people are legally obligated to report, although I would do it anyway.
"If he is this divisive in just your personal relationships. How do think he is going to be in the world in general."
I'm struck by how little Republicans seem to care that Trump has alienated us from our traditional allies even while causing our enemies to stop taking us seriously. Trump is like a kid who goes about the playground talking about how big and bad he is while ignorant of the fact that he is being laughed at.
Mostly lurking around. Following my nose as I checked into my old "Ask Dr Jim (blog)" and while thinking of a post for it old man Mr. Putz comments steered me here. Do you ever get with him, I'm looking and hoping he still writes.
I do not capitalize trump, the rump, and he is not my president. He is a complete idiot who treats running the US as he would a table game. I doubt he could win many of those unless they go by pure chance. Even then he would try to destroy those things also, he loves the power be borrowed from ISIS.
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Ah the Trump issue. Well the people on the globe will all just believe what they are fed by local media and with so many media ways to get just what feeds your own needs it is easy to see how media is now creating a very divisive globe, Trump is just a puppet. He wants to think he has power but that appears to be what we are to think. Even if he were not in power the other person will quickly discover a reality we are not willing to see. Russia is busy getting set up for power in the arctic where oil is flowing. The greener world is not on the agenda and asking the world we must change needs leaders on big global companies to accept it. Trump is not a leader because democracy has become flawed. It can be bought.
Have you seen Johnson and UK drama?
No worries because behind these idiots are some very powerful coperations who have figured out how to get people confrontational while they continue to amass their targets to get spending up front and cover up the global mess their systems of production are creating. The stock market appears to have the power over all the globe. Why just last night it was reported in US car sales for August are up and people are opting for higher car loans. What happened to reducing cars for a cleaner planet? Seems shiny new cars are a must have item and higher car sales are good for the market. Sad.
Who can change that?
Possibly only the richest? Amazon Google Facebook Apple Microsoft all having a stake in the media.
And then come the Pharma and their controls. Wonder where weapons fit in?
Trump seems to be the puppet best suited for the many dirty businesses and it seems some tariffs are likely good for a wealthy few. It all is totally awful and one cannot remain naïve and be so blind to reality.
Power has shifted.
People in large numbers no longer get to affect real change.
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