I wrote this piece about Trump eight months ago. His behavior has changed for the worse. He has become more delusional, unhinged and angry. He is calling for violence aimed at his political opponents. Who is Trump? This is both the most tedious question ever, while being completely unsettled. What if he is yet to do the first thing that he will be remembered for in a hundred years’ time? It is a sobering thought. Trump is very much a figure of America’s present. He will shape its future for many years to come. That is a great tragedy.
At this point, it should be clear that the Gop s aim is to destroy. It seems the fundamentalists would prefer a theocracy to a democracy. MAGA is a cult. That explains them. But others who vote GOP? Why? Our media is not relaying the proper message. As Heidi Cuda, who's fantastic, said in her piece today, the GOP and Russia are one. When will our president declare that we are in a disinformation war and under cyber attack from Russia? When will the press catch on and report on this?
Finally, someone said Russia & the GOP are working together.
This is exactly why Putin will not back down. He is waiting for the next election.
Putin involved the NRA to help create a spur in Nationalism to divide Americans. This along with bad cops, soldiers with a chip on their shoulders(Mike Flynn) and racists throughout America, together, have been the driving wedge. It’s called psychological warfare.
We can clearly see who the bad actors are. They are bought & paid for with dark money. These people aren’t intelligent enough to be members of Congress or in State government.
All they is do in their positions is spread lies & propaganda.
They aren’t smart enough to solve Americans problems. Most of them claim to be Christians but don’t have the moral fortitude to actually be one.
I’ve said it before & I will say it again. We are at war.
Trump has enabled the very worst of humanity. He has allowed even more dangerous politicians to bubble up and mimmick him. Ron DeSantis is smarter than him and possesses even more malice to our country. What does it say about our country to suppport these wretched human beings? They lack any compassion for humankind just their desire for power.
The question should not be "Who is Trump?" but "What has the U.S. become?" How long has it been since such a grotesque would be inconceivable as president or that millions more would vote for a second helping in 2020 not despite who his is but because they admire, even love, his crude sadism and blatant immorality?
As Rachel Carson said at the beginning of "Silent Spring," the people had done it to themselves, in this case by marinating themselves, their children, and the world in spectacularly violent entertainment so that tens of millions pulled the lever for the host of a brutal "reality show" and because they liked what he was overheard to say on the Access Hollywood tape. He effectively speaks for tens of millions of fearful and angry Americans as Franklin Roosevelt once did but to entirely opposite ends because this is a very different country than it was ninety years ago. The fact that children can now be regularly shot in schools and nothing be done about it is as indicative of the sea change that has befallen the U.S. as the fact that Trump was not arrested the day after January 6 or that he is now holding overtly Nazi rallies as he runs for a second - and last - helping of the White House in order to set it afire from within.
How many of those who voted for and revere Trump would understand what attorney Joseph Welsh meant by decency when he so effectively employed that word to bring down a similar monster, Joseph McCarthy? We daily wallow in indecency and normative savagery which should no longer allow us to believe that what happened in Germany ninety years ago could not happen here and to us. And we did it to ourselves.
Who is Trump? A mentally ill (see @OurShallow State) second generation mob (see @LincolnsBible) Russian assert or something very close (see Craig Unger, Lincolns Bible and many others). How could America fall for this toxic mix, with any one element a major threat to our national security? When this is over, and sadly it won't be tomorrow, we've got to take a good hard look at ourselves and do what Germany did after WWII. The beginning of this process needs to happen soon, with our president and the press telling us the truth.
I have read this piece of brilliant analysis of Trump. The malignant one, is like a horrible car wreck. It is difficult to look away then when you find out that the wreck was avoidable and in fact deliberate, it becomes maddening. I am disgusted at the thought that I pulled the lever for Trump in 2016. I was influenced by the Comey investigation into Hillary, who I was already not enthusiastic about. It is a mistake I have had to live with and eventually make peace with. Trump is not a patriot. He cares only for himself and will sacrifice all including his family if he thought it would save him. I was offended when I saw pictures of him with his hand over his heart and photos of the insurrection in the background. I am also positive when our slow justice system finally catches up with him, he will try to evade responsibility again for his crimes. Justice delayed is not equal justice. Hold Trump and all his dominions responsible for their actions.
Hi Patrick, with all the disinformation that went on in 2016, it’s understandable even though regrettable, that someone would vote against Ms Clinton and end up voting for Mr Trump. What I find so much more sad and disheartening is after seeing who Mr Trump is from what he said and did, some good people continue to support him. The fact that you recognized what was going on and terminated your support gives me hope.
Unfortunately, I feel like a minority in this regard. I have many family and friends who have doubled down on Trump. It is sad but I can not move them from their position so I just left them to themselves.
Bears repeating until his sinister ooze permeates under our skin and automates a profound extermination like a bed bug infestation magnified to infinite proportions....
Trump has normalized Trumpism.
Each day that passes further cements that repulsive zeitgeist into our national protoplasm.
Time for the most cavernous autoclave, for a definitive Trump-ectomy with post-procedural deprogramming.
De-Normalize Trump and reintegrate everyone into a reality-based community.
I understand - people take positions sometimes that have their origins in something other than wanting to know what really happened. Whether it’s a sense of belonging to friends and family who think one way vs some single issue that colors their perception, that’s the way the cookie sometimes crumbles as they say. But another truth is that things do change and what may seem impossible now may be possible later. For family and friends who I know are good and decent people but have this blind spot, I try to concentrate on the former. But if they ever talk to me about the latter, I try not to evade but speak the truth without disparaging them. “Try” is the operative word here. Having said that consider that you may be in the minority within your circle but not so much in the minority outside.
“Understanding what happened in Germany between 1918 and 1945 might be the singularly most important lesson for human beings who were born afterwards to understand. Americans would be well-served to know more as they look at Trump as he eyes 2024.”
Absolutely. Exactly my thoughts as I watched WW11 in Color on Netflix last weekend. Thank you for reprinting Steve.
I would appreciate more recommendations from "the experts" on what specific things we (the people) should be doing to counter Trump and Trumpism. I'm very concerned that it's too easy for many of us to complain and worry ... but, not take action. What specific actions should we be taking?
We all know who/what Trump is, and yet millions of our fellow citizens (at best) don't care--even worse, millions seems to adore him. If/when he does retake the Presidency in 2024, and gets inaugurated in January of 2025, the hell that this country will begin to experience will make the 2017-2021 period look like a walk in the park. It will be a four-year trail of vengeance against everyone and every region of the country who/that he thinks has wronged him. Even worse, if the Senate projections hold true, the Republicans will also retake the Senate, given that the map for the next election is extremely unfavourable to the Democrats. So, he will also get to appoint a lot more judges.
At this point, it should be clear that the Gop s aim is to destroy. It seems the fundamentalists would prefer a theocracy to a democracy. MAGA is a cult. That explains them. But others who vote GOP? Why? Our media is not relaying the proper message. As Heidi Cuda, who's fantastic, said in her piece today, the GOP and Russia are one. When will our president declare that we are in a disinformation war and under cyber attack from Russia? When will the press catch on and report on this?
Finally, someone said Russia & the GOP are working together.
This is exactly why Putin will not back down. He is waiting for the next election.
Putin involved the NRA to help create a spur in Nationalism to divide Americans. This along with bad cops, soldiers with a chip on their shoulders(Mike Flynn) and racists throughout America, together, have been the driving wedge. It’s called psychological warfare.
We can clearly see who the bad actors are. They are bought & paid for with dark money. These people aren’t intelligent enough to be members of Congress or in State government.
All they is do in their positions is spread lies & propaganda.
They aren’t smart enough to solve Americans problems. Most of them claim to be Christians but don’t have the moral fortitude to actually be one.
I’ve said it before & I will say it again. We are at war.
Trump has enabled the very worst of humanity. He has allowed even more dangerous politicians to bubble up and mimmick him. Ron DeSantis is smarter than him and possesses even more malice to our country. What does it say about our country to suppport these wretched human beings? They lack any compassion for humankind just their desire for power.
The question should not be "Who is Trump?" but "What has the U.S. become?" How long has it been since such a grotesque would be inconceivable as president or that millions more would vote for a second helping in 2020 not despite who his is but because they admire, even love, his crude sadism and blatant immorality?
As Rachel Carson said at the beginning of "Silent Spring," the people had done it to themselves, in this case by marinating themselves, their children, and the world in spectacularly violent entertainment so that tens of millions pulled the lever for the host of a brutal "reality show" and because they liked what he was overheard to say on the Access Hollywood tape. He effectively speaks for tens of millions of fearful and angry Americans as Franklin Roosevelt once did but to entirely opposite ends because this is a very different country than it was ninety years ago. The fact that children can now be regularly shot in schools and nothing be done about it is as indicative of the sea change that has befallen the U.S. as the fact that Trump was not arrested the day after January 6 or that he is now holding overtly Nazi rallies as he runs for a second - and last - helping of the White House in order to set it afire from within.
How many of those who voted for and revere Trump would understand what attorney Joseph Welsh meant by decency when he so effectively employed that word to bring down a similar monster, Joseph McCarthy? We daily wallow in indecency and normative savagery which should no longer allow us to believe that what happened in Germany ninety years ago could not happen here and to us. And we did it to ourselves.
Who is Trump? A mentally ill (see @OurShallow State) second generation mob (see @LincolnsBible) Russian assert or something very close (see Craig Unger, Lincolns Bible and many others). How could America fall for this toxic mix, with any one element a major threat to our national security? When this is over, and sadly it won't be tomorrow, we've got to take a good hard look at ourselves and do what Germany did after WWII. The beginning of this process needs to happen soon, with our president and the press telling us the truth.
I have read this piece of brilliant analysis of Trump. The malignant one, is like a horrible car wreck. It is difficult to look away then when you find out that the wreck was avoidable and in fact deliberate, it becomes maddening. I am disgusted at the thought that I pulled the lever for Trump in 2016. I was influenced by the Comey investigation into Hillary, who I was already not enthusiastic about. It is a mistake I have had to live with and eventually make peace with. Trump is not a patriot. He cares only for himself and will sacrifice all including his family if he thought it would save him. I was offended when I saw pictures of him with his hand over his heart and photos of the insurrection in the background. I am also positive when our slow justice system finally catches up with him, he will try to evade responsibility again for his crimes. Justice delayed is not equal justice. Hold Trump and all his dominions responsible for their actions.
Hi Patrick, with all the disinformation that went on in 2016, it’s understandable even though regrettable, that someone would vote against Ms Clinton and end up voting for Mr Trump. What I find so much more sad and disheartening is after seeing who Mr Trump is from what he said and did, some good people continue to support him. The fact that you recognized what was going on and terminated your support gives me hope.
Unfortunately, I feel like a minority in this regard. I have many family and friends who have doubled down on Trump. It is sad but I can not move them from their position so I just left them to themselves.
Patrick P just read what you have written to honestly and your courage to admit you made what you now know was a mistake is admirable…
You are the one person that may help others to admit that they too can help
Others see Trumps EVIL and the rest
Of republicans may follow your lead to fight for truth, democracy &freedom
Blessings for peaceful thoughts🌹
Depressing, alarming and true-- we all need to read it. I’ll share it.
Bears repeating until his sinister ooze permeates under our skin and automates a profound extermination like a bed bug infestation magnified to infinite proportions....
Trump has normalized Trumpism.
Each day that passes further cements that repulsive zeitgeist into our national protoplasm.
Time for the most cavernous autoclave, for a definitive Trump-ectomy with post-procedural deprogramming.
De-Normalize Trump and reintegrate everyone into a reality-based community.
I understand - people take positions sometimes that have their origins in something other than wanting to know what really happened. Whether it’s a sense of belonging to friends and family who think one way vs some single issue that colors their perception, that’s the way the cookie sometimes crumbles as they say. But another truth is that things do change and what may seem impossible now may be possible later. For family and friends who I know are good and decent people but have this blind spot, I try to concentrate on the former. But if they ever talk to me about the latter, I try not to evade but speak the truth without disparaging them. “Try” is the operative word here. Having said that consider that you may be in the minority within your circle but not so much in the minority outside.
“Understanding what happened in Germany between 1918 and 1945 might be the singularly most important lesson for human beings who were born afterwards to understand. Americans would be well-served to know more as they look at Trump as he eyes 2024.”
Absolutely. Exactly my thoughts as I watched WW11 in Color on Netflix last weekend. Thank you for reprinting Steve.
Steve, it's great that you reproduce these columns, so full of insights about the uber-dangerous DJT.
Kudos Timothy Conway your thoughts are calming to my heart and soul🌹
How can we figure out “who” Trump is when Trump cannot figure out HIMSELF?
Trump is a pathetic excuse for a human being! Unfortunately, he is an entertainer who failed, and his new “profession” was doomed from the beginning.
I would appreciate more recommendations from "the experts" on what specific things we (the people) should be doing to counter Trump and Trumpism. I'm very concerned that it's too easy for many of us to complain and worry ... but, not take action. What specific actions should we be taking?
We all know who/what Trump is, and yet millions of our fellow citizens (at best) don't care--even worse, millions seems to adore him. If/when he does retake the Presidency in 2024, and gets inaugurated in January of 2025, the hell that this country will begin to experience will make the 2017-2021 period look like a walk in the park. It will be a four-year trail of vengeance against everyone and every region of the country who/that he thinks has wronged him. Even worse, if the Senate projections hold true, the Republicans will also retake the Senate, given that the map for the next election is extremely unfavourable to the Democrats. So, he will also get to appoint a lot more judges.
I believe you mean a forty-year trail of vengeance.
Or 400.
.