Trump hysteria is like watching the classic Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street." It's both disturbing and amusing to see how easily so many people allow themselves to be manipulated by only exposing themselves to one side of the argument. They reflexively follow the trail of breadcrumbs laid out by the NYT, CNN, MSNBC. Then they're furious and dumbfounded that the rest of us don't share their apocalyptic panic. But they're products of their conditioning.
Trump says lots of goofy things. It never occurs to Democrats that maybe, just maybe, he doesn't always mean what he says. They think he's crazy enough to believe the crazy things he says (or crazy statements attributed to him by anonymous sources). And they think he's crazy because he says crazy things (or crazy statements attributed to him by anonymous sources). Circular confirmation bias on full display.
Yet it seems to me that Trump's rhetoric is often tactical. What's entertaining is how Democrats let themselves be played. It reminds me of how Jeb Bush was blindsided during the debates. He never caught on. He said Trump can't insult his way to the presidency. But Trump did insult his way to the nomination. That's because, for Trump, the primary debates were not about winning arguments but about establishing where candidates stood in the dominance hierarchy. He was alpha male to Jeb's beta male. Jeb never knew what hit him.
I think the problem with this perspective is that it means that the president's words effectively mean nothing. How do you decide what he really means vs what he doesn't. Does he really believe he can reach a nuclear deal with NK? Or is he just saying it because he's publicly committed to that, regardless of the truth of the matter? Does he really believe that the Russians did not interfere in the 2016 election (meaning he would not take adequate steps to protect against it in the future), or is he just saying that for pride's sake but in the meantime is taking steps to prepare against such interventions? When he casts aspersions on the intelligence community, does he really believe that - does he totally ignore intelligence that they provide, or is this just rhetoric and he really does at least listen and consider what they tell him? If Trump ever says he needs to take military action due to reasons x, y and z, can I believe him or not? That's the problem I see with a president playing rhetorical games and "trolling" the media and the political opposition.
ReplyDeleteIt's not good that Trump so often says stuff he doesn't mean, but the way to tell what he means is not by what he says but by what he does. What does he do or endeavor to do at a policy level?
DeleteHe has reason to "cast aspersions" on the intelligence community. It was corrupted and politically weaponized by Obama.
DeleteThe problem with relying upon waiting to see what he does is that at that point, it can become to late to do anything about it.
DeleteTake Trump's praise for authoritarian leaders (Putin, Erdogan, Duerte, Kim Jong Il) and his musings about staying in power (hinting at third term, praising the idea of rule for life), calling the press "the enemy of the people", attacking judges/courts that over rule him, complaining the election was rigged (before he actually won it!), etc. What if Trump were to lose and dispute the result of the 2020 election and attempt to stay in power? Now, I think that's very unlikely, and even less unlikely to succeed, but personally, I prefer not to have to get to that point to find out.
In addition, if we don't know what is his true position, then what do you oppose? You have criticized the left for getting excited about every thing Trump says, but if you don't know what he really stands for and is going to do, then all you are left with is opposing everything, not matter how ridiculous it may seem, merely because you don't and can't know what he really intends.
It's kind of hard to blame people for getting all bent out of shape about everything he says if you don't really know if he means it. Again, it all comes back to the fact that what the president says is virtually meaningless. I don't think that is good for the country.
i) He shouldn't praise thugs. That's one of his weaknesses.
Deleteii) When he calls the press "the enemy of people," he's not referring to the press in general but partisan hacks. And they are enemies of the people. They want to destroy Christianity and the Bill of Rights, then replace it with a secular progressive police state.
iii) Presidents have limited power to act unilaterally. Sure, he can joke about ruler for life, but he couldn't make that happen even if he was serious.
iv) Instead of getting bent out of shape over his tweets, people should get bent out of shape over Democrat politicians.
This assumes that any other President or politician in general actually says what they mean.
DeleteAt least Trump has kept many (if not most) of his policy promises.
I'll also note that the same can be said of Trump supporters in their own way:
ReplyDelete"They reflexively follow the trail of breadcrumbs laid out by the FOX News, Breitbart, and the Gateway Pundit. They're furious that the rest of us don't share their fawning adoration. They are products of their conditioning".
True, but that's why it's important to read both sides of the argument.
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