The Mass Hysteria in Trumpistan

Anti-Trump sentiment is mostly humbug. There is never any real crime or even untoward behaviour underlying any of their accusations, most of it banking on what the president has expressed (only as it has been filtered by the media), holding it to the light of their unmitigated fee-fees, and using what results as evidence of future calamity, before going off on some form or other of specious, often virtue-signalling panic. This is another way of saying that the majority of the anti-Trump crowd find meaning and earn their living by acting as this generation’s thought police and pious inquisitors.

But do their feelings warrant their actions? Are their protests—compelled mostly by fear and hatred—justified? Or are we witness to the most modern case of mass hysteria?

Like the innocent men and women burned in the witch trials, Trump has been accused of having special powers. Trump tweets have the power to “undermine democracy”, for example. His criticism of the press has somehow
“undermine global press freedoms”, landing him in the same category as Putin and Erdogan, whom actually jail and kill journalists. His statements can make “make markets tumble”. Looking at these claims for what they are, it is easy enough to see that these are not signs that Trump can manipulate the world with his words, but that people tend to panic whenever they hear them.

Whether through torpor or solipsism, but likely through propaganda and bad faith, the hysterical have even gotten it in their heads that the president is some kind of racist dictator or authoritarian in the making, and have frequently compared him to Hitler, Stalin, or Il Duce, perhaps without considering what it might have been like to actually live under dictatorial and authoritarian regimes such as those.

Whatever tyrannies they face, however, can easily be avoided by logging off Twitter for a bit and taking a media vacation. That is the extent of the authoritarian nightmare they find themselves within. But because the anti-Trump nightmare is self-generated and self-imposed, their vacay would no doubt come to feel like exile and diaspora to them, and they would once again long for their fatherland—Twitter— and the plight of the people living there.

When anti-Trump opportunist David Frum was interviewed about his book Trumpocracy (originality entails that we invent a neologism with the word “Trump” in it) he put it like this: “If there’s one idea this book is trying to struggle against, it’s against either-or: either things are fine or it’s Hitler. There are a lot of stops on the train line to bad before you get to Hitler Station.” Fair point, but note the assumptions hidden within the slander. We’re on the train line to bad, quite sure of our destination. This mantra is to be repeated, indefinitely, even if the “train to bad” turns out to be the train to good and prosperity. With this type of febrile thinking, any rote anti-Trump doom-monger can claim, without qualm, that his revelations had helped steer the train in the right direction, or that America’s checks and balances worked in keeping Trump on track, instead of just admitting they were hysterically wrong the whole time. In fact, it is seers like Frum who have put us on the train to bad, filling the heads of the misinformed with visions of danger and uncertainty. And it is likely true that no one will hold them to account for their lucrative, but also pompous, facile and failed prophecies, of which there have been countless many.

Even scientists have looked into the crystal ball of Trump’s tweets in order to derive possible cataclysm, pushing the second hand of their silly doomsday clock closer to midnight than it has been since the height of the Cold War. How atomic scientists understand geopolitical affairs is uncertain, but the rate of failure of their predictions gives us the perfect insight. As an aside, one should note the hilarity of Atomic scientists using a broken clock as the metaphor with which to promote their sullen fears.

This hysteria seems confined to the political class, who have no doubt elected themselves the moral, intellectual, and cultural superiors by way of popularity contest. Their code of ethics is whatever hashtag happens to show up on twitter that week, or whatever their publicists and social media handlers tells them is the best position to adopt, so hysteria and panic should be easy to instil in them. Every sign of division and polarization among the public is really just a reflection of this very same hysterical political class, not the public at large, all of it relegated to the chattering of pundits, publicists, and the Twitterati, as they go on pretending that they represent the whole of society.

If anything, the reactionary response to Trump’s tweets and comments illustrate their need not for a pragmatic leader, but for a talking head, some de facto king who can placate the fevered masses on a whim with oration and grandiloquence. They like talkers, not doers. They want to be soothed by the balm of public relations. They prefer the facade of government-sanctioned political rhetoric, something whipped up by teams of speech-writers, and delivered by some actor or other. They want consolation, emotional appeasement, because that is the only cure for the mass hysteria in Trumpistan.

– LesMis

all the reeeeing is just fueling trumps reelection

Partisan politics is preventing qualified people who can actually help plan and build a stronger, more competitive United States from even bothering to run.

"There is never any real crime or even untoward behaviour underlying any of their accusations"


Hmm, I don't know, banging a porn star/escort and then paying her to shut up about it while his wife was pregnant was pretty untoward behaviour.

Having an affair with Karen McDougal was pretty untoward.

Raping his ex-wife was pretty untoward.

originally posted by: Blue Shift
Partisan politics is preventing qualified people who can actually help plan and build a stronger, more competitive United States from even bothering to run.

I've struggled with finding a succinct way of saying what you just said succinctly.

Very true. And very astute.

originally posted by: Painterz
"There is never any real crime or even untoward behaviour underlying any of their accusations"


Hmm, I don't know, banging a porn star/escort and then paying her to shut up about it while his wife was pregnant was pretty untoward behaviour.

Having an affair with Karen McDougal was pretty untoward.

Raping his ex-wife was pretty untoward.

How do the first 2 weigh in on his ability to do the job of POTUS? For guidance on why I ask, see the post directly above yours.

The third, as far as I am aware, is gossip. Trump hasn't been proven to be a rapist (although i'd not doubt he is one at some point in his life)

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

I've heard of this Trumpistan, I believe it's capital is covfefe

I heard Trumpistan has a high rate of foot in mouth disease, yes their glorious leader despite his best efforts has sparked the ire of nations much larger than his, and his economic isolationist policies will only hurt the economy in the long run. What if his allies decide to bet with their brains and not with their hearts? he will be backed into a corner.

What if NK is a proxy? what if Russia makes a move? what if Trumpistans allies turn on them because they bet on the winning horse? These are valid questions.

The gazelle doesn't graze where the tigress prowls.

originally posted by: Blue Shift
Partisan politics is preventing qualified people who can actually help plan and build a stronger, more competitive United States from even bothering to run.

Do you think that's why Trump can't keep a viable staff or cabinet? Because deep in their hearts they are stinking hysterical libs?

www.businessinsider.com...

Looks like Kelly and McMaster will be leaving soon as well. Why do you think that is? That leaves Jared and Ivanka to run the show; you ok with that?

originally posted by: Blue Shift
Partisan politics is preventing qualified people who can actually help plan and build a stronger, more competitive United States from even bothering to run.

The establishment elite "career politicians" (on both sides) would like to keep it that way.

Forever!

originally posted by: Painterz
"There is never any real crime or even untoward behaviour underlying any of their accusations"


Hmm, I don't know, banging a porn star/escort and then paying her to shut up about it while his wife was pregnant was pretty untoward behaviour.

Having an affair with Karen McDougal was pretty untoward.

Raping his ex-wife was pretty untoward.

So is believing and spreading gossip.

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: LesMisanthrope

I've heard of this Trumpistan, I believe it's capital is covfefe

I heard Trumpistan has a high rate of foot in mouth disease, yes their glorious leader despite his best efforts has sparked the ire of nations much larger than his, and his economic isolationist policies will only hurt the economy in the long run. What if his allies decide to bet with their brains and not with their hearts? he will be backed into a corner.

What if NK is a proxy? what if Russia makes a move? what if Trumpistans allies turn on them because they bet on the winning horse? These are valid questions.

The gazelle doesn't graze where the tigress prowls.

Life must be good in Trumpistan if the words are the biggest problems. I might have to move there.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
Life must be good in Trumpistan if the words are the biggest problems. I might have to move there.

Guns are mandatory for all citizens, too!

and again:

Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity

and this time to add:

Grandiloquence

Love your threads Les ... I can always count on you to post a wall of inflated text to make a simple statement. You could have saved time by saying. "people don't like Trump. I don't like those people." I really wish we could have a discussion, but for some reason, that's beyond you. It's a shame really.

On a lighter note:

Like the innocent men and women burned in the witch trials, Trump has been accused of having special powers.

I, personally, wish you wouldn't compare Trump to witches. We hold a higher degree to the world and other people than that man does.

(I am now looking forward to your "clever" little reply. They always make me chuckle)

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
Life must be good in Trumpistan if the words are the biggest problems. I might have to move there.

Guns are mandatory for all citizens, too!

Unless they shoot tweets, the world is unconcerned.

originally posted by: Painterz
"There is never any real crime or even untoward behaviour underlying any of their accusations"


Hmm, I don't know, banging a porn star/escort and then paying her to shut up about it while his wife was pregnant was pretty untoward behaviour.

Having an affair with Karen McDougal was pretty untoward.

Raping his ex-wife was pretty untoward.

I wonder what we would find if all politicians/people in power were to empty out their closets? I bet we'd have about a mountain high of skeletons. Maybe even literally, in some cases.

This notion that only a perfect and sinless individual (Hell, if that even exists) is capable of being a leader--or should be the leader, is disingenuous at best and really naive at worst. Take your pick.

a reply to: olaru12

I think Trump can't keep a cabinet for a few reasons:

- When he was first elected, he was "blacklisted" by Washington. No one would work for him because it was seen as damaging to careers to go against #Resist. So Trump had to choose from establishment scabs and unseasoned people from the outside. Essentially: he didn't have much of a talent pool to pick from. And its 100% the fault of establishment politicians (including his own party, which saw him as a wolf in sheeps clothing)

- Since being elected there has been more pressure than what these unseasoned people were accustomed to. Trumps administration takes a ton of heat from a press that has it in for him. Working for his admin must seem like a crucible. To be fair, he doesn't do much to shake that heat.

- Trump doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who inspires loyalty. He likes to make petty comments about people, and comes across as objectifying. I couldn't work for him, as the first time he started bad mouthing my peers in front of me i'd likely resign. Small minds talk about people, big minds talk about issues.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
Life must be good in Trumpistan if the words are the biggest problems. I might have to move there.

Guns are mandatory for all citizens, too!

Unless they shoot tweets, the world is unconcerned.

This is a good one....more concerned about his fragile ego, what a donk. Talk about hysterical....

25073877 20160202 23392 1y43dg8 Donald J. Trump (R) @realDonaldTrump Alec Baldwin, whose dieing mediocre career was saved by his impersonation of me on SNL, now says playing DJT was agony. Alex, it was also agony for those who were forced to watch. You were terrible. Bring back Darrell Hammond, much funnier and a far great

Didn't even have the guts to leave it up...deleted it. Leaving quite a twitter legacy, he is....

I can tell you're a Trumper

a reply to: olaru12

POTUS is a #-poster, all right. Frankly, it’s refreshing having access to a leader’s thoughts, as opposed to the public/private views we’re used to. The opposite is a political prop. This sort of transparency is too much for some, apparently.

a reply to: olaru12

Looks like Kelly and McMaster will be leaving soon as well. Why do you think that is? That leaves Jared and Ivanka to run the show; you ok with that?

www.cnn.com...

President Donald Trump is asking chief of staff John Kelly for help in pushing his daughter and son-in-law out of the White House, The New York Times reports.

He's getting more and more isolated, if the article is true.