Correspondence: Trumperspectives

From “8 Common Thinking Mistakes Our
Brains Make Every Day and How to
Prevent Them” [Buffer Social]

Edited by Moristotle

[Items of correspondence are not attributed; they remain anonymous. They have been chosen for their inherent interest as journalism, story, or provocative opinion, which may or may not be shared by the editor or other members of the staff of Moristotle & Co.]

A characteristic of people on the left or the right is that they are identical in the way they take in and interpret information, or data. Whatever they hear or read, even if incorrect, they will accept if it supports what they already believe. They will largely ignore any information that conflicts with their view of the world. Indeed, as a classic example of the results of psychological research, when a person is presented data that directly conflicts with what they believe, it tends to lead them to hold to their beliefs even more intensely. Moreover, the more times they hear inaccurate information that coincides with their beliefs about the world, the more they will consider the inaccurate information to be “factual.”
    This capacity of people to intensely hold to narratives of the world that fit their goals or objectives can be seen in groups as different as “right to lifers,” nazis, socialists, extreme capitalists,and cultural bigots (e.g., anti-blacks). The narrative that the left or the right constructs enables them to find a way to understand the complexities of what is taking place around them, without having to deal with the complexities.
    The unfortunate aspect in today’s world is that it makes progress even more difficult against the more complex and deep-rooted problems (e.g., disparities of wealth, poor education, and hard choices in government taxation and spending). Each side paints the other side in one color; there is no grey, no blends of color.

Recent research by political scientists can be used to argue that Trump’s election campaign was unusually innovative. Trump created and mobilized a new political base, the disappointed white workers, with whom he communicates via tweets. The irony is that one can say he showed political genius with these innovations.

Trump did mobilize a disaffected and large group: the beer drinking, football liking, local high school, country type. These provincial white guys and gals actually think they play a roll in America.

The news from the CNN that “Trump asked Rosenstein if he was ‘on my team’” is disturbing. We have been following the antics of House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes and his cohorts in Washington. I have grave concerns for our country. After watching Trump’s State of the Union speech (all the while stifling disgust) I came away with the same observation I made about him before the election: that he instantly brings to mind Benito Mussolini. It’s the same arrogance, the grand gestures, the pandering to fear, the creation of and the pandering to jingoistic emotions I wonder where this will all end up?

With regard to “Donald Trump and His Work Wives” [NY Times, January 20], people spend too much time trying to explain a piece of dog shit like Trump. Women who put themselves in these positions, and like it, are as bad as the men who need them. I have had to eat a little shit to keep a job. It sucked, and at the first chance I got I moved on, but I never accepted it as normal.
    In the South, young girls are raised to cater to men, and that is why the South is so fucked up. I always told my daughter to get her own job and never get into so much debt that she couldn’t kick whatever man she was living with to the curb and pay her own way. It was the only, time she listened to me!

The article “Donald Trump and His Work Wives,” in general, does not accurately describe the situation with Jehovah’s Witnesses. The views may overlap here and there, but most things overlap to some degree. The New York Times has become somewhat of a quirky source over the past year, in my opinion. Their interest in almost anything is correlated to the damage they think it will do to Trump.
    We Jehovah’s Witnesses do not feel the same way about women as the article alleges Trump does. But I don’t think he does either.

Harkening back to the good old days of early psychology, maybe Trump’s behavior can be best explained as a case of “penis envy.” The problem with removing his penis, though, would be that we are assuming he really has one. Considering all his claims, maybe he is still searching for it. Trump’s fantasies and imaginings do seem to be at variance with reality.
    I’m not sure, though that “penis envy” applies to Trump at all. He seems to think that his penis should be the envy of all men, and of women, too, including his older daughter.
    By the way, it has been argued that white racism is historically rooted in white male envy of black penis size.

Hillary’s “basket of deplorables” comment was a really, really stupid thing for her to say. Right up there with her remark about “putting a lot of coal miners out of business.”

Hillary Clinton was a lousy candidate. In addition the Democratic Party was doomed by its devotion to the interests of special identity groups and by its failure to represent the majority of citizens in the country. Does anyone not think that if Obama had pushed infrastructure rather than trying to make a place in history with Obamacare, then (1) the country would be in much better shape and (2) Trump would not be in the White House?

If I’d voted for the sick bastard, I sure wouldn’t want anyone to know it at this point. What’s pathetic is all the people who probably voted for him just to keep a Democrat or a woman out of the White House! I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing I helped a monster like him get in! I guess there are plenty of “haters” out there who are still all for the miserable piece of crap. Woe unto them, I say!

It would have been the ultimate in reality TV if Hillary had turned around when Trump was stalking her during that second debate and kicked him in the nuts, and then proceeded to stomp the shit out of him until the moderator asked her to stop. And it might have changed the outcome of the Electoral College tally....

For those who watched Trump in Davos last week, his being booed by journalists was significant, though it might not have been appreciated by everyone who saw it. Trump came to Davos accompanied by a large entourage of Cabinet Secretaries, government and financial officers, and a sizeable security detail. Journalists moving among various delegations for stories found U.S. security operatives trying to prevent them from asking questions of members of the Trump team. The journalists were rebelling against this. Circulating among delegates and asking questions was their job, exactly what they came to Davos to do, hence the booing!

I have known for 30 years that Trump is a self-centered, lying, cheating, crooked, evil bastard. Nothing he does surprises me, except his self-destructive impulses and his overwhelming need for approval and praise. Thus his support for the Dreamers, which many who oppose easy immigration support.
    It’s a Barnum and Bailey Show. Watching the Republicans rise and cheer a hundred times [during his State of the Union address] like so many monkeys on strings was hysterical.
    Last night I watched again Part 1 of The Roosevelts by Ken Burns. We forget how corrupt politicians were in the 1890s. Today the corruption is more clever. The bribes get paid in campaign donations and speaking fees. The quid pro quo is never mentioned but they all get rich.

Trump is the creepy, dishonest piece of shit he has always been. But being angry with him is about as useful as being angry at a pit bull instead of the dog-fight promoter. The people I fantasize about putting in front of the firing squad are the people who gave us the pit bull. The Establishment Press and Democratic Establishment Leadership. Them I will never forgive.

Maybe we should remember: what David Letterman said:

Here’s what I keep saying: We know there’s something wrong, but what I’m tired of is people – daily, nightly, on all the cable news shows – telling us there’s something wrong. I just think we ought to direct our resources and our energies to doing something about it. And other people have made this point: If the guy was running Dairy Queen, he’d be gone. This guy couldn’t work at The Gap. So why do we have to be victimized by his fecklessness, his ignorance?...Let’s just stop whining about what a goon he is and figure out a way to take him aside and put him in a home.

Grateful for correspondence, Moristotle