An important way to understand Trump and Trumpism is as an assault on reality. At issue is the attempt to control, to own, immediate truth along with any part of history that feeds such truth. Robert J. Lifton The desire to control reality is typical of authoritarianism, religious zealotry, and cultism. If you control a … Read more
I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters. Donald Trump, Iowa, January 23, 2016 Donald Trump’s approval rating among Americans has always been between 37 and 45 percent. Just over a third of our citizens seem to support him no matter what he says or … Read more
Since at least the 1890’s, the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” has been used to diminish the persuasive value of numbers in an argument. A person who uses that phrase is trying to weaken the persuasive case of an opponent by implying that “statistics” can be found to support any point of view. On … Read more
Charges of conspiracy (“fake news,” “rigged elections,” “deep state”) flow from the Trump White House constantly. They are disseminated by fast, broad-ranging, technologies, facilitated by media co-conspirators, and assented to by elected representatives who know better but remain silent. Today, conspiracism is not, as we might expect, the last resort of permanent political losers but … Read more
I used to think that Donald J. Trump was simply incompetent. That the problem was that the presidency was far beyond his abilities. That he was flailing because he was in way over his head. It very quickly became obvious to me that he is an extreme narcissist. Everything around him has to be about … Read more
We now live in a state of “malignant normality.” Lies, assertions, accusations, misinformation, and disinformation flow freely and routinely from the White House and from Fox News. They then get amplified by elected Republicans and through social media to a gullible public. The coronavirus pandemic is highlighting the danger of this situation. A few days … Read more
The pandemic spread of the 2020 novel coronavirus, with its attendant “stay at home” mandates, has caused many adults to be more directly involved with their children than perhaps they were used to. In particular, the closure of schools has both kept the kids home and shifted a major portion of educating them to their … Read more
Pathocracy — a system of government wherein a small pathological minority takes control over a society of normal people. Andrew Lobaczewski Pathocracy — governance by individuals with a seriously defective or missing conscience, specifically narcissists, and their ilk. Elizabeth Mika The government of the United States is now unmistakably pathological. The behavior of the United … Read more