One of the hallmarks of Democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from one elected administration to the next. This is especially important when the outgoing and the incoming administrations are from opposing parties. It is, of course, difficult to lose a hard-fought contest, but the mature response is always for the loser to stand … Read more
When a new presidential administration takes office in the United States, there is a large turnover of employees in the Executive Branch of the Federal government. There are two categories of employee: the political appointees and the career civil servants. The political appointees come and go, while, of course, the career civil servants provide continuity … Read more
Now that the Biden/Harris transition has begun, there is talk about what will or should happen to Donald Trump after his presidency. The conversation ranges from those who want Trump, his family, his supporters, (and half of Congress!) in prison as soon as possible, to those who advocate “reaching out,” to his supporters and “moving … Read more
The central aspect of Donald Trump’s character, and the thing that qualifies him as evil (rather just a buffoon), is that he is a congenital liar. The Bible clearly states that “all liars” will go to hell (Revelation 21:8). The Book of Mormon teaches that the devil is “the father of all lies” (2Nephi 2:18). … Read more
In the election of 2020, nearly 73 million Americans voted for autocracy over democracy. Most of these people are under the brain-numbing influence of lies, manipulation, and conspiracy-thinking. The frightening thing is that even without Trump in the White House, they could still be a potent and dangerous political force. Currently, the most obvious effect … Read more
The word “perspective” means the way that one looks at something. It is your viewpoint, your picture of the world. The suffix “-cide” means “to kill.” “Perspecticide” means to kill or destroy someone’s sense of self and their grasp on the truth about the world. The citizens of United States of America today are the … Read more
Democracy, at least in theory, relies on a rational electorate acting in response to credible information. Since the dawn of mass media, elections have been shaped by voters’ reactions to the news. But as I drove through the three states that decided the 2016 election by a little less than 80,000 votes, I sensed a … Read more
Trump supporters demonstrate an “extreme devotion and unwavering admiration for their highly unpredictable and often inflammatory leader” (Azarian). Psychologist Thomas Pettigrew has identified five psychological phenomena that help to explain their behavior. 1. Authoritarian Personality Syndrome. People with this syndrome are submissive to authority, have a rigid hierarchical view of society, resist new experiences, and … Read more