This 19th-century philosopher perfectly explained the phenomenon that keeps Trump fan

[signalmankenneth]

This 19th-century philosopher perfectly explained the phenomenon that keeps Trump fans so devoted to the disastrous president

By any reasonable standard, President Donald Trump’s record in office has been a dismal failure. His sole legislative achievement of his first two years in office was a massive tax…

By any reasonable standard, President Donald Trump’s record in office has been a dismal failure.

His sole legislative achievement of his first two years in office was a massive tax cut for the wealthy, driven largely by the plutocratic impulses of the Republican Party that he campaigned against and which has failed to deliver its proponents’ promises of an economic resurgence. In fact, the stock market, once a point of pride for the president, has entered into a phase of wild volatility that hardly bodes well for the future.

Trump’s pledges to unveil a great new universal health care policy were proven to be vaporware. He has diminished American standing on the world stage and engaged in pointless trade wars. Even on his defining issue, immigration, Trump has proven incapable of making any substantive reforms to policy and has instead has inflicted pointless cruelty. For those who share his animus toward immigrants, this is no grounds for celebration — Trump’s attacks appear to have backfired and made Americans more favorable to immigration.

These are only the most prominent of Trump’s obvious policy failures — they don’t even touch the unending waves of personal corruption scandals, arising from both Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and beyond.

https://www.alternet.org/2018/12/th...-fans-so-devoted-to-the-disastrous-president/

 

[PostmodernProphet]

tax cuts, SC appointees, cancelled regulations, eliminated Paris Accords.......I hope the next two years are just as "uneventful"..........

 

[kudzu]

tax cuts, SC appointees, cancelled regulations, eliminated Paris Accords.......I hope the next two years are just as "uneventful"..........

John Stuart Mill, the 19th-century philosopher who helped found the tradition of modern liberal political thinking, explained the phenomenon well at the beginning of his essay “The Subjection of Women” (recently pointed out by Roddy Campbell on Twitter):

So long as opinion is strongly rooted in the feelings, it gains rather than loses instability by having a preponderating weight of argument against it.

For if it were accepted as a result of argument, the refutation of the argument might shake the solidity of the conviction; but when it rests solely on feeling, worse it fares in argumentative contest, the more persuaded adherents are that their feeling must have some deeper ground, which the arguments do not reach; and while the feeling remains, it is always throwing up fresh intrenchments of argument to repair any breach made in the old.

Mill was referring to certain forms of misogyny — the belief system that women’s proper role is inferior to men’s. But support for Trump has, in many ways, been a proxy for a range of beliefs and feelings about politics and society, including racist and misogynistic beliefs.

This was reflected in the number of people who cited his opposition to “political correctness” as the basis for their supporting him.

His support has also included a personal element of devotion to the individual, reflective of authoritarian politics, in a way that is not always present in political support.

 

[kudzu]

Relatedly, Jonathan Swift wrote in 1721:

Reasoning will never make a Man correct an ill Opinion, which by Reasoning he never acquired.

It is often quoted as, “It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he never was reasoned into.”

But this view, I believe, is too pessimistic. Mill, for one, didn’t believe it, which is why he wrote the “The Subjection of Women.” He believed he could convincingly advocate for the equality of men and women, even if it would be an uphill battle, writing: “As regards the present question, I am going to accept the unfavourable conditions which the prejudice assigns to me.”

Regardless of whether the minds of Trump’s most fervent supporters can be changed, however, it’s important to remember that they are a minority of the country. Trump has never been a popular president, and that will always limit his ability to wreak havoc on the country and beyond.

 

[Phantasmal]

Relatedly, Jonathan Swift wrote in 1721:

Reasoning will never make a Man correct an ill Opinion, which by Reasoning he never acquired.

It is often quoted as, “It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he never was reasoned into.”

But this view, I believe, is too pessimistic. Mill, for one, didn’t believe it, which is why he wrote the “The Subjection of Women.” He believed he could convincingly advocate for the equality of men and women, even if it would be an uphill battle, writing: “As regards the present question, I am going to accept the unfavourable conditions which the prejudice assigns to me.”

Regardless of whether the minds of Trump’s most fervent supporters can be changed, however, it’s important to remember that they are a minority of the country. Trump has never been a popular president, and that will always limit his ability to wreak havoc on the country and beyond.

Yes, but the damage he has done is going to have to be undone and that’s going to take some time. I’m not afraid it can’t be undone, like with Bush, but it seems like just when we get things right in the world, we elect another idiot, like Trump.

 

[anatta]

He has diminished American standing on the world stage and engaged in pointless trade wars. Even on his defining issue, immigration, Trump has proven incapable of making any substantive reforms to policy and has instead has inflicted pointless cruelty.

ROFL...such garbage

 

[kudzu]

Yes, but the damage he has done is going to have to be undone and that’s going to take some time. I’m not afraid it can’t be undone, like with Bush, but it seems like just when we get things right in the world, we elect another idiot, like Trump.

Bush's competency certainly came into question with his trumped up intel and invasion of Iraq, installing Maliki, handling of Hurricane Katrina.. and related issues, but he was far superior to Trump in every regard.

I think Trump's "legacy" will be wiped out instantly what with his crappy choices for the EPA, Dept of the Interior and Dept of Education.. Call is backdraft...

 

[kudzu]

ROFL...such garbage

Trump's intelligence is far below average..

 

[Phantasmal]

Bush's competency certainly came into question with his trumped up intel and invasion of Iraq, installing Maliki, handling of Hurricane Katrina.. and related issues, but he was far superior to Trump in every regard.

I think Trump's "legacy" will be wiped out instantly what with his crappy choices for the EPA, Dept of the Interior and Dept of Education.. Call is backdraft...

Was there ever a time when you thought you’d find Bush superior to anything. This shows you have low Trump has taken us.

 

[kudzu]

Was there ever a time when you thought you’d find Bush superior to anything. This shows you have low Trump has taken us.

Dubya made me nuts.. I thought he was so stupid, but he had the mentality of a cheerleader and was likable.

Trump is stupid, poorly educated, totally self centered and vindictive. Trump has a mean streak a mile wide and that coupled with his gross insecurities is the stuff of monsters.

 

[evince]

hes just as evil as Dick Cheney and one tenth as smart

 

[evince]

Yes, but the damage he has done is going to have to be undone and that’s going to take some time. I’m not afraid it can’t be undone, like with Bush, but it seems like just when we get things right in the world, we elect another idiot, like Trump.

its called republican party election cheating paid for by the wealthy


take the money out


end their ability to cheat in elections


and keep the republicans from working with hostile nations to FIX the American elections and it will work like the founders planned it to work

FOR THE PEOPLE

 

[reagansghost]

our society has been cursed with mindless reactionaries who have supported their big money masters since the git go, brainwashed by hyper partisan political propaganda, mainly about the hated lib'ruls, since birth

IMO all powerful nations have the same problem........the elite class (represented in America by GOP politicians) runs the show , and of course put their own interests WAY above anyone else's

 

[Centerleftfl]

This 19th-century philosopher perfectly explained the phenomenon that keeps Trump fans so devoted to the disastrous president

By any reasonable standard, President Donald Trump’s record in office has been a dismal failure. His sole legislative achievement of his first two years in office was a massive tax…

By any reasonable standard, President Donald Trump’s record in office has been a dismal failure.

His sole legislative achievement of his first two years in office was a massive tax cut for the wealthy, driven largely by the plutocratic impulses of the Republican Party that he campaigned against and which has failed to deliver its proponents’ promises of an economic resurgence. In fact, the stock market, once a point of pride for the president, has entered into a phase of wild volatility that hardly bodes well for the future.

Trump’s pledges to unveil a great new universal health care policy were proven to be vaporware. He has diminished American standing on the world stage and engaged in pointless trade wars. Even on his defining issue, immigration, Trump has proven incapable of making any substantive reforms to policy and has instead has inflicted pointless cruelty. For those who share his animus toward immigrants, this is no grounds for celebration — Trump’s attacks appear to have backfired and made Americans more favorable to immigration.

These are only the most prominent of Trump’s obvious policy failures — they don’t even touch the unending waves of personal corruption scandals, arising from both Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and beyond.

https://www.alternet.org/2018/12/th...-fans-so-devoted-to-the-disastrous-president/

Mindboggling. You do realize these people are READY FOR IT TO BE OVER and if Trump can make it happen faster, they will continue to put their LIVES in his hands. THEY WANT TO MET THEIR MAKER!!

 

[Phantasmal]

Dubya made me nuts.. I thought he was so stupid, but he had the mentality of a cheerleader and was likable.

Trump is stupid, poorly educated, totally self centered and vindictive. Trump has a mean streak a mile wide and that coupled with his gross insecurities is the stuff of monsters.

This is so true, I found myself at times feeling sorry for him. He listened to the wrong people and like Trump was in way over his head. I do truly believe he agonized over the deaths of our soldiers. I felt he had a conscience.

Trump on the other hand only sees things if they are beneficial to him and has to be told by Ivanka that something is morally apprehensive. I totally agree with your views on Trump.

 

[evince]

our society has been cursed with mindless reactionaries who have supported their big money masters since the git go, brainwashed by hyper partisan political propaganda, mainly about the hated lib'ruls, since birth

IMO all powerful nations have the same problem........the elite class (represented in America by GOP politicians) runs the show , and of course put their own interests WAY above anyone else's

fox news needs to die

 

[evince]

This is so true, I found myself at times feeling sorry for him. He listened to the wrong people and like Trump was in way over his head. I do truly believe he agonized over the deaths of our soldiers. I felt he had a conscience.

Trump on the other hand only sees things if they are beneficial to him and has to be told by Ivanka that something is morally apprehensive. I totally agree with your views on Trump.

spot on


I don't think Bush 43 is a sociopath

Donny the orange mushroom bone spur is obviously a sociopath

 

[evince]

Cheney was the REAL president at that time

He was the sociopath

 

[kudzu]

Cheney was the REAL president at that time

He was the sociopath

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

~
The symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder include: grandiose sense of importance, preoccupation with unlimited success, belief that one is special and unique, exploitative of others, lack of empathy, arrogance, jealousy of others, inability to take criticism, craves admiration.

 

[evince]

that sounds like part of the republican party platform