I. Fear Donald wants to know how the GOP gets people to vote against their own interests: Answer: The GOP propaganda machine is designed to play on their fears. Do you all know about that Current Biology article that showed brain differences between conservatives and liberals? MRI scans revealed that self-described conservative students have a …
The GOP believes that it is tyranny when a government takes steps to save lives, and good government when the wealthy get tax breaks. That’s because the GOP is the party of hierarchy. They don’t believe fairness and equality are possible. Hierarchy people think there’s a natural order. Some people belong on top. Others belong …
(Updating an earlier thread) I’m using Chile as an example because my husband’s family experienced the Pinochet dictatorship, so I have first hand accounts. I’ll also explain why I get so testy with the doomsayers. Sources for facts and quotations are from: Chile is a good example because—like the US, and unlike other countries who …
I know he seems like the Teflon President, who can do or say anything and slide past it. But the disinfectant comments strikes me as fundamentally different from other sensational or rage-provoking comments Trump has uttered. I don’t think he’ll live this one down. Why is this different from, say, children in cages or the …
There’s Something about that Disinfectant Comment Read More »
David Frum appeared on MSNBC and said, Trump “is weak, he is heading for a historic political defeat–one that will likely take the Republican Senate down with him. He is terrified all the time. His bravado is a carapace around his fear.“ Trump’s brand is built around winning. In his world—where cheating and breaking rules …
When Your Brand is Built On Winning, What Happens When You Lose? Read More »
Today is an important anniversary. 69 years ago, on April 23, 1951, in Farmville, VA, Barbara Johns led a walkout of her segregated high school to protest the unfair and deplorable conditions of her school. What?! You don’t know who Barbara Johns was? She led her walkout more than 4 years before Rosa Parks refused …
Trump has no interest in controlling the pandemic. He wants to control the narrative. To answer this question, I will weave together: The purpose of government The limits of Sadopopulism, and Trump’s lifelong formula: what matters is the appearance of success. Let’s look at two opposing theories about the purpose of government: Democratic and Hierarchical. …
This morning, Trump Tweeted this: “Attack immigrants” didn’t work. He knew he’d better come up with something. Wait . . . a movie . . .Wag the Dog! (For Trump, a manufactured crisis works better than a real one) It’s what I’ve called the Outrage Cycle. It’s a simple, effective formula. Trump says something outrageous …
This is more of an observation than a full blog post. Locating the problem entirely in Trump’s psyche misses the larger picture and pattern and can give the false impression that removing Trump solves all problems. I don’t doubt that Trump has mental and personality issues, but he also springs from decades of Republican policies. …
A few days ago, I said it wasn’t a coincidence that Trump tweeted “liberate!” and then a few hours later, “liberate” protests appeared. Turns out that the protests were staged and financed by the same folks that made up the Charlottesville crowd. The problem for Trump was that the ploy didn’t work. Trump lost a …
