So Trump wrote a book. No...not Donald. His niece, Mary. In itself, it's not much different from the conga line of mostly past-employees who paint the same picture of the guy (oh, btw...John Bolton confirmed in his book what was already known: Donald Trump did blackmail Ukraine). And even the fact that she's both family and a psychologist isn't very groundbreaking (I got an unread case study on him on my computer for some years now). And...frankly, I don't give a damn about his troubled youth or his abusive father, or blah blah blah...
What peaked my interest is something I implicitly already knew, but that really clicked once I heard her (okay...someone else summarize this part of her book) say it:
Donald Trump takes enjoyment of the controversy he creates
Now...since I don't have a degree on psychology, I might have missed that this might be a characteristic of the other labels put on him (narcissist and troll come to mind...the latter obviously NOT a DSM-5 certified label). But it's important not to dismiss it as a smirk ("yeah...DUH!!!"), as it's a key treat. In fact, it's perhaps the sole aspect of Trump that anyone to his political left should be glad about.
Let me put it this way: when most of us would paint a picture of utopia (lead by the one painting the picture), it'd be one where is some sort of balance. Whether this'd be an all out handholding fest singing kumbaya around the campfire or a world filled with borderwalls where every citizen gotta stay put, there is a "this is how it should be" vision where people living their lives within the given laws.
But if Mary Trump's perception is correct, this utopia isn't what her uncle wants or strides for. In fact, he's lived most of his version of utopia literally since his inauguration.
Remember that time? Democrats were weeping that Hillary lost while a hitherto (relatively) unheard of group got the leader they wanted. And man, did they come out.
Was it a big crowd? Yeah, sure. Nothing wrong with it. And while you could say democrats were bitter(1), the win was justified. Trump was to be sworn in as president. Could have been a great start.
...but instead, he used the opportunity to launch the idea that it was "the greatest turn-up ever". That simply wasn't true. Police records and photographs easily proved it wrong...but reporters fell in Trump's trap. He didn't want the media to correct him. Heck...he didn't even want them to just go along with it. No...what he wanted was exactly what he got: controversy. The birth of "alternative facts", "fake news" and "hoax" as catchphrases. Police reports always have a source that can be discredited. Pictures can always be virtually editted.
This whole sherade baffled non-US people for two reasons. The main one was rather known: your limited political spectrum. Europe traditionally has at least a good handfull of parties that keep each other honest. A party can't simply claim that the others are lying, because that'd be an uphill battle (if you steal a candy bar and there's only one other kid around to see it, you can attempt to pin the theft on him. Try it when the whole class saw it and it'll fail miserably). But the US has only two political parties, so making the other look bad is an easier way to gain access to power than, y'know...properly demonstrate how you'd use the power you would be getting. From what I can tell, this mud throwing used to be mostly for show. Sure, the Bushes, Clintons and Obama's made some stabs at each other during the race for the president, but once they were in the presidential seat they found themselves needing both parties to rule the country. Donald just continued this rhetoric of divide and conquer behind closed doors.
The second reason will no doubt get me some flack: it's the lack of education in your country. The "free speech" you hold so hight has ended you victims of con men. Probably a few times too many, so as a result you've grown suspicious of (media) sources to trust. Heck...perhaps you don't even HAVE proper reliable sources, which is a rather scary thought here in the EU(2). It's not that we don't have conspiracy theorists(3), but it's at best a minority group of the minority group. Attracts a few lost souls that wouldn't achieve to much anyway. However, I've read that in the US, people believing in...erm..."alternative religions" range in the double digits. Can't recall the exact figure, but with easily over double the amount of people as potential voters, a "it's the common man vs the elite" can really take off.
Of course, it's now the same "elite" that are trying to rescue the country. And in a way, this is really reaping what was sowed. Over the last three years, Trump has trolled like no one ever before. It landed him (among others) an economic war with China, the longest government shutdown in modern history, his own impeachment and the highest number of fired employees since it was counted. Yet he's still in power.
Sure, I could point to quite a few pointers to indicate his ship is sinking:
-the Lincoln project is a growing number of republicans who hate his guts
-his popularity is the lowest its ever been
-he can't properly fill up a stadion of supporters
-black lives matter was a thing where any potential president would see huge ass popularity by ensuring he's on their side. He, however, chose something else
-both his former US national security advisor and his niece wrote books that line up with what others layed out on his behavior
-more and more state senators openly defy his decrees in order to keep their citizens safe
-attacking mail-in-voting means that grumpy old bastards can't even properly vote for him without risking their lives
-polls show Biden - a guy who barely leaves his basement, ffs - now even tied or leading in republican bastions like Texas
-even fox news admits his latest "urgent press meeting" was flat out campaign propaganda
So...how does he respond to all this?
(incidentally: that's about the first time I've seen him actually smiling)
So...yeah. I know: writing about this only plays into his hand. So is every post disagreeing here, because the Streissand-effect means that it'll only increase it being talked about. Still...it's been a while since I ranted, and I felt like it. So...yeah.
But lemme tell you Trump supporters the following: he'll love writings like this more than he likes your cheering (remember Jeff Sessions? First senator to back him. Now he's nowhere. Pretend Trump gives a damn about you all you want...but you'd be wrong)
(1): I could make the "and rightfully so" argument, but really: that'd only give readers the idea that I'm a bitter loser myself, whereas I had zero influence in the election to begin with
(2): we've got one state sponsored television network. And that might seem strange (perhaps even communist) to you, but again: we've got so many political parties that as a result, the network just tries to be neutal to everyone as a result
(3): heh...my father was a tax auditor before his retirement. About ten years ago, he told me he had to audit an organisation that predicted the end of the world in 2012. It was hilarious (damn...I've got to ask if he remembered what happened to it in 2013
).
What peaked my interest is something I implicitly already knew, but that really clicked once I heard her (okay...someone else summarize this part of her book) say it:
Donald Trump takes enjoyment of the controversy he creates
Now...since I don't have a degree on psychology, I might have missed that this might be a characteristic of the other labels put on him (narcissist and troll come to mind...the latter obviously NOT a DSM-5 certified label). But it's important not to dismiss it as a smirk ("yeah...DUH!!!"), as it's a key treat. In fact, it's perhaps the sole aspect of Trump that anyone to his political left should be glad about.
Let me put it this way: when most of us would paint a picture of utopia (lead by the one painting the picture), it'd be one where is some sort of balance. Whether this'd be an all out handholding fest singing kumbaya around the campfire or a world filled with borderwalls where every citizen gotta stay put, there is a "this is how it should be" vision where people living their lives within the given laws.
But if Mary Trump's perception is correct, this utopia isn't what her uncle wants or strides for. In fact, he's lived most of his version of utopia literally since his inauguration.
Remember that time? Democrats were weeping that Hillary lost while a hitherto (relatively) unheard of group got the leader they wanted. And man, did they come out.
Was it a big crowd? Yeah, sure. Nothing wrong with it. And while you could say democrats were bitter(1), the win was justified. Trump was to be sworn in as president. Could have been a great start.
...but instead, he used the opportunity to launch the idea that it was "the greatest turn-up ever". That simply wasn't true. Police records and photographs easily proved it wrong...but reporters fell in Trump's trap. He didn't want the media to correct him. Heck...he didn't even want them to just go along with it. No...what he wanted was exactly what he got: controversy. The birth of "alternative facts", "fake news" and "hoax" as catchphrases. Police reports always have a source that can be discredited. Pictures can always be virtually editted.
This whole sherade baffled non-US people for two reasons. The main one was rather known: your limited political spectrum. Europe traditionally has at least a good handfull of parties that keep each other honest. A party can't simply claim that the others are lying, because that'd be an uphill battle (if you steal a candy bar and there's only one other kid around to see it, you can attempt to pin the theft on him. Try it when the whole class saw it and it'll fail miserably). But the US has only two political parties, so making the other look bad is an easier way to gain access to power than, y'know...properly demonstrate how you'd use the power you would be getting. From what I can tell, this mud throwing used to be mostly for show. Sure, the Bushes, Clintons and Obama's made some stabs at each other during the race for the president, but once they were in the presidential seat they found themselves needing both parties to rule the country. Donald just continued this rhetoric of divide and conquer behind closed doors.
The second reason will no doubt get me some flack: it's the lack of education in your country. The "free speech" you hold so hight has ended you victims of con men. Probably a few times too many, so as a result you've grown suspicious of (media) sources to trust. Heck...perhaps you don't even HAVE proper reliable sources, which is a rather scary thought here in the EU(2). It's not that we don't have conspiracy theorists(3), but it's at best a minority group of the minority group. Attracts a few lost souls that wouldn't achieve to much anyway. However, I've read that in the US, people believing in...erm..."alternative religions" range in the double digits. Can't recall the exact figure, but with easily over double the amount of people as potential voters, a "it's the common man vs the elite" can really take off.
Of course, it's now the same "elite" that are trying to rescue the country. And in a way, this is really reaping what was sowed. Over the last three years, Trump has trolled like no one ever before. It landed him (among others) an economic war with China, the longest government shutdown in modern history, his own impeachment and the highest number of fired employees since it was counted. Yet he's still in power.
Sure, I could point to quite a few pointers to indicate his ship is sinking:
-the Lincoln project is a growing number of republicans who hate his guts
-his popularity is the lowest its ever been
-he can't properly fill up a stadion of supporters
-black lives matter was a thing where any potential president would see huge ass popularity by ensuring he's on their side. He, however, chose something else
-both his former US national security advisor and his niece wrote books that line up with what others layed out on his behavior
-more and more state senators openly defy his decrees in order to keep their citizens safe
-attacking mail-in-voting means that grumpy old bastards can't even properly vote for him without risking their lives
-polls show Biden - a guy who barely leaves his basement, ffs - now even tied or leading in republican bastions like Texas
-even fox news admits his latest "urgent press meeting" was flat out campaign propaganda
So...how does he respond to all this?
NEW CONTROVERSIES FOR EVERYONE!!!! 
So...yeah. I know: writing about this only plays into his hand. So is every post disagreeing here, because the Streissand-effect means that it'll only increase it being talked about. Still...it's been a while since I ranted, and I felt like it. So...yeah.
But lemme tell you Trump supporters the following: he'll love writings like this more than he likes your cheering (remember Jeff Sessions? First senator to back him. Now he's nowhere. Pretend Trump gives a damn about you all you want...but you'd be wrong)
(1): I could make the "and rightfully so" argument, but really: that'd only give readers the idea that I'm a bitter loser myself, whereas I had zero influence in the election to begin with
(2): we've got one state sponsored television network. And that might seem strange (perhaps even communist) to you, but again: we've got so many political parties that as a result, the network just tries to be neutal to everyone as a result
(3): heh...my father was a tax auditor before his retirement. About ten years ago, he told me he had to audit an organisation that predicted the end of the world in 2012. It was hilarious (damn...I've got to ask if he remembered what happened to it in 2013
).
