Donald Trump is unprecedented
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1Urquhart
Muscogulus says that:
"the consensus of The Wise is that Donald Trump is unprecedented."
Coming from anyone else, I would ignore that statement, but coming from an historian who truly loves and respects his history and its methodology is a surprise.
To say that is like saying:
- that you have never seen a full blown case of Narcissism before. And as we would both agree Narcissism has been around for quite some time.
-that Agamemnon, the Greek leader in The Iliad was a one time in history personality. Not at all, Agamemnon lives again in Donald Trump. They both take and take...
-that the rage spoken of in The Iliad was something that only the Greeks experienced. Rage is felt by all, but not moderated by all who feel it.
-that Benito Mussolini never happened. My 90 year old Jewish father-in-law said only yesterday that he sees Benito Mussolini all over again in Donald Trump.
-that Silvio Berlusconi the big media magnate in Italy is any different from this recent American real estate magnate Donald Trump.
-that history might not always repeat itself, but there are instances when a whole lot of rhyming is going on.
The crying shame in America is that because it is still so young, that Americans, like most adolescents, believe that all that happens here is truly new and unique. That is dangerously and seriously wrong.
Human nature has been around for as long as humans have. Americans both "Wise" and not Wise would do well to recognize that fact.
"the consensus of The Wise is that Donald Trump is unprecedented."
Coming from anyone else, I would ignore that statement, but coming from an historian who truly loves and respects his history and its methodology is a surprise.
To say that is like saying:
- that you have never seen a full blown case of Narcissism before. And as we would both agree Narcissism has been around for quite some time.
-that Agamemnon, the Greek leader in The Iliad was a one time in history personality. Not at all, Agamemnon lives again in Donald Trump. They both take and take...
-that the rage spoken of in The Iliad was something that only the Greeks experienced. Rage is felt by all, but not moderated by all who feel it.
-that Benito Mussolini never happened. My 90 year old Jewish father-in-law said only yesterday that he sees Benito Mussolini all over again in Donald Trump.
-that Silvio Berlusconi the big media magnate in Italy is any different from this recent American real estate magnate Donald Trump.
-that history might not always repeat itself, but there are instances when a whole lot of rhyming is going on.
The crying shame in America is that because it is still so young, that Americans, like most adolescents, believe that all that happens here is truly new and unique. That is dangerously and seriously wrong.
Human nature has been around for as long as humans have. Americans both "Wise" and not Wise would do well to recognize that fact.
2March-Hare
Agreed, more like the predictable outcome of the right wing's deployment of middle class resentment that has been going on since Goldwater.
3DinadansFriend
>2 March-Hare::
In the interests of everyone's education, can we admit that not everyone is "Middle Class"?
The constant misstatement that what is a working-class and lower-middle class discontent rather than "Middle-Class" allows a great deal of sloppy thinking. Poor definitions create very sloppy thinking and then allows verbal abuse to replace analysis, and possibly enlightenment.
But the Trump campaign is the Right wing in USA that is currently mobilizing the discontent in order to defend their privileges. Scott Adams, the man who draws "Dilbert", in an appearance on the Bill Mahr show defines Trump as a hypnotist, a man whose content doesn't matter. What he is doing is providing a pleasant experience to his audience, creating a "Glow" associated with his name that is repaid in the voting booth. So far that has worked for him, and his co-opting of the Republicans has been brilliant.
What is so sad is that so many Americans rate this feeling of the glow over their actual need to find a leader who will actually improve the experience of life in the USA. What is unprecedented about the Trump experience is the precise mixture he has decanted from his bottles of snake-oils!
In the interests of everyone's education, can we admit that not everyone is "Middle Class"?
The constant misstatement that what is a working-class and lower-middle class discontent rather than "Middle-Class" allows a great deal of sloppy thinking. Poor definitions create very sloppy thinking and then allows verbal abuse to replace analysis, and possibly enlightenment.
But the Trump campaign is the Right wing in USA that is currently mobilizing the discontent in order to defend their privileges. Scott Adams, the man who draws "Dilbert", in an appearance on the Bill Mahr show defines Trump as a hypnotist, a man whose content doesn't matter. What he is doing is providing a pleasant experience to his audience, creating a "Glow" associated with his name that is repaid in the voting booth. So far that has worked for him, and his co-opting of the Republicans has been brilliant.
What is so sad is that so many Americans rate this feeling of the glow over their actual need to find a leader who will actually improve the experience of life in the USA. What is unprecedented about the Trump experience is the precise mixture he has decanted from his bottles of snake-oils!
4madpoet
Both Trump and Sanders have been successful in this election because they have stated what establishment candidates have not: that something is rotten in the American economy. And in all developed economies, which is why the far right and far left are doing well in Europe now, too. Even Japanese politics is becoming (slightly) more radical. The de-industrialization of North America, Europe and Japan needs to finally be addressed, although it's 20 years late. Free trade is fine and good if it's between economies of roughly equal size and level of development, but free trade between developed and developing economies is quite a different beast. Free trade with China has devastated western manufacturing.
Trump's 'America first' ideal also appeals to many Americans who are sick of all the wars abroad their country has been involved in. How many billions of dollars did Americans spend on rebuilding Afghanistan, while Detroit was ignored, left to die a slow death, and by a black president, too?
I am not a fan of Trump. He would be a horrible president. But he's not wrong about everything, and to dismiss him out of hand is to ignore a few lessons that could be learned.
Trump's 'America first' ideal also appeals to many Americans who are sick of all the wars abroad their country has been involved in. How many billions of dollars did Americans spend on rebuilding Afghanistan, while Detroit was ignored, left to die a slow death, and by a black president, too?
I am not a fan of Trump. He would be a horrible president. But he's not wrong about everything, and to dismiss him out of hand is to ignore a few lessons that could be learned.
