“A Republic, if you can keep it.” Donald Trump and the Tyranny of the Mob…

[ABX]

For the last eight years I’ve been shaking my head, simply bewildered that so many Americans could be so insane as to vote for Barack Obama for president. Not surprisingly, once Obama was ensconced in the White House things played out pretty much as predicted with virtually every month bringing new news of a faltering economy, a shrinking workforce and more government waste, intervention and tyranny. In 2012, after Fast and Furious, the IRS Tea Party scandal, Obamacare and, most of all, Benghazi, I was sure that Americans would rise up and throw out the anti American Obama and vote for the less than conservative, but exponentially superior Mittens Romney. Alas, the population spoke, and they doubled down on the fascist living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I was certain that year that if only a real conservative who could eloquently articulate the basic tenants of small government and fiscal responsibility had run he would have won by a landslide. After all, wasn’t it obvious that Barack Obama was the worst president in American history and the Democrats were rapidly devolving into open Socialism?....

http://www.floppingaces.net/2016/04/27/a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it-donald-trump-and-the-tyranny-of-the-mob/

[geronl]

 

[Jazzhead]

If the threat of mob violence and anarchy are enough to do away with the rules when Trump has nothing but a vocal minority of GOP voters on his side, what chance do Constitutional restraints on government have when he is in charge of the entire government infrastructure?

Trump supporters should be ashamed of themselves, for selling their souls on the cheap.   Trump will make Obama look like a piker in his disregard of Constitutional constraints.   I will continue to fight against Trump's fascism, and the good Germans who enable him.   

[austingirl]

Trump is as much a cult of personality as Zero. His followers are equally blind to reason and Trump's varying and contradictory positions on issues. They are looking to a self-promoting reality TV star and businessman with a questionable record, who is as much of an authoritarian as Zero, to save the Republic. I can hear the shouts of "You're fired!" from the White House if we are so unfortunate to get President Trump. Hoping and praying the Midwest and West save us from this fate. Of course, I seriously doubt he could defeat Hitlery.

[A-Lert]

Trump supporters should be ashamed of themselves, for selling their souls on the cheap.   Trump will make Obama look like a piker in his disregard of Constitutional constraints.   I will continue to fight against Trump's fascism, and the good Germans who enable him.

   The only things I'm ashamed of are the self-professed, holier-than-thou, Christians who denigrate me because I'm not anti-Trump, a candidate who wants to make America great again, secure her borders, balance the budget, get fair trade deals and get this country out of debt.

[Jazzhead]

  The only things I'm ashamed of are the self-professed, holier-than-thou, Christians who denigrate me because I'm not anti-Trump, a candidate who wants to make America great again, secure her borders, balance the budget, get fair trade deals and get this country out of debt.

And you believe all that?  Then you're a fool - a shameless fool, but still a fool.   

[A-Lert]

And you believe all that?  Then you're a fool - a shameless fool, but still a fool.

Your opinion of me is worth zero, just like your candidate. LOSER!

[Free Vulcan]

  The only things I'm ashamed of are the self-professed, holier-than-thou, Christians who denigrate me because I'm not anti-Trump, a candidate who wants to make America great again, secure her borders, balance the budget, get fair trade deals and get this country out of debt.

[A-Lert]

Trump, the candidate with the most to lose if he isn't a good POTUS.

[geronl]

 :thumbsup2:

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Good editorial AbaraXas.  Thanx for posting it.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

What bothers me the most is the open disdain Trump and so many of his supporters (not all) seem to have for reasoned argument, and particularly, the vehemence with which some of them attack those who are educated.  One thing I learned in the military is that it is horribly wrong to look down on someone because they lack education -  some of my enlisted Marines were among the sharpest, highest-quality individuals I've ever known.   But it is perhaps even worse to look down on someone precisely because they are educated.  They seem to hate the "fancy-talking elites" with a true passion, as if being able to write a coherent paragraph is evidence of some moral failing.  It is not only the dumbing down of the Republic, but a celebration of dumbing it down.

Don't worry.  Trump will do our thinking for us.  He has great words and great thoughts too.  A new cultural revolution is upon us. ^-^

[A-Lert]

What bothers me the most is the open disdain Trump and so many of his supporters (not all) seem to have for reasoned argument, and particularly, the vehemence with which some of them attack those who are educated.  One thing I learned in the military is that it is horribly wrong to look down on someone because they lack education -  some of my enlisted Marines were among the sharpest, highest-quality individuals I've ever known.   But it is perhaps even worse to look down on someone precisely because they are educated.  They seem to hate the "fancy-talking elites" with a true passion, as if being able to write a coherent paragraph is evidence of some moral failing.  It is not only the dumbing down of the Republic, but a celebration of dumbing it down.

Funny, the anti-Trumps were just critical here recently of  Trump for him referring to  his  "uneducated  supporters".   As you are well aware, being educated doesn't necessarily translate to common sense and "smarts".

[Bill Cipher]

What bothers me the most is the open disdain Trump and so many of his supporters (not all) seem to have for reasoned argument, and particularly, the vehemence with which some of them attack those who are educated.  One thing I learned in the military is that it is horribly wrong to look down on someone because they lack education -  some of my enlisted Marines were among the sharpest, highest-quality individuals I've ever known.   But it is perhaps even worse to look down on someone precisely because they are educated.  They seem to hate the "fancy-talking elites" with a true passion, as if being able to write a coherent paragraph is evidence of some moral failing.  It is not only the dumbing down of the Republic, but a celebration of dumbing it down.

In addition to the disdain for "larnin'" there's also the fact that Trump appeals bluntly to emotion - that is, after all, the core element of his "truthful hyperbole" doctrine - and so you have to be emotionally committed to be a Trump supporter.  This can become a vicious circle because emotions are much more of a tribal thing than is reasoned argument, and people who are operating on the emotional rather than the intellectual level can "smell out" dissidents and non-believers very quickly, and when they do they respond to them emotionally, not intellectually.  Hence the phenomenon of virulent emotional attacks by so many STrumpets. 

[LMAO]

I understand the attraction to the Trump candidacy. I think the commonality we all have is not only our disgust with the GOP establishment but the general direction of the country.

If you vote for Trump out of pragmatism(keep Hillary out of the White House) and nothing more, that's separate from when people change or compromise their deeply held principles to excuse Trump's slow drift leftward. One can vote for a candidate and still be critical of that individual or disagree on issues. One shouldn't become a sycophant

[Bill Cipher]

Funny, the anti-Trumps were just critical here recently of  Trump for him referring to  his  "uneducated  supporters".   As you are well aware, being educated doesn't necessarily translate to common sense and "smarts".

Because he was referring to them dismissively; i.e., he was looking down his nose at them.  But to an emotionally committed follower that is not only acceptable but expected because it validates the followers belief that the "leader" is worth following precisely because he's better than - more capable than - his followers.  this is, of course, a core attribute of cults of personality.

[driftdiver]

Funny, the anti-Trumps were just critical here recently of  Trump for him referring to  his  "uneducated  supporters".   As you are well aware, being educated doesn't necessarily translate to common sense and "smarts".

Pol Pot went after the educated as well.

[LMAO]

Funny, the anti-Trumps were just critical here recently of  Trump for him referring to  his  "uneducated  supporters".   As you are well aware, being educated doesn't necessarily translate to common sense and "smarts".

It was Trump himself that used the term "poorly educated"

I don't think Trump supporters are stupid. And I cringed when Cruz hinted that a while back. I just wish more of them could be critical of him  from time to time and have a little more skepticism. 

[A-Lert]

Because he was referring to them dismissively; i.e., he was looking down his nose at them.  But to an emotionally committed follower that is not only acceptable but expected because it validates the followers belief that the "leader" is worth following precisely because he's better than - more capable than - his followers.  this is, of course, a core attribute of cults of personality.

IYO only. I happen to believe it was a sarcastic remark.  It's plain to see the feeling of superiority of the anti-Trumps on this forum. Most of us Trump supporters have been denigrated and insulted; fools, dupes, idiots, dumbasses, Aholes, cultists, etc.

[Mesaclone]

Pol Pot went after the educated as well.

And Hitler was a Christian. What's your point?


Here's my point. Pol Pot has as much in common with Trump as Hitler does with Cruz...which in both cases, is nuthin'. So clearly, throwing out a name like Pol Pot is intellectually dishonest, and a rather pathetic way to assert an argument. The Anti-Trumps in this thread are going on and on about how education is looked down on by Trump...and then they make dumbass comparisons like the one I cite here. Hypocrites of the first order.

[geronl]

And Hitler was a Christian. What's your point?

Hitler was NOT a Christian. He was into pagan ancestor worship and considered Christianity a "gutter religion".

[A-Lert]

It was Trump himself that used the term "poorly educated"

I don't think Trump supporters are stupid. And I cringed when Cruz hinted that a while back. I just wish more of them could be critical of him  from time to time and have a little more skepticism.

Yes, as a sarcastic reply to all the "highly educated" politicians who have gotten us to where we are today. $19 trillion in debt.

More would probably be critical, but find it unnecessary as the anti-Trumps do such a  herculean job.

[geronl]

Trump called his supporters stupid when he said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and not lose support

[Mesaclone]

Hitler was NOT a Christian. He was into pagan ancestor worship and considered Christianity a "gutter religion".

Later in life, sure. But he was baptized, confirmed and raised in the Catholic tradition.As Fuhrer, he spoke repeatedly of his love for "positive Christianity"

But that misses the point, really...which is the absurdity of comparing to such disparate things as Hitler-Cruz and PolPot-Trump. Idiocy of the highest magnitude.

[Jazzhead]

I don't think Trump supporters are stupid. And I cringed when Cruz hinted that a while back. I just wish more of them could be critical of him  from time to time and have a little more skepticism.

I think that's fair.  However, a willful failure to approach one's beliefs critically is not a sign of intellectualism, or curiosity.   It's not "stupid", but the present circumstances it is something much darker.   

It's a bit like rooting for a sports team.  Loyalty to the team,  and defensiveness toward others fans' criticism,  keeps one from recognizing those flaws which could lead to disaster.   "Fan" of course, is derived from "fanatic",  and Trumpsters tend to exhibit traits of fanaticism.   And both the worlds of sports and politics have occasionally been marred by mob violence.