Thursday, May 26, 2016

OVER THE TOP

Earlier today, Associated Press announced: Trump reaches the magic number to clinch nomination (link here):

“Trump, a political neophyte who for years delivered caustic commentary on the state of the nation from the sidelines but had never run for office, fought off 16 other Republican contenders in an often ugly primary race.”

The words ‘caustic’ and ‘ugly’ are understatements; the word ‘sick’ may be far more accurate. For a clinical perspective on 'sick,' please read this definition of narcissism as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.  Or better yet, go to this essay by psychologist Elizabeth Mika.

Note these signature traits of narcissism: Grandiosity, a fixation on power, a need for constant admiration, a ruthless and often malicious disregard for others, and a tendency to defame, devalue, derogate, insult, and blame others.  Sound familiar?

These are the same character flaws shared by some of the most ruthless despots in history, such as: Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Augusto Pinochet, and Saddam Hussein, as examples. 

And please note the prevalence of narcissism in the general population: 7.7% of men and 4.8% of women, a rate that has more than doubled within the past 10 years (Twenge and Campbell, The Narcissism Epidemic, 2009).  Why is the prevalence of narcissism significant?  Donald Trump would be NOTHING without the popular support of fellow narcissists and other disturbed persons.

In a room full of random people, the most seriously disturbed among them will naturally gravitate towards other like-minded people as if drawn by an invisible force. This attraction not only explains his cult following, it predicts the kind of cabinet officials, advisors, and judges he will appoint. As president, Trump will chose people with like-minded pathologies and put them into positions of power over us. Caveat emptor!

Imagine a future dominated by bigots, cranks, hotheads, misogynists, and xenophobic extremists — all adulators and henchmen of Il Duce II. If this demagogue wins, the next president may also be our last president.

4 comments:

  1. "Imagine a future dominated by bigots, cranks, hotheads, misogynists, and xenophobic extremists"

    Easy to do -- just look at the past. Narcissism is a public policy and competitive sport in our country and yelling about being the greatest country that ever was or will be is as common as saying "good morning." putting a dickless sociopath like Trump into that milieu is like putting some flesh-eating bacteria into a warm nutrient solution. There's no stopping him.

    I'm the survivor of many generations who knew when it was time to GTFU and I'm getting that old feeling again

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  2. "Imagine a future dominated by bigots, cranks, hotheads, misogynists, and xenophobic extremists"

    I don't want to imagine that; but as long as there are voters like Victor Vizcarra (and who can deny that we have millions of them, because they've given the country Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee), we may be looking at a future where Americans are happy to have a short-fingered, loud-mouth vulgarian in the White House, just so they won't be bored:

    From Digby's blog:

    Victor Vizcarra, 48, of Los Angeles, said he would much prefer Mr. Trump to Mrs. Clinton. Though he said he disagreed with some of Mr. Trump’s policies, Mr. Vizcarra said he had watched “The Apprentice” and expected that a Trump presidency would be more exciting than a “boring” Clinton administration.

    “A dark side of me wants to see what happens if Trump is in,” said Mr. Vizcarra, who works in information technology. “There is going to be some kind of change, and even if it’s like a Nazi-type change. People are so drama-filled. They want to see stuff like that happen. It’s like reality TV. You don’t want to just see everybody be happy with each other. You want to see someone fighting somebody.”



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  3. There is going to be some kind of change, and even if it’s like a Nazi-type change. People are so drama-filled. They want to see stuff like that happen. It’s like reality TV. You don’t want to just see everybody be happy with each other. You want to see someone fighting somebody.

    I can't imagine why anyone would want to bring on the Zombie Apocalypse, let alone another Holocaust just for entertainment, i.e. 'panem et circensus.' Those who are so morally bankrupt deserve it; but the rest of us don't deserve it.

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  4. I'm suggesting a "two State" solution. We need to set aside a large section of the country for those of the moral Chapter 13 persuasion and let them have their self- government, or rather self non-government -- and we need to build a wall around it -- a place where the idiots check in and we lock the door. No regulation, no "undesirables" no heretics and NO EXIT.

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