Explaining Trump
Explaining Trump
I think I have finally solved the mystery of Trump—the mystery of his popularity. I used to think it was his overt racism: what else could it be? But that was just one manifestation of his underlying appeal. The real reason is that he is a rich asshole, and is perceived as such. He is thus what many people (most people?) desire to be—rich and an asshole. Of course, people want to be rich—that’s just human nature. But one aspect of that is that you are then free to be an asshole—to abuse, insult, and mistreat people. You don’t have to be moral! You don’t have to have good manners, common decency, generous feelings—you can unleash your inner asshole. Hence all the talk of Trump’s “authenticity”—he is everything his supporters wish they could be. He looks down on almost everybody for being poorer than him and less of a “winner”. It also helps that he is an ignoramus, uneducated, illiterate, unsophisticated, a philistine: he proves to people that you don’t need to read books or have a good education in order to be successful. He is highly enviable—rich, nasty, and dumb. It’s a very appealing combination. In addition, he is moderately handsome and smartly dressed, also tall. He is what every American man longs to be and every American woman fancies (note my Trumpian use of “every”). But these are peripheral traits; the essence is the rich assholery. People don’t dislike this; they love it. And it gave him the presidency twice, so it must be good. He is the American dream personified. So, bear this in mind as you watch his inauguration tomorrow.
The comment, “It also helps that he is an ignoramus, uneducated, illiterate, unsophisticated, a philistine: he proves to people that you don’t need to read books or have a good education in order to be successful,” reminds me of the remarks of former U.S. senator Roman Hruska, as reported in his Wikipedia article:
In 1970, Hruska addressed the Senate, urging it to confirm Richard Nixon’s nomination of G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme Court. Responding to criticism that Carswell had been a mediocre judge, Hruska argued:
“Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they, and a little chance? We can’t have all Brandeises, Frankfurters and Cardozos.”
I wonder if it was coincidental that the three justices Hruska named were Jewish.
You definitely point to qualities of Trump that attracts many Americans like height, money and “authenticity”. And you also say “It also helps that he is an ignoramus, uneducated, illiterate, unsophisticated, a philistine: he proves to people that you don’t need to read books or have a good education in order to be successful.” He indeed proves that… I just wanted to mention — even though you don’t claim anything like that in the post so it is not a counter point but an elaboration — that having a good education or intellectual aspirations or respect for those who are intellectuals, all these have a poor calibration with successful or considerate national leadership. Lenin, Pol Pot, and Mao to an extent, were all, broadly speaking, aspiring intellectuals who committed terrible crimes against their native countries. When ends justify means and the “interests” of abstract “people” or “societies” or “classes” are put above the values of individual lives evil quickly follows independently of academic degrees and other attitudes of the political elite.
You don’t say otherwise, but Trump cares nothing for the interests of people or societies or classes. His only end is himself—satisfying his needs for attention, adulation, revenge, money, and staying out of prison.
Sure, people feel the American Dream is dead, that underlay the social contract since the end of WWII and why not pick a rich asshole to identify with and for payback? But also, he’s a regular guy and an actor meaning that people eat up his nonsense. People really believe chanting MAGA over and over again is a game changer as if his inauguration were the victory of Team USA over the Soviets.
If you dislike the term ‘charisma’ as too much social science then say he is an actor and a con man and he plays many parts all of them quite sincerely and one of them is the ‘rich ass hole’
He’ll get his comeuppance or we all will or both.
Watching his speech, I couldn’t help thinking “Rich Asshole Talks Garbage”, but then I watched his informal remarks shortly after–and they were nothing but rambling drivel. From garbage to drivel–where next?
Ha’way man, Colin. What did you expect. Some kind of Damascene conversion? He is totally, utterly incorrigible. Granted, fascination with grand spectacle is a universal trait, and after all, this is the most powerful man in the world we’re talking about. However, I decided to blank the actual event coverage. I already had impending root canal surgery to consider and watching the inauguration would simply have compounded apprehension.
Catching snippets of news later I was once again left aghast at what happens in America. What an exquisite comedy! The world is allowed in on hilarious moments such as the pathetic ‘private’ note Joe Biden left in the desk drawer being predictably treated by Trump with scornful contempt. Really, Joe; What were you thinking; giving him an unbelievably fortuitous chance to publicly humiliate you?
Brings to mind Peter Cook mercilessly skewering Harold Macmillan who had inadvisedly gone to the theatre that evening. (Though, of course, Peter Cook was a master of satire and Trump has no idea what that is.)
(for any readers not from N.E. England, ‘Ha’way man’ is the vernacular for ‘Come now, sir’.)
Why-aye, man. The country has become a circus of stupidity and corruption, and no one wants to admit it. My own life was turned into a ridiculous tragicomedy. Americans have no idea what they are doing. Nothing canny about it, hinny.
And yet, here you are, skateboarding and volleying yourself around the world, – and your blog, with aplomb! At your Age!
About five years ago I read ‘The Mysterious Flame’. I was impressed (as I also was by J Krishnamurti after attending one of his public lectures back in the day) by how you explained your insights about the most profound aspect of human life, consciousness, in a readable, (and funny) style.
Being a layman, I find some of the more scholarly essays I’ve read on here need repeated close reading, (to look up specific terms, etc). However, I can usually dig out nuggets of knowledge here and there. The field is vast though, and most of us haven’t time to read a fraction of what is referenced.
It’s very good to know that someone has done most of the heavy lifting. What you do, in what I’ve seen of your work, provoking and questioning our understanding of ourselves, is essentially what I would call public service an ancient idea that has now been all but beaten into submission by the forces of base ignorance and dangerously misguided pseudo-ideologies.
Not quite yet though!
A balanced assessment. Let’s not forget the concerted efforts to silence and suppress me. I do think of it as a public service.
He is like a roaming warrior of fortune prowling with his army and is let in by one of a warring faction say in Thebes or or Corinth or Tyre. The Republicans crave power over the good of their country. It is bullshit patriotism. I’m hoping against hope for a coup, but the psychopath of the United States of has a devious plan for all contingencies.
I fear so.