Will it take another Kent State Massacre to convince Trump supporters that he's gone too far? By Hal M. Brown

 

Read Sabrina Haake's substack The Haake Take: Passivity is the enemy- dog update, it inspired me to write this. 

Here's an excerpt:

MAGA reminds me of chaining a dog

Hearing a dog bark all night while it’s 20º F outside, I realize I feel the same way about MAGA voters as I feel about people who chain their dog(s) outside 24/7. Anyone who has ever loved a dog knows how barbaric this practice is. Neanderthalic and needlessly cruel, dog chainers and MAGA remind me that humans co-exist on a random continuum of evolution. We aren’t all plotted on the same line of the same graph at the same time; the dots veer off in all directions like electrons in an atom. Some countries and some people are stuck in the fifth century, while others show us the future. America’s choppy pas de deux with itself is a blend of forward steps, then backward, intelligent people dancing alongside morons. (Call this elitist, I don’t care, truth has to matter or what are we doing?)

When I see a dog living on a chain, an often hidden and too-common cruelty, I feel simultaneous heartbreak for the dog and contempt bordering on hatred for his jailer. After years in animal advocacy,these unwelcome feelings are nothing new. It is new, however, to feel both things at once for the same group of people. Many MAGA voters-- as distinguished from wealthy Trump oligarchs-- voted against their own self-interests just for the opportunity to hurt others. 

If Trump ever figures out how to implement his most hairbrained ideas, economically disadvantaged MAGA voters will suffer the most. A more evolved person than I am would pity them, but, like dog chainers, I consider them victims of their own cruelty and ignorance and find compassion for them nearly impossible.

My partner and I along with a friend had dinner with a new resident, a woman who grew up and and ran a ranch in a southwestern state, in the senior community where we live. It is a very progressive place but we still couldn't tell at first whether she was a Trumper. Instead of asking outright we segued into the topic and finally found out she was as anti-Trump as we are. Little did I know at the time that I'd end up blogging this morning about some of what we talked about.

Now to the dogs... she has a lovely 13 year old dog and we ended up talking about the pets we all had. Somehow the subject of people who abuse pets came up and I said that I would support capital punishment for them while I'd look at the murder of people more carefully since often there are extenuating circumstances justifying this. Everyone agreed with me. I said there's never an excuse for taking the life of healthy pet. 

Everone agreed that people who did this were also likely to be Trump supporters. 

Even though we live in a suburb of progressive Portland, Oregon, we ended up talking about personally feeling unsafe. This led me to describing a piece I posted on Daily Kos which, after posting over 1700 essays there, I got banned without explanation or recourse because someone misinterpreted what I wrote. 

I wrote about what I would do if the Trump storm troopers attacked our liberal enclave. Since I was a reserve police officer for 20 years (perhaps something unusual for a dog and cat loving psychotherapist) I knew how to use fire arms.

You can read what I wrote about what I tried to post there.  I included the old photo of me (above) in the story. I am pictured in front of the cranberry bog which we owned. The post was removed before I could copy it.

Basically my Daily Kos story was about how I would use my skill in shooting to at least not submit without a fight to being rounded up by the Trump version of the Gestapo or SS. Someone flagged what I wrote as a promotion of violence when I was writing about self-defense.

Sabrina Haake writes about the good Germans. Of course she doesn't refer to modern Germans. Germany is one of a large number of coutries which ban the display of Nazi symbols including Russia (see Wikipedia). She is referring to the ordinary Germans who either went along with Hitler's atrocities or helped to implement them.

These are the Germans decribed in "Hitler's Willing Executioners."  This should be as cautionary a book as  Orwells "1984", Sinclair Lewis' 1935 novel "It Can't Happen Here" and Margert Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."

This is from the Wikipedia page on Hitler's Willing Executioners:

Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust is a 1996 book by American writer Daniel Goldhagen, in which he argues collective guilt, that the vast majority of ordinary Germans were "willing executioners" in the Holocaust because of a unique and virulent "eliminationist antisemitism" in German political culture which had developed in the preceding centuries. Goldhagen argues that eliminationist antisemitism was the cornerstone of German national identity, was unique to Germany, and because of it ordinary German conscripts killed Jews willingly. Goldhagen asserts that this mentality grew out of medieval attitudes rooted in religion and was later secularized.

The book challenges several common ideas about the Holocaust that Goldhagen believes to be myths. These "myths" include the idea that most Germans did not know about the Holocaust; that only the SS, and not average members of the Wehrmacht, participated in murdering Jews; and that genocidal antisemitism was a uniquely Nazi ideology without historical antecedents.

In my title I ask whether it will take another Kent State Massacre to convince Trump supporter that he's gone too far?

Lamentably, I am pessimistic about this. The only hope I see is that Trump did not win the landslide he and his minions claim to have won. However, we are not as so many pundits claim, a 50/50 nation. Considering that about a third of eligible voters didn't vote we are a nation divided into thirds. One third are the Trump voters who either want authoritarian rule or were so gullible and uninformed they bought his lies and believed that his promises would benefit them, one third are democracy loving Americans, and one third didn't give a sh*t enough to vote.

Perhaps if Trump goes on an authoritarian rampage which results in the loss of life will there be enough hue and cry that there will be a true popular uprising to stop him. This may take the military to go against him because he orders them to do things that violate the oath they took to uphold the Constitution.

No matter who gives an order, even if it is a general, if it is unlawful members of the armed forces are obliged not to follow it.

Addendum:

Trump is a malignant (or psychopathic) and sadistic narcissist.. the grandiose narcissitic part isn't nearly the worst of it (lots of people are narcissists but don't enjoy hurting people)... it is that Trump has no empathy. Even worse than this, enjoys watching his enemies suffer, and if this isn't bad enough he is thrilled when he causes his enemies to have pain.

I am among the therapists like Dr. John Gartner, Dr. Bandy Lee, Dr. Lance Dodes, who have been warning about this since 2017. In his first term he was restrained. Now his cruelest impulses will enabled by people with similar psychopathology.

I wrote  the column Trump’s sadistic, malignant narcissism (here) in October. 2018 in Capitol Hill Blue. To say that what I and other mental health experts were saying about the dangerousness of Trump before and soon after he was elected Trump proved to be correct is an understatement.

Yesterday I wrote  The malevolent magnetic malignant narcissism of Trumpworld .

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The malevolent magnetic malignant narcissism of Trumpworld, By Hal M. Brown, MSW

 

Wikipedia used a painting of an innocent  Narcissisus enraptured by his visage by Jan Cossiers to illustrate their entry for malignant narcissism. I modified it to show a more malignant version of him.

This is the second parapgraph in the Wikipedia entry for malignant narcissism:

"Malignant narcissists are grandiose and always ready to raise hostility levels, which undermines the families and organizations in which they are involved, and dehumanizes the people with whom they associate."

(Above) You can read  "Sharp elbows and raised voices: Inside Trump’s bumpy transition" if you have a subscription to The Washington Post,  or read a summary in RawStory here.

Donald Trump has long been defined as a malignant narcissist by experts. In fact Dr. John D. Gartner, who became a long distant friend, wrote Donald Trump's maligant narsissism is toxic in USA Today in May of 2017.

If you Google Trump malignant narcissist this is what comes up. 

The first article there is More than 200 health professionals say Trump has ‘malignant narcissism’ in open letter from The Guardian. I am one of the people who signed this letter for all the good that publishing it on page three of The New York Times in white type on a black background did. 

Far be it from me to coin a new psychiatric term, but it does appear that other malignant narcissists are drawn to Trump and he is drawn to them. This we could say that like attracts like. In the instance of malignant narcisism this is a kind of magnetism so we can call it magnetic maligant narcisism. 

I do like alliterations so lets add a word. Malevolent magnetic malignant narcissism does have a ring to it and this is what it is.

Trump is like a physicist who has created a nuclear reactor by encircling himself with highly enriched radioactive material so when he hits the "on" switch it is full power and full speed ahead in fueling the destruction of democracy.

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Primary Hal Brown's Blog website is halbrown.org (if you are reading this anywhere else any additions or corrections will be at this address)

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The persuasive power of politainment, by Hal M. Brown

Fox  News has taken politainment to a new level - we could call it inflamotainment.

J. Fred Muggs, the chimp that is credited with saving NBC's "Today Show" may be the first and most successful example of how a news show became a poltitainment show. 

I heard the word politainment used yesterday to describe what American politics had become. I didn't know whether or not she coined the term, though I thought it was particulary relevant. I looked it up and discovered the term and concept had been around for some time. Consider the references to this article about it on Researchgate. This was being studied as early as 1983.

Below is how Wikipedia describes it, note that the defintion includes the term Make America Great Again (highlighted).

Politainment, a portmanteau word composed of politics and entertainment, describes tendencies in politics and mass media to liven up political reports and news coverage using elements from public relations to create a new kind of political communication.^[1]Politainment, while outwardly emphasizing the political aspects of the information communicated, nevertheless draws heavily upon techniques from pop culture and journalism to make complex information more accessible or convincing and distract public attention from politically unfavorable topics. The interdependencies of politicians and media are known as the politico-media complex.

Of doubtful virtue, declining amounts of content and substance can easily be compensated by giving news stories a sensationalistic twinge. Sensationalism in the news can be traced back to the Muckrakers in 1905, they set out to reform journalism and public perception of injustices.^[2] Politainment thus ranges on the same level as edu- and infotainment.

Typical catchlines in politainment reports or media will at times bluntly argue ad hominem in a generalizing manner and try to emphasize virtues and charisma ("xyz will Make America Great Again") or vices and weaknesses (by denunciation: "xyz will wreck this country", "lynching", etc.).^[3] The latter example is also known as fear appeal. More moderate forms make extensive use of imprecise, metaphoric language (allegories, metonymy, periphrases, kennings etc.).

Politainment can be both a communication aspect of (1) politicians and spin doctors to their and their party's own advantage and the political adversary's disadvantage or (2) a strategy for news publishers, journalists, etc., to promote their medium and journalistic work.^[4]

Politainment may be a factor in party identification, mass-influencing voter's choices, it has thus become an indispensable tool in political campaigns and elections.^[1][5] As such it can also be one of the—seemingly innocuous—ingredients of crowd manipulation up to political psychological warfare.^[6]

I decided to write this when I was reading about Trump's selection of Pam Bondi to be attorney general. I'd been hearing ab0ut how she was an election denier and a Trump supporter but the poltitainmant aspect of why she was selected didn't hit me until I read the following (highlighted) in the RawStory article 'Wait a minute!' CNN panelists clash over Trump's latest Cabinet nominee:

The president-elect nominated former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, a 2020 election denier and frequent Fox News guest, to head the Department of Justice after Gaetz withdrew in the face of sex trafficking allegations detailed in an as-yet unreleased report by the House Ethics Committee.

Here's another tidbit from an AP article:

She’s long been a fixture in Trump’s world  

 

Bondi has been a longtime and early ally. In March 2016, on the eve of the Republican primary in Florida, Bondi endorsed Trump at a rally, picking him over the candidate from her own state of Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio. 

She gained national attention with appearances on Fox News as a defender of Trump and had a notable speaking spot at 2016 Republican National Convention as Trump became the party’s surprising nominee. During the remarks, some in the crowd began chanting “Lock her up” about Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Here's another example: "Trump’s ‘Border Czar’ Pick Has Been Auditioning For The Role On Extremist Media Platforms"

Excerpt:

(Tom) Homan has been auditioning for a high-profile Trump White House role in parts of the right-wing establishment — notably, as a Fox News commentator and as a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. 

Of course, Fox News, the politainment source Trump uses to massage his oversized ego played a major role in keeping Bondi top of mind when it came to making this decision.

Those wanting to curry favor with Trump know there is one way to get him to pay attention to them is to appear on Fox News and lavish praise on him. They can go on CNN as many now do but they might as well be sending a Christmas card without a stamp on the envelope to him.

Trump is an expert on the persuasive power of polititainment since this is how he consumes the news. 

I don't watch Fox News live though I have seen clips of their shows on MSNBC and CNN. From their seven day a week Fox and Friends, which premiered in 1998 to Tucker Carlson to Sean Hannity to Jessie Watters their shows have been and are designed to inflame and entertain. Fox  News has taken politainment to a new level - we could call it inflamotainment.

Meanwhile, the Democrats haven't even mastered the art of politainment. As I wrote yesterday in "Perhaps the Democratic Party needs to become a personality cult to win. If so they will need the perfect leader," they can't even find a potential Democrat for president who has remotely near the charisma Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had when they ran. They need a presidential candidate who can go on Fox News, Joe Rogan, and similar media and stir up some sh*t in a way that will break through into the mushy minds of those who want their president to show that they can juggle hand grenades and explain policy at the same time.

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Perhaps the Democratic Party needs to become a personality cult to win. If so they will need the perfect leader. By Hal M. Brown

I was struck by one sentence in the excellent conversation Chauncey DeVega had with M. Steven Fish,  professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. His new book is “Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nationand Restoring Democracy's Edge.”

Here's the entire Salon column:

The path forward for progressives is a return to PR basics: Put personality before policy

This was in answer to the question "If you were to build a Democrat or other pro-democracy candidate in a laboratory who could defeat Trump and the MAGA movement and his successors, what attributes would he or she have?"

I've highlighted the sentence that prompted me to write this blog below:

Above all, she or he would own the flag and be very confident and bold in how they present themselves and live. They would project sincerity and confidence in their beliefs and values. Everything grows from there. If you can’t even offer straight answers to straightforward questions — and Harris, as it turned out, refused to do so — many voters will perceive you as a poll-driven, craven, conniving politician who isn’t up to the job of protecting them and their interests. And most people also gravitate toward leaders who seem to love the country best and associate themselves with its exceptional attributes and boundless promise.

Democrats should also embrace charisma and search for a leader who’s got it. Liberals dislike personalism, preferring to place policies before personalities. To some extent, that’s healthy. But we’ve got to recognize that Obama had a lot more to do with Obama’s election and reelection than Obamacare did.

In fact, even liberals like having a main man or woman — most people naturally seek the person in charge. His or her personal appeal and mode of messaging has an enormous bearing on the morale of the party and shapes how the party and its causes are perceived by the electorate. That decidedly does not mean turning the party into a personality cult. That’s what the Republicans have done with Trump and what India’s Hindu-chauvinist BJP party has done with Narendra Modi. Nor does it mean that the leader has to be intolerant of differences within the party. FDR, JFK and Bill Clinton had enormous authority in the party and in America as a whole, but they didn’t seek to monopolize power and glory and their party wouldn’t have stood for it if they did. The same is true for Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, as it was for Margaret Thatcher in the UK in the 1980s and Jawaharlal Nehru in India during the 1940s-1960s.

What, I pondered, would happen if the Democrats could find their own version of Donald Trump? What if they had more charisma than any of the other leaders referred to above? What if they turned the party into a personality cult?

What if they found a leader who exuded charisma through their pores? What if they walked and talked as if they had the glow of charisma surrounding them the way Christ is depicted in drawings and paintings, only in addition to appearing compassionate they would have rippling muscles?

I am not saying they should personally distribute trading cards the way Trump did with his face on muscle bound bodies, but perhaps people would use images like the one I used AI to create to make fantasy images with the face of the new Democratic leader as a superman or Rambo. These wouldn't be official but they could make their way into public consciousness through social media.

Assuming we even have an election in four years there may be only two ways for the Democrats to beat the presumed Republican/MAGA candidate J.D. Vance. Vance of course has the charisma of a cockroach. But the only way we can be assured of a Democratic win for both the presidency and Congress is for Trump to have turned the country into such hellhole that the gullible people who bought his lies and voted for him see their everyday lives turn to crap. They would have to be convinced this was Trump and the Republicans fault to the point that they vote for a Democratic Homer Simpson to be president.

The other way is for the Democrats to have their own cult leader who comes across like Christ with muscles. This probably means that they will be a man, probably but not necessarily White. Somebody like Denzel Washington could fit the bill:

Consider the actors on this list 30 Manly Actors With Dazzling Charisma That Turned Our Hearts to Mush. Are there any Democrats qualifed to be president who could convey the masculine charisma that these actors do in their movies?

If the overweight fat faced Trump could do it it seems that a Democrat that was actually handsome, physically fit, and 20 years younger could easily accomplish this.

Yesterday's blog (here) is related to this.

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The penises on the Potomac: the country has enthroned phallocentric rule, by Hal M. Brown, MSW

 

HuffPost described four men in their main story today: Trump Is Filling His White House With Men Accused Of Sexual Misconduct. They didn't bother to mention that the fifth man not only accused but convicted of sexual misconduct has already assured his place in the White House because everyone knows this.

They did decide to show photos of Elon Musk, RFK Jr., Matt Gaetz, and Peter Hegseth which depicted them tightlipped and as looking particularly smug. In my illustration I added a DonkeyHotey caricature which perhaps presciently was used to illustrate this 2018 Salon article: Removing Trump from office would come at a steep price.

It may be that Trump's law breaking and law bending contributed to his losing the election to Joe Biden. If it did, we'll never know how much. The election was close and left the man whose Mario mushroom manliness was mocked by Stormy Daniels feeling enraged. Between losing the election and Stormy there was no way someone with the rigid psychological defenses of Trump could let feelings of emasculation percolate into conscious awareness. For Trump every element of his self concept is connected to his feeling hyper-masculine.

Trump's loss in the election and what he feels was his persecution by his enemies set him up to begin his to run again and win. He had four years to plan his winning strategy and revenge. 

There's noone more dangerous than a man who feels his manhood was mocked who then has a chance to rule not just the manosphere, which he already ruled, but the entire country, man, woman, and child.

At 555 ft. tall the Washington Monument dwarfs the second tallest building, the Old Post Office, which is 315 ft. tall. Yes, that's the building a Trump company leased and turned into the Trump International Hotel where people curried favor with Trump by staying there. It was sold in 2022 and the Trump signage was removed.

The National Park Service, which is part of the Department of the Interior, manages the Washington Momument. Trump has selected big oil, gas, and coal advocate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to head the Department of Interior.

I wonder if he'd have time as he implements Trump's fossil fuel promises to have the Washington Momument made over to honor Trump. If a likeness of Trump's was added to the top of the monument think of the thrill his supporters would have seeing Washington from inside of his head.

Update: 

'Out here running toilet scams': Spectators dump on Trump's newest administration pick

 Excerpts: 

 

Trump picks Matthew Whitaker for NATO ambassador," the news outlet Tennessee Holler told readers Wednesday. "You may remember him as the acting attorney general who was on the board of a company that boasted toilets for 'well-endowed men.'"

"Whitaker was also a cartoonish, grifting dope who shilled for a company that hawked time-travel cryptocurrencies, Bigfoot dolls, and toilets specially designed for men with big d----," GQ reported at the time. "[It] was shut down for good and paid a $26 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission earlier this year for its alleged wrongdoing." 

Afterthought: The reason why so many women are attracted to men like Trump and his ilk is the subject for another blog.

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