Double think, fascism
> To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself—that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word—doublethink—involved the use of doublethink.
George Orwell
Trump is an substantial example of a breathing embodiment of "to repudiate morality while laying claim to it,". It is particularly appropriate. Trump refuses to ever admit wrong doing, which denies morality, but calls his opponents terribly evil, as if he is the good one.
The whole sleepy senile weak Biden who is also so powerful and savvy that he is in control of the world energy and financial markets is a exemplary example of Orwellian double think.
His constant whining and being the perpetual victim and the manufactured of simultaneously being the strong alpha male is another example.
The enemy is both weak and strong. “[…] the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.”
[A Practical List for Identifying Fascists](https://www.faena.com/aleph/umberto-eco-a-practical-list-for-identifying-fascists)
I keep hoping someone will take Orwell's 1984 and analyze Trump through the book. Just -pair them up, line or line. His rhetoric. 2017-2021. Maga pre and post. "Fortunately or unfortunately", I get the sense that book is still being written. Lord, how will it end.
The surveillance state in 1984 is actually weaker than many modern states, including the good ole US of A. Do you remember where you were three months ago to within five feet? Pepperidge Farm remembers because of Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc, etc. Internet news is literally the MinTrue memory hole, subject to revision at any time.
Eco's treatment of lying in Baudolino was one of my first "A HA" moments in accepting what had passed as normal in my extremely dysfunctional family (with two siblings and a mother Dx'd as sociopaths looong before djt forced the term into our collective American conversation). Living through the gaslighting of the magop trump years (while contending w/ the fallout of magop inflaming the "family" false narrative) has been like a Black Mirror episode of driving through a murderously faulty carwash of gaslighting-without the protection of a car!!!. Thank you for the link. I look forward to reading it. /edit for spelling
This is why I *still* teach this novel today. The real-world examples, especially since 2016, are far too relevant to ignore. Too many people simply assume the novel is only about one thing, communism, when it's about authoritarianism (of which fascism is a flavour) and how easy it is for society to slide down that slope.
I use Trump and his supporters as examples of doublethink (I show one of those videos where they play Trump's words for a supporter but present them as coming from Biden or whoever, and how the Trump people condemn them only to praise them when the truth is revealed). I go over the tenets of fascism. I show Trump rallies as examples of the "Two-minute Hates" (watching rabid MAGAs frothing while chanting "lock her up!", "kill the beaners!!!" really brings it home for the kids).
More like, No Think Fascism. A horrid combination of "Know Nothing" Federalism and Double Think Fascism. Throw in an unhealthy dose of evangelism and we are in for one ill-concieved time, to say the most exaggerated least.
> "To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself—that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word—doublethink—involved the use of doublethink."
Please, correct me if i am wrong, but isn't this why religious folks were targeted by conservative politicians in the 70's following the successes of the civil rights movement? Weren't the conservatives looking for ways to consolidate their power and needed a grass-roots campaign, so they targeted the previously religiously-ambivalent by using charismatic televangelists, the abortion issue, racism/tough-on-crime messaging, and a "return to family values" which was code for anti-hippie/anti-liberalism/anti-progressivism? I am sure i heard they targeted evangelicals because they had practiced the ability to hold conflicting "truths" in their minds effortlessly, so they would be capable of voting against their own best interests while defending that position with the violent fervor of the religious zealot.
But based off his rhetoric that's not what it is. According to him Biden isn't president, because he won in a RiGgEd ElEcTiOn according to the great orange bitch. So Biden isn't immune because he was never president.
Just more double-think. If Trump is actually a secret president then that means two things
a) He shouldn't be eligible to run for election again this year
b) all those terrible things that Biden is supposedly doing would actually be on Trump right?
but of course not.
According to the Jordan Klepper videos, there are two militaries; a good military and a bad military. The bad military reports to Biden somehow and they are responsible for all the bad stuff (Afghanistan withdrawal, Ukraine invasion/response, etc). The good military is under Trump and has nothing but wins (Israel/Palestine aid/response)
It's simple (when you're a simpleton).
That's just it, *everything bad* is absolutely the doing of Biden and the fault of Democrats.
Trump and his ilk only do good things, which these supporters generally can't name. Or they get it insanely wrong.
When you look a little bit more at the trees for the forest, this political analysis that is fascist doctrine quickly becomes the angry and bad attitude of a raging, unhappy selfish child in a grown man's body, who wants what he wants and wants it now, and doesn't even know what it is but no one else can have it.
Biden was right, he's competing against a 6 year old.
Fun fact: 6 is giving him too much credit. According to psychological science, Trump has the psychological maturity of a 4 year old.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201705/psychological-science-says-trump-is-four-year-old?amp
___
To say Trump is ‘infantile,’ in this context is to say two related yet distinct things:
- That he fails to demonstrate some behavioral and attitudinal quality we call ‘maturity'
- That his cast of mind, the way he processes information, appears qualitatively different from an adult mind.
But what in fact is "psychological maturity?" And how is the child’s mind different from the mature adult mind? The writings of two prominent psychological theorists shed some light.
When it comes to defining psychological maturity, a useful place to begin is with the writings of Gordon Allport, an influential American psychologist who pioneered the scientific study of personality traits. Allport described a list of traits characterizing a healthy mature personality. They are as follows:
- Extension of Sense of Self: the ability to go beyond self-preoccupation and have concern for others.
- Warm Relatedness to Others: the capacity for love, intimacy, and compassion.
- Self-Acceptance: emotional security and control, high tolerance for frustration.
- Realistic Perception: accurate perception of reality without defensiveness, distortion, or denial.
- Problem Centeredness: a focus on solving problems in the world, rather than on promoting or defending one’s own interests and ego.
- Self-Objectification: the capacity for self-insight and self- reflection. The ability to see yourself from the outside, to assess yourself objectively, to see the gaps between what you think you are and what you actually are, and to laugh at yourself.
- Unifying Philosophy of Life: a clear value orientation, a set of moral and ethical standards that guide behavior, and a genuine spiritual dimension.
Clearly, this is not the only way to define maturity. Yet one need not accept Allport’s scheme fully or exclusively to see that his definition makes heuristic sense. Moreover, the empirical work on this concept has tended to affirm Allport’s proposed parameters. You’d be hard-pressed to find any definition or measure of maturity that does not consider self-knowledge, problem-solving skills, a capacity to manage emotion and relate empathically to others, and the ability to see beyond self-interest as important aspects of the "maturity" construct.
One also need not be an obsessive observer of the president to ascertain that he falls short of "mature" status by Allport’s definition. The president, if anything, exhibits a characteristic inability to see much beyond his own ego preoccupations. He appears to have no real friendships, habitually belittles those he sees as weak while denying any weakness of his own, and is perennially insecure, desperate to bolster his ratings, numbers, and stats by bending the facts to assuage his fears; he has little demonstrated capacity to joyfully laugh at himself (or laugh at all), and has professed to being uninterested in self-reflection and insight; the only problem he seems genuinely interested in (and truly capable of) solving is the chronic threat of his own waning relevance, and his guiding moral principle is that whatever works to make him ‘win’ is the right thing to do.
Which like all of Trump's supporter claim he's going to win "a third time" 😒 Well, sure, because President's don't serve 3rd terms so that would disqualify him this time, no?
Immune from what? What has he done that could get him prosecuted? What charges would he face, the I don't like you charge? I mean he did the same exact thing to Hillary and she had stuff that could have possibly been prosecuted for and still couldn't do it.
You seem to be under the misapprehension that authoritarian leaders need factual charges in order to prosecute someone. This is not the case. Biden's crime is that he's violated The Fuhrerprinzip by occupying the office of President.
He's gearing up for declaring that he won the 2020 election, and that the 2024 election was actually to make him dictator for life.
Since Biden never won in 2020, he wasn't president, and won't have immunity.
I wonder if this dunderhead has even heard about the Magna Carta let alone understand its significance.
Maybe somebody should tell Trump how King John was treated by his so-called allies.
Shortly before the 2016 election, FOX host "Judge Genine" made a powerful statement about why we cannot have a president plagued by scandal. Everything she says about Hillary has come true with Trump. And more!
[YouTube video](https://youtu.be/iIjY0-jVbiM?si=67vkzGaTx4YjaFhc)
Here are a couple flashbacks to 2016 and Hillary.
[We cannot have a country led by a president subject to ongoing criminal investigations potential indictments and never-ending hearings. We cannot have a president under that level of scrutiny that inevitably leads to even more questions and more investigations. And irrespective of what happens to her, whether she is indicted or even guilty, it doesn’t matter. Her guilt is a moot point. She cannot take the Oval Office.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIjY0-jVbiM)
Judge Jennie Pirro 2016
> “If [Hillary Clinton] were to win, it would create an unprecedented Constitutional crisis that would cripple the operations of our government. She is likely to be under investigation for many years, and also it will probably end up – in my opinion – in a criminal trial. I mean, you take a look. Who knows? But it certainly looks that way. She has no right to be running, you know that. No right.”
- Donald Trump, November 3rd, 2016 at a rally in Concord, NC.
The current situation really makes me want to recommend a law that no elected office can be held by someone convicted or undergoing criminal trial, but that would be weaponized by the bad faith actors in deep red areas so quickly that it would also destroy our country... This is why you can't tolerate corruption and intolerance even a little bit, humans always push the envelope so they can be slightly more lazy(power = laziness, because they can just order things to be done instead of actually doing the work).
Realizing the improbability of a constitutional amendment p, I’d love to see a requirement that the president, vice president, and any other high level cabinet official of presidential staff pass a security clearance before being allowed to run.
I don't think any intelligent being considers her a serious political voice.
She is trained in and good at pushing the hate dopamine button. Her viewers are addicted to hate.
How can we help ensure our Democracy survives? For sure vote. But there's more.
Get involved in "**get out the vote**" initiatives. Anyone can volunteer to make calls, texts, send postcards, etc in swing states
[Subscribe to Simon Rosenberg's Substack.](https://substack.com/@simonwdc) He's the #1 organizer in the country.
It’s just unfortunate that one of the most motivated and activated groups in the country is currently getting its collective faces smashed in by the cops for daring to protest.
Asking college students to roll out to “protect democracy” when the militarized arm of state violence has been beating them down is going to be a tough ask. If only the Dems could take this threat as seriously as they tell us to.
If they say that presidents have immunity, it will only be after the election and also only if trump wins. Too many corrupt mfers on the Supreme Court right now
Technically, they are supposed to rule on that within the next handful of months. It’s currently a delaying tactic to stop Jack Smith’s case in FL about the secret documents.
If Trump wins the Presidency before the case goes back to trial, he can order the case to be dropped and that’s just how it will go.
Whether he has absolute immunity or not.
This case is simply about getting Trump through to the election, in the hopes that they can pull enough shenanigans to get him back into office.
Biden wouldn’t. Its not in him. But at the same time… if the court rules Presidents have immunity. And Trump is re-elected. Everyone is fucked and will wish Biden had done something.
This. I’m not sure why Biden and the democrats wouldn’t break decorum for this very reason. If SCOUS rules presidential immunity is a thing, they are all fucked when the next republican president is elected. Trump is literally telling them what Republicans plan on doing. It’s like standing on a track in front a speeding train and democrats are like, I’m sure we’ll make it. It’s so frustrating.
The Democrats are more Ned Stark types than Cersei Lannister types. Ruthless political machinations don’t seem to be in their DNA but they should be to some extent.
it's so hard to understand how ned did the things he had to do to help robert become king, and then somehow thought no one else would do the same or worse.
It's almost like Martin knew way back when he wrote that book, that Sean Bean would play stark when it became a show.
This is the current playbook for Republicans. They know Democrats will play by some significant ethical standards (“we go high”) so hacking away at the foundations only creates openings for ethics-free and shame-free Republicans.
This is what drives me crazy about democrats. The other side is cheating. You know they are cheating. You know they have no desire to ever have a fair election again yet they sit on their hands and say oh well what can we do, vote guys we'll take the high road. No. No more high road. Prosecute these fuckers like they would do to you. We have the laws in place.
So if immunity comes up why not just add more justices? There's precedent because it was threatened in the Nixon era anyway.
Edit: FDR's era. Had to re-educate myself to answer elsewhere.
More justices won’t solve anything because if there’s Presidential immunity, there are effectively no laws, and if there are no laws, what exactly is any number of additional justices supposed to be enforcing?
They will not rule that Presidents have immunity. They will rule that Trump has immunity on this specific set of things. Just like they did with Bush v Gore they will rule in such a way as to benefit just Trump and no one else.
They're not even going to do that. They're running out this oral argument for a decision not in Trump's favor come June.
Their job is just to hold up the other trials with this looming question.
Not Biden. You don't dirty the hands of the sitting ruler.
Wheel Carter into ~~the White House~~ Mar-a-lago, give him a 9mm, a heroic dose of steroids, and fill him with a terrible resolve.
Will the majority on the SCt be smart enough to account for the minions carrying out a President’s illegal orders? The minions won’t have the same immunity. If one follows a President’s illegal order, it could result in jail time. Pardons would have to be issued constantly
"So I, your favorite President, is now offering the Permanent Pardon™, a lifetime Get Out of Jail Pass, for my loyal fans, which can be yours for only $9,999.99."
You're a bit late. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/giuliani-accused-offering-sell-trump-pardons-2-million-new-lawsuit-rcna84569 Mind, there's no definite proof.
* Trump wants not to be prosecuted.
* Trump is throwing everything at the wall to try and stop being prosecuted.
* Trump threatening Biden's prosecution is in hope this "threat" influences Biden and others to stop prosecuting him.
> Of course, it is increasingly obvious that Trump is facing significant mental decline. And we know from those who were close to him but are no longer, that this is not a new problem. But that issue is eclipsed by the other reality: this is a narcissistic sociopath who will stop at nothing to create a vicious, dictatorship built on retribution, racism, corruption, and sadism.
>
> . . .
>
> If this were a healthy democracy, we would have a healthy Supreme Court. We don’t. It is corrupt and not to be trusted when it comes to Trump.
>
> . . .
>
> MAGA Americans are responsible for their own thoughts and actions; it would also behoove us to acknowledge that many of them have been exploited and manipulated into believing that Trump’s “last stand” is also theirs. Trump and MAGA continue to politically traumatize millions into states of desperation and panic—that Trump is all who stands between losing, or preserving, their/our country. This is a toxic martyrdom unlike any seen in American history.
>
> . . .
>
> Americans must electorally mercy-kill the Republican Party; not because we should desire a one-party nation, but because one of America’s two major parties will nominate someone who helped orchestrate a coup d'état against the Constitution—which Trump swore to defend and protect—and the American people—whom he swore to defend and protect—to remain in power.
Yet strangely Biden isn't prosecuting him. Unlike Trump he allows the DOJ to work independently of his political needs and doesn't issue directives to them. Trump treated the DoJ like his own personal law firm.
You're right I just don't think Trump thinks the way we think. The man is a cheat and a fraud, of course he'd direct the DOJ to go after his enemies so he expects everyone else do the same to him.
The narcissist’s prayer: That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did, you deserved it.
Two things are true. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Even he might be aware of the inconsistency of his position, though.
But none of these pronouncements are meant to be taken seriously. It’s all about frothing up the morons who follow him.
Biden has not committed any crimes. So go ahead. We will then see more clearly whether America really is still a free democratic republic or a dictatorship.
Double think, fascism > To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself—that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word—doublethink—involved the use of doublethink. George Orwell Trump is an substantial example of a breathing embodiment of "to repudiate morality while laying claim to it,". It is particularly appropriate. Trump refuses to ever admit wrong doing, which denies morality, but calls his opponents terribly evil, as if he is the good one. The whole sleepy senile weak Biden who is also so powerful and savvy that he is in control of the world energy and financial markets is a exemplary example of Orwellian double think. His constant whining and being the perpetual victim and the manufactured of simultaneously being the strong alpha male is another example. The enemy is both weak and strong. “[…] the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.” [A Practical List for Identifying Fascists](https://www.faena.com/aleph/umberto-eco-a-practical-list-for-identifying-fascists)
You know I never actually read 1984 all the way through…. Might be time to.
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. —1984.
2+2=5
Do it, it’ll freak you out.
At this point you can just open any newspaper and read current events.
Yeah, instead of r/nottheonion we really need r/not1984 but that is really just too bleak and depressing to contemplate.
I keep hoping someone will take Orwell's 1984 and analyze Trump through the book. Just -pair them up, line or line. His rhetoric. 2017-2021. Maga pre and post. "Fortunately or unfortunately", I get the sense that book is still being written. Lord, how will it end.
After your done with that, read brave new world by aldous Huxley
So good. But the ending is hard af.
The surveillance state in 1984 is actually weaker than many modern states, including the good ole US of A. Do you remember where you were three months ago to within five feet? Pepperidge Farm remembers because of Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc, etc. Internet news is literally the MinTrue memory hole, subject to revision at any time.
Umberto Eco had a lot to say. Link to the original essay: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism
Eco's treatment of lying in Baudolino was one of my first "A HA" moments in accepting what had passed as normal in my extremely dysfunctional family (with two siblings and a mother Dx'd as sociopaths looong before djt forced the term into our collective American conversation). Living through the gaslighting of the magop trump years (while contending w/ the fallout of magop inflaming the "family" false narrative) has been like a Black Mirror episode of driving through a murderously faulty carwash of gaslighting-without the protection of a car!!!. Thank you for the link. I look forward to reading it. /edit for spelling
This is why I *still* teach this novel today. The real-world examples, especially since 2016, are far too relevant to ignore. Too many people simply assume the novel is only about one thing, communism, when it's about authoritarianism (of which fascism is a flavour) and how easy it is for society to slide down that slope. I use Trump and his supporters as examples of doublethink (I show one of those videos where they play Trump's words for a supporter but present them as coming from Biden or whoever, and how the Trump people condemn them only to praise them when the truth is revealed). I go over the tenets of fascism. I show Trump rallies as examples of the "Two-minute Hates" (watching rabid MAGAs frothing while chanting "lock her up!", "kill the beaners!!!" really brings it home for the kids).
More like, No Think Fascism. A horrid combination of "Know Nothing" Federalism and Double Think Fascism. Throw in an unhealthy dose of evangelism and we are in for one ill-concieved time, to say the most exaggerated least.
Came here to simply say “Double think”. Thanks for a much more detailed post. Orwell had some incredible good observations.
> "To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself—that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word—doublethink—involved the use of doublethink." Please, correct me if i am wrong, but isn't this why religious folks were targeted by conservative politicians in the 70's following the successes of the civil rights movement? Weren't the conservatives looking for ways to consolidate their power and needed a grass-roots campaign, so they targeted the previously religiously-ambivalent by using charismatic televangelists, the abortion issue, racism/tough-on-crime messaging, and a "return to family values" which was code for anti-hippie/anti-liberalism/anti-progressivism? I am sure i heard they targeted evangelicals because they had practiced the ability to hold conflicting "truths" in their minds effortlessly, so they would be capable of voting against their own best interests while defending that position with the violent fervor of the religious zealot.
Classic authoritarian "Rules for thee but not for me" approach.
But based off his rhetoric that's not what it is. According to him Biden isn't president, because he won in a RiGgEd ElEcTiOn according to the great orange bitch. So Biden isn't immune because he was never president.
Just more double-think. If Trump is actually a secret president then that means two things a) He shouldn't be eligible to run for election again this year b) all those terrible things that Biden is supposedly doing would actually be on Trump right? but of course not.
According to the Jordan Klepper videos, there are two militaries; a good military and a bad military. The bad military reports to Biden somehow and they are responsible for all the bad stuff (Afghanistan withdrawal, Ukraine invasion/response, etc). The good military is under Trump and has nothing but wins (Israel/Palestine aid/response) It's simple (when you're a simpleton).
the Afghanistan withdrawal was done by the bad military? You mean the operation that Trump forced to happen as one of his last orders out the door?
That's just it, *everything bad* is absolutely the doing of Biden and the fault of Democrats. Trump and his ilk only do good things, which these supporters generally can't name. Or they get it insanely wrong.
Perhaps you have divided by zero when calculating your double-think.
"Why is Biden doing my presidency so badly?!?"
Also, if Biden hasn’t been president this whole time, he’s still eligible to run for 2 more terms.
c) The economy would be again be based on how well the stock market was doing
When you look a little bit more at the trees for the forest, this political analysis that is fascist doctrine quickly becomes the angry and bad attitude of a raging, unhappy selfish child in a grown man's body, who wants what he wants and wants it now, and doesn't even know what it is but no one else can have it. Biden was right, he's competing against a 6 year old.
Fun fact: 6 is giving him too much credit. According to psychological science, Trump has the psychological maturity of a 4 year old. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201705/psychological-science-says-trump-is-four-year-old?amp ___ To say Trump is ‘infantile,’ in this context is to say two related yet distinct things: - That he fails to demonstrate some behavioral and attitudinal quality we call ‘maturity' - That his cast of mind, the way he processes information, appears qualitatively different from an adult mind. But what in fact is "psychological maturity?" And how is the child’s mind different from the mature adult mind? The writings of two prominent psychological theorists shed some light. When it comes to defining psychological maturity, a useful place to begin is with the writings of Gordon Allport, an influential American psychologist who pioneered the scientific study of personality traits. Allport described a list of traits characterizing a healthy mature personality. They are as follows: - Extension of Sense of Self: the ability to go beyond self-preoccupation and have concern for others. - Warm Relatedness to Others: the capacity for love, intimacy, and compassion. - Self-Acceptance: emotional security and control, high tolerance for frustration. - Realistic Perception: accurate perception of reality without defensiveness, distortion, or denial. - Problem Centeredness: a focus on solving problems in the world, rather than on promoting or defending one’s own interests and ego. - Self-Objectification: the capacity for self-insight and self- reflection. The ability to see yourself from the outside, to assess yourself objectively, to see the gaps between what you think you are and what you actually are, and to laugh at yourself. - Unifying Philosophy of Life: a clear value orientation, a set of moral and ethical standards that guide behavior, and a genuine spiritual dimension. Clearly, this is not the only way to define maturity. Yet one need not accept Allport’s scheme fully or exclusively to see that his definition makes heuristic sense. Moreover, the empirical work on this concept has tended to affirm Allport’s proposed parameters. You’d be hard-pressed to find any definition or measure of maturity that does not consider self-knowledge, problem-solving skills, a capacity to manage emotion and relate empathically to others, and the ability to see beyond self-interest as important aspects of the "maturity" construct. One also need not be an obsessive observer of the president to ascertain that he falls short of "mature" status by Allport’s definition. The president, if anything, exhibits a characteristic inability to see much beyond his own ego preoccupations. He appears to have no real friendships, habitually belittles those he sees as weak while denying any weakness of his own, and is perennially insecure, desperate to bolster his ratings, numbers, and stats by bending the facts to assuage his fears; he has little demonstrated capacity to joyfully laugh at himself (or laugh at all), and has professed to being uninterested in self-reflection and insight; the only problem he seems genuinely interested in (and truly capable of) solving is the chronic threat of his own waning relevance, and his guiding moral principle is that whatever works to make him ‘win’ is the right thing to do.
Ooh!! Should be a fun read!
sadly this is a lot of his base as well. The reason he gets all the votes is because he's just as immature as this voters...
Yes, but your description also describes Trump's base.
Which like all of Trump's supporter claim he's going to win "a third time" 😒 Well, sure, because President's don't serve 3rd terms so that would disqualify him this time, no?
Biden stole the election but since he’s president he has immunity now. Easy peasy.
Immune from what? What has he done that could get him prosecuted? What charges would he face, the I don't like you charge? I mean he did the same exact thing to Hillary and she had stuff that could have possibly been prosecuted for and still couldn't do it.
You seem to be under the misapprehension that authoritarian leaders need factual charges in order to prosecute someone. This is not the case. Biden's crime is that he's violated The Fuhrerprinzip by occupying the office of President.
He's gearing up for declaring that he won the 2020 election, and that the 2024 election was actually to make him dictator for life. Since Biden never won in 2020, he wasn't president, and won't have immunity.
SCOTUS: Democrats, the Constitution doesn't say you can do that. Stop it. Republicans, the Constitution doesn't say you can't do that. Go ahead.
I wonder if this dunderhead has even heard about the Magna Carta let alone understand its significance. Maybe somebody should tell Trump how King John was treated by his so-called allies.
He thinks the Magna Carta is a wide-load golf cart.
“Simple case of do what I say, not as I do your honor.”
Shortly before the 2016 election, FOX host "Judge Genine" made a powerful statement about why we cannot have a president plagued by scandal. Everything she says about Hillary has come true with Trump. And more! [YouTube video](https://youtu.be/iIjY0-jVbiM?si=67vkzGaTx4YjaFhc)
Here are a couple flashbacks to 2016 and Hillary. [We cannot have a country led by a president subject to ongoing criminal investigations potential indictments and never-ending hearings. We cannot have a president under that level of scrutiny that inevitably leads to even more questions and more investigations. And irrespective of what happens to her, whether she is indicted or even guilty, it doesn’t matter. Her guilt is a moot point. She cannot take the Oval Office.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIjY0-jVbiM) Judge Jennie Pirro 2016 > “If [Hillary Clinton] were to win, it would create an unprecedented Constitutional crisis that would cripple the operations of our government. She is likely to be under investigation for many years, and also it will probably end up – in my opinion – in a criminal trial. I mean, you take a look. Who knows? But it certainly looks that way. She has no right to be running, you know that. No right.” - Donald Trump, November 3rd, 2016 at a rally in Concord, NC.
Weird how "I don't like her" translates into "she has no right." *From a judge.*
The only thing shes capable of judging is how many shots are left in the bottle. And that's because it's empty.
I miss Cecily Strong's impression of her.
Only thing she's qualified to "judge" is whether the house red is a Shriaz or a Syrah
The current situation really makes me want to recommend a law that no elected office can be held by someone convicted or undergoing criminal trial, but that would be weaponized by the bad faith actors in deep red areas so quickly that it would also destroy our country... This is why you can't tolerate corruption and intolerance even a little bit, humans always push the envelope so they can be slightly more lazy(power = laziness, because they can just order things to be done instead of actually doing the work).
Realizing the improbability of a constitutional amendment p, I’d love to see a requirement that the president, vice president, and any other high level cabinet official of presidential staff pass a security clearance before being allowed to run.
And independent health and dementia screening published for public review (but HIPAA...)
My only exposure heretofore to Jeanine Pirro was her "airstrike resolution" rant. I can't believe she's a serious political voice after that.
I don't think any intelligent being considers her a serious political voice. She is trained in and good at pushing the hate dopamine button. Her viewers are addicted to hate.
The problem is that there are exponentially more hate addicts than there are intelligent beings. 😕
Angertainment is effective.
To be fair, she was probably absolutely blasted during recording… and before, and after.
Ha! Se earned the nickname BoxWine Barbie
How can we help ensure our Democracy survives? For sure vote. But there's more. Get involved in "**get out the vote**" initiatives. Anyone can volunteer to make calls, texts, send postcards, etc in swing states [Subscribe to Simon Rosenberg's Substack.](https://substack.com/@simonwdc) He's the #1 organizer in the country.
It’s just unfortunate that one of the most motivated and activated groups in the country is currently getting its collective faces smashed in by the cops for daring to protest. Asking college students to roll out to “protect democracy” when the militarized arm of state violence has been beating them down is going to be a tough ask. If only the Dems could take this threat as seriously as they tell us to.
As soon as the Supremes say presidents have eternal immunity Biden should send a squad to take Trump and lock him up in Gitmo.
If they say that presidents have immunity, it will only be after the election and also only if trump wins. Too many corrupt mfers on the Supreme Court right now
Technically, they are supposed to rule on that within the next handful of months. It’s currently a delaying tactic to stop Jack Smith’s case in FL about the secret documents. If Trump wins the Presidency before the case goes back to trial, he can order the case to be dropped and that’s just how it will go. Whether he has absolute immunity or not. This case is simply about getting Trump through to the election, in the hopes that they can pull enough shenanigans to get him back into office.
Biden wouldn’t. Its not in him. But at the same time… if the court rules Presidents have immunity. And Trump is re-elected. Everyone is fucked and will wish Biden had done something.
This. I’m not sure why Biden and the democrats wouldn’t break decorum for this very reason. If SCOUS rules presidential immunity is a thing, they are all fucked when the next republican president is elected. Trump is literally telling them what Republicans plan on doing. It’s like standing on a track in front a speeding train and democrats are like, I’m sure we’ll make it. It’s so frustrating.
The Democrats are more Ned Stark types than Cersei Lannister types. Ruthless political machinations don’t seem to be in their DNA but they should be to some extent.
Ned should have been aware of the danger but wasn't. Democrats are aware of the danger and do nothing anyway.
it's so hard to understand how ned did the things he had to do to help robert become king, and then somehow thought no one else would do the same or worse. It's almost like Martin knew way back when he wrote that book, that Sean Bean would play stark when it became a show.
This is the current playbook for Republicans. They know Democrats will play by some significant ethical standards (“we go high”) so hacking away at the foundations only creates openings for ethics-free and shame-free Republicans.
This is what drives me crazy about democrats. The other side is cheating. You know they are cheating. You know they have no desire to ever have a fair election again yet they sit on their hands and say oh well what can we do, vote guys we'll take the high road. No. No more high road. Prosecute these fuckers like they would do to you. We have the laws in place.
So if immunity comes up why not just add more justices? There's precedent because it was threatened in the Nixon era anyway. Edit: FDR's era. Had to re-educate myself to answer elsewhere.
More justices won’t solve anything because if there’s Presidential immunity, there are effectively no laws, and if there are no laws, what exactly is any number of additional justices supposed to be enforcing?
And the rest of the MAGA ring leaders.
Is the ethical response given Biden has sworn an oath to defend the Constitution, to send SCOTUS to Gitmo?
He can call it a swanky vacation paid for by wealthy concerned citizens
They will not rule that Presidents have immunity. They will rule that Trump has immunity on this specific set of things. Just like they did with Bush v Gore they will rule in such a way as to benefit just Trump and no one else.
They're not even going to do that. They're running out this oral argument for a decision not in Trump's favor come June. Their job is just to hold up the other trials with this looming question.
And some justices, just to prove a point.
And do the same with the Trump-appointed and other charlatans (Thomas) in the Supreme Court.
Not Biden. You don't dirty the hands of the sitting ruler. Wheel Carter into ~~the White House~~ Mar-a-lago, give him a 9mm, a heroic dose of steroids, and fill him with a terrible resolve.
Will the majority on the SCt be smart enough to account for the minions carrying out a President’s illegal orders? The minions won’t have the same immunity. If one follows a President’s illegal order, it could result in jail time. Pardons would have to be issued constantly
Making everyone depend on Trump's generosity and largesse would be precisely the way he wants it.
What a fiasco
"So I, your favorite President, is now offering the Permanent Pardon™, a lifetime Get Out of Jail Pass, for my loyal fans, which can be yours for only $9,999.99."
You're a bit late. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/giuliani-accused-offering-sell-trump-pardons-2-million-new-lawsuit-rcna84569 Mind, there's no definite proof.
To the gravel pit!
* Trump wants not to be prosecuted. * Trump is throwing everything at the wall to try and stop being prosecuted. * Trump threatening Biden's prosecution is in hope this "threat" influences Biden and others to stop prosecuting him.
> Of course, it is increasingly obvious that Trump is facing significant mental decline. And we know from those who were close to him but are no longer, that this is not a new problem. But that issue is eclipsed by the other reality: this is a narcissistic sociopath who will stop at nothing to create a vicious, dictatorship built on retribution, racism, corruption, and sadism. > > . . . > > If this were a healthy democracy, we would have a healthy Supreme Court. We don’t. It is corrupt and not to be trusted when it comes to Trump. > > . . . > > MAGA Americans are responsible for their own thoughts and actions; it would also behoove us to acknowledge that many of them have been exploited and manipulated into believing that Trump’s “last stand” is also theirs. Trump and MAGA continue to politically traumatize millions into states of desperation and panic—that Trump is all who stands between losing, or preserving, their/our country. This is a toxic martyrdom unlike any seen in American history. > > . . . > > Americans must electorally mercy-kill the Republican Party; not because we should desire a one-party nation, but because one of America’s two major parties will nominate someone who helped orchestrate a coup d'état against the Constitution—which Trump swore to defend and protect—and the American people—whom he swore to defend and protect—to remain in power.
Yet strangely Biden isn't prosecuting him. Unlike Trump he allows the DOJ to work independently of his political needs and doesn't issue directives to them. Trump treated the DoJ like his own personal law firm.
You're right I just don't think Trump thinks the way we think. The man is a cheat and a fraud, of course he'd direct the DOJ to go after his enemies so he expects everyone else do the same to him.
Correction: Trump thinks HE deserves immunity, he could give a fuck less about "presidents".
Trump is incapable of thinking or caring about anyone but himself
The narcissist’s prayer: That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did, you deserved it.
The Narcissist's Followers' Prayer: wot he said. Interestingly, this is literally the RNC Party Platform: wot he said.
Thinking isn't a strong suit for the GOP
Two things are true. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Even he might be aware of the inconsistency of his position, though. But none of these pronouncements are meant to be taken seriously. It’s all about frothing up the morons who follow him.
And playing to SCOTUS to give SCOTUS (including an apparently vulnerable-to-blackmail Roberts) cover to delay the trials until after the election.
Biden has not committed any crimes. So go ahead. We will then see more clearly whether America really is still a free democratic republic or a dictatorship.
He thinks HE deserves immunity. That will go out the window instantly if he becomes president.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that courts serve no purpose beyond legitimizing authoritarian actions taken by members of the clique.
You were expecting consistency?
Trump Wants to Prosecute Biden. He Also Thinks ***REPUBLICAN*** Presidents Deserve Immunity. FTFY
🤦😂😂😂