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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump isn't an evil genius
Source: Vox, by David Roberts
Whenever a reactionary populist regime takes power and begins doing illiberal things, the same question arises among its critics: How much of this is part of a master plan and how much is just flailing? What is the exact mix of incompetence and ill intent?
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What authoritarian regimes do is blunder forward, grasping and grabbing power whenever and wherever they can, building secretive inner circles, surrounding themselves with supplicant state media, demonizing dissenting voices, and punishing enemies. They do this not because of some 12-dimensional-chess analysis of the political landscape, but because thats what narcissism and zero-sum thinking do. They are more like animals driven by instinct than chess masters driven by strategy, though of course theres a range (with Trump being on the far blinded-by-narcissism end).
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So if we want to know whats next with Trumpism, its not necessary to determine exactly how self-aware he is, the precise admixture of evil genius and rage addled amateur. An authoritarian-minded regime will continue trampling norms and accruing power as long as it can. It will blunder forward until restrained.
What will happen next depends not on Trump, but on Americas institutions and norms the courts, the military, Congress, civil society, journalism. It is their strength, not his, that will determine how this story ends.
Read it all at: http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/31/14442190/trump-is-no-evil-genius
SamKnause
(13,088 posts)The Republicans are EVIL !!!
They always put party and power before country.
They are EVIL.
Their actions and their policies prove this over and over !!!
They hide behind the Christian religion to do their EVIL deeds !!!
They are EVIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
brooklynite
(94,333 posts)...this is a guy who's convinced enough of his own brilliance and his on-the-fly business style (it's been reported that he would just show up in the office to deal with whatever happened, without any preparation) that he can make impulsive choices and expect them to work.
SamKnause
(13,088 posts)He is EVIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,153 posts)The intention of a distraction is to make people look at something better than what you want them to focus on.
Nothing of what Trump has been doing has made him look better or more flattering. The past week and a half have been an utter fiasco for him on all counts.
He's just mentally unhinged. It's as simple as that.
yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)it is so clear.
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heaven05
(18,124 posts)it's bannon, just like rove was for the shrub......
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)It's just something to do since they're here.