Trumpety-Trump

[poliphilo]

An American friend who is distraught about Trump and admires the Clintons is sending me furious emails about how terrible the Republicans are. I don't exactly disagree, but my considered opinion is that the Democrats aren't much better- and anyway Trump is only nominally a Republican- and she won't be having it.  I'm trying to keep my temper but it's hard. Every attempt to mollify or distract or philosophise is met with more shouting. If I do anything but wholeheartedly agree with her I get an essay about how furious she is and how I'm little better than an appeaser of nazis.

We went through a storm of this a few week back- and then it died down because I told her to stop. I've told her again. I don't want to lose her friendship but this isn't how friends behave.

At the moment I'm holding my peace about Trump. He keeps sending out signals- and one tweet contradicts the last and it's hard to say whether this is because he's scatterbrained or because like a World War II bomber trying to confuse enemy radar he's throwing out chaff. I refuse to jump up and down and call him a moron and a nazi because I don't think we have sufficient information yet. Also it's unintelligent. He's a political phenomenon the likes of which we've never seen before- besides being a very odd human being- and shouting out the insults of yesteryear is like firing a shotgun at a distant moving target.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My friend is very keen on the Clintons. She won't accept that they've ever set a foot wrong.

It leads to double standards. Donald Trump has been accused of rape and obviously he's guilty. Bill Clinton has been accused of rape and just as obviously he's innocent.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

We're way too caught up on personalities and impressions of personalities and defending/hating personalities. Not that I don't think Trump's (such that we have an impression of it) could lead to real problems. Just there's something insane about focusing so much on which person we like or suggest we should trust. To hell with trust. Up with issues, positions, and vigilance.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think we also overrate the power of an American president. Trump won't be a dictator; the system won't allow it.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

This is a point. Yet the way Congresspeople roll over, and the way fascism can gather momentum quick, ........

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Nobody thought Hitler would amount to much but they too rolled over for him.