Trump - a puzzling enigma

[henry quirk]

I don't care, lace.

Obviously.

And I'm obviously talking to more people than you.

yes...of course...that's why you opened with...

Your focus/conclusion (as usual) is distorted and self-serving.

...your referring to everyone

dig that hole, lace

[Lacewing]

And I'm obviously talking to more people than you.

yes...of course...that's why you opened with...

Your focus/conclusion (as usual) is distorted and self-serving.

Yes, that was directed to you. YOU ASKED A QUESTION.

The rest of what I said was for the whole forum.

[Sculptor]

Trump today:
"I always knew he virus was infectious and deadly. I knew that weeks before the first confirmed death."

FFS

0C4FA7E2-41CF-40FC-AD3A-4264FC568DED.png

PLONK!

[commonsense]

[/quote]

I wanted to ask when I’m going to hear the actual Woodward tapes on C-Span.

when woodward allows it...the tapes are his


Also, I’m wondering if C-Span maintains a degree of editorial control by deciding which raw footage is selected for public view.

why not go to the site, or tune in on the tv or radio, and assess it for yourself?


Subtle, but very deceptive choices can skew public opinions.

true: so go judge for yourself

Hopefully he’ll release them when his book goes on sale.

I watch it on TV while I do something else on the computer.

Come to think of it, all news organizations edit the news by deciding what’s a non-story that doesn’t get reported at all.

[seeds]

Now I don’t mean to be overly dramatic about this, but the “thing” that is currently in charge of running America, is simply the result of the necrotizing processes of America’s bad karma continuing to run its course.

As I had suggested in an alternate thread, Donald Trump is a living breathing caricature of what American culture has evolved into (characterized by greed, hedonism, and narcissism), and therefore is a perfect representative for America’s present ethos.

Your entire post is wonderfully described.

Thank you, Lacewing.

And regarding your clear and incisive reply to DAM:

...He emboldens mindless rage and division.
He is creating war and destruction.
People who feel validity from being on "sides", see him as affirming their identity and rightness.

IF ANY NON-REPUBLICAN SAID AND DID ALL OF THE ATROCIOUS AND IGNORANT STUFF THAT TRUMP HAS SAID AND DONE, DO YOU THINK REPUBLICANS WOULD BE SINGING THAT PERSON'S PRAISES... talking about how well they're playing the game?

The only way to see clearly is to get off the platforms and stop idolizing. Trump does not represent anyone but himself. His supporters have become pawns to herald his glory. Why would anyone stoop themselves to be that for him or anyone? NO ONE deserves such adulation and unquestioning support and excuses...

As I read the posts in this thread (while I watch you having fun playing with the Trump supporters of this forum - like a cat playing with mice )...

...I am reminded of watching some old World War 2 documentaries that showed the American and Allied soldiers marching the (“pure-blooded”) German citizens through the liberated concentration camps and making them see and smell and feel the shame of the ghastly horror of the piles of corpses of the humans who were slowly tortured and murdered on their behalf.



And as I viewed these documentaries I remember wondering how in the world could such normal looking people have been so mesmerized by a madman to the point of following him down a path of such evilness that allowed for the creation of death camps?

However, based on some of the troubling and “starry-eyed” comments made by the Trump supporters in this very forum (along with the words and actions of others like them across America), I believe we are witnessing right now (right before our very eyes) precisely what happened to the German population almost a century ago.

Now I am not suggesting that Trump is as bad as Hitler. No, I am merely pointing out how easy it is for (normal and seemingly intelligent) humans to be charmed by the charisma of a demented human who is able to say just the right words at just the right time in a society’s evolution (or, in this case, a society’s devolution).



To be honest, I don’t trust any politician, no matter who they are. To me, they’re all just older versions of our nerdy high school classmates who felt the need to run for the student council or for class president.

However, what is even more pathetic is to read the tiny-minded postings of members of this “philosophy” forum that fawn over and defend these power hungry (never advanced beyond high school mentality) nerds of whom they don’t know from Adam.

As far as I am concerned, someone who is truly philosophically minded should be viewing all of politics (indeed, all of life in general) from an elevated position. I’m talking about from a position that is above and outside of the political arena (like a biologist looking down at amoebas in a petri dish).

In other words, a person should never allow themself to be drawn into and trapped in the thrall of another person’s (another “amoeba’s”) charm, or personality, or ideology, or whatever it is that seems to hypnotize these people into thinking that their idol can do no wrong.

And that is especially important if that person has proven themself to be a pathological liar.

Now with that being said, what is truly disturbing and frustrating is that those who are under Trump’s thrall will question you as to what you are referring to when you speak of him being a liar, as if they have never witnessed such a thing.

And all I can conclude from that level of obliviousness is that they themselves must be pathological liars, and that they simply don’t see it as being a moral problem in either themselves, nor in others.
_______

[Belinda]

Yes. But there would exist no knowledge of the eternal unless there were also egoselves to tell each other stories about it.

The idea eternal is also a story, one that is on constant repeat, it's just another known concept, another dream story that has no on or off switch.

Very good!

[henry quirk]

And I'm obviously talking to more people than you.

yes...of course...that's why you opened with...

Your focus/conclusion (as usual) is distorted and self-serving.

Yes, that was directed to you. YOU ASKED A QUESTION.

The rest of what I said was for the whole forum.

don't care

[henry quirk]

Trump today:
"I always knew he virus was infectious and deadly. I knew that weeks before the first confirmed death."

FFS

0C4FA7E2-41CF-40FC-AD3A-4264FC568DED.png

PLONK!

correction: PLINK!

[henry quirk]

Hopefully he’ll release them when his book goes on sale.

my gut tells me he'll never release anything but excerpts


I watch it on TV while I do something else on the computer.

good man: how do you assess it?


Come to think of it, all news organizations edit the news by deciding what’s a non-story that doesn’t get reported at all.

how many play unedited footage and live feeds without cutaway or commercial or commentary?

only one that I'm aware of

[commonsense]

Trump today:
"I always knew he virus was infectious and deadly. I knew that weeks before the first confirmed death."

FFS

0C4FA7E2-41CF-40FC-AD3A-4264FC568DED.png

PLONK!

I’m curious what Trump the Schlump’s supporters will say about this quote, reported today but recorded in early February.

Likely there will be blame-shifting and distraction, but I wonder if any will address his knowledge v his words and actions.

[commonsense]

Hopefully he’ll release them when his book goes on sale.

my gut tells me he'll never release anything but excerpts


I watch it on TV while I do something else on the computer.

good man: how do you assess it?


Come to think of it, all news organizations edit the news by deciding what’s a non-story that doesn’t get reported at all.

how many play unedited footage and live feeds without cutaway or commercial or commentary?

only one that I'm aware of

Watching C-Span is like being my own reporter, observing the source material face to face.

[henry quirk]

I’m curious what Trump the Schlump’s supporters will say about this quote, reported today but recorded in early February.

why'd bob wait so long to release the bite, and, why only the bite and not the surrounding audio (you know, for a fuller context)


Likely there will be blame-shifting and distraction

like pretty much every news organization ignoring that fauci said trump didn't mislead?


but I wonder if any will address his knowledge v his words and actions.

i wonder if any will call for more of the audio (you know, for a fuller context)

B1358803-CCAA-4094-A3E3-E4CFF20F0842.png (111.51 KiB) Viewed 1309 times

[henry quirk]

Hopefully he’ll release them when his book goes on sale.

my gut tells me he'll never release anything but excerpts


I watch it on TV while I do something else on the computer.

good man: how do you assess it?


Come to think of it, all news organizations edit the news by deciding what’s a non-story that doesn’t get reported at all.

how many play unedited footage and live feeds without cutaway or commercial or commentary?

only one that I'm aware of

Watching C-Span is like being my own reporter, observing the source material face to face.

exactly

[Lacewing]

based on some of the troubling and “starry-eyed” comments made by the Trump supporters in this very forum (along with the words and actions of others like them across America), I believe we are witnessing right now (right before our very eyes) precisely what happened to the German population almost a century ago.

It seems unfathomable... yet (I agree) this seems to shed insight into how such followings and movements can happen.

Now I am not suggesting that Trump is as bad as Hitler. No, I am merely pointing out how easy it is for (normal and seemingly intelligent) humans to be charmed by the charisma of a demented human who is able to say just the right words at just the right time in a society’s evolution (or, in this case, a society’s devolution).

Scary. Helps us respect the perhaps-fragile/chaotic balance of energy potential and its vast scope and power. Within each of us, as well as collectively. So much is possible! So many types of energy: the hideous to the magnificent. I look at this currently dense and destructively divisive political environment and think (like a lot of other people) about the opposite range of the pendulum: expansiveness and cooperative potential. I'm hoping that we'll enjoy a slingshot effect (if we survive) -- raising our collective awareness and becoming more enlightened about our collective choices and power as a result of the lessons from such an ignorant and intoxicated trip as we're seeing now.

To be honest, I don’t trust any politician, no matter who they are.

Me neither! They all become servants to their agendas, and must skew reality to side-step challenges and criticism. Agendas can easily take on a life of their own (like false idols) and become more important than people -- so it is important not to become an army for agendas either.

As far as I am concerned, someone who is truly philosophically minded should be viewing all of politics (indeed, all of life in general) from an elevated position. I’m talking about from a position that is above and outside of the political arena (like a biologist looking down at amoebas in a petri dish).

YES!!!

In other words, a person should never allow themself to be drawn into and trapped in the thrall of another person’s (another “amoeba’s”) charm, or personality, or ideology, or whatever it is that seems to hypnotize these people into thinking that their idol can do no wrong.

Exactly! It's insane. This is why I study the bacteria in the petri dish of this forum... ... to understand why it's there and how it perpetuates.

Now with that being said, what is truly disturbing and frustrating is that those who are under Trump’s thrall will question you as to what you are referring to when you speak of him being a liar, as if they have never witnessed such a thing.

And all I can conclude from that level of obliviousness is that they themselves must be pathological liars, and that they simply don’t see it as being a moral problem in either themselves, nor in others.

I've wondered about this too. I think it could be a level of immature development in such people -- like children who deny the existence of cookies when there are crumbs all over their face. Pretense is powerful. Still, how they (as adults) can imagine that any of us believe such obvious pretense, is what leads me to often conclude they're stupid or severely intoxicated. I think they are capable of being much more intelligent... but for whatever reasons, something has happened to trigger their undeveloped emotions in such a way that they are presently little more than zombies destroying everything in sight on behalf of the intoxicating churning swamp of the SwampMaster and his toxic fumes.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

based on some of the troubling and “starry-eyed” comments made by the Trump supporters in this very forum (along with the words and actions of others like them across America), I believe we are witnessing right now (right before our very eyes) precisely what happened to the German population almost a century ago.

It seems unfathomable... yet (I agree) this seems to shed insight into how such followings and movements can happen.

Now I am not suggesting that Trump is as bad as Hitler. No, I am merely pointing out how easy it is for (normal and seemingly intelligent) humans to be charmed by the charisma of a demented human who is able to say just the right words at just the right time in a society’s evolution (or, in this case, a society’s devolution).

Scary. Helps us respect the perhaps-fragile/chaotic balance of energy potential and its vast scope and power. Within each of us, as well as collectively. So much is possible! So many types of energy: the hideous to the magnificent. I look at this currently dense and destructively divisive political environment and think (like a lot of other people) about the opposite range of the pendulum: expansiveness and cooperative potential. I'm hoping that we'll enjoy a slingshot effect (if we survive) -- raising our collective awareness and becoming more enlightened about our collective choices and power as a result of the lessons from such an ignorant and intoxicated trip as we're seeing now.

To be honest, I don’t trust any politician, no matter who they are.

Me neither! They all become servants to their agendas, and must skew reality to side-step challenges and criticism. Agendas can easily take on a life of their own (like false idols) and become more important than people -- so it is important not to become an army for agendas either.

As far as I am concerned, someone who is truly philosophically minded should be viewing all of politics (indeed, all of life in general) from an elevated position. I’m talking about from a position that is above and outside of the political arena (like a biologist looking down at amoebas in a petri dish).

YES!!!

In other words, a person should never allow themself to be drawn into and trapped in the thrall of another person’s (another “amoeba’s”) charm, or personality, or ideology, or whatever it is that seems to hypnotize these people into thinking that their idol can do no wrong.

Exactly! It's insane. This is why I study the bacteria in the petri dish of this forum... ... to understand why it's there and how it perpetuates.

Now with that being said, what is truly disturbing and frustrating is that those who are under Trump’s thrall will question you as to what you are referring to when you speak of him being a liar, as if they have never witnessed such a thing.

And all I can conclude from that level of obliviousness is that they themselves must be pathological liars, and that they simply don’t see it as being a moral problem in either themselves, nor in others.

I've wondered about this too. I think it could be a level of immature development in such people -- like children who deny the existence of cookies when there are crumbs all over their face. Pretense is powerful. Still, how they (as adults) can imagine that any of us believe such obvious pretense, is what leads me to often conclude they're stupid or severely intoxicated. I think they are capable of being much more intelligent... but for whatever reasons, something has happened to trigger their undeveloped emotions in such a way that they are presently little more than zombies destroying everything in sight on behalf of the intoxicating churning swamp of the SwampMaster and his toxic fumes.

Well he called soldiers 'losers and suckers', which is spot on, so he can't be all bad. Give the dear man some slack