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Donald Trump's Orgy of Irresponsibility


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2016 Feb 25, 6:19am   34,294 views  136 comments

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Jimmy Carter knew that one way to win the trust of the citizenry was to appeal to their moral vanity. He was elected president in 1976 promising "a government that is as good and honest and decent and competent and compassionate and as filled with love as are the American people."

Donald Trump does not try to ingratiate himself by telling Americans how good they are. He does it by telling them it's commendable to be bad. His campaign is not so much a challenge to prevailing standards as a rejection of all standards.

Other candidates fudge, exaggerate, and mislead, but they operate within accepted limits on dishonesty. Trump denies truth and embraces falsehood. He can't be proven wrong because he and his followers deny the authority of facts. He encourages his audiences to trust what they feel—and nothing else.

"Donald J. Trump's record on truth and accuracy is astonishingly poor," Angie Drobnic Holan, a reporter for PolitiFact, wrote in December in The New York Times. "So far, we've fact-checked more than 70 Trump statements and rated fully three-quarters of them as Mostly False, False or 'Pants on Fire' (we reserve this last designation for a claim that is not only inaccurate but also ridiculous)."

That was before a new parade of fictions—saying the United States is the "highest taxed country in the world," claiming he vocally opposed the invasion of Iraq before it happened, and accusing Ted Cruz of having a "double passport." Making stuff up is at the core of his campaign.

Of 96 Trump statements scrutinized by PolitiFact at last count, only seven were true. By contrast, Hillary Clinton, whom Republicans regard as a habitual liar, sticks to the facts slightly more than half the time, according to the fact-checkers.

The brazen deceit Trump exhibits would be fatal to most candidates. Cruz, no slave to veracity, had to fire a spokesman for spreading the claim that Marco Rubio had disparaged the Bible. Trump would not have made that claim. He would have recalled the time Rubio spit on a Bible while wearing a Satan mask in the Grand Mosque of Mecca.

Trump's contempt for the truth is no impediment with a large segment of the Republican primary electorate, which has an adversarial relationship with reality. Two-thirds of Trump supporters think Barack Obama is a Muslim, a survey by Public Policy Polling found, and 61 percent think he was born abroad. Other candidates may decline to indulge voters who are ignorant or unhinged. But Trump is not bound by such dreary customs.

In every way, his campaign has been an orgy of irresponsibility. George W. Bush outraged his critics by waterboarding suspected terrorists, a method he insisted is not torture. Trump says it is torture—and its only drawback is being too gentle.

"I think we should go much stronger than waterboarding," he said. In his view, "nothing should be taken off the table." Any form of sadism you can imagine, Trump will happily consider.

Terrorist suspects are not the only ones at risk of brutality. When someone disrupted his rally, Trump wished for the days of old, when a protester "would be carried out on a stretcher."

His anathema for Muslims, like his taste for torture, knows no bounds. He called for a "complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." He fondly recalled an American general who, according to a doubtful legend, executed Muslim prisoners using bullets dipped in pig's blood.

For some reason, his glorification of hatred and violence appeals to many evangelical Christians, whose savior preached the golden rule. Saintly attributes, in his eyes, are for suckers. Trump tells his supporters that their most vicious impulses should not be suppressed.

Even on less visceral matters, Trump sees boundaries as something to violate without compunction. His tax plan would swell the federal budget deficit by $10 trillion over the next decade. His insistence that this approach will bring the economy roaring back will convince only those who need no convincing. Like his other policies, it treats recklessness as a virtue.

Some politicians think that, on occasion, exceptions have to be made to our observance of civilized norms. Trump wants to toss those civilized norms on a bonfire. He's found plenty of Americans just dying to light the match.

http://reason.com/archives/2016/02/25/donald-trumps-orgy-of-irresponsibility

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120   socal2   2016 Feb 26, 1:52pm  

Ironman says

That would suck, because if he did that, you wouldn't be able to get your Trump lies from Mother Jones... How would you get your misinformation then?

It is laughable that the guy that is pimping a New York Liberal like Trump is accusing me of getting my talking points from Mother Jones.

You are star struck. Just like the Obama girls of 2008.

I can sort of understand how guys like ThunderCommie are all in for the Alpha Male Claudio like Trump. But there really is no Conservative argument for Trump.

121   MisdemeanorRebel   2016 Feb 26, 1:55pm  

Welcome to the break up of the old Republican Elite. The Republican party will become Bull Moose, only room for 100% Americanism, speak softly carry a big stick, America First party, or it will simply be the pro-life branch of the Clinton DNC Globalist Neoliberal Mass Immigration wing of the Democrats.

122   tatupu70   2016 Feb 26, 2:33pm  

What's interesting to me is whether guys with similar views to socal will come out and vote for Trump if he's the Republican nominee. I don't think Trump can win, if not.

Although you can say the same thing with respect to Hillary--will the Bernie supporters come out and vote for her?

123   MisdemeanorRebel   2016 Feb 26, 3:46pm  

tatupu70 says

What's interesting to me is whether guys with similar views to socal will come out and vote for Trump if he's the Republican nominee. I don't think Trump can win, if not.

According to Bloomberg Super Tuesday Poll: Donald is the First or Second choice of half of Republican voters. Those who would "Never" vote Trump are only 20%, which is about the same as consider Kasich to be first or second choice (18%). That 20% is easily outnumbered by the huge portion of Indies and Reagan Democrats Trump is going to pull.

Bloomberg Super Tuesday Poll.pdf

tatupu70 says

Although you can say the same thing with respect to Hillary--will the Bernie supporters come out and vote for her?

What we'll need to do is find measurements of how many Sanders voters would never vote for Hillary. I expect it's quite high. Also, enthusiasm. A 25-year old might come out for Bernie the First Socialist, won't come out simply to vote against Trump.

Trump is the nominee. Super Tuesday is just a rubber stamp at this point.

By the way, notice the 9% for Clinton and the 4% who would stay home correlates strongly with what I believe to be the hardcore GOPe Elite/Party Loyalists.

Many of those threatening to vote third party are Cruz Nuts, but once they see Hillary over and over again on the TV Ads and TV News (because they're TV watching low-info romantic religious dummies), you can probably count a good chunk of them as going out to defeat Hillary, even if it means the Liberal Christ Killing Jew Yorker.

124   HydroCabron   2016 Feb 26, 3:56pm  

This is the only the second time that Richie Rich of The Hamptons and Winthrop Endicott Sargent of Massachusetts have lost control of the GOP - 1964 being the only other time since the Civil War.

If Old Inherited Money can no longer predetermine the presidential nominee by making the delegate-allocation rules, they'll leave, and take their money with them. And they won't go to the Democrat Party.

Trump will create prosperity for the little guy, and strip these wealthy elite snobs of their influence.

125   dublin hillz   2016 Feb 26, 4:00pm  

HydroCabron says

Trump will create prosperity for the little guy, and strip these wealthy elite snobs of their influence

Lol, Trump is the walking definition of snobbery, he acts as if he is the king that's predestined to rule over the plebes. He makes Bush the 2nd look respectable by comparison.

126   MisdemeanorRebel   2016 Feb 26, 4:06pm  

dublin hillz says

Lol, Trump is the walking definition of snobbery, he acts as if he is the king that's predestined to rule over the plebes. He makes Bush the 2nd look respectable by comparison.

Whereas Rubio is a dignified elder statesmen, and not at all a manicured metrosexual.

www.youtube.com/embed/uhlzdjPGxrs
www.youtube.com/embed/IjSTQwamo8M

Gasp!

127   dublin hillz   2016 Feb 26, 4:08pm  

thunderlips11 says

Whereas Rubio is a dignified elder statesmen

Well, he's definitely better than adolph lite and the religious zealot that he is running against.

128   MisdemeanorRebel   2016 Feb 26, 4:11pm  

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.

I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master."

- I welcome their Hatred... FDR.

Back when Democrats produced Alpha Male Leaders who whopped ass and laid it on thick.

Those who consider the USG their appendage have been trying to overturn FDR for 70 years, and have half succeeded. Only an ass kicker will knock 'em down.

129   dublin hillz   2016 Feb 26, 4:15pm  

Trump cannot be compared to FDR. FDR actually passed reforms that helped people. Trump is a satanist oligarch who believes he should rule over everyone. His mannerisms are a window into his character and his character is not suitable for presidency of the united states.

130   MisdemeanorRebel   2016 Feb 26, 4:20pm  

dublin hillz says

Trump cannot be compared to FDR. FDR actually passed reforms that helped people. Trump is a satanist oligarch who believes he should rule over everyone. His mannerisms are a window into his character and his character is not suitable for presidency of the united states.

A Satanist? C'mon now.

Leaving aside the Devil Worship nonsense, are the Oligarch-brought candidates like Hillary or Rubio going to be any better? For god's sake Hillary won't even release her ra-ra Goldman Sachs Oligarch speeches, where she made more money for 3 speeches than entire Bernie's net worth of 70+ years of existence.

Hillary the Oligarch
Campaign Official is ex-Goldman Sachs Veep, paid five figures per quarter.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/26/hillary-campaign-pays-former-goldman-sachs-vice-president-six-figures/
Hillary allowed to edit WaPo article on Libya, tries to downplay her primary role by pointing out that others supported what was her initiative.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/02/26/hillary-emails-clinton-personally-oversaw-corrections-to-glowing-wapo-profile-hailing-her-libya-war-role/

131   dublin hillz   2016 Feb 26, 4:28pm  

thunderlips11 says

Leaving aside the Devil Worship nonsense

Satanists don't worship the devil, satanism is a form of atheism with the focus on worshiping oneself.

thunderlips11 says

are the Oligarch-brought candidates like Hillary or Rubio going to be any better?

Oligarch brought is still better from damage mitigation standpoint than dealing with the oligarch directly. Once they get into government which is what Trump is trying to do, they can open up the deluge of hell upon society. His vindictiveness obviously knows no bounds and that can have very dangerous side effects.

132   MisdemeanorRebel   2016 Feb 26, 4:30pm  

dublin hillz says

Oligarch brought is still better from damage mitigation standpoint than dealing with the oligarch directly. Once they get into government which is what Trump is trying to do, they can open up the deluge of hell upon society. His vindictiveness obviously knows no bounds and that can have very dangerous side effects.

Dude, if you don't think the government right now is controlled by Oligarchs, I don't know what to say to you.

133   dublin hillz   2016 Feb 26, 4:45pm  

thunderlips11 says

Dude, if you don't think the government right now is controlled by Oligarchs, I don't know what to say to you.

I believe that it is influenced by oligarchs through superpacs, contributions, etc. It still does not justify giving oligarch himself the keys to the kingdom. Every candidate in this cycle has pros/cons and trump ranks dead last on my list out of all the candidates who remain in the race.

134   buffer   2016 Feb 26, 8:48pm  

indigenous says

Not hardly, this is from Reason magazine, i.e. staunch Libertarians.

Reason has been a neocon shitrag for years now. Most libertarians I've talked to think they are a complete joke.

135   indigenous   2016 Feb 26, 8:50pm  

buffer says

Reason has been a neocon shitrag for years now. Most libertarians I've talked to think they are a complete joke.

Wow, ad hom, really good Buffy.

136   buffer   2016 Feb 26, 9:18pm  

indigenous says

Wow, ad hom, really good Buffy.

why do you love Reason so much? I used to have a subscription a long time ago. Then I wised up. And I was proved right when they repeatedly attacked Ron Paul and allied themselves with the republican think tanks.

Luckily we have the 'net and don't need to rely on establishment-approved media sources any longer.

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