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Deepspace's avatar

“We were wrong.” Those are the hardest three words to spit out in Trump World.

Another, it-goes-without-saying, baseline psychological trait of the authoritarian mindset, the most essential part of radicalized political, religious, and militaristic “reeducation” programs the world over, is an unwavering conviction that one’s esoteric revelations of outside reality are the correct ones despite empirical evidence to the contrary. “I have invested too much precious time and energy in developing my ideation; I simply cannot be wrong; it is the core of who I am.”

The bone-rattling shock of actually being wrong would make a zealot's entire identity, indeed their whole life, meaningless. An overwhelming sense of a righteous self cannot tolerate such a threat to the undying faith in one’s superior intelligence. Self-centered egoists and malignant narcissists cannot bear the thought of abandoning their belief systems for the truth staring them in the face. Authoritarian leaders and followers are always right, even when they’re wrong.

That’s Trump and Trumpism in a nutshell. According to Michael Cohen, his former fixer, and Mary Trump, his swindled niece, Donald’s biggest fear is to appear as the pathetic loser he is. That’s why he projects “loser” onto others who dare cross him. Whenever the dust settles on whichever problem du jour threatens his fragile ego, he must always emerge victorious, at least in his own mind, thinking himself the long-suffering hero surrounded by dolts while other vicious predators are out to get him. His major source of pride, his fuel, is an uncanny ability to convince others of his innate superiority, thus his heroin-like addiction to the cheering MAGA crowds, a true ego rush.

He is by nature a despicable, low-brow, money-grubbing grifter who should be locked up for a lifetime of debauchery and criminal behavior. Let the “stable genius” stew on what has become of his miserable life while languishing behind bars where he belongs. (And keep his cell-block TV tuned to MSNBC, blaring night and day.) To live stark, isolated lives and dwell on their crimes against humanity should be the ultimate fate of every top-tier autocratic leader in the world who violates their public trust and oath of office to such horrific degrees. That’s more fitting than execution. Living is harder than dying.

So there sits your great white savior: a sad, broken, angry old man muttering to himself over lost glory days, cursing the shattered pieces of his worthless life as the world moves on without him. It’s the unvarnished image of a washed-up has-been out of touch with reality — not quite the glistening, shirtless macho-man adorning the overlarge flags in the back of the obnoxious Trump trucks, rolling coal down Main Street; not quite the infallible leader his duped followers thought he was. A whiny, spoiled brat, he’s not even a worthy martyr. He's not someone your kids should look up to.

To be civilized, a society has to prove wrong those who think they can do no wrong, especially small-minded hucksters and carnival barkers, peddling hate and division for their own profit and glory, who rise to positions of influential they do not deserve.

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John's avatar

This writing is "Exhibit A" on how to keep morale as we tire from our efforts to heave this nation (and perhaps humanity itself) from the wreckage of the permanent half-mast status it has fallen to.

As a former firefighter I can say there is a clear line of demarcation in character traits between law enforcement and ems/ fire personnel. Our missions do not align well. Who, what, where, when or why are only important in so far as their relevance to best care for patients/ victims. The cops certainly didn't share this view. They were mostly just an additional obstacle on already difficult scenes.

N.W.A. never did write a song titled: "Fuck the FD"...

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