Consistently Disappointing

The more things change…….

        It seems to never end and never change. The scenario is always some version of this: An individual takes offense at some political (statement, cartoon, meme) which casts Trump in an unfavorable light. The response is typically not, unfortunately, to respond with a defense listing specifics about the man which are exemplary of good decisions, actions, or programs but rather, in some bizzarro world approach, to attack either the writer, Trump opponents or, in the oddest cases, Barack Obama, three years out of office.

        In a recent slight twist on the story, the response was not any defense of Trump (No surprise here) but to question how I (we) were “worse off” because of him. Realize that this plumbs the depths of “lame.” Ask a (Christian, Buddhist, Beatles, Orioles, Lady Gaga) supporter why they feel as they do, and you will generally get a litany of reasons. One may disagree, but there will be reasons. Ask a Trump supporter, and I have, many times, and while you may get the odd generalization, you will rarely get any specific response which logically supports such fan girl or boy worship. Moreover, such reasons, when they are proffered at all, are almost always based on either flawed logic, ignorance, or simply demonstrable untruths. One suspects other reasons the fan is hesitant to share, perhaps?   

        Recently, the question was the “How are “you” (we) worse off because of Trump?” Without too much repetitious detail, my response alluded to the fact that as a society, we are all part of the whole. I might have simply chosen the Biblical, “In as much as you have done it to the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.” (also, a Buddhist and Confucian sentiment predating Christ by hundreds of years). Unfortunately, many, if not most, Trump supporters don’t see the world that way, even though many stridently proclaim their muscular Christianity while ignoring their leader's precepts, a blindingly blatant contradiction in terms. As a beginning point, and to ensure understanding, realize that Trumpists see American society as Us and Them.

        In any event my response was an inclusive listing of economic bad decisions, and the expenditure of our tax dollars to pay for them, the grave erosion of foreign relations with most of Europe (except, of course, Russia), stigmatization of minorities in various ways, etc.

        Having provided the documented specifics requested, it still came as no surprise that the response made absolutely no effort to refute or even defend any of them. What, you ask was the response? Well, it began with a gross mischaracterization of where I live (“Hoity toity” …really? Who even uses that phrase in the 21^st century?) Apparently, living in a retirement community which encompasses all levels of homes from manufactured homes to 1200 square foot villas to 3500 square foot site-built houses, disqualifies me from having a social conscience. Of course, the individual also is blatantly unaware that The Villages is a bastion of Trump supporters, the majority middle class retirees. We then progressed to inferring that somehow, I have been insulated from a diversity of ethnic origins, ignoring 26 years of naval service with all ethnicities involved, or 20 years of inner-city public-school service. It then turned to questioning our personal charitable activities.

         See where we’re going here?  If only one side of a discussion is willing or prepared to engage in said discourse with fact or reasoned opinion, then the conversation is impossible. In the past three years, only once has anyone responded to a plea for reasoned conversation with any measured thoughtful response to the issues, vice personal attacks or finger pointing, and in that case, they had such huge and documented gaps in their argument that the point was moot.

       When Trump’s much ballyhooed personal choice for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, finally having had enough, resigned, characterizing Trump as “a moron,” that should have bothered his supporters, but it didn’t. As of today, 18 of Trump’s personal picks for “A” team (inner circle/cabinet/national security) jobs have been replaced at least twice since the original appointment, some three times. Were they all bad people?

        The alternative answer is the one Trumpist grassroots supporters don’t want to consider. Their emperor is “bare assed nekkid!”