The Crab Bucket parable for Trump is quite simply, perfect. How does Charlie Sykes come up with these gems? I guess it is because he reads history, literature and poetry, from de Tocqueville to Wordsworth and Milton and much more besides. I have no doubt the next five years of The Bulwark will be equally as good as the first five. Our collective appreciation to Charlie and his excellent team is due for bringing us a desperately needed port in the current political storm that only irony and humor can convey.
Wikipedia defines the crab mentality as “a way of thinking best described by the phrase ‘if I can’t have it, neither can you.’”
This is the southern/rural social philosophy writ large, "I might not have nothing but my neighbor better damn sure not have nothing too." It makes much so much more sense now why his support is so strong in these areas.
Eh gods, I had forgotten about the jackass not lowering the flags immediately- I'm so SICK and TIRED of his ugliness. And the people who cheer on such vileness? I have no words for them that fully encompasses their awfulness and abject inhumanity.
I thought the ship was named for his father, the admiral. It appears it was named for all three, his father and grandfather first, and them the senator after his death.
I’m a recently retired educator and, for years, worked really hard with students and parents to address bullying. Today, the problem is even worse, rather than better, despite school working consistently on this problem. We all know the possible devastating consequences. Adults are supposed to be the exemplars of appropriate behavior. So, thinking about the former president and his followers and their rhetoric, it’s no wonder that children think it’s ok to name call and think it’s ok to “get wild.” If we want to know how to change the behavior of young people, perhaps we should look in the mirror. At least some of us should.
Probably no one will see this but I realized that for the last couple of months I’ve stopped getting any of the Bulwark writers’ columns on my inbox, except for Jim Swift. I’m subscribed to all of them according to my account settings. There doesn’t seem to be a customer service email address that I’ve been able to find.
How did so many people who love Trump get that way? All of his lies, ugly and downright evil things he spews out of his disgusting mouth. He brings out the worst in people. And I blame Fox news and other so-called right wing media who pushes this crap constantly.
Meghan's defense of her late father's honor is noble, patriotic, and oh-so-deserved by the piece of shit that is Trump.
But if she refuses to vote for Biden to stop Trump, it means nothing.
Same with all the Republicans and former Trump Cabinet officials who claim to abhor Trump, but cannot bring themselves to support, much less endorse, President Biden.
Call that partisan if you like, but the truth is sometimes partisan. History will agree.
Thank you, Charlie for this fine article. You did a good job in a small space of showing what Trump is. The dig at McCain was the work of a small, callous, hateful, petulant, sadistic poor excuse for a man. The dig at Lincoln was the work of an arrogant, witless, posturing, ignoramus. The threats against Biden were the work of a blustering cornered thug. The claim of complete immunity from consequences of all actions was the work of a would be dictator. The summary claiming election fraud (and proving who stole the strawberries) was the work of a deranged mind, a shameless con artist, or both at once. Most readers at this site already have no use for Trump, but when it is time for the posse to saddle up and ride, it does not hurt to hear a reminder about the villain from the sheriff.
It is always good for the spirit to remember John McCain; thank you for this tribute, Charlie.
I also remember trump's visit to the sacred ground of Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on June 7, 2019, where he put on a shocking spectacle of disrespect to our WWII patriots. Here is CNN's lede:
"Just prior to participating in a solemn ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, President Donald Trump sat for an interview with Fox News host (and Trump advocate) Laura Ingraham. With rows and rows of white grave markers as his backdrop, the President repeatedly slammed his political opponents, attacked former special counsel Robert Mueller and generally comported himself in ways that no one would mistake for presidential behavior."
1) Some amateur psychoanalysis here. Why did Trump attack McCain? Because McCain had broken with Trump, and Trump personalizes everything. You can’t have a professional disagreement with Trump. If you don’t agree with him, it’s because you hate Trump (or you’re a bad person). And if Trump thinks you hate him, he’s going to hate you back (because that’s the way adults are supposed to behave). Why did he attack McCain the way he did? Because attacking McCain based on some policy disagreement isn’t mean enough. And it leaves McCain’s honor intact. So Trump has to attack the basis for that honor, McCain’s service record. He can’t just argue that McCain is wrong. He has to argue that McCain hasn’t really done anything to deserve the honor and respect that he is held in. He has to knock him down as far as he can (so, as CS points out, he can at least think to himself, “you’re no better than me”). Trump’s fragile ego and fragile self-esteem demand it.
This is the same reason that I believe that pedophilia figures so prominently in Republican attacks on Democrats. Claiming that Democratic policies are terrible and will ruin the country isn’t enough. Democrats must be portrayed as evil. Well, pedophilia is pretty high on the evil list.
Why would Trump attack McCain if it might have hurt his campaign (this was before Trump had cemented the Vulcan mind-meld hold that he has on his base)? Because Trump is a man-child with a clearly limited amount of self-control. So he’s not going to analyze anything – he’s simply going to lash out when he’s angry. It doesn’t matter if it hurts his campaign or not. Because that’s what children (or the emotionally immature) do.
BTW, I believe this shows the answer to the question of whether Trump is playing 3-D chess or not. He’s not. He’s just reacting to wherever the stimulus of the moment pushes him.
2) “Millions of dollars that went into his “pockets” with money from foreign countries” – ignoring the tortured syntax, here’s just another example of the observation that “projection is the sincerest form of Trumpism”. For we now know that Trump’s businesses got at least $7.5M from foreign governments. Think his supporters will care that he is accusing Biden (without any evidence at all) of something that we know that he did? Think I’ll win the Powerball next week?
Interesting that Trump argues that he has immunity because he was engaged in his official duties. After all, “the election was long over.” (But see, inter alia, filming of his statement to the rioters.) [wrong place to post this? If so, apologies.]
The Crab Bucket parable for Trump is quite simply, perfect. How does Charlie Sykes come up with these gems? I guess it is because he reads history, literature and poetry, from de Tocqueville to Wordsworth and Milton and much more besides. I have no doubt the next five years of The Bulwark will be equally as good as the first five. Our collective appreciation to Charlie and his excellent team is due for bringing us a desperately needed port in the current political storm that only irony and humor can convey.
And yet the Evangelicals love the Orange Menace. It is bizarre!
Wikipedia defines the crab mentality as “a way of thinking best described by the phrase ‘if I can’t have it, neither can you.’”
This is the southern/rural social philosophy writ large, "I might not have nothing but my neighbor better damn sure not have nothing too." It makes much so much more sense now why his support is so strong in these areas.
Eh gods, I had forgotten about the jackass not lowering the flags immediately- I'm so SICK and TIRED of his ugliness. And the people who cheer on such vileness? I have no words for them that fully encompasses their awfulness and abject inhumanity.
I thought the ship was named for his father, the admiral. It appears it was named for all three, his father and grandfather first, and them the senator after his death.
I’m a recently retired educator and, for years, worked really hard with students and parents to address bullying. Today, the problem is even worse, rather than better, despite school working consistently on this problem. We all know the possible devastating consequences. Adults are supposed to be the exemplars of appropriate behavior. So, thinking about the former president and his followers and their rhetoric, it’s no wonder that children think it’s ok to name call and think it’s ok to “get wild.” If we want to know how to change the behavior of young people, perhaps we should look in the mirror. At least some of us should.
Probably no one will see this but I realized that for the last couple of months I’ve stopped getting any of the Bulwark writers’ columns on my inbox, except for Jim Swift. I’m subscribed to all of them according to my account settings. There doesn’t seem to be a customer service email address that I’ve been able to find.
How did so many people who love Trump get that way? All of his lies, ugly and downright evil things he spews out of his disgusting mouth. He brings out the worst in people. And I blame Fox news and other so-called right wing media who pushes this crap constantly.
I hate to say it, but I will:
Meghan's defense of her late father's honor is noble, patriotic, and oh-so-deserved by the piece of shit that is Trump.
But if she refuses to vote for Biden to stop Trump, it means nothing.
Same with all the Republicans and former Trump Cabinet officials who claim to abhor Trump, but cannot bring themselves to support, much less endorse, President Biden.
Call that partisan if you like, but the truth is sometimes partisan. History will agree.
Thank you, Charlie for this fine article. You did a good job in a small space of showing what Trump is. The dig at McCain was the work of a small, callous, hateful, petulant, sadistic poor excuse for a man. The dig at Lincoln was the work of an arrogant, witless, posturing, ignoramus. The threats against Biden were the work of a blustering cornered thug. The claim of complete immunity from consequences of all actions was the work of a would be dictator. The summary claiming election fraud (and proving who stole the strawberries) was the work of a deranged mind, a shameless con artist, or both at once. Most readers at this site already have no use for Trump, but when it is time for the posse to saddle up and ride, it does not hurt to hear a reminder about the villain from the sheriff.
The human being as amazing as DJT walks among us we would be blessed to permit him to do whatever the F he wants.
It is always good for the spirit to remember John McCain; thank you for this tribute, Charlie.
I also remember trump's visit to the sacred ground of Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on June 7, 2019, where he put on a shocking spectacle of disrespect to our WWII patriots. Here is CNN's lede:
"Just prior to participating in a solemn ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, President Donald Trump sat for an interview with Fox News host (and Trump advocate) Laura Ingraham. With rows and rows of white grave markers as his backdrop, the President repeatedly slammed his political opponents, attacked former special counsel Robert Mueller and generally comported himself in ways that no one would mistake for presidential behavior."
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/07/politics/donald-trump-normandy/index.html
A few comments….
1) Some amateur psychoanalysis here. Why did Trump attack McCain? Because McCain had broken with Trump, and Trump personalizes everything. You can’t have a professional disagreement with Trump. If you don’t agree with him, it’s because you hate Trump (or you’re a bad person). And if Trump thinks you hate him, he’s going to hate you back (because that’s the way adults are supposed to behave). Why did he attack McCain the way he did? Because attacking McCain based on some policy disagreement isn’t mean enough. And it leaves McCain’s honor intact. So Trump has to attack the basis for that honor, McCain’s service record. He can’t just argue that McCain is wrong. He has to argue that McCain hasn’t really done anything to deserve the honor and respect that he is held in. He has to knock him down as far as he can (so, as CS points out, he can at least think to himself, “you’re no better than me”). Trump’s fragile ego and fragile self-esteem demand it.
This is the same reason that I believe that pedophilia figures so prominently in Republican attacks on Democrats. Claiming that Democratic policies are terrible and will ruin the country isn’t enough. Democrats must be portrayed as evil. Well, pedophilia is pretty high on the evil list.
Why would Trump attack McCain if it might have hurt his campaign (this was before Trump had cemented the Vulcan mind-meld hold that he has on his base)? Because Trump is a man-child with a clearly limited amount of self-control. So he’s not going to analyze anything – he’s simply going to lash out when he’s angry. It doesn’t matter if it hurts his campaign or not. Because that’s what children (or the emotionally immature) do.
BTW, I believe this shows the answer to the question of whether Trump is playing 3-D chess or not. He’s not. He’s just reacting to wherever the stimulus of the moment pushes him.
2) “Millions of dollars that went into his “pockets” with money from foreign countries” – ignoring the tortured syntax, here’s just another example of the observation that “projection is the sincerest form of Trumpism”. For we now know that Trump’s businesses got at least $7.5M from foreign governments. Think his supporters will care that he is accusing Biden (without any evidence at all) of something that we know that he did? Think I’ll win the Powerball next week?
Interesting that Trump argues that he has immunity because he was engaged in his official duties. After all, “the election was long over.” (But see, inter alia, filming of his statement to the rioters.) [wrong place to post this? If so, apologies.]
And another R in the House bites the dust - this time, Pence's brother. That "majority" is slipping away from Johnson. He might be gone soon. LOL.
As regards item 3, above: Good suggestions but good luck. 'Give us dirty laundry' sang Don Henley.