You stand in front of him. You look him in the eye. And usually, that's enough - he'll wilt.
But sometimes - you may have to kick him right in the nuts.
Be ready.
Showing posts with label bullies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bullies. Show all posts
Oct 31, 2024
Apr 24, 2024
Trump Be Droopin'
It may be premature - very premature probably - but Trump's armor may be getting quite thin.
Reporter Fact-Checks Trump’s Claim Cops Are Keeping Out Crowds of MAGA Protestors:
NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard was in New York City to cover Trump’s hush money trial, so he was able to get a firsthand look at the crowds who were expected to gather either in support of the ex-president or against. Trump, while speaking to press before entering the courtroom on Tuesday, claimed that there was such a big police presence in the area that his supporters “can’t get near this courthouse.”
Hillyard, unless he was at the wrong courthouse, painted a very different picture of the scene outside — plainly stating, “Just…not true.”
He pointed out: “There is one pro-Trump person here & the main street along the courthouse is open to traffic.”
Trump is well-known for wildly exaggerating the size of his crowds, or getting his staff to do it for him.
When your bluff-n-bluster begins to fade, and not even the usual stochastic shit sticks - well, maybe that sound we hear way off in the distance is the fat lady warming up.
Former President Donald Trump lied about his crowd size (again) on Tuesday.Trump just claimed that the police have shut down the streets around the courthouse for blocks & that his protesters can’t be here.
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) April 23, 2024
Just…not true. There is one pro-Trump person here & the main street along the courthouse is open to traffic. pic.twitter.com/JyrH3ZkNrX
NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard was in New York City to cover Trump’s hush money trial, so he was able to get a firsthand look at the crowds who were expected to gather either in support of the ex-president or against. Trump, while speaking to press before entering the courtroom on Tuesday, claimed that there was such a big police presence in the area that his supporters “can’t get near this courthouse.”
Hillyard, unless he was at the wrong courthouse, painted a very different picture of the scene outside — plainly stating, “Just…not true.”
He pointed out: “There is one pro-Trump person here & the main street along the courthouse is open to traffic.”
Trump is well-known for wildly exaggerating the size of his crowds, or getting his staff to do it for him.
Nov 29, 2018
It's The Lying, Stupid
Last night, Ol' Doc Maddow did some out-loud worrying about 45*'s constant lying, saying she didn't know how to keep reporting on it without contributing to a level of Trump Fatigue that pushes us all towards a state of political catalepsy.
Here's Lee McIntyre, a Research Fellow at The Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, in Newsweek, explaining the difference between Lies and Post Truth:
When a politician gets caught in a lie, there’s usually a bit of sweat, perhaps some shame and the expectation of consequences.
Not for Trump. After many commentators pointed out to him that the stock exchange was in fact closed for several days after 9/11, he merely shrugged it off, never bothering to acknowledge—let alone correct—his error.
Why would he do this?
The point of a lie is to convince someone that a falsehood is true. But the point of post-truth is domination. In my analysis, post-truth is an assertion of power.
As journalist Masha Gessen and others have argued, when Trump lies he does so not to get someone to accept what he’s saying as true, but to show that he is powerful enough to say it.
He has asserted, “I’m the President and you’re not,” as if such high political office comes with the prerogative of creating his own reality. This would explain why Trump doesn’t seem to care much if there is videotape or other evidence that contradicts him. When you’re the boss, what does that matter?
So, a coupla things:
Luckily, we still have a few people who can help us understand these things.
Here's Lee McIntyre, a Research Fellow at The Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, in Newsweek, explaining the difference between Lies and Post Truth:
When a politician gets caught in a lie, there’s usually a bit of sweat, perhaps some shame and the expectation of consequences.
Not for Trump. After many commentators pointed out to him that the stock exchange was in fact closed for several days after 9/11, he merely shrugged it off, never bothering to acknowledge—let alone correct—his error.
Why would he do this?
The point of a lie is to convince someone that a falsehood is true. But the point of post-truth is domination. In my analysis, post-truth is an assertion of power.
As journalist Masha Gessen and others have argued, when Trump lies he does so not to get someone to accept what he’s saying as true, but to show that he is powerful enough to say it.
He has asserted, “I’m the President and you’re not,” as if such high political office comes with the prerogative of creating his own reality. This would explain why Trump doesn’t seem to care much if there is videotape or other evidence that contradicts him. When you’re the boss, what does that matter?
So, a coupla things:
- Don't ever stop pointing out Cult45's lies. It must always be news when anybody in a position of power tries to bullshit us.
- Take McIntyre's thesis to heart. Never forget - it's about power. Identify it, and call it out for what it is.
Oct 12, 2017
The Rage
Dara Lind, Vox:
When it comes to relationships with people, it turns out, Trump is even more mercurial. He blows up at even the people he generally has good relationships with, like Chief of Staff John Kelly; after one early eruption, according to Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, Kelly later told colleagues “that he had never been spoken to like that during 35 years of serving his country.”
But Trump never stays mad. Even the things that seem like permanent grudges, like his anger with Attorney General Jeff Sessions over Sessions recusing himself from the DOJ Russia probe, turn out to be tantrums that can be waited out. (According to Politico, Trump wanted Sessions fired, but his aides successfully used delaying tactics to keep it from happening.)
“Donald Trump never truly severs relationships. There is always a dialogue,” confidant Chris Reddy told Politico.
It’s worth thinking through the consequences of what that means. Trump blows up at everyone around him as a matter of course, but he also doesn’t expect those things to damage his relationships permanently. He expects the people he interacts with to understand that he doesn’t really hate them even though he yells at them — to absorb the abuse as simply part of the job, and move on.
The profile of a bully is almost always rife with cycles of Calm and then Rage and then Calm again - does the phrase "calm before the storm" ring a bell? It should.
And what makes it all the more scary is that bullies (ie: abusers) almost always have a kind of likability to them that makes it difficult for victims to separate fully.
I know, it's all a big-ass cliché, but that just means it's old and obvious, not untrue.
This doesn't get better for a while.
When it comes to relationships with people, it turns out, Trump is even more mercurial. He blows up at even the people he generally has good relationships with, like Chief of Staff John Kelly; after one early eruption, according to Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, Kelly later told colleagues “that he had never been spoken to like that during 35 years of serving his country.”
But Trump never stays mad. Even the things that seem like permanent grudges, like his anger with Attorney General Jeff Sessions over Sessions recusing himself from the DOJ Russia probe, turn out to be tantrums that can be waited out. (According to Politico, Trump wanted Sessions fired, but his aides successfully used delaying tactics to keep it from happening.)
“Donald Trump never truly severs relationships. There is always a dialogue,” confidant Chris Reddy told Politico.
It’s worth thinking through the consequences of what that means. Trump blows up at everyone around him as a matter of course, but he also doesn’t expect those things to damage his relationships permanently. He expects the people he interacts with to understand that he doesn’t really hate them even though he yells at them — to absorb the abuse as simply part of the job, and move on.
The profile of a bully is almost always rife with cycles of Calm and then Rage and then Calm again - does the phrase "calm before the storm" ring a bell? It should.
 |
| 45* teasing a cliffhanger while those around him try hard to pretend they're not praying for a well-placed malignant tumor |
There's also a very pronounced element of Punching Down and Failing Up - or at least Failing Forward.
And what makes it all the more scary is that bullies (ie: abusers) almost always have a kind of likability to them that makes it difficult for victims to separate fully.
I know, it's all a big-ass cliché, but that just means it's old and obvious, not untrue.
This doesn't get better for a while.
Aug 26, 2011
A Little Impulse Control, Please
People like Steve Chabot are just too typical. Their instincts are always paternalistic; always leaning towards the authoritarian and anti-democracy mindset of the autocrat.
Less than three days after Chabot prohibited the use of cameras at a supposed “town hall” meeting in North Avondale and used the services of a Cincinnati police officer to stop offenders, the congressman is rescinding the rule for future sessions.
CityBeat reported on Chabot's Big Brother-style tactics in this week's issue, even though the Chabot staffer who enforced the rule never responded to our request for comment. We also criticized the congressman for not letting residents directly ask him questions, instead only accepting queries that were written in advance on paper.
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