This is pretty close, I think. Consider also that Trump was heavily influence by Norman Vincent Peale, consider that his base has that same influence (among others). I would put him in the bucket of what I call malignant positive thinkers (not my idea, I copped it from Ehrenreich’s excellent book Bright-Sided.
Optimism is a good trait. Looking at the reality and focusing on the good parts, also a good trait. I personally could stand to do a little better there. But malignant bright-siders listen only to whatever sounds good. Whatever sounds bad either gets ignored, or interpreted as “actually good”. Bright-siders admit no negativity into their worldview except for one thing: the existence of “haters” and “negative people”, who are obviously to be ignored, distanced, and discredited.
It will come as no surprise that many bright-siders are raging narcissists. This is a more successful type of narcissism because it presents as more successful, upbeat, and collaborative, and it provides a psychosocial framework that helps narcissists band together and vet one another.
Is Trump a bright-sider? I’d say half yes, half no. He certainly knows how to dupe and recruit legitimate bright-siders. He’s steeped in the language, he’s steeped in the idea that there’s always an escape hatch, well-versed in the concept that anything that can be wished can be reality. He’s absolutely surrounded by people who pump him (and one another) full of that fake sunshine.
The point of that essay is to say that Trump’s behavior, in my opinion, is more about him guzzling the kool-aid of America’s malignant bright-siding culture. Not so much about narcissism specifically, but you do find the two phenomena closely linked among high-attaining narcissists. Which Trump undeniably is.
Milking the rat was an art among my childhood friends. The best rat-milker of the group had the same status as the best marble-shooter, the best hitter, or the fastest runner. The boy who could milk a rat well could bring a bully whimpering to his knees in a matter of seconds. He could render Samson hairless or Goliath helpless. Nations have been conquered by notable rat-milkers. To milk a rat, you simply press the fingernail of an opponent’s finger with your thumb. Your index finger squeezes the back of the bottom joint of the finger. Your thumb mashes the fingernail against the second joint of your opponent’s finger. All three joints of your opponent’s finger are brought into action against him.Milking the rat is an almost impossible maneuver to describe in words. It is extremely painful, but the level of pain can be controlled by modulating the pressure exerted by your thumb.
If Trump does meet a premature end it will not be by his own hand nor on the 20th but a mercy killing via poisoned hamburger delivered by Ivanka the day before his prison sentence begins.
ONE [OC]: Hold.
GALT: We hold, Provider One.
ONE [OC]: Provider One bids three hundred quatloos for the newcomers.
TWO [OC]: Provider Two, three hundred and fifty quatloos.
THREE [OC]: Provider Three, four hundred.
TWO [OC]: One thousand quatloos.
THREE [OC]: One thousand fifty quatloos.
ONE [OC]: Two thousand.
GALT: (after a pause) Two thousand quatloos are bid. Is there a challenge? The newcomers have been vended to Provider One.
KIRK: We’re free people. We belong to no one.
TWO [OC]: Such spirit. I wager fifteen quatloos that he is untrainable.
THREE [OC]: Twenty quatloos that all three are untrainable.
TWO [OC]: Five thousand quatloos that the newcomers will have to be destroyed.
ONE [OC]: Accepted. Mark them, Galt.
If we’re looking at a Berlin bunker scenario, I’m sure glad this is one of the few administrations without a White House pet. I guess Stephen Miller could fill in as their Blondi when they need to test the cyanide capsules.
You might recognize toys like this from your or your kids’ childhood:
I’m sure somebody can whip up a TwitFace simulator app that he can post to and AI’s spew back thousands of Discobot-quality “You’re so smart!!”, I love you!", and “Trump for God!!!/!!” responses while the ‘site’ happily reports “That message was copied 1 meeelion times by your 150 meeelion followers!”
That’s pretty good. Actual real-world construction arches also go over something else. Over a doorway, a river, another lower roadway, etc.
And it’s monosyllabic.*
* Why is the word that describes a simple short word so long and convoluted?
5 syllables, 12 letters including a doubled letter, and using both a prefix and suffix. It’s a whole Latin(?)-to-English lesson in just one word.
