Some parts of “mainstream” media have gone so far as to call Trump’s CPAC speech “unhinged.” So it will not surprise you to know that the Right loved it. Indeed, one of the libertarians at the comically named Reason magazine said of the speech, Trump Just Might Have Won the 2020 Election Today. “The president’s speech at CPAC was a bedazzling mix of bravado, B.S., humor, and positive vision no Democrat will be able to top,” the article blurb gushes.
There is simply no potential candidate in the Democratic Party who wouldn’t be absolutely blown off the stage by him. I say this as someone who is neither a Trump fanboy nor a Never Trumper. But he was not simply good, he was Prince-at-the-Super-Bowl great, deftly flinging juvenile taunts at everyone who has ever crossed him, tossing red meat to the Republican faithful, and going sotto voce serious to talk about justice being done for working-class Americans screwed over by global corporations.
In a heavily improvised speech that lasted over two hours, the 72-year-old former (future?) reality TV star hit every greatest hit in his repertoire (“Crooked Hillary,” “build the wall,” “America is winning again,” and more all made appearances) while riffing on everything from the Green New Deal to his own advanced age and weird hair to the wisdom of soldiers over generals. At times, it was like listening to Robin Williams’ genie in the Disney movie Aladdin, Howard Stern in his peak years as a radio shock jock, or Don Rickles as an insult comic. When he started making asides, Trump observed, “This is how I got elected, by going off script.” Two years into his presidency and he’s just getting warmed up.
Whether the qualities the writer, Nick Gillespie, describes here are qualities most Americans actually want to see in a president is another question, of course. And from here I could launch into a diatribe on the irony of self-described “libertarians” aligning themselves with the increasingly anti-liberty and authoritarian Party of Trump. But let me just link to some stuff in the archives for that — see “The Black Heart of Libertarianism,” “Libertarianism is BS,” “Libertarianism vs. Liberty,” “Libertarianism vs. Reality,” and “The Libertarian Mytisque.”
The basic thrust of all of these posts is that libertarianism is a strategy for privileged white people to bullshit themselves into believing they are some kind of principled freedom fighters when they are really just protecting their own property and privilege. It shouldn’t surprise us that libertarians would cheer for Trump, because deep down they recognize he expressess their deepest and most cherished value — the hell with anyone else; what’s in it for me?
What I really want to talk about, though, is the shocking immensity of delusion one must be living in to not see that Donald Trump is, um, a really bad president. Not to mention a really bad human being. Seriously, Trump admirers are not living in the same time-space continuum as the rest of us. I’m saying that the behavioral model that comes closest to Trumpism is not a political or ideological movement, but a religious cult.
https://www.theroot.com/donald-trump-white-jesus-1822913114
Now, what often happens when a religious cult breaks apart? Think David Koresh or Jim Jones. People who have been living that deeply in a grotesquely fantastical mass delusion often would rather die than face the reality that the universe that they inhabited and the beliefs that took hold of the center of their lives and the core of their own self-identities were all lies. Violence and mass suicide result. I don’t see Trump himself commiting suicide because he’s too much of a weenie. He’ll probably just flee the country if it comes to that. But if the Trump bubble ever breaks, expect at the very least to see clusters of murder-suicides that, unfortunately, will include children. Replays of Ruby Ridge wouldn’t surprise me, either.
And it could easily be worse. In his testimony this week, Michael Cohen said he was concerned Trump would refuse to vacate the office peacefully if he loses the 2020 election. However he is removed from office, if he resists his culties could take the cue to attempt violent resistence against the nation at large.
So no, this is not going to end well.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/07/27/trump-supporters-hiding-plain-sight
Modern polar philosophical opposites libertarianism and communism were in their long ago origins, both trying to divine the same goal: the limiting of all concentrations of power. But sadly concentrations of power (totalitarian and plutocratic) took over each movement and drove them to their current polar opposite positions. Seems we can't have communism without a Dear Leader, or libertarianism without Dear Corporate Leaders, anymore.
I think they might’ve originally wanted to call it “Reasons Magazine” to explain reasons why modern libertarianism got taken by Kochian plutocrats and is now heading toward cheering on a governmental authoritarianism of the fascist kind.
As for cults, MS-13 started as an LA area clique for Salvadoran kids who were into heavy metal music. Scientology had somewhat more nefarious origins. L. Ron Hubbard had already been known to say that leading a cult was a great way to make money. But in both cases it’s the inclusiveness and camaraderie that brings (socially stressed, needy?) people in, even though the end game for loyal members is usually prison, impoverishment, or death.
What I really want to talk about, though, is the shocking immensity of delusion one must be living in to not see that Donald Trump is, um, a really bad president. Not to mention a really bad human being. Seriously, Trump admirers are not living in the same time-space continuum as the rest of us.
Trump supporters say: As long as he keeps the economy going (typically expressed as my 401K is doing great), keeps installing conservative judges, keeps the libs in their place – what’s not to like? Bozo the clown could be president, but as long as he keeps hitting these notes, supporters are happy. Nothing else matters to these people.
A side argument these same people put forth is: Trump is undoing YEARS of Democratic damage (whatever that means).
It simply doesn’t matter how bad of person he is, so far, things have held together for these people, they feel on top of others because of him. They don’t care how many laws he breaks, how friendly he is with dictators, or anything so remote and abstract (and unreal to them) as the condition of the planet’s ecosystems. In their eyes he’s a genius playing 12 dimensional chess.
No, the tRUMP-a-LOONpa's will not go gently into that good night.
They will rail, rail against the dying of their Reich.
And not just rail, but shoot, blow shit up, and pretty much anything and everything their tiny tiny little lizard "brains" can dream up!
It will be ugly when (or if – they really are thick, you know) their giant bubble bursts.
Maybe civil war ugly.
I hope not.
Just sayin'…
Libertarians' commitment to enforcing standards of actual liberty is as deep as the Religious Right's commitment to enforcing "family values" in their politicians.
The popularity of Trump has ripped the mask off both groups.
"Libertarianism" is a misnomer, really it should be called "Propertarianism". Likewise, "conservatism" does not conserve.
To paraphrase Churchill:
Let the Trumpists do their worst; we shall do our best.
I don't see any of the people whose duty it is within our system to remove a demented president doing that duty. There's nobody to prick the bubble.
Maybe if Trump escalates into unhinged word and deed that actually presents an immediate danger, that will change. But in a real emergency, the Secret Service and military would have to initiate the removal, by bundling Trump off for psych evaluation as posing a threat of immediate harm to self or others. For them to do that safely, they would have to be able to rely on the VP, cabinet, and Congress to follow up by implementing the 25th. I don't think they could rely on all three to play their part, and therefore they would be under considerable pressure to just take over the govt and have done with the charade that we have let our system become.
"The cult of the omnipotent state has millions of followers in the united States. Americans of today view their government in the same way as Christians view their God; they worship and adore the state and they render their lives and fortunes to it. Statists believe that their lives — their very being — are a privilege that the state has given to them. They believe that everything they do is — and should be — dependent on the consent of the government." ~ Jacob Hornberger
"the cult of the omnipotent state has millions of followers in the US"…
I know of nobody in America who thinks like this: "Statists believe that their lives – their very being – are a privilege that the state has given to them. They believe that everything they do is – and should be – dependent on the consent of the government"
Right wingers often put forth strawman arguments like this, that have almost no relation to reality.
Ed –That’s a really stupid quote. Nobody thinks that way. Who the bleep is Jacob Hornberger?
I didn't explain it very well the other day, but, the "Biblical drama" I mentioned is another space-time continuum. It gets spooky sometimes. I know people who can tolerate democracy when it goes their way, but, they really would prefer someone who ruled by divine right. Some are already comparing Trump to Cyrus of Persia and he's perfectly willing to graft himself into any narrative that will deliver more power and narcissistic supply.
When it comes crashing down, it's not going to be pretty.
I was about to search for some of your articles on libertarianism, and you saved me the effort. Thanks.
"Libertarians" are misnamed because in large part all they want 'liberty' from are taxes, drug laws, and sexual harassment charges – the guy's, anyway. But outside of the eternally clue-free McArdle-bargle, I don't know too many female Libertarians.
"Liberty," my fat butt .
They really should be called "Frauditarians" or "Metarians!"
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Songs of the Doomed, The Ugly Man Cometh, p247.
The ugly man is now amongst us. His rule assuredly comes from divine right as it festers with strange and mysterious ways.
There's blowhard jerk off entertainment and there's governance. Farmers are going broke. Alot of people aren't getting refunds they are having to pay. I really hope there are consequences that open some white eyes.
Unfortunately there will be some who can't give up their inner fascist. Alot of folks live in an Internet bizarre world where the bigger troll wins a prize and a sense of vindication. Remember the week before the last election one guy mailed out 15 bombs, another killed 2 black shoppers in grocery, 2 women killed in a yoga class and 11 Jews in a synagogue. After trump said he was a nationalist. He is a sick puppy that attracts sick puppies. He gives the jerks permission to be public jerks. That's why they love it. They want to be him.
Yup!
You got it.
'They want to be him."
I remember thinking much the same about Bush /Cheney not leaving when their term was over. Granted, Trump is way more over the top rhetorically, but the Bush gang killed hundreds of thousands of people in their GWOT. Lets hope MR Trump will go gently into that good night and not have to be escorted away.
As much as I disliked the Bush/Cheney admin. I miss them. Trump will not go gently anywhere even to where he is destined to go when he dies.
BTW: I have held off commenting on the new site but now it is time. I would like more color. I love trees but the grayness is not helping my depression that occurs every year at this time. Also, I don't know what this says about me but the knotholes look like bugs to me. I will leave it to the armchair Freudians to comment on my state of mind./
Someone once said libertarians think everything is rape and slavery — except rape and slavery.