Jane McAlevey writes in Alternet that there is method to Trump’s seeming madness. Whenever things get rough, he changes the subject.
This past week, as the media was roasting Jeff Sessions for lying to Congress under oath, Trump changed the subject by tweeting that Obama was wiretapping his phones at Trump Tower. The Sessions matter was dropped, and all the weekend talk shows were obsessed with Trump’s tweet about Obama.
Every tweet Trump bangs out has three primary purposes: 1) to lure most media and pundit discussion away from critical news Americans desperately need; 2) to embolden his base; and 3) to make ordinary people throw their hands up and say, “Just turn it off, I can’t watch it anymore,” or a key variant, “Just turn it off, who even knows who is telling the truth? They are all liars.”
People casually, dismissively or angrily refer to Trump as a pathological liar. That seems clearly to be true. But more dangerous is that he’s a strategic liar. And in the twisted calculations of his handlers, including Steve Bannon, it doesn’t matter one iota if anyone calls Trump a liar, as long as they also come to think of all media and anyone linked to the media—such as journalists, pundits, academics, experts, and think tanks—as liars too.
Trump and Bannon’s objective is to undermine experts and scientists defending successful social policy and the role of government, just as their allies successfully undercut scientists’ ability to explain climate change by relentless efforts, using highly paid fossil industry experts, to plant seeds of doubt….
As with its depressingly successful strategy of debunking climate science, the new administration’s real goal is to get everyone distracted, doubting everything, all the time, and ultimately disengaging completely because even to try to discuss serious matters with someone who doesn’t already agree with you 1,000 percent feels intimidating, or worse, futile….
Jeff Sessions is a lynchpin to the planned, systematic undermining of the right to vote, as demographic changes further threaten white supremacy. When the extreme free marketers in the corporate class team up with the cultural right-wing in war-room planning sessions, “Get the attorney general’s office 100 percent on our side” is top on their flip-chart lists. The attorney general’s office is crucial to undermine if not destroy voting rights, clean air and water, labor, civil rights, and other equally critical laws.
The attorney general also acts as the defender of the administration, and as such, will play a crucial role in protecting and defending Trump and the crooks and thieves being positioned into key agencies so they can, per Steve Bannon’s words at the Conservative Political Action Conference, “deconstruct the administrative state.” Trump and Bannon truly need Sessions, a racist, homophobic misogynist, in the position at the helm of law enforcement, as attorney general. He covers all their asses.
Crazy. Like a fox.
They say that Nero fiddled while Rome burned, and Trump tweets while Congress dismantles the social safety nets. Trump accuses Obama of tapping his phone which may be a smokescreen to divert attention away from his campaign’s involvement with Russia. The more chaos Trump creates the less scrutiny he is likely to get. He is crazy old fox, and the devil is in the details.
See it for what it is, dementia!!!. These people are not great political minds.Nor are they strategic planners they are pathetic . The problem was their opponent was equally as pathetically flawed.
They were assisted by the Russians and Comey to squeak by.
Assisted by Obama promising to ram another disastrous trade agreement down the throats of the American people in the lame duck after the election.
Assisted by Obama going to Flint to drink a glass of water. He should drink 6 glasses a day for delivering Trump to the nation.
Assisted by a Democratic party that became devoid of ideals corrupted by corporate money. They are not neo-liberals they became corporate whores. Selling their votes for campaign donations while in office and cushy lobbying jobs after.
Is anybody losing sight of the Republican agenda ,distracted don’t be, You want both the removal of Trump and your representatives head on a platter, if he works with him.
What the demonstrations do is serve notice that this is not normal and he has no mandate. They are notice to Republicans and Democrats.
Nothing gets through the Senate with out Democrats and they have to feel the heat as much if not more than Republicans.
Just to clear something up, because I think it’s confusing to many people, corporatists ARE neoliberals. The term does not mean “new liberals,” as one might be inclined to think, nor does it have anything to do with being politically liberal.
“Neoliberal” refers to economics and policies that are based on “free” markets, competition, and deregulation, which includes privatizing public services and goods. We first started seeing neoliberal economic policies in the Reagan administration, where it was promoted by neoliberal economist Milton Friedman. It was adopted by Democrats under Bill Clinton, so for years, both parties have been culpable for neoliberal economic policies, which favor profiteers and profits over working class people and the common good. It was under Bill Clinton that we first started seeing Democrats in traditionally blue labor union states jumping on the anti-union bandwagon, and privatizing public services, such as Mayor Daley in Chicago. That’s also when so many Democratic politicians became lackeys for donors from big business and billionaire foundations and earned the title DINOs (Democrats in name only).
Neo-liberalism has a definite bias towards those who already have money, as well as entrepreneurs. This includes the new wave of social entrepreneurs who aim to gain their fortunes off tax dollars that are diverted to privatization, such as those who run charter schools and TFA –which are PIMOs (public in money only).
homelesseducator
Just to clear thing up further. I agree with you 100% . Which is why I use the word whore, To describe the actions of those Democrats who jumped on board. I am well aware of the origins of the philosophy.and have been since the 90s .
“The term neoliberalism was coined at a meeting in Paris in 1938. Among the delegates were two men who came to define the ideology, Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek. Both exiles from Austria, they saw social democracy, exemplified by Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and the gradual development of Britain’s welfare state, as manifestations of a collectivism that occupied the same spectrum as nazism and communism.”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot
So yes you can not describe the philosophy adopted early by Milton Friedman , Ronald Reagan ,Margret Thatcher and Allen Greenspan , espoused in fiction by Ayn Rand as Liberal in any way form or shape.
After losing 5 out of 6 elections since LBJ the Democrats were in disarray when Clinton finally won . The further right the Republicans went the further right the Democrats went to achieve what they thought was a winnable position. A position that filled their campaign coffers with lucre. A position that left them far wealthier when they left office than when they entered .
Thus as Thomas Frank points out all of Bill Clinton’s major achievements were Republican dogma. From Welfare Reform to Financial Deregulation, the Crime bill and above all NAFTA .
But lets be clear, have they actually adopted the economic philosophy , absolutely not. What they have adopted was the cash that came with it. Hillary Clinton’s narrow victory in the primaries was
based on the dynamics of that party where she was able to count on the Black vote in the South (in particular ) , where as used to be the case with labor ,the vote becomes monolithic following the leadership. The Black political leadership, the Black Congressional leadership, “the establishment” had their fortunes tied to the Clinton machine.
When John Lewis made the I saw Hillary remark in 63, it was all over.
Intellectuals like Michelle Alexander are not heard from on the pulpits of Black churches in the South, detailing how destructive Bill Clinton was to the American working class in general and Blacks in particular. . Cornell West was not on their reading list talking about the failure of Obama to meet the challenge. Nor was his description of the destructive tension between the Black and Jewish community in “Race Matters “, the Socialist Jew from Brooklyn was dead on arrival in Dixie.
But that wall broke in Michigan and Wisconsin and that should have been a warning .Those black voters who did not vote for Clinton in the Primary stayed home in the general. That Trump was the result is the revolting part.
But do I believe that is where the party is at ,i am not sure . The NAFTA vote was 3/2 against in 94 . the vote on Fast Track probably 6/1 against their own President . The numbers are not a solid indication of ideology but they are a reflection. Thus Ellison almost defeated Perez . It is not easy to overthrow a regime.
Today I will be at the Long Island office of Schumer and Gillibrand to hold their feet to the fire demanding that Sessions resign and resistance to the whole agenda. . This party has to be dragged to the battlefield .
Thanks, Joel, for your further clarifications, as well as for the Guardian article, all of which are very insightful.
No, he is not a “crazy old fox”. That’s demeaning foxes. Now I’d say he’s a “self-absorbed crazy oldefwad” and wouldn’t give him anymore credit than that.
With all the distractions Trump throws up many of us may have missed the news, reported on CNN tonight, and in Reuters and on Politico, that DHS is considering separating children of migrants, stopped when entering this country illegally, from their parents. I was sickened when I read this and reminded of the procedures followed by another government in the early 1940s when unloading human beings from boxcars at their final destinations. Kudos to the mainstream media for not being distracted and for getting at the truth.
Diane-
I am so glad you posted this article. The important people to watch are Ryan, McConnell, and how BOTH the Republicans and Democratic members of Congress are voting. I am contacting my Senators and my House representative about how they are voting. I want them to know that I am watching them, and that I vote in local, state, and federal elections.
And if there is a Moveon or Sierra Club or Public Citizens ,Working Families organization near you they are holding Demonstrations every Tuesday at congressional offices .
https://act.moveon.org/event/resist-trump-tuesdays/search/
It is not enough to call and write your representatives or to let them know you vote. It is more important to reach out to your neighbors, friends, and colleagues and encourage them to speak out and take action. The old saws of “I vote” and “I pay your salary” are counterproductive, especially if they are not part of a chorus of voices.
Agreed
While we were distracted by Trump, Republicans advanced these 9 terrifying bills
http://resistancereport.com/politics/gop-bills-congress/
Do not blame the Republicans they need Democrats for any of these things . Reject and resist. They are not the majority
“Do not JUST blame the Rethuglicans. . . .”
Rethuglicans. .and Demorats
Dimocraps.
It is saddened to be educated people in this 21st century. But, it is more painful for working class people to be cheated by all empty promises to their ears from Trump and his cabinet.
It is laughing all the way to the privatized corporate coffer for puppet master. But, it is more joyful for corrupted businessmen to easily control and manipulate those so called educated like journalists, radio talk show hosts, supreme judges, congressmen and women, senators and some corrupted educators.
I hope that all conscientious people like veteran educators, parents, students and some politicians will work together to cultivate media, thick skull journalists, and naive radio talk -show hosts about:
“Trump’s mastery of successful strategy in DISTRACTING or diverting attention away from his campaign’s involvement with Russia, his income tax return, his lawsuit in Trump University, …” Back2basic.
The NY Times had an interesting quote in an op-ed piece Sunday: “At the right time,” President Trump said during his campaign for president, “I will be so presidential, you will be so bored.”
I think that quote says a lot about the state of our nation and, specifically, some of the millions of citizens who did pull the lever for Trump.
by Jessica Bennett and Amanda Duarte
Rachel Maddow has some great insights into the kinds of business deals Trump may be trying to cover up by not revealing his taxes returns, and by repeatedly employing his deny, lie and distract strategies, in the following very enlightening segment from last night regarding a suspicious Trump project in Azerbaijan that he suddenly cancelled after being elected, “Why Would Someone Put a Luxury Hotel There?” It’s well worth it to watch the first full 20 minutes for some truly eye-opening “Wow” moments, especially for those of us who are just learning about how (illegal) money laundering works.
Lock him up .
Yeah, from your mouth to G-d’s ears. This is just part of the story, but that deal involved Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which sounds treasonous to me, especially since Trump claimed he could get a better deal with Iran. It makes me wonder if, in addition to RussiaGate, this kind of stuff is what (unidentified) intelligence sources were referring to when they said Trump will be “dying in jail’…
Tonight’s post from Rachel even better.
Not sure why they suddenly made the video posted above private, but here’s another one:
Also, here’s an interview with the author of the original article on the matter in the New Yorker, suggesting this deal in Azerbaijan might be just the tip of the hinky Trump deals iceberg:
Sorry, I put the corresponding links to the videos in the opposite places from where they should have gone above.
Here’s the New Yorker article, “Donald Trump’s Worst Deal:
The President helped build a hotel in Azerbaijan that appears to be a corrupt operation engineered by oligarchs tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard”
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/donald-trumps-worst-deal
“Jane McAlevey writes in Alternet that there is method to Trump’s seeming madness. Whenever things get rough, he changes the subject.”
Yes, I’ve been telling you this for months. But you keep falling for it, focusing on all the outrageous things he says and tweets. And whether or not he’s mentally ill. And his lies. And the whole Russian thing. All distractions. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball.
The method-to-his-madness argument only takes you so far. Perhaps Trump acts mentally ill and lies to change the subject and distract. But I don’t think Trump is trying to encourage people to focus on the story that his election campaign may have colluded with the Russian government. Quite the opposite. The Trump-Russia story may be a distraction, but it’s not a story that Trump is trying to distract us with. It’s one of many stories he’s trying to distract us from.
“deny, lie and distract strategies” —
TAGO!
Goes hand-in-glove with the reflexive recourse to the sneer, jeer and smear of the key enforcers and beneficiaries of corporate education reform when they have to defend their words and deeds against those for a “better education for all.”
There is method to their madness.
😎
Thanks, KrazyTA.
TAGO to “sneer, jeer and smear” as well, because that’s descriptive of Trump’s M.O., too!
From the article:
“And in the twisted calculations of his handlers, including Steve Bannon, it doesn’t matter one iota if anyone calls Trump a liar, as long as they also come to think of all media and anyone linked to the media—such as journalists, pundits, academics, experts, and think tanks—as liars too.”
Now, if all of those mentioned above and then some are liars, where does that leave us with a supposed “source of truth”?
The regressive right has the answer for that question. Yep their 2,000 year old book of myths and fantasies called the bible. Hey since, it’s my god’s word then it has to be right and everyone/thing else is wrong. So, time to start believing, eh!
“Crazy. Like a fox.”
No, foxes aren’t crazy. They are actually quite smart and cunning (I use that word in a positive fashion).
“Crazy, like the religious regressive right that they represent would be more like it.
Actually the phrase “crazy like a fox” is snark. What it means is that foxes are very smart, and that some people pretend to be crazy but they are playing us.
Interesting! I don’t remember hearing the “crazy like a fox” phrase used in that matter (but at the same time I don’t remember a lot of things-ha ha). But then it makes sense as used. Thanks for the lesson!
There’s also the related idiom “stupider like a fox.”
http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/03/06/trump-russia-conspiracy-trap/
Excellent link, thanks, Dienne. Provides a lens showing the ‘Russian connection’ is a path [toward dumping Trump] of minimal/ vanishing returns, & thus a potential distraction to (a)more easily-prosecuted issues [perhaps like the ones raised in Maddow clip above?] and, most importantly (b) the reactionary agenda being implemented right under our noses. However as the article notes, it has had some silver linings (getting better people on staff). And, I am heartened by press coverage/ activism around the ‘Muslim ban’ et al egregious deportation steps– also by the current publicity/ resistance around trying to gut healthcare.
What concerns me more than Donald is the large numbers of people I encounter and read about who are completely unfazed by this administration’s actions, even if it refutes their politics and beliefs. It reminds me of a passage in Victor Klemperer’s diaries, “Always and everywhere: National Socialism does not want to know, to think, only believe.”
Oy! Yes, Greg.
And sadly, these are the same people who would be foaming at the mouth and screaming for Hillary’ impeachment if even a fraction of these things had been done under her administration.
They only “believe.” It’s really cult-like, and (warning: Godwin’s Law reference!) I begin to understand Hitler’s rise to power.
Think it “can’t happen here”? Well, maybe it very well can. 😩
I am more concerned about the vast numbers who seem to have no politics/ beliefs beyond a shallow screed of reactionary anti-govt/ anti-institutional memes– who (to me, recklessly) buy into “the deconstruction of the administrative state”.
We liberals usually depict this as low-info folks voting against their own interests– assuming that they are oblivious to the safety nets which protect them from abject poverty. But perhaps we should consider that those safety nets have been so full of holes for so long, & the opportunities for betterment so narrowed, that they feel they have nothing to lose.
I like this quote from Houllebecq’s “Submission”:
“It may be impossible for people who have lived and prospered under a given social system to imagine the point of view of those who feel it offers them nothing, and who can contemplate its destruction without any particular dismay.”
Important post, going along well w/re-post from Mike Klonsky. So much of what is happening now & has happened is because the public had not been paying attention–just as Bernie Sanders has pointed out when he said, for example, on Seth Meyers Late Nite (& Meyers has proven himself to be a better interviewer/journalist {even though he is not the latter} than many of the real, trained ones), that the press & people were so stuck on personality issues or asides (campaign car speeding, e.g.); his message, “stick to the issues, people!” Also, ALEC (I know all of you long-time Diane readers know about ALEC, as she repeatedly refers to them)–make SURE that all of you tell EVERYONE about ALEC, & to Google ALEC. Their 40+ years of buying up legislators all over the country has led us to exactly what is happening now.
Also, make sure to read “Dark Money, ” by Jane Meyers & “The Boys From Witchita” (author’s name escapes me), & tell everyone you know to read them, as well.
Last, do NOT be fooled/buy those “special” Women’s Month Brawny packages–they replaced the hunky Brawny guy w/a woman (ala the WWII “We can do it” poster)–for Women’s Month. Of course, Brawny is manufactured by Georgia-Pacific, which is owned by…Koch Industries.
And, again, who else is enraged over those Academy Award Walmart commercials directed by Seth Rogan & 3 other Hollywood directors? Was a fan (of Seth’s), but will boycott any work by those four until Walmart workers receive an apology, & some doc/commercials about the REAL Walmart story (I know/saw that excellent doc abot Walmart a few years back, but wonder how many did see it, & it would get more play if more “star”-type people put something out.)
Great points, retiredbutmissthekids!
I want to give a shout out to Brave New Films, because they produced that Walmart documentary, which is entitled, “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price.” They also produced one on the Koch brothers, as well as some other documentaries on pertinent matters, so folks should be sure to check them out here, where they can be seen in full for free: https://www.youtube.com/user/bravenewfilms
Thanks, homelessed–I was trying to remember the name/producers of the excellent Walmart & Koch Bros. films (both of which I’ve seen).
No one should ever forget what the Waltons & Kochs have brought this country to.
However, the almighty dollar is not all, & we WILL continue to tell truth to power…& to everyone else, because yes, WE can. & WE WILL.