Anyone with confidence in the American people (and I have quite a lot of it) had to believe that Donald Trump’s unpreparedness, instability and just plain meanness would catch up with him eventually. This, as the polls show, is what happened over the past week or so. Simply by revealing who he really is, Trump sent millions of voters fleeing him in disgust.
But understanding what still attracts many voters to Trump is important, not only to those who want to prevent Trump from staging a comeback but also to anyone who wants to make our democracy thrive in the long run. Those of us who are horrified by Trump’s hideous lack of empathy need empathy ourselves.
….
…there should be no ignoring the real distress Trump voters have experienced . As a practical matter, we will not ease the divisions in our country that his candidacy has underscored if we do not deal with the legitimate grievances of his supporters. As a moral matter, writing off Trump voters as unenlightened and backward-looking is to engage in the very same kind of bigoted behavior that we condemn in other spheres.
—Elitism Won’t Defeat Trumpism
Amen to that.
I followed your link and read the whole article.
well said!
he continues now to shoot himself in the foot.
but will it be enough?
and yet… this wonderful country that holds its lamp beside the golden door…
has a history of ‘hating’ all those who come (legally or otherwise) it seems.
look how the Irish were treated when fleeing the terrible famine in their homeland. and the Italians. and the Asians… and on an on. we say one thing here and act another. until YEARS afterward. then … as an example finally… when the St Patrick Day parade is held everyone is Irish!
perhaps the new brand of immigrants aliens and refugees will find kindness eventually too.
history seems to me just wash. rinse. repeat. only with different players.
trump is on the stage now spewing his hatred and finding followers.
I’m trying to look at it as the show that it is. only…
it affects people’s lives. so I guess the show can be deadly.
Sure, but that doesn’t address the bigotry and lack of compassion the article is talking about.
The Trump episode has forced everyone (Americans and everyone else) to look inside and ferret out their own feelings of racism and bigotry. To me, his most frightening characteristic is the blanket disregard for the feelings and well-being of others. He seems to have 0% empathy. The fact that a man like him has come so close to the most important office in the world is of grave concern to us all.
as monk says… amen.
and “amen!” to what you just said. especially the last sentence.
Yes, and as the article points out, vilifying all of his supporters rather than listening to legitimate concerns is a bigotry that needs to be rooted out too.
I am a bystander watching everything!
It’s not just America, the same forces are in play in Europe with Brexit and the EU trying to make sure other countries don’t do the same thing.
India has its own brand of problems. There was a scary Wall Street Journal article the other day: India Tackles Drug Smugglers Trafficking a New Product: Jihadists.
There is a lot to watch!
I too am a bystander – but i am beginning to see something that I didn’t see before…if you elections were not long and drawn out – he would have become your new president – without having everything unravel etc.
I can imagine in the old days before instant communication/technology – it would take long to vote//collate/decide – BUT now with this instance, fast etc…the time could well be cut down.
that might also mean problems…
The campaigns are long and drawn out because a lot of people want political power. The 2020 race is already starting.
I am ashamed. I keep wondering what draws people to Trump. But I don’t make the effort to find out. How can we expect to help his supporters if we don’t even bother to find out what their problems are?
Here’s a good Guardian article on the subject.
DT = Delirium Tremens.