Donald Trump Has Poisoned the Well

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/cesar-chelala/110470/donald-trump-has-poisoned-the-well

Donald Trump Has Poisoned the Well
by César Chelala | May 23, 2024 - 5:37am


In ancient times, it was common practice to poison sources of fresh water before the arrival of an invading army to diminish its strength. That practice has now been revived by Donald Trump to sap his adversaries’ strength, and has been widely used by his followers, with detrimental effects on the quality of political discourse in the country.

Perhaps more than any other political figure in recent history, Donald Trump has the street smarts of a New York adolescent thug always ready to hurl insults at his opponents. Who can forget his calling Marco Rubio “little Marco,” Stormy Daniels “horseface,” Joe Biden “sleepy Joe,” a political rival “bird brain,” a Democratic lawmaker “How does he hold up that fat, ugly face?” New York Attorney General Letitia James “Letitia Peekaboo James,” and his former Republican rival Ron DeSantis “Ron the sanctimonious.”

In November 2015, in a display of his kind and humanitarian nature, Trump physically mocked a reporter with a disability in front of a vociferous crowd of his supporters. The reporter, Serge Kovaleski, has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition affecting the joints. That offense from a man who asked for exemption from military service falsely claiming that he had bone spurs. Referring to this incident, Tom Harkin, a prominent figure in the defense of the disabled commented, “Democrats believe in working together and bringing people with disabilities in to develop policy. Donald Trump? He makes fun of people with disabilities. That’s a throwback to a half century ago.”

snip//

To demand civilian and respectful behavior from our lawmakers is not out of prudish concern. It is because political discourse influences individual behavior, and when it is disrespectful and demeaning it may create a climate of hostility that encourages violent actions. Like an evil genius, Donald Trump has poisoned the well, and nobody knows when –if ever—it will be clean again.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. TSF likens himself to Don Rickles.

The latter got a lot of mileage out of calling insults jokes.

[Layzeebeaver]

2. and only now are they calling this to our attention?

These reporters, writers, MSM personalities and their owners are complicit in the poisoning!

[Oopsie Daisy]

3. I've been advocating this point for a long time... sadly, most here defend it when it's one of our own.

I think it's important for Democrats to set a good example, even if the vulgar language and insults evoke tribal fist-pumping and glee. It sickens me to see our elected officials behave and speak in that way. It lowers the dignity and respect of the office, and IMO the office-holder, when decorum is tossed into the wastebasket.

[KS Toronado]

4. Trump tried to act like a mob boss. Instead he's just a thug

[Bluethroughu]

6. He is a low level bone spurs soldier,

When big corporations are done with him, he'll be useless, penniless, and alone.

Big corporations want a face to distract us from their consumption and dictation of our economy.

We need to begin to enforce the Sherman Anti-trust laws. Break'em all up.

Getting gas, groceries, toys, clothes, and banking from one store that has most employees on public assistance is not a success for our country.

[RobertDevereaux]

5. Wondering how German culture recovered from the Hitler years...

Last edited Thu May 23, 2024, 08:40 AM - Edit history (1)

...I googled to ask if there were books that address it.

Here are two very recent books, neither of which I have read:

https://www.amazon.com/Out-Darkness-1942-2022-Frank-Trentmann/dp/1524732915/

https://www.amazon.com/After-Nazis-Story-Culture-Germany/dp/0300259247

Naturally, our ascent out of the Trumpian muck and mire will have a path all its own.

[mountain grammy]

7. So true.

He poisoned America.

[dalton99a]

8. The worst traitor and the most destructive influence in U.S. history

[Mr.Bee]

9. It's All About The Rich Taking Over The Country For Themselves

and they own everything, food, oil, the media, and Trump's their boy, they're going to stand behind him no matter what.
It's the centuries old story of the rich creating their kingdoms of Kings and Serfs, and guess what side we end up on?

[IronLionZion]

10. His deplorable supporters think it's OK to do it because he does it

So deplorable behavior and attitudes are more common now. If you don't like it, then you're "weak", "woke", should leave America, etc.

[Mr.Bee]

11. Trump wasn't a president he was a figurehead.

He left everything government to Mitch McConnell and Congress to run while he played golf and watched TV.
So when MAGA says Trump was a great president, they really mean Congress was better running the country than he was!
Talk about a vegetable in the White House!
With Kethup.

[LiberalFighter]

12. Call him worm brain

[SWBTATTReg]

13. And yet, djt's own skin is paper-thin, he's unable to take any gruff back or negative comments from just

about anyone, who ventures a negative opinion about him.

Personally, I think we should continue to heap scorn and laughter on djt, he deserves every bit of it.

[flamingdem]

14. And his cult loves it

They are equally poisonous. And there are many that admire his fake machismo and womanizing from unexpected cohorts. Well, we'll see how they end up voting but it sure is discouraging that a creep/bully can win the approval of so many Americans.