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PCIntern

(28,369 posts)
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 08:34 PM Aug 2024

I believe I understand the incessant references to Hannibal Lecter.

The imaginary-to-most-of-us villain was unique in popular fiction: he was an extraordinarily brilliant, accomplished, and erudite individual, someone who appreciated music, art, literature, fine dining and wines, and who possessed absolutely no floor as it pertained to actions, amorality, and ability to both inflict the most grotesque forms of torture and murder as well as rationalize its performance in the service of some form of humanity.

Trump sees himself as a brilliant, shrewd, conniving genius who is able to violate any and every norm of humankind. He has done so: he parodied handicapped individuals, denigrated a Gold Star family, termed nations “shithole countries”, allowed and promoted the deaths of a significant fraction of those who died of Covid, thus passively committed mass murder, again, denigrated the military and the generals thereof, both living and dead, raped multiple women (including who knows how many underage) both forcibly and statutorily, lies about everything including the weather, grotesquely sexually demeans his political rivals, and much much more.

And he isn’t finished yet. I have a fertile imagination and can think of some actions he might undertake which might make these others seem trivial. He is a very dangerous individual because the normal person utilizes his or her yardstick to measure the appropriateness of behavior. He does not do so. He exists in a Bizzaro world of negative, antisocial, and manipulatively destructive action which is nearly literary in nature. Thus, the character of Hannibal Lecter is a “paragon” of Trump’s evil, sociopathic, diseased mind. His brain works differently than yours and mine -it is difficult sometimes for us to come to terms with this notion.

What he lacks however, is the brilliance of the fictional villain. He’s an uneducated, poorly diagnosed, low-class pretender. He’s secretly a zero, a cypher, an individual who was accidentally shown to the wrong seat in the great theater of our societal universe.

And we have and are paying what may be for us as a nation, an awful, long-lasting penalty. We as a nation will never be the same, much as Germany will never be regarded as it was prior to Hitler’s rise.

29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I believe I understand the incessant references to Hannibal Lecter. (Original Post) PCIntern Aug 2024 OP
In the end, Trump is just a narcissistic sociopath. surfered Aug 2024 #1
Dang, that makes a lot of sense. Biophilic Aug 2024 #2
Most brilliant analysis zorbasd Aug 2024 #3
Always thought he was referring to the idea that H Lecter was caught notemason Aug 2024 #4
Sounds very bdamomma Aug 2024 #5
Preach biophile Aug 2024 #6
Absolutely Blue Full Moon Aug 2024 #7
I think that he does not know that political asylum and mental asylum are different jojog Aug 2024 #8
Yes. He's just an idiot. GoCubsGo Aug 2024 #21
I think he had a premonition of his future in prison. usonian Aug 2024 #9
Trump admires Putin, UN, and Xi. You're right, he probably admires Hannibal Lecter. Martin68 Aug 2024 #10
I like this locution... NNadir Aug 2024 #11
Yup, Hannibal is his idol. Joinfortmill Aug 2024 #12
Low class is right on. His family always seemed to think that because they had money, japple Aug 2024 #13
Tscf adores horrific violent sociopaths. Successful ones. lindysalsagal Aug 2024 #14
Nobel Prize Level Analysis. Frank D. Lincoln Aug 2024 #15
I do believe you have made a brilliant analysis both of the fictional Lecter and of trump. LoisB Aug 2024 #16
I feel the explanation is this... Captain Zero Aug 2024 #17
Work on that a little and it could be like Stalin's Epigram ArkansasDemocrat1 Aug 2024 #18
His idol Macrophylla Aug 2024 #19
I think he is just over-the-bend insane relayerbob Aug 2024 #20
I agree, although Wednesdays Aug 2024 #22
Not so sure. He's not that deep. intrepidity Aug 2024 #23
They both would be better off as vegetarians. usonian Aug 2024 #24
In the SILENCE OF THE LAMBS...Hannibal Lecter tells Clarice Starling ... ProudMNDemocrat Aug 2024 #25
My point of course PCIntern Aug 2024 #26
Lechery too? czarjak Aug 2024 #27
I'm just glad that he's gotten stiff pushback; I didn't expect a statement from the Army. D23MIURG23 Aug 2024 #28
The way we were regarded before Trump and the way Germany was regarded before Hitler was due to foolishly believing DontBelieveEastisEas Aug 2024 #29

Biophilic

(6,552 posts)
2. Dang, that makes a lot of sense.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 08:40 PM
Aug 2024

In fact, it makes the most sense regarding trump’s personality that I’ve read. Thanks. The concept is both troubling and informative.

notemason

(572 posts)
4. Always thought he was referring to the idea that H Lecter was caught
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 08:47 PM
Aug 2024

but escaped punishment and at the end was in pursuit of his antagonist. He hates N Pelosi with a passion for his impeachment from which he escaped punishment and now is in pursuit of revenge.

bdamomma

(69,532 posts)
5. Sounds very
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 08:47 PM
Aug 2024

plausible. He's such a danger, I just hope his psychologist niece, will see how he is faltering, and becomes more dangerous, and gives the red alert. He is a threat to himself and others.

jojog

(435 posts)
8. I think that he does not know that political asylum and mental asylum are different
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 09:01 PM
Aug 2024

So he thinks people are seeking mental asylum, and so he associates asylum with Hannibal Lecter.

GoCubsGo

(34,915 posts)
21. Yes. He's just an idiot.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 11:19 PM
Aug 2024

The same goes for tariffs. He has no clue how they work, either.

usonian

(25,327 posts)
9. I think he had a premonition of his future in prison.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 09:28 PM
Aug 2024


Otherwise, an insightful analysis.

Martin68

(27,749 posts)
10. Trump admires Putin, UN, and Xi. You're right, he probably admires Hannibal Lecter.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 09:32 PM
Aug 2024

Makes one wonder about the women in his life who stick by him.

NNadir

(38,050 posts)
11. I like this locution...
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 09:35 PM
Aug 2024
What he lacks however, is the brilliance of the fictional villain. He’s an uneducated, poorly diagnosed, low-class pretender. He’s secretly a zero, a cypher, an individual who was accidentally shown to the wrong seat in the great theater of our societal universe.


That about sums it up.

japple

(10,459 posts)
13. Low class is right on. His family always seemed to think that because they had money,
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:05 PM
Aug 2024

they had class. They were never educated, refined, upper crust and that is what truly rankles him. Same thing that bugged shitler.

Frank D. Lincoln

(894 posts)
15. Nobel Prize Level Analysis.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:12 PM
Aug 2024

Well done. Posts like yours are what make Democratic Underground great.

Trump is indeed a monster, but one with no brain.

LoisB

(13,030 posts)
16. I do believe you have made a brilliant analysis both of the fictional Lecter and of trump.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:14 PM
Aug 2024

Captain Zero

(8,905 posts)
17. I feel the explanation is this...
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:21 PM
Aug 2024

Lector CONSUMES all his victims.
Trump admires him.

Trump would like to figuratively CONSUME his victims.

He sees Americans who oppose him in the slightest as his victims if he reaches the office again.

His retribution will be all-consuming.

ArkansasDemocrat1

(3,213 posts)
18. Work on that a little and it could be like Stalin's Epigram
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:27 PM
Aug 2024

We are living, but can’t feel the land where we stay,
More than ten steps away you can’t hear what we say.
But if people would talk on occasion,
They should mention the Kremlin Caucasian.

His thick fingers are bulky and fat like live-baits,
And his accurate words are as heavy as weights.
Cucaracha’s moustaches are screaming,
And his boot-tops are shining and gleaming.

But around him a crowd of thin-necked henchmen,
And he plays with the services of these half-men.
Some are whistling, some meowing, some sniffing,
He’s alone booming, poking and whiffing.

He is forging his rules and decrees like horseshoes –
Into groins, into foreheads, in eyes, and eyebrows.
Every killing for him is delight,
And Ossetian torso is wide.

Macrophylla

(201 posts)
19. His idol
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:35 PM
Aug 2024

May be Hannibal but trump seems more Buffalo Bill to me.
Plenty twisted but not as competent or as disciplined.

relayerbob

(7,429 posts)
20. I think he is just over-the-bend insane
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 10:44 PM
Aug 2024

And, yes, very dangerous, and like any cornered, rabid animal, is only going to get worse.

Wednesdays

(22,604 posts)
22. I agree, although
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 11:40 PM
Aug 2024

How intimately familiar is TCF with the Hannibal Lecter character?

There are other movies with Lecter in it, but most have only seen The Silence of the Lambs, and I doubt TCF wasted his time (in his mind, anyway) watching it repeatedly. And I am certain TCF never spent one minute reading the novels.

Could be a subconscious thing with him.

intrepidity

(8,582 posts)
23. Not so sure. He's not that deep.
Thu Aug 29, 2024, 11:42 PM
Aug 2024

I think it is simply that he belatedly understood (perhaps someone explained it to him?) the joke about "having someone for dinner" and he thinks it is clever wordplay. No doubt he also appreciates the sadistic/cannibalistic reference.

I truly think it is as simple as that: he (probably recently) learned the real meaning of a movie quote and enjoys retelling it as though he were the clever one.

usonian

(25,327 posts)
24. They both would be better off as vegetarians.
Fri Aug 30, 2024, 02:47 AM
Aug 2024

🍆🥔🥦🥒🥕🌽🍅🥬🧅🧄🌶️🍠🫑

ProudMNDemocrat

(20,897 posts)
25. In the SILENCE OF THE LAMBS...Hannibal Lecter tells Clarice Starling ...
Fri Aug 30, 2024, 04:03 AM
Aug 2024

Last edited Fri Aug 30, 2024, 08:42 AM - Edit history (1)

"The world is a better place with you in it."

DonOLD tRump doesn't possess the intelligence to say something like that.

D23MIURG23

(3,138 posts)
28. I'm just glad that he's gotten stiff pushback; I didn't expect a statement from the Army.
Fri Aug 30, 2024, 08:55 PM
Aug 2024

The people who support him because they want to elect a vandal to destroy our system of government will still support him. Whatever small percentage of misguided people who still care about our country, but somehow still support him, might have a second thought.

DontBelieveEastisEas

(1,211 posts)
29. The way we were regarded before Trump and the way Germany was regarded before Hitler was due to foolishly believing
Fri Aug 30, 2024, 09:14 PM
Aug 2024

superficial perceptions of the situation. A deeper understanding would reveal that those situations always had human nature at their core, as do all the countries and their various situations.

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