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Trump is a demonic force in American politics
But that sensation of normalcy has already vanished — thanks to one man.
What makes Trump demonic? One thing above all: His willingness, even eagerness, to do serious, potentially fatal, damage to something beautiful, noble, fragile, and rare, purely to satisfy his own emotional needs. That something is American self-government. Trump can't accept losing, can't accept rejection, and savors provoking division. He wants to be a maestro conducting a cacophony of animosities at the center of our national stage because it feeds his insatiable craving for attention and power — and because, I suspect, he delights in pulling everybody else down to his own level.
That is a satanic impulse.
...
Except that the harm to come from allowing this dangerous game with American democracy to proceed could be enormous. The "downside" of continuing to play the game is the further cultivation of a segment of the electorate that lacks any trust in or attachment to democratic elections — or rather, that only accepts an election's legitimacy when its own side prevails. "If we win, it's fair; if they win, it's fraud" is not a motto that is compatible with liberal democratic government. It's a formula for democratic breakdown. And Trump is doing everything he can to encourage his supporters to embrace it, with the active complicity of his party.
What makes Trump demonic? One thing above all: His willingness, even eagerness, to do serious, potentially fatal, damage to something beautiful, noble, fragile, and rare, purely to satisfy his own emotional needs. That something is American self-government. Trump can't accept losing, can't accept rejection, and savors provoking division. He wants to be a maestro conducting a cacophony of animosities at the center of our national stage because it feeds his insatiable craving for attention and power — and because, I suspect, he delights in pulling everybody else down to his own level.
That is a satanic impulse.
...
Except that the harm to come from allowing this dangerous game with American democracy to proceed could be enormous. The "downside" of continuing to play the game is the further cultivation of a segment of the electorate that lacks any trust in or attachment to democratic elections — or rather, that only accepts an election's legitimacy when its own side prevails. "If we win, it's fair; if they win, it's fraud" is not a motto that is compatible with liberal democratic government. It's a formula for democratic breakdown. And Trump is doing everything he can to encourage his supporters to embrace it, with the active complicity of his party.
https://theweek.com/articles/949070/trump-demonic-force-american-politics
Worth reading the entire article
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