Source: The New York Times
Donald Trump sometimes says things that I agree with. He is opposed to the odious Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and other corporate free trade deals. He thinks the invasions of Iraq and Libya were big mistakes. He doesn’t see any reason for the United States to pick fights with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
But being familiar with his record, I am convinced that the only thing I can count on Trump to do or say is whatever he thinks is in his interest at the time.
His ever-changing views represent a way of thinking that some call postmodernism, and others by a less polite name. It is not lying, because a liar knows there is a difference between truth and falsehood. It is saying what is expedient at the time without giving thought to what’s true and what’s false.
I link below to two good articles that capture what bothers me about Trump. Unfortunately I don’t think Trump is unique in his attitude toward truth and consistency, although he is more obvious and extreme than most.
LINKS
The Magic of Donald Trump by Mark Danner for the New York Review of Books.
Trump, Truth and the Power of Contradiction by Michael Lynch for the New York Times. (Hat tip to my expatriate pen pal Jack).
President Chauncey Gardiner: ‘Being There’ at the Bait and Switch by Beverly Mann for Angry Bear [added 5/13/2016]
Tags: Donald Trump, Donald Trump Postmodernist, Donald Trump Shape-Shifter, Election 2016, Ever-Changing Donald Trump, Magic of Trump, Postmodernism, Trump Truth And Contradiction
Phil Ebersole's Blog 
May 11, 2016 at 1:23 pm |
Learned people have been writing complex arguments to justify or reject Mr. Trump’s so-called reasons for the inconsistency of his opinions. My opinion is that he doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to even understand the questions, so it’s easy for him to switch sides whenever he’s confronted by someone who DOES understand them. He’s willfully ignorant, not pragmatic or postmodernist or anything else requiring the ability to form a mature ethical position.
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May 11, 2016 at 2:48 pm |
Reblogged this on 61chrissterry.
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May 12, 2016 at 10:08 pm |
Primaries have a long history of making pols say one thing to get nominated and another to get elected…with many shades between.
If you are getting your information on a candidate during Primary season and then bloviating about “your” knowledge, you are the core problem in the general electorate and not to be taken seriously.
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May 13, 2016 at 5:19 am |
“Making”
I do not think that word means what you think it means.
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