 |
| "Hell Hounds Rallying Round the Idol of France," by Thomas Rowlandson (Metropolitan Museum of Art) |
It's the whining that most exasperates me. Don't they ever tire of it? Yes, Donald Trump is famous for the lies that firehose out of his mouth, as easily as he draws breath and almost as often.
But it's the constant complaining that drives me mad, if I didn't tune it out — I can't imagine watching Trump's interview this Wednesday with Tucker Carlson, his half-clever way of drawing whatever scant interest there might be away from the first Republican presidential debate, a gathering of gnats, all of whom, with the exception of born-again Chris Christie, can't even muster the internal fortitude to string together a few critical words against the liar and bully, fraud and traitor whom they would defeat.
Republicans obviously want that kind of thing, though again, it boggles the mind as to why. It would be bad enough to gawp at the destruction of American democracy for a Julius Caesar. To yield your vote and the protection of a functioning judicial system in favor of Alexander the Great.
But for this guy? That enormous baby, moaning and bellyaching. Waving a series of bogeymen over his head — mommy, Muslims are frightening me! Waaa, I can't sleep because trans people are using the toilet! Poor me! The deep state is hurting me! The world is rigged against me! It's unfaiiiiiir!!!!
Remember, he was going on about the election being fixed in 2016, in case he lost. His squeaking past Hillary Clinton — but her emails! — shut that up, until 2020, when he actually did lose. Then the fig leaf he's slapped over every defeat he's ever experienced — the game was fixed, because that's the only way I can ever lose! — went from passing lie to an eternal, constantly-parroted verity of the Republican Party. Most Republicans believe, vis a vis nothing, that Joe Biden did not legitimately win the presidency. And yet they still participate in elections; you'd think, having been cheated in some ineffable way they can't explain, never mind prove, they'd give up on elections. And go straight to force and violence. Which is kinda where they are heading now.
This is our new reality. Even when Trump passes from the scene — at 95, surrounded by toadies and handlers and mistresses and enablers — these mini-Trumps will ape him, trying to duplicate his success. At least when we die, and go to hell, we'll know exactly what to expect.
I am going to frame this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIts the whining that most exasperates me he whines. Cmon man what purpose does this serve? How does ruining my morning again satisfy you? Do you think we forgot since the last time you delivered this polemic
ReplyDeleteSeveral purposes: a) it expresses what I feel, all the time; b) and what other people feel; c) it discharges my daily duty to write something here; d) it annoys those who chafe at being reminded of the unfathomable wrongness of their inclinations.
DeleteLove it! Thank you Neil!
DeleteDude it annoys a lot of people. And what exactly are the unfathomable wrongness of my inclinations? I don't like Trump. I'm never going to listen to a word he says and wouldn't dream about him for him. But why do you have to be so annoying? How does being annoying help anything?
DeleteYou seem to self-own yourself into "d" — I of course have no idea who you are and don't particularly care. If you find this blog annoying, there are others. I write exclusively for people who like what I write. If you don't, well.... but in case you feel compelled to respond, please address your "a lot of people" suggestion. What is THAT based on? Perhaps you consider yourself, like Whitman, a multitude.
DeleteI wish that Neil could stay in his lane, reporting on people and things we wouldn't have encountered or giving us a different perspective on stuff we thought we knew. More John McPhee, less Michael Moore. But the country is on fire and we need to keep ringing the alarm! Long before he ran for president I knew he was a common blowhard and Peeping Tom totally unsuited to leading the country. Of all the despicable attacks he has made on people and institutions, one stands out, degrading John McCains status as heroic because he was captured. Not because he suffered injury in having his plane shot down over Hanoi, not for enduring torture or even for refusing to use his family connection to jump the line and get released before others. And not for being the pilot of the Navy plane which suffered the most losses in Vietnam. And surely not for surviving the fire on the USS Forestal. But after avoiding death by inches, rather than return stateside with the ship, he volunteered to transfer to the USS Oriskany, to continue flying bombing missions over enemy territory, which resulted in his eventual capture. Support the war or oppose it but there is no doubt about McCain's courage. Irony doesn't come close to defining Trump, who stands completely on the shoulders of his fathers influence, insulting McCain who refused to hide behind his fathers military rank. For this sin alone, The Cowardly Liar deserves his own clone of Marjorie Taylor Greene following at his heels, perpetually wailing about his hypocrisy.
DeleteLook I'm sorry I don't mean to conflate but after your Aldi column that ended up blowing up Reddit. I feel like you annoyed a lot of people. I understand that's different than what we're talking about with Trump, but even in today's comments a couple people mentioned that maybe the media could back off the Trump trump trump drum.
DeleteI assure you I am one of the people who likes your stuff and that you mention things about your mail and how there are people who chafe if you will.
You're an excellent writer and your topics are often very interesting. All I'm saying is that waking up in the morning and hearing someone go. Trump trump trump is annoying. Not that you're generally annoying or annoying all the time. Nothing like that at all. I guess really that it's Trump. That's annoying and I can do with less of it
Keep doing the good work that you do. And I'll try not to complain when you do something that I don't like. It's not fair and you don't deserve it. You work really hard at a really hard job
Fair enough. But let me be clear about something. I'm not responsible for what people choose to be annoyed by. I've never spent a second on Reddit, and can't imagine how a benign column about my first visit to Aldi got a million people worked into a lather. To be honest, I never think about the audience at all, just write what's on my mind and then post it. When I run into people who say they read me, it's all I can do to resist from blurting out, "You DO? Whatever for?" Don't get me wrong — I'm glad for the reaction, which seems to be growing. But I never wake up and think, "Okay, today I parse the word 'rocket' because that's what people really want to read." Only the first part. Anyway, your response above is heartfelt, I can tell, and I appreciate it.
DeleteI am shocked that folks are annoyed by Neil and not the object of Neil’s annoyance.
DeleteBill Maher has perfectly stamped this orange monster as a whiny little bitch. No gender implied as he is but a creature. He seems indestructible and none of these indictments have convinced me that he can be exterminated. At least not quickly enough; which would have been seven years ago.
ReplyDeleteOrange Julius is Charlie Brown. No, not the "Peanuts" character...the Charlie Brown in the 1959 Coasters song. The one who whines: "Why is everybody always pickin' on me?" I have never hated another living human as much as I hate this walking, talking piece of shit. Seeing his face is like seeing a turd in a birdbath. I turned 76 on Saturday. I'm glad I'm not young anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe Republicans have their thumbs stuck, firmly, in their ears, and are screaming, "la la la la la! I can't hear you." I am pretty sure I am ready for the country to break up into two or three smaller places. I am not sure how that works out, but we cannot go on like this much longer. It is unsustainable.
ReplyDeleteHe is where he is because of the large amount of Americans who were predisposed to believe anything he says. They were looking for someone like him and they found him. Trump is just taking advantage of what this country is composed.
ReplyDeleteHe knows it. What do you think he thinks of his followers?
Hannity, Carlson, et al feel exactly the same way.
What does he think of his followers? That question was answered by Howard Stern, who once, apparently, was a close friend of Trump's. Stern said that the irony about Trump's political rise is that he despises the very people that love him. He said that Trump has always been preoccupied with vanity, and as such, would only consider celebrities to be worthy of rubbing shoulders with, while regarding the proletarian masses (aka, his base) to be suckers, chumps, and lowlifes.
DeleteI am nearly 80, and I dream of a world where he it not in it. The voice, the face, the little round mouth, the obesity in always the same suit with the over long tie. Eight years of this, the same garbage out of his mouth in that whiny voice over and over, all day long, every day. No matter how you try, you can’t avoid it.
ReplyDeleteIsn’t he sick of himself? No, he loves every minute of it because he is getting maximum attention. Pathetic
My dream for him—SuperMax prison or that mask Anthony Hopkins wore in Silence of the Lambs.
1. What I've never understood is that to actually steal the election, it would've taken thousands of people at every level of government & election administration to do so, but not one of them ever talked about it, because of course, it never happened!
ReplyDelete2. Even worse, if the Democrats did steal the election, why were they so incompetent at it, that they didn't also give Biden a veto proof House & Senate at the same time & such an overwhelming Senate super-majority that they could then impeach the six fascists on SCOTUS & replace them with liberal Democrats?
The Re Thug Licons are that stupid that they believe this bullshit!
Said it almost perfectly. One correction. Re trans people. “I don’t care at all about trans people one way or the other but Jimmy said he wouldn’t be friends with me unless I said I hated them too., so yep I hate them” (See Trump on which bathroom Caitlyn Jenner should use at his club.) Oh and see his prior remarks about gay people. They don’t push his buttons but his worshipers don’t like them so he’s gonna climb on board that hate wagon too.
ReplyDeleteOne of the interesting (as far as I can separate "interesting" from "despicable") things he does is when he analyzes, and frequently expresses his contempt for, his own followers. A few weeks ago he looked out of them with a somewhat bemused expression and said, I talk about cutting taxes, you barely react. I mention the transgender and you go nuts. Five years ago you didn't know what it was". And they applaud.
DeleteMr. S., Disregard that Anon whiner at 6:24. These things need to be said about that orange menace.
ReplyDeleteAs you once said and Les hints at, he's the symptom, not the cause.
It's clear that many of the people (including responders here) follow what Trump says and/or does. If you had a crazy cousin, after you realized you can't help him you'd tune him out. Are people in such need of triggers for their anger that they actually get something out of religiously following his every move? It's a negative pursuit, an incredible waste of time that could be spent pushing for a rational candidate regardless of party. And unfortunately, the major media, under the responsibility/guise of keeping everyone up to date, plays into it.
ReplyDeleteCrazy cousin is it trying to be the leader of our country, the commander in chief. And crazy cousin won’t do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve that goal, even if it means destroying our democratic republic.
Delete
DeleteIt’s quite difficult at this time to avoid hearing about anything Trump-based; he’s like the proverbial piece of gum that’s stuck under your shoe.
SandyK
I DO have that crazy cousin. Retired Army lifer who parrots all the phrases, babbles mindlessly about "woke"...and who rode on the orange train long before ever became orange. Faithfully listening to Rush and Glenn Beck every goddamn day. Thought that 2020 was a showdown between socialism and capitalism. He actually said that.
DeleteSo, yeah, I'm tuning him out now, and he doesn't even realize it yet. Still getting invites to his summer place, and I have to brush him off. The saddest thing is, we were as close as brothers for more than fifty years. Those days are long gone. Thanks, Donnie. Thanks.
The root problem (and his main advantage) is that there is a seemingly endless supply of stupid people willing to vote for him. I have yet to encounter a Trump fan who can put forward a cogent, rational defense of why Trump would make the best candidate in terms of policy, administration and the like. Instead it's simply vapid phrases they learned on the Internet about the Deep State, rigged elections, sticking it to the Libs, whatever the hell they think "woke" means, and so on.
ReplyDeleteThis is Junior High playground nonsense, not something adults talk about. Even Trump's vocabulary is limited and simplistic: everything is a "witch hunt;" everything is a "disgrace," and so on. I've wondered for some time whether that was all he ever heard from his nanny as a child, and it's guided him that way ever since.
I sometimes wonder if Trump had portrayed himself as a Democrat, would he have found as many simple-minded Democrats as the hordes of Republicans who accept his blathering as gospel.
ReplyDeletejohn
Probably
DeleteI keep voting for Biden.
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil.
Ever since Bob Greene, you're the new voice of objectivity.
Janice of Justice, Ill.
Thank you for this Neil. Especially for the level-headed, but still pointed, responses to "Anonymous". Handled with aplomb as usual.
ReplyDeleteNot a chance, Wilbur
ReplyDeleteI think the reason why many, if not most, Trump supporters don't get tired of or annoyed by him playing the poor little rich victim is because his whining mirrors their whining. His dog whistles to racism, homophobia, misogyny, etc.give the most debased of his base the basis for justifying their own prejudices. Similarly, when he throws his pity parties, those of his supporters who are racist, homophobic, antisemitic, etc., can commiserate over the fact there is less societal acceptance of such intolerance. He gives people permission to be their worst, so for them he can do no wrong.
ReplyDelete