Trump Isn't a Populist. He's a Demagogue.

Populism, like so many things, is inherently neither good nor bad.  It can easily be a force for good, creating a drive towards liberty and equality, such as we saw during the Civil Rights movement.  It can also be a force for evil, such as the wave of populism that brought Adolf Hitler to power.  It is the way in which it is used that determines whether it is benign or malevolent.  Unfortunately, history shows that it is often used as a means to an end for authoritarians to seize power.  With Trump, history has clearly repeated itself.

Heroism and Empathy: Not Just for Times of Crisis

“You’re an interesting species.  An interesting mix.  You’re capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares.  You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you’re not.  See, in all our searching, the only thing we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other.”

                -“Contact”, 1997

Two years ago, shortly after the bombing of the Boston Marathon, I began writing an essay.  I was inspired by the remarkable stories of heroism coming out of such horror, as they often do, and I found myself wondering what it is that makes us act.  More importantly, why do we only act in times of crisis and hardship?  As often happens, my own life got in the way and the essay never got finished.  But with the damage wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and with similar stories of heroism coming out, I find myself asking these questions once again.

What Happened to My Creative Endeavors?

The other night, I found myself flipping through some of my old writings.  I had pulled out the manuscript of a musical I started writing back in high school (if you can call two and a half scenes a manuscript) because I wanted to scan it.  I don’t know that I will ever try writing that particular musical again, but as a genealogist, I like to make sure things are archived and preserved.  After re-reading it, I started searching through a notebook full of song lyrics and poems I wrote ages ago for some re-writes I did on the second scene in the musical (I later remembered that I actually wrote them directly into the script).  Going through that notebook made me reflect on things and made me wonder why I stopped writing those things.

Ruminations on Fireworks

This year, as I do most years, I went to visit my parents for the Fourth of July.  There is an amazing fireworks show we watch every year that is quite literally in their backyard, put on from an island in the lake behind their house.  As per usual, we all got in the boat, found a place, dropped anchor, sat back, and watched.  It was an amazing show, as it always is, but I found myself contemplating where we are and where we are going as a country.

I am a patriot.  I love this country dearly because it is one of the most unique and most remarkable ever created.  Normally, when I watch fireworks, I feel at least some sense of pride and awe at this wonderful country.  But this year, I honestly felt nothing.  As I watched those beautiful flashes of color light up the night sky, I could not feel any pride for this country.

The Dangerous Reactions to the Shooting of Steve Scalise

Note: I want to preface this by saying I am not attacking anyone personally, nor am I attacking any particularly political persuasion.  I simply want to point out what I consider to be particularly fallacious reactions regarding last week’s shooting.

Since the shooting last week in Alexandria, Virginia of Congressman Steve Scalise and several others, reactions have run the gamut from sympathy to vitriol.  While most have stuck to the former, there are those on both sides who, predictably, have preferred the former.  It is natural to want to assign blame for such a tragedy, but politicizing it will do no one any good.  On the contrary, it will serve only to drive us further apart.

Trump's Administration: Built on Vindictiveness and Greed

Our country has seen many kinds of presidents.  Some were very good, like Lincoln and Washington.  Some are regarded quite badly, such as Andrew Jackson and George W. Bush.  Some have been plagued with scandals, like Clinton.  Some have even been virtually forgotten about because they accomplished so little of note during their tenure.  Never have we had one like Trump.

Many are rightfully drawing parallels to Nixon, who has long been considered the most corrupt president we have ever had, from the fact that Trump’s slogans are ripped right from Nixon, to the fact that Trump has arguably committed multiple acts of obstruction of justice in an attempt to stop the Russia scandal, which is the exact charge that brought down Nixon.  But Trump’s words, actions, and policies go far beyond anything Nixon did.  Nixon was a notorious liar, but Trump lives for mendacity.  Nixon was arrogant and self-centered, but Trump is consumed by his narcissism.  Nixon was obsessed with what others thought of him, but Trump cannot live without adulation.  Nixon had a superiority complex, but Trump believes himself infallible.

Weltschmerz

Many years ago, when I was going through some of the darkest times of my life, I came up with a theory.  I was searching for an explanation for why I had to go through so much hell, particularly when so many others seemed to have it so easy.  My life has not been all bad, and, comparatively speaking, I’ve had it downright easy.  But nonetheless, pain, anxiety, and depression have been my frequent companions.

While things at times seemed overwhelming, I’ve always had a central belief that we never have more on our plates than we can handle (though I do admit that that belief is not absolute; I have known some who were faced with difficulty that they, sadly, could not overcome.  We may be strong, but that doesn’t mean that strength is limitless.).  I consider myself a strong person, but I have friends and family members that have gone through things that I’m not sure I could ever endure.  But these things all made me wonder: why does pain and hardship seem to be a magnet to some people, yet not to others?  Yes, we all go through plenty of difficulty in our lives, but some seem to go through much more.  Certainly, much of it comes from our own choices, but I’ve often asked myself if there is something more to this, if there is a reason that this is so.  After all, if everything happens for a reason, then there must be a reason that some of us go through much more than others, right?

A Few Words in Defense of the Press

I was really trying to avoid a political discussion on the blog this month.  Truly, I was.  But President Trump’s attacks on the press have crossed a line, and I cannot remain silent about this. 

Trump has been attacking the press for months, claiming that they are “treating him unfairly”, that they are not covering the truth.  He has gone on record saying that much of the coverage directed at him from mainstream news outlets is nothing but “fake news.”  He has suggested that every negative poll about him is somehow fake.  He has even attacked individual news outlets simply because they won’t give him favorable coverage (which is laughable, because objectivity is a requirement of journalism).  We’ve watched these things for months, but we believed them to be nothing but the musings of a narcissistic coward.  Unfortunately, they were more than that. 

Changing the Way We View Being Single

Valentine’s Day has come and gone once again, and, as always, I find my thoughts turning inward.  Those who know me know that this isn’t exactly my favorite time of year.  As a 32 year old, perennially single guy, it tends to just make me feel left out and unwanted.  But as I’ve grown older (and hopefully more mature), I’ve begun to think about the bigger picture.  Sure, it sucks to be alone on Valentine’s Day, but it’s not like I’m the only one, and it could obviously be so much worse.  I generally just do my best to ignore it, but being that you can’t walk into a store without seeing a nauseating display of cards, balloons, and flowers, that’s certainly easier said than done.  But I don’t like feeling that way about Valentine’s Day.  I don’t like feeling mopey and lonely.  So I’ve been looking inwards in an attempt to find the true source of the negativity that I and so many others feel towards both this day and towards our lack of luck at love and romance.  I believe I’ve figured it out, and it’s not what you might think it is.

The Proper Way to Resist Trump

January 20^th has come and gone, and discussion of both what is currently happening and what lies ahead under President Donald J. Trump has completely taken over the airwaves.  Nearly all political discourse now is dedicated to determining what his agenda will be, what Congress’ agenda will be, and how we will deal with everything.  This is somewhat normal, as a new president naturally means changes in policies, but Trump is not a normal president, or even a normal human being.  His campaign has divided us in ways not seen since the Civil War, and, as such, there is virtually no agreement on how we should approach a Trump presidency, or on how we should react to his policies and plans.

Republicans and Conservatives, particularly those that voted for/supported him, are trying to be a voice of reason in this confusion.  They are mostly suggesting a “wait and see” attitude, which, generally speaking, isn’t a terrible idea.  Liberals and Democrats, on the other hand, loathe everything about Trump, and many have pledged to oppose every word out of his mouth, to refuse to work with him on ANYTHING.  So who is correct?  Which is the right path to follow?