Steve Deace
A truth bomb those who claim they like "straight talk" and "telling it like it is" from their fake alpha male politicians will melt like snowflakes when they read it. And those who say they're for "tolerance" will be too intolerant to truly understand.
To my friends on the whatever the Right is nowadays -- no, this isn't 99th dimensional chess. To my friends on the Left (if I actually have any) -- no, this isn't a grand conspiracy.
This is simply a 70-year old Peter Pan who's rich, and lived a life avoiding responsibility. He just acts out. He just does stuff. There is no plan. He's not a step ahead. He's a perpetual random act.
When his women out-live their welcome, he trades them in for newer models. When his businesses go belly-up, he just files for bankruptcy. When he fails at governing, he just runs to Twitter to whine and blame everyone else.
At no point does he take responsibility for anything except that which has been successful. He has no desire but winning, which in and of itself isn't necessarily bad. Except his definition of winning is usually a selfish one. He's not Michael Jordan putting up 25 shots a night, but when he sees Steve Kerr open he passes the ball for the game winner. He's Carmelo Anthony, racking up Hall of Fame stats but he's a drain on his team.
He's so wounded he needs and desires constant validation and exaltation.
He's every bit the megalomaniac his predecessor was. Except his predecessor's narcissism was primarily driven by belief in the superiority of his ideology. This president's narcissism is primarily driven by his ego, and an especially fragile one at that.
This is why his predecessor drove his political party hard Left through the arrogance of his ideology, even to the point of decimating his party's brand and numbers nationwide. And this one is driving his party's credibility into the ground through his own personal arrogance.
Both men were corrupting influences on those around them, just different types of corruption.
As for Trump, he masquerades as a bully, but backs down at the first sign of push-back. He's not even the stereotypical tycoon who spoils his princess and towers over his unworthy son-in-law, but rather makes his daughter and son-in-law effectively co-presidents and his Svengalis.
That's how unsure he is of himself, which he compensates for via ridiculous boasting and holding massive rallies with common people. Everyday folks who mainly look up to him because of his wealth, and the reality show caricature of the charismatic tycoon he's crafted for himself. But these are also people he'd have never left Trump Tower or his private jet to commiserate with, if it weren't for the one ego trip to rule them all -- a run for the presidency.
Last time we elected a neo-Marxist. This time we elected an inner child, and the alternative to that inner child was arguably the most ethically-compromised national politician of her era.
Translation: our political gene pool is riddled with malignant tumors.
Unless we get our act together as a people, I both shudder and am strangely curious to see who it is we're capable of electing next go-around. For this is becoming downright Biblical. A mixture of the time when "everyone was wise in their own eyes" and a fulfillment of Romans 1.
We fell for hope and change, and then drain the swamp, but what we really fell for were cults of personality. That's not to say either men were evil, Manasseh or Ahab types per say. Of course, hyper-partisans for each man view the other as evil, while ignoring the shortcomings of their guy. But that idolatry only reinforces that what I'm saying here is true.
Both have raised children to be upstanding citizens for the most part, best we can tell, and in the spotlight. The Obamas have maintained a marriage in among the most difficult of circumstances. No small feat since marriages and families get tossed aside in far less adversity these days. Trump has, best we can tell, made some appointments to the judiciary that could end up doing good things (we hope, we'll see) that will out-live his presidency (and he could make some more as well).
But we are a morally and spiritually confused people, as were both of the men we just elected to the highest office in the land. Obama could be capable of such dignity with his words at one moment, and then undignify his office with his actions the next. Trump seems to tap into the right worldview at any given moment, before reverting back to the egoism and dishonesty that has driven him his entire adult life.
In many respects they are reflections of who we are as a people. Capable of such light and such dark simultaneously, and detached from what it is that made us a people in the first place.
What grand lie will the next political messiah bestow upon us that will make us swoon?
Probably the one we want to hear.
https://www.facebook.com/stevedeace/posts/758571327656242 |
