Very interesting thanks for this. Yes, lying is a good example. It is connected with evil and yet it is on a continuum. Children can lie with little consequence and Trump can lie with huge consequences. One difference is the amount of power Trump has but there is something else.
Ron is sceptical of the malignant narcissism concept. As a psychiatric diagnosis, it can sound only compassionate towards people who commit evil. But narcissism is really a set of strategies for organising one’s self and relationships. These strategies are learned and chosen. Even in psychiatry and psychotherapy there is no medication for narcissism. Treatment is about taking responsibility for the impacts of one’s strategies and actions. Noone really thinks that sympathy alone helps.
In my post on psychopathy (link below) i described how narcissism is on a continuum with psychopathy. And we rarely think of psychopathy compassionately. If evil is something seperate (i dont disagree that it is), it will exploit the psychopath more easily than the mildly narcissistic TV personality. Is it a continuum of evil or a continuum of vulnerability to being a pawn of evil?
I hate defending Trump in any way because I despise him, but as a friend says, drawing comparisons between Trump and Hitler is a risky pastime; sort of a "boy cries 'Wolf!'" once too often. There is no question in my mind that the parallels between Hitler's rise to power and Trump's rise to power are unsettlingly similar. But I DOUBT (hope?) that Trump won't engage in genocide if he regains the Presidency, even though I shall gladly vote for Biden to block him.
Unfortunately (?), "Hitler" is now shorthand for "genocide." His name conjures up all sorts of horrors. Trump is really bad, but he may not equate with Hitler just yet. Trump seems to have no "bottom," so no telling how bad he'll go. But, for now, although I am sympathetic, I'll struggle to not draw comparisons between Trump and Hitler, just so I don't have to explain it to this length.
Well, that was refreshing! Ron dispenses with some of the niceties there and that’s fine with me! I did take a big detour, however. I never read his article about Lawn Guyland. As someone who grew up there and spent most of his adolescence trying to figure out how to escape, I enjoyed it immensely!
As a longtime fan of yours, I have to tell you that I had to stop reading the Rosenbaum interview because I couldn't understand the point he was making. Except for the part that Merrick Garland is, apparently, also evil. That I got loud and clear. It pains and surprises me that there is such negative feelings against our Atty General (and our mishpacha) and that many regard him as feckless and afraid of his own shadow. I think Rosenbaum is wrong in this regard.
I do, however, believe that Trump is indeed evil and is inexorably moving toward becoming a Hitler. It was good to read what he said about the Munich journalists, but beyond that, he was disappointing.
I think that the media's initial failure to cover trump correctly was partly due to a deeply entrenched belief in our government's adherence to tradition and polite custom. It was a loophole that Republicans used to great effect. I still hear some former Republicans, very smart people, who have some awfully naive takes on what's happened to their party. There's no dignity or appreciation of tradition remaining for them.
In my circle of friends 99.9% of them support Trump no matter what news, or evidence or facts come out about his doings there is no way of convincing them that he's a danger to our democracy. I like your comparison to Hitler and I been saying the same thing for sometime now . It's extremely frightening that people don't see how much of a threat to our well being he really is God help us please.
At the bottom of the Trump well— truth. Our body America is infected-infested with evilness. Why didn’t Biden replace Garland? It was obvious after 3 months that Garland had no stamina to go after bad guys including those in the House.
Biden needs a refresher on the evilness of trumpism. Their ads needs to narrowly focus on the deeds of Hitler against the proposals of Project 2025. I was unaware that Hitler had his equivalent “project paper” and of the heroic efforts made by the German newspaper warning of the evils to come. This needs to be in Biden ads and speeches.
Finally! Thanks, Jon for posting this interview. More journalists need to take responsibility for ensuring our democracy endures, as well as their freedom to write. Might save us from a Weimar fate if we stop normalizing total evil.
Trump, like Hitler, is a fascinating, frightening, vomitous character study: Who are these people, and what made them that way, existing and causing so much harm way out there on the lunatic fringe making them, perhaps, both indescribable and impossible to understand?
We need, I think, nonetheless, try to understand them, because they are with us always, too often forming, sustaining, and leading hordes of energized disciples who turn themselves into cults, who are themselves scary for many reasons. One outstanding trait of theirs, however, is their zealousness and firm belief in the righteousness of their "just" cause, whether it's saving the world from Jewry or making America great again by returning it to the repressive 1950s, when Blacks, women, and non-Christians knew their place: at the back of the bus and at the end of the line, if they're allowed to get in line at all, specifically, don't even think about voting or holding public office, Barack and you others out there like him.
(This whole Trump era, which started with Richard Nixon, has permanently soured me on the human race. A few people are perhaps decent, kind, and upstanding all the time, but the rest of us slide downhill quickly until you reach the Trump-Hitler zone. It's a gradient. We are all on it, the only question is where do you stand, specifically today and right now, for even "good people" too often perform bad deeds of all caliber. I'm a misanthropist now, and I can't argue myself out of it: The truth of the matter keeps forcing me to call it like I see it, and, no, I'm not happy about it: I wish I could say that humans are veritable angels. That is simply not the case: I read history; I study psychology; I watch the news and read the newspapers. The case against humanity, as a group, is overwhelming and undeniable. And, of course, I include myself as part of the problem: How could I not? I have a mirror, and it's very unflatttering.)
This guy had it right from the get go. I hope you win the bet, Jonathan. I also hope Jack Smith wins his conviction and I hope our country can somehow manage to survive even if we lose this bet.
I think we shy away from using the more accurate diagnosis of "psychopath" to describe people like Trump because we equate that with the Hollywood version of the serial killer (Hannibal Lecter, etc.). There are many "successful" psychopaths in business, government and other fields. They are smart and "organized" enough to evade the so-called criminal justice system for decades and do horrific damage to many people during their run.
Very interesting thanks for this. Yes, lying is a good example. It is connected with evil and yet it is on a continuum. Children can lie with little consequence and Trump can lie with huge consequences. One difference is the amount of power Trump has but there is something else.
Ron is sceptical of the malignant narcissism concept. As a psychiatric diagnosis, it can sound only compassionate towards people who commit evil. But narcissism is really a set of strategies for organising one’s self and relationships. These strategies are learned and chosen. Even in psychiatry and psychotherapy there is no medication for narcissism. Treatment is about taking responsibility for the impacts of one’s strategies and actions. Noone really thinks that sympathy alone helps.
In my post on psychopathy (link below) i described how narcissism is on a continuum with psychopathy. And we rarely think of psychopathy compassionately. If evil is something seperate (i dont disagree that it is), it will exploit the psychopath more easily than the mildly narcissistic TV personality. Is it a continuum of evil or a continuum of vulnerability to being a pawn of evil?
https://open.substack.com/pub/marcusmorris/p/psychopathy-and-the-neighbours-of?r=27zldx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I hate defending Trump in any way because I despise him, but as a friend says, drawing comparisons between Trump and Hitler is a risky pastime; sort of a "boy cries 'Wolf!'" once too often. There is no question in my mind that the parallels between Hitler's rise to power and Trump's rise to power are unsettlingly similar. But I DOUBT (hope?) that Trump won't engage in genocide if he regains the Presidency, even though I shall gladly vote for Biden to block him.
Unfortunately (?), "Hitler" is now shorthand for "genocide." His name conjures up all sorts of horrors. Trump is really bad, but he may not equate with Hitler just yet. Trump seems to have no "bottom," so no telling how bad he'll go. But, for now, although I am sympathetic, I'll struggle to not draw comparisons between Trump and Hitler, just so I don't have to explain it to this length.
Well, that was refreshing! Ron dispenses with some of the niceties there and that’s fine with me! I did take a big detour, however. I never read his article about Lawn Guyland. As someone who grew up there and spent most of his adolescence trying to figure out how to escape, I enjoyed it immensely!
As a longtime fan of yours, I have to tell you that I had to stop reading the Rosenbaum interview because I couldn't understand the point he was making. Except for the part that Merrick Garland is, apparently, also evil. That I got loud and clear. It pains and surprises me that there is such negative feelings against our Atty General (and our mishpacha) and that many regard him as feckless and afraid of his own shadow. I think Rosenbaum is wrong in this regard.
I do, however, believe that Trump is indeed evil and is inexorably moving toward becoming a Hitler. It was good to read what he said about the Munich journalists, but beyond that, he was disappointing.
Delightful words from Rosenbaum. Great read, And insightful
Hitler survived many assassination attempts.
Why are there no assassination attempts against Trump?
I think that the media's initial failure to cover trump correctly was partly due to a deeply entrenched belief in our government's adherence to tradition and polite custom. It was a loophole that Republicans used to great effect. I still hear some former Republicans, very smart people, who have some awfully naive takes on what's happened to their party. There's no dignity or appreciation of tradition remaining for them.
With all due respect (and I mean that in the non-snarky, non-ironic sense; I remain an unapologetic fan), Ron Rosenbaum hates preening? Pot, meet kettle. P.s. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6g22zngugjcqk8u3yy1xb/TRUMP-FAME.pdf?rlkey=2tomrc58cw30upy6curq72gjj&dl=0
In my circle of friends 99.9% of them support Trump no matter what news, or evidence or facts come out about his doings there is no way of convincing them that he's a danger to our democracy. I like your comparison to Hitler and I been saying the same thing for sometime now . It's extremely frightening that people don't see how much of a threat to our well being he really is God help us please.
At the bottom of the Trump well— truth. Our body America is infected-infested with evilness. Why didn’t Biden replace Garland? It was obvious after 3 months that Garland had no stamina to go after bad guys including those in the House.
Biden needs a refresher on the evilness of trumpism. Their ads needs to narrowly focus on the deeds of Hitler against the proposals of Project 2025. I was unaware that Hitler had his equivalent “project paper” and of the heroic efforts made by the German newspaper warning of the evils to come. This needs to be in Biden ads and speeches.
Finally! Thanks, Jon for posting this interview. More journalists need to take responsibility for ensuring our democracy endures, as well as their freedom to write. Might save us from a Weimar fate if we stop normalizing total evil.
Trump, like Hitler, is a fascinating, frightening, vomitous character study: Who are these people, and what made them that way, existing and causing so much harm way out there on the lunatic fringe making them, perhaps, both indescribable and impossible to understand?
We need, I think, nonetheless, try to understand them, because they are with us always, too often forming, sustaining, and leading hordes of energized disciples who turn themselves into cults, who are themselves scary for many reasons. One outstanding trait of theirs, however, is their zealousness and firm belief in the righteousness of their "just" cause, whether it's saving the world from Jewry or making America great again by returning it to the repressive 1950s, when Blacks, women, and non-Christians knew their place: at the back of the bus and at the end of the line, if they're allowed to get in line at all, specifically, don't even think about voting or holding public office, Barack and you others out there like him.
(This whole Trump era, which started with Richard Nixon, has permanently soured me on the human race. A few people are perhaps decent, kind, and upstanding all the time, but the rest of us slide downhill quickly until you reach the Trump-Hitler zone. It's a gradient. We are all on it, the only question is where do you stand, specifically today and right now, for even "good people" too often perform bad deeds of all caliber. I'm a misanthropist now, and I can't argue myself out of it: The truth of the matter keeps forcing me to call it like I see it, and, no, I'm not happy about it: I wish I could say that humans are veritable angels. That is simply not the case: I read history; I study psychology; I watch the news and read the newspapers. The case against humanity, as a group, is overwhelming and undeniable. And, of course, I include myself as part of the problem: How could I not? I have a mirror, and it's very unflatttering.)
This guy had it right from the get go. I hope you win the bet, Jonathan. I also hope Jack Smith wins his conviction and I hope our country can somehow manage to survive even if we lose this bet.
Another fascinating interview.
I think we shy away from using the more accurate diagnosis of "psychopath" to describe people like Trump because we equate that with the Hollywood version of the serial killer (Hannibal Lecter, etc.). There are many "successful" psychopaths in business, government and other fields. They are smart and "organized" enough to evade the so-called criminal justice system for decades and do horrific damage to many people during their run.