Trump's dictator envy

[JimL]

I'm a naturally suspicious person, but honestly I don't think Trump actually wants to be a dictator. I do think he admires the level of control dictators have and in particular he seeks the adoration and lip service paid to dictators. Years ago Trump was a frequent source of information for a gossip columnist in NYC. His only condition? The magazine had to refer to him as a billionaire in every article (and I actually don't think he was a billionaire at that time). He's a narcissist.

That doesn't really make sense, myth. You're basically contradicting yourself. Your saying he likes it, but he doesn't really like it.

[myth]

I'm saying he wishes for more control and likes the adoration dictators receive, but doesn't actually have plans to become a dictator.

[Charles]

Sorry charles, but your blatant hypocrisy is showing. You didn't care a whit about this when Obama was doing the same thing but now suddenly seek to twist this into being all Trump's fault.

You don't know what I said or felt when Obama was president. You are talking about a matter that you have no knowledge about and based on non-facts you go as far as talking about blatant hypocrisy.

It seems you are willing to go quite far in order to avoid the issue. I think it is fair for me to repeat my original point so we can get back on track:

If I remember correctly Trump separated children from their parents without a plan on how to reunite them. The consequence could be that some children will never be reunited with their parents. How many would have voted for him knowing this? I am afraid that quite many of his supporters actually would and will continue to do so.

[JimL]

I'm saying he wishes for more control and likes the adoration dictators receive, but doesn't actually have plans to become a dictator.

So, let me get this staight, you think Trump wants to be dictator, that he likes the idea, but that he doesn't have any plans to become one?

[myth]

So, let me get this staight, you think Trump wants to be dictator, that he likes the idea, but that he doesn't have any plans to become one?

I said this very clearly the first and second time, but let me try again. This is a "shades of grey" situation.
I'm talking about a sliding scale with US President on one end, and Dictator on the other. I'm saying Trump wishes his position were further toward the Dictator end of the scale, but not all the way to the Dictator end. This is regarding power and control.

I'm even more confident that Trump's major fixation is the adoration aspect of dictatorship. He's a narcissist at heart, and he wants to be worshiped. I think he has enough sense (barely) to know that dictator == bad, but not such much with regard to related sentiments.

[One Bad Pig]

Maybe you should start now.

I'm impressed at your ability to take things completely out of context, Jim. I'll assume that you're incapable of coming up with a better response, and chose to respond with inapt ridicule instead. Feel free to prove me wrong.

[One Bad Pig]

We are a representative democracy and you can call it a republic if you want. They're the same thing. I understand some of you have a problem understanding that, or admitting to it for some reason, but thems the facts.

I understand your need to move the goalposts. Yes, we are a representative democracy. That is not the same thing as a democracy.

[Tassman]

So, let me get this staight, you think Trump wants to be dictator, that he likes the idea, but that he doesn't have any plans to become one?

Except that Trump's contempt for the democratic processes and political institutions indicates otherwise.

[Starlight]

So, let me get this staight, you think Trump wants to be dictator, that he likes the idea, but that he doesn't have any plans to become one?

I'd agree with that assessment. I'd shorten the last sentence to simply that Trump doesn't have an plans, for anything, period, because he's a creature of the 24 hr news cycle and doesn't think past it.

He's drifting towards dictatorship simply because he loves all the ideas associated with it - obedience to his whims, adulation from the TV talking heads, praise from the masses, etc.

[Starlight]

Except that Trump's contempt for the democratic processes and political institutions indicates otherwise.

I don't think he understands the basics of the reasons for them. Like, if a reporter actually asked him to give a 5-sentence explanation of why dictatorships are bad and democracies are good, he might be able to do it (although he'd inevitably wander off-topic due to his senility) but it would be all new thoughts for him. He'd learn from his own explanation as he thought through it to tell the reporter about it, because he seems to have literally no existing understanding of what it is that makes dictatorships bad and democracies good.

[Tassman]

I don't think he understands the basics of the reasons for them. Like, if a reporter actually asked him to give a 5-sentence explanation of why dictatorships are bad and democracies are good, he might be able to do it (although he'd inevitably wander off-topic due to his senility) but it would be all new thoughts for him. He'd learn from his own explanation as he thought through it to tell the reporter about it, because he seems to have literally no existing understanding of what it is that makes dictatorships bad and democracies good.

Trump's moral code can be simply summarised as "Good = good for me" and "Bad = bad for me." He's basically a simple soul.

[JimL]

I'd agree with that assessment. I'd shorten the last sentence to simply that Trump doesn't have an plans, for anything, period, because he's a creature of the 24 hr news cycle and doesn't think past it.

He's drifting towards dictatorship simply because he loves all the ideas associated with it - obedience to his whims, adulation from the TV talking heads, praise from the masses, etc.

That's possible, but only Trump, at the moment, knows for sure whether his seeming drift, his undermining of democratic institutions, is intentional or not. Personally, I believe it is intentional and probably necessary on his part, since that may be the only way he escapes Muellers forthcoming charges against him and his campaign.

[Cow Poke]

Except that Trump's contempt for the democratic processes and political institutions indicates otherwise.

I think you misread him. He's all about himself, and using 'whatever' process is out there for his aggrandizement. He doesn't have to have contempt for something he can use to his advantage.

[Cow Poke]

He's drifting towards dictatorship simply because he loves all the ideas associated with it - obedience to his whims, adulation from the TV talking heads, praise from the masses, etc.

Can you please supply a list of these TV talking heads?

Thanks. You might also want to include your definition of 'adulation'.

[One Bad Pig]

Can you please supply a list of these TV talking heads?

Thanks. You might also want to include your definition of 'adulation'.

I think Starlight is referring to hypotheticals - Trump would like adulation from the TV talking heads. Most people would like that, so it's not a stretch to think Trump would, too. The ironic thing is that many people (not Starlight) who castigate Trump are ardent supporters of Obama, who was, if anything, worse (and actually got some of that).