The two words Donald Trump cant bring himself to say
President Trump had a lot to say at his long-awaited news conference yesterday. His performance characteristically rich in calculated provocations, bizarre asides and even the occasional bit of genuine news generated enough material to keep the press corps occupied for weeks. As is so often the case with Trump, however, the most significant thing may be what he chose not to say.
In the nearly 14,000 words of the news-conference transcript, Trump never mentioned the words freedom or democracy. This is merely the latest installment in a well-established pattern. Throughout his election campaign he was strikingly reluctant to invoke Americas higher ideals, choosing to dwell instead on what he sees as the dismal state of the country. His 1,439-word inauguration speech will be remembered for his startling use of the word carnage to characterize the countrys current state and rightfully so, since the text dwelt so lustfully on claims of national decay. Trump made only one distinctly pat reference to freedom (we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag). Democracy, values or ideals never came up.
Trump evinces a striking lack of faith in American institutions. His unusually harsh rhetoric about the courts, his congressional opponents, protesters and the media betrays little appreciation for the complexities of an open society. He has a dismal view of the nations moral stature. I think right now when it comes to civil liberties, our country has a lot of problems, and I think its very hard for us to get involved in other countries when we dont know what we are doing and we cant see straight in our own country, he declared in an interview with the New York Times. When Bill OReilly of Fox News recently pressed the president on his fondness for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom OReilly described as a killer, Trump responded, There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers. Well, you think our country is so innocent?
Such remarks might have passed as a refreshingly frank commentary on Americas failures to live up to its own standards were it not for the fact that Trump is quick to absolve dictators of their sins. On some fundamental level he just doesnt seem to care. He has repeatedly lavished praise on autocrats such as Putin (hes been a leader far more than our president has been), Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan (I do give great credit to him for turning [the 2016 coup attempt] around), and Egypts Abdel Fattah al-Sissi (hes a fantastic guy). Rarely in recent U.S. history has a president found so much to praise in those who deserve it least. In an earlier age the American public would have savaged him for his lazy embrace of moral relativism. Now we just let it slide.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/02/17/the-two-words-donald-trump-cant-bring-himself-to-say/?tid=pm_opinions_pop&utm_term=.030fb1c32100
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)dalton99a
(81,570 posts)mitch96
(13,924 posts)Like here in Florida, Gov scott will not say the two words......global warming.
Even banned it's use in his government... silly.
m
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)Blue Owl
(50,494 posts)n/t