Comments on: This isn’t funny anymore… https://habitablezone.com/2016/07/15/this-isnt-funny-anymore/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:12:41 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2016/07/15/this-isnt-funny-anymore/#comment-37010 RL Mon, 18 Jul 2016 22:22:33 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=58720#comment-37010 <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/art-of-the-deal-trump_us_578ce629e4b0a0ae97c2aa9b?section=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">"I do worry that with the nuclear codes [Trump] would end civilization as we know it,”</a> <blockquote>In a scathing interview Monday with Good Morning America, Tony Schwartz, who co-wrote Trump’s 1987 business best-seller Art of the Deal, blasted the real estate mogul as an attention-deficient man with “sociopathic tendencies” who is a potential danger to civilization. Schwartz said that among the myths he regrettably helped perpetuate about Trump is the idea that the businessman has a high level of intelligence and savvy. “I believe he is so insecure, so easily provoked, and not ― not particularly nearly as smart as people might imagine he is. And in the face of someone like Putin provoking him cleverly. ... I do worry that with the nuclear codes [Trump] would end civilization as we know it,” Schwartz told GMA’s George Stephanopoulos. Schwartz’s harsh rebuke of Trump follows an explosive interview with The New Yorker in which he said “I put lipstick on a pig,” and added that if he were to write the book today, he would call it “The Sociopath.”</blockquote> “I do worry that with the nuclear codes [Trump] would end civilization as we know it,”

In a scathing interview Monday with Good Morning America, Tony Schwartz, who co-wrote Trump’s 1987 business best-seller Art of the Deal, blasted the real estate mogul as an attention-deficient man with “sociopathic tendencies” who is a potential danger to civilization.

Schwartz said that among the myths he regrettably helped perpetuate about Trump is the idea that the businessman has a high level of intelligence and savvy.

“I believe he is so insecure, so easily provoked, and not ― not particularly nearly as smart as people might imagine he is. And in the face of someone like Putin provoking him cleverly. … I do worry that with the nuclear codes [Trump] would end civilization as we know it,” Schwartz told GMA’s George Stephanopoulos.

Schwartz’s harsh rebuke of Trump follows an explosive interview with The New Yorker in which he said “I put lipstick on a pig,” and added that if he were to write the book today, he would call it “The Sociopath.”

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2016/07/15/this-isnt-funny-anymore/#comment-37005 ER Mon, 18 Jul 2016 03:47:18 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=58720#comment-37005 They feel threatened, under siege. They are afraid. Like Johnny Reb before them, they are willing to risk it all to guarantee their freedom to own their own slaves someday. They feel their sense of entitlement and privilege and exceptionalism, their innate superiority and elitism is being questioned. You will note how often they use those same terms, albeit in other contexts. Those who don't, that is, those fairly happy with the way things are going, those satisfied with how they are handling their lives at this point in history, those who believe they still have a viable future, are therefore less motivated to vote, more likely to be apathetic, or maybe just not willing to stand in line in the rain. Yes, Trump could win this one, not just because he'll get more votes, but because his partisans are more likely to vote. They have more to lose, and they are right. Trump is not the problem. Its the fact that so many are willing to entrust their futures to him. They feel threatened, under siege. They are afraid. Like Johnny Reb before them, they are willing to risk it all to guarantee their freedom to own their own slaves someday. They feel their sense of entitlement and privilege and exceptionalism, their innate superiority and elitism is being questioned. You will note how often they use those same terms, albeit in other contexts.

Those who don’t, that is, those fairly happy with the way things are going, those satisfied with how they are handling their lives at this point in history, those who believe they still have a viable future, are therefore less motivated to vote, more likely to be apathetic, or maybe just not willing to stand in line in the rain. Yes, Trump could win this one, not just because he’ll get more votes, but because his partisans are more likely to vote. They have more to lose, and they are right.

Trump is not the problem. Its the fact that so many are willing to entrust their futures to him.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2016/07/15/this-isnt-funny-anymore/#comment-37004 Robert Mon, 18 Jul 2016 01:29:46 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=58720#comment-37004 I'm not really worried about Trump getting elected, in a fair election. And if he is elected, fairly? We're already toast. We'd be getting what we deserve. And I think that it's a mistake to focus on Trump as a singular evil, like a Bond villain or a Marvel supervillain. His followers will still be around after he loses the election. And boy will they be pissed. But I think we'll get something valuable out of this election: A reliable measurement of the American people's <i>authoritarian quotient</i>. Both sides are strongly motivated, no disparity in turnout to compensate for. The percentage that votes for Trump in November is America's AQ. Plain and simple. Well, OK, never plain and simple. We know that authoritarianism is a variable quantity, more a sensitivity of the moment in response to the perception of external threats. So the AQ we get on election day will reflect the state of the world on that day. Or at least, how the politicians will have convinced that part of the population to perceive the world as threatening. The third leg of the authoritarian stool is the skill of demagogues to exploit the external world to exacerbate the inner perceptions. Oh yes, ER, we do live in interesting times. I’m not really worried about Trump getting elected, in a fair election. And if he is elected, fairly? We’re already toast. We’d be getting what we deserve. And I think that it’s a mistake to focus on Trump as a singular evil, like a Bond villain or a Marvel supervillain. His followers will still be around after he loses the election. And boy will they be pissed.

But I think we’ll get something valuable out of this election: A reliable measurement of the American people’s authoritarian quotient. Both sides are strongly motivated, no disparity in turnout to compensate for. The percentage that votes for Trump in November is America’s AQ. Plain and simple.

Well, OK, never plain and simple. We know that authoritarianism is a variable quantity, more a sensitivity of the moment in response to the perception of external threats. So the AQ we get on election day will reflect the state of the world on that day.

Or at least, how the politicians will have convinced that part of the population to perceive the world as threatening. The third leg of the authoritarian stool is the skill of demagogues to exploit the external world to exacerbate the inner perceptions.

Oh yes, ER, we do live in interesting times.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2016/07/15/this-isnt-funny-anymore/#comment-37003 RL Sun, 17 Jul 2016 23:50:48 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=58720#comment-37003 That if evil faces no opposition, then it triumphs... And make no mistake, we a facing a real evil in Trump and his ilk... <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/15/after-nice-newt-gingrich-wants-to-test-every-american-muslim-and-deport-those-who-believe-in-sharia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Newt Gingrich wants to ‘test’ every Muslim in the U.S. and deport sharia believers</a> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/15/after-nice-newt-gingrich-wants-to-test-every-american-muslim-and-deport-those-who-believe-in-sharia/ <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-immigration-ban_us_5789a74ce4b03fc3ee510e01" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mike Pence Flip-Flops, Aligns With Trump On Immigrant Ban</a> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-immigration-ban_us_5789a74ce4b03fc3ee510e01 That if evil faces no opposition, then it triumphs…

And make no mistake, we a facing a real evil in Trump and his ilk…

Newt Gingrich wants to ‘test’ every Muslim in the U.S. and deport sharia believers
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/15/after-nice-newt-gingrich-wants-to-test-every-american-muslim-and-deport-those-who-believe-in-sharia/

Mike Pence Flip-Flops, Aligns With Trump On Immigrant Ban
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-immigration-ban_us_5789a74ce4b03fc3ee510e01

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2016/07/15/this-isnt-funny-anymore/#comment-37001 ER Sat, 16 Jul 2016 14:13:04 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=58720#comment-37001 Now we know who these people are, what they want, why, and what they're willing to do to get it. And as long as the election is fair, if they win we will get exactly what we want and what we deserve. Isn't that what democracy is all about? Now we know who these people are, what they want, why, and what they’re willing to do to get it. And as long as the election is fair, if they win we will get exactly what we want and what we deserve. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

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