Kamala Harris' time is up

[littlebabyjesus]

That’s like his fifth attack line in as many days…clearly panicked and clueless on how to tackle her.

Trump's director of communications was just on the radio saying that Harris is 'more left-wing than Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist who went on honeymoon in the Soviet Union'.

If only.

It is ludicrous, totally divorced from reality. Doesn't mean it won't work, mind.

 

[Dystopiary]

I don't write dictionaries and I don't use the R word either.

I have however noted that there have been frequent instances on this forum (and elsewhere) of the words "moron", "idiot" and "imbecile" being applied to Trump (and to those who support him) by others as well as me (in case you think I am absolving myself). All of these terms were used in the past in clinical settings to describe degrees of mental impairment but nowadays are instead used informally to describe perceived generalised stupidity.

Setting aside the inappropriateness of past practices because I suspect you would agree that using such words now in a clinical environment would be wholly unacceptable... but these terms now form part of contemporary everyday language, so would it be your intention to make a similar comment to everyone who uses any of these unacceptable words from now on?

Honestly those words make me wince every time I see or hear them, particulary "m***n" and anything like "halfwit" but in that I realise I'm in a minority both on here - where all of those words get used a fair bit - and in general. I guess I just can't see it as though we've moved on from their ablist/downright eugenic origins enough to separate them from the abuse still meted out to people with intellectual disabilities.

 

[krtek a houby]

He'll be calling her a "horrible... nasty woman" soon enough. He really doesn't like women, especially those he feels threatened by.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Trump's director of communications was just on the radio saying that Harris is 'more left-wing than Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist who went on honeymoon in the Soviet Union'.

If only.

It is ludicrous, totally divorced from reality. Doesn't mean it won't work, mind.

Haha! So desperate!

 

[Rompipalle]

Honestly those words make me wince every time I see or hear them, particulary "m***n" and anything like "halfwit" but in that I realise I'm in a minority both on here - where all of those words get used a fair bit - and in general. I guess I just can't see it as though we've moved on from their ablist/downright eugenic origins enough to separate them from the abuse still meted out to people with intellectual disabilities.

Well I suppose sometimes it can be quite hard to apply a suitable epithet to describe someone like Trump who truly is one of the most appalling individuals on this planet. Based on the liberal use of colourful language that I've observed here so far, I suppose it would probably be okay to refer to him as a bumbling shitgibbon but I still wouldn't be confident that someone wouldn't rock up and object on the grounds that it's unfair to other primates.

Personally, I tend not to apply insults to people based upon characteristics over which they have no choice or control. I have less compunction over applying pejorative terms to people who are grotesquely nasty, dishonest, corrupt or who wilfully harm others by choice. Trump falls into the latter category. The stupidity and lack of intellectual rigour that also characterise Trump are incidental but no less significant.

 

[Silas Loom]

I suppose it would probably be okay to refer to him as a bumbling shitgibbon but I still wouldn't be confident that someone wouldn't rock up and object on the grounds that it's unfair to other primates.

Yeah, it’s the pongids you need to watch out for here, not the hylobates.

 

[klang]

Honestly those words make me wince every time I see or hear them, particulary "m***n" and anything like "halfwit" but in that I realise I'm in a minority both on here - where all of those words get used a fair bit - and in general. I guess I just can't see it as though we've moved on from their ablist/downright eugenic origins enough to separate them from the abuse still meted out to people with intellectual disabilities.

Plus, from personal experience, of the 100s of people with Learning Disabilities i have worked with, not a single one would behave or use rhetoric like trump. His 'intellect' or lack of can't be the real issue to question.
To do so is insulting to a very big chunk of society.

 

[klang]

Well I suppose sometimes it can be quite hard to apply a suitable epithet to describe someone like Trump who truly is one of the most appalling individuals on this planet. Based on the liberal use of colourful language that I've observed here so far, I suppose it would probably be okay to refer to him as a bumbling shitgibbon but I still wouldn't be confident that someone wouldn't rock up and object on the grounds that it's unfair to other primates.

Personally, I tend not to apply insults to people based upon characteristics over which they have no choice or control. I have less compunction over applying pejorative terms to people who are grotesquely nasty, dishonest, corrupt or who wilfully harm others by choice. Trump falls into the latter category. The stupidity and lack of intellectual rigour that also characterise Trump are incidental but no less significant.

How do you define stupidity?

 

[Rompipalle]

How do you define stupidity?

Not easy to sum up very succinctly but as an example, it would be reasonable to use the term to describe someone who deliberately ignores cause and effect and who seems not to appreciate that behaving in certain ways brings adverse outcomes.

Taking out of the equation anyone who has learning difficulties, as this does not apply to them, most of us learn that during childhood we cannot always do exactly as we please, we learn that poor behaviour generally has consequences and we learn to understand that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is valuable. Stupid people tend not to learn all of these things.

 

[Richard46]

How about looking for some adjectives that ppl can agree apply to Trump? I would suggest from among many options; mendacious; crooked; whinging; thug.

 

[kabbes]

Not easy to sum up very succinctly but as an example, it would be reasonable to use the term to describe someone who deliberately ignores cause and effect and who seems not to appreciate that behaving in certain ways brings adverse outcomes.

Taking out of the equation anyone who has learning difficulties, as this does not apply to them, most of us learn that during childhood we cannot always do exactly as we please, we learn that poor behaviour generally has consequences and we learn to understand that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is valuable. Stupid people tend not to learn all of these things.

During Trump’s childhood and subsequently, he quite correctly learned that he can always do exactly as he pleases, that poor* behaviour generally has no negative consequences (for him) and that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is unnecessary (for him). So he doesn’t meet your own definition of stupid.

*you’re begging the question there

 

[klang]

Not easy to sum up very succinctly but as an example, it would be reasonable to use the term to describe someone who deliberately ignores cause and effect and who seems not to appreciate that behaving in certain ways brings adverse outcomes.

Taking out of the equation anyone who has learning difficulties, as this does not apply to them, most of us learn that during childhood we cannot always do exactly as we please, we learn that poor behaviour generally has consequences and we learn to understand that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is valuable. Stupid people tend not to learn all of these things.

I was thinking cause and effect and generally consequences too when i thought about your earlier post...so i get what you mean. I was acting similarly on many occassions in my life and am happy to admit that i wasn't using my brain properly then.
How this applies to Trump i dunno....difficult to say whats an act, whats a sense of entitlement, whats distraction of other issues, whats hunger for controversy.
To me it is neither here nor there, his politics are at the core of what needs analysing and resisting.

I also don't fully know where to draw the line with terminology....myself, I'm happy to say idiot, but cretin, moron, mongo, etc make me angry when i hear them being used.
I guess the word idiot had long been normalised when i grew up, so carries less clinical baggage in a way....no excuse really, something for me to figure out a bit more.

Lastly, and I'm not nitpicking....people with learning difficulties make mistakes by not connecting cause and effect all the time too. They too have 'stupid moments' and should be allowed to make these mistakes as well as being pulled up on them.
Mileage might vary according to needs and diagnosis of course, allowances can be made.
Everyone is different, no homogenous group, we are all humans etc etc.

Bringing this back to Trump, i think we can be a little bit mindful not to shift the offence we experience when confronted with his way of thinking onto another group of people.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Speech to the US's main teachers union. Some great lines including 'we want to ban automatic weapons, they want to ban books':

 

[SpookyFrank]

During Trump’s childhood and subsequently, he quite correctly learned that he can always do exactly as he pleases, that poor* behaviour generally has no negative consequences (for him) and that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is unnecessary (for him). So he doesn’t meet your own definition of stupid.

*you’re begging the question there

He's also done a very good job of learning what kind of bullshit gets a good reaction. He doesn't just spout shit at random. It looks like that to people who tend to examine things they hear based on logic and ethics and things like that, but in reality it's a well-honed style developed through years of trial and error. Trump is also well suited to this sort of approach because he's not limited in terms of what he can say by his own standards or principles, because he doesn't have any.

Politicians who do have some kind of worldview of their own, some kind of aim beyond their own aggrandisement, they just end up wasting mental energy on justifying their horrible decisions to themselves and the public. Rational, principled men in positions of power do unconscionable shit all the time. What the reasonable politicians have over Trump is not moral but cultural high ground. They think they're better than him because they understand the social need to pretend, because doing something evil without pretending that you're not is bad form.

 

[Rompipalle]

During Trump’s childhood and subsequently, he quite correctly learned that he can always do exactly as he pleases, that poor* behaviour generally has no negative consequences (for him) and that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is unnecessary (for him). So he doesn’t meet your own definition of stupid.

*you’re begging the question there

I gave one definition of stupid. It does not cover everything which may come under that broad definition.

Also, stupidity is only one of a whole panoply of negative attributes that he possesses. It is certainly the case that the very poor parenting that he received is significantly to blame for his behaviour but I also think there is something pathological going on.

I'm not qualified to say what that may be but suffice to say he's not wired up for empathy. Indeed that aspect of his personality may be beyond his control but most of the time he behaves as he does because he chooses to and because he enjoys it.

 

[Elpenor]

Honestly those words make me wince every time I see or hear them, particulary "m***n" and anything like "halfwit" but in that I realise I'm in a minority both on here - where all of those words get used a fair bit - and in general. I guess I just can't see it as though we've moved on from their ablist/downright eugenic origins enough to separate them from the abuse still meted out to people with intellectual disabilities.

I may have used these words (edit bolded them for clarity) before - perhaps even today - but I would like to thank you for making me aware of their origins (obvious though they may seem now you highlight this). Sometimes a post on urban makes me stop and reflect and this is one of those times.

 

[DotCommunist]

During Trump’s childhood and subsequently, he quite correctly learned that he can always do exactly as he pleases, that poor* behaviour generally has no negative consequences (for him) and that building meaningful and co-operative relationships with others is unnecessary (for him). So he doesn’t meet your own definition of stupid.

*you’re begging the question there

I wondered about how that squared with military school and came across this which may be of interest.

I Showered With Donald Trump at Military School

Hazing, the passion for torture, and fond memories of the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination—way back when.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[VivaE]

How about looking for some adjectives that ppl can agree apply to Trump? I would suggest from among many options; mendacious; crooked; whinging; thug.

Can we not just call him trump? Everyone who cares about everything that matters knows exactly who and what he is by now, the insult adjective bank has been exhausted, and he really warrants no more time or effort. We don't need to play or indulge his insult game. Just call him trump.

Honestly those words make me wince every time I see or hear them, particulary "m***n" and anything like "halfwit" but in that I realise I'm in a minority both on here - where all of those words get used a fair bit - and in general. I guess I just can't see it as though we've moved on from their ablist/downright eugenic origins enough to separate them from the abuse still meted out to people with intellectual disabilities.

You make a very pertinent point, and most particularly in the context of trump. And thanks for the context of your 'wincing', it's not one I'd have thought about but now that I see it, I'm definitely thinking about it.

Donald Trump Told Me Disabled Americans "Should Just Die"

Fred Trump III describes conversations with his uncle about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

time.com

 

[kabbes]

I gave one definition of stupid. It does not cover everything which may come under that broad definition.

Also, stupidity is only one of a whole panoply of negative attributes that he possesses. It is certainly the case that the very poor parenting that he received is significantly to blame for his behaviour but I also think there is something pathological going on.

Let’s just stick with the “stupidity” for now, and we can deal with pathology later. I’m still trying to understand how you are diagnosing “stupidity”, given that you’ve only given one definition so far and this doesn’t meet it If there are other definitions, now’s the time to offer them.

 

[baldrick]

This thread is a fantastic example of what kabbes described as men are more important on the thread about violence against women

 

[spring-peeper]

I keep seeing this on my fb, so I decided to share it.

 

[Rompipalle]

Let’s just stick with the “stupidity” for now, and we can deal with pathology later. I’m still trying to understand how you are diagnosing “stupidity”, given that you’ve only given one definition so far and this doesn’t meet it If there are other definitions, now’s the time to offer them.

Er... I'm not on trial here and I don't propose to respond to your demands for responses.

If you don't believe that Trump is stupid then that's entirely your prerogative but please do me the courtesy of not interrogating me and demanding answers from me. As I've already said, this thread isn't even about Trump and I think I've already said all I need to.

 

[belboid]

I keep seeing this on my fb, so I decided to share it.

View attachment 434858

Even tho really obviously isn’t running there…

I would have liked to see an actual race of Biden v Trump. Both the twats would have keeled over within fifty metres.

 

[Pickman's model]

Even tho really obviously isn’t running there…

I would have liked to see an actual race of Biden v Trump. Both the twats would have keeled over within fifty metres.

Depends on whether the carrot or the stick was used

 

[teqniq]

Well this makes a refreshing change:

 

[VivaE]

Er... I'm not on trial here and I don't propose to respond to your demands for responses.

If you don't believe that Trump is stupid then that's entirely your prerogative but please do me the courtesy of not interrogating me and demanding answers from me. As I've already said, this thread isn't even about Trump and I think I've already said all I need to.

For me, he's not so much stupid as cunning and amoral. That seems more his default state. Amorality and low cunning is a lethal and toxic combination, as we know. Much more dangerous than stupid.

 

[petee]

they're really running hard with this one

Daily Wire host Matt Walsh attacks VP Kamala Harris for having a career

While attacked for the personal life choices she has by the likes of Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, VP Kamala Harris has written about being the stepparent to her husband Doug Emhoff’s children, Cole and Ella.

www.mediamatters.org

 

[zahir]

Well this makes a refreshing change:

View attachment 434863

Not going for the Michigan Arab American vote then.

 

[Smangus]

Let’s just stick with the “stupidity” for now, and we can deal with pathology later. I’m still trying to understand how you are diagnosing “stupidity”, given that you’ve only given one definition so far and this doesn’t meet it If there are other definitions, now’s the time to offer them.

Trumps has got to where he has by people continually underestimating him and his intelligence, dismissing him as ignorant , stupid, narcissistic, etc, etc. He has many, many, unpleasant traits but he is far from stupid. It has always irritated me that people dismiss him for this when in reality he is extremely cunning , manipulative and highly transactional (amongst other things). Although I accept he may now be displaying signs of cognitive disfunction/dementia etc. People made the same mistake with Boris Johnson with his studied disorganisation and buffoonery, they underestimated him too.

 

[strung out]

Trump can’t be stupid, he owned his own university.