Donald Trump, Bully
Well, when you're wrong, you're wrong.
I was thinking about this the other day, and I came to think that my objections to calling Trump a bully were basically two:
First, we haven't really seen him seek to bully anyone--that is, dominate and humiliate someone weaker than him (a) recreationally and (b) over an extended period of time. What I've seen him be is an asshole. That's different...but I suppose it's the same impulse, minus the opportunity afforded by school/childhood... (Kinda weird that what's assault and stalking and psychopathy in adults is mere bullying in kids...)
Second--and this doesn't go to the truth of the charge, but, rather, its prudence...which is a completely different thing: I think it's unutterably whiny for an adult to accuse another adult of bullying. Trump's a stupid asshole...he's repulsive...his entire persona is like one one big, insistent request--nay, demand!-- for a punch in the face...I couldn't agree more with all that... And it does all reveal a personality that might very well manifest itself bully-wise in different circumstances (and, in fact, it obviously did)...
...But one of the characteristic Democratic/liberal vices is wimpiness... And when Dems call Trump a bully, to my ear it makes them sound like they're still scared of that mean kid that tormented them in third grade... Call him an asshole, call him a crook, call him a fraud and a joke and a representation of everything that's wrong with growing up rich...
...But calling him a bully...now, as an adult...not someone with the spirit of a bully or the grown-up version of a bully or whatever...I dunno, man...it clangs off my ear.
Which is not to say that I wasn't wrong, because I'm agreeing that I was. But that's that reformed and tidied-up version of my thinking on that point, FWIW.
I was thinking about this the other day, and I came to think that my objections to calling Trump a bully were basically two:
First, we haven't really seen him seek to bully anyone--that is, dominate and humiliate someone weaker than him (a) recreationally and (b) over an extended period of time. What I've seen him be is an asshole. That's different...but I suppose it's the same impulse, minus the opportunity afforded by school/childhood... (Kinda weird that what's assault and stalking and psychopathy in adults is mere bullying in kids...)
Second--and this doesn't go to the truth of the charge, but, rather, its prudence...which is a completely different thing: I think it's unutterably whiny for an adult to accuse another adult of bullying. Trump's a stupid asshole...he's repulsive...his entire persona is like one one big, insistent request--nay, demand!-- for a punch in the face...I couldn't agree more with all that... And it does all reveal a personality that might very well manifest itself bully-wise in different circumstances (and, in fact, it obviously did)...
...But one of the characteristic Democratic/liberal vices is wimpiness... And when Dems call Trump a bully, to my ear it makes them sound like they're still scared of that mean kid that tormented them in third grade... Call him an asshole, call him a crook, call him a fraud and a joke and a representation of everything that's wrong with growing up rich...
...But calling him a bully...now, as an adult...not someone with the spirit of a bully or the grown-up version of a bully or whatever...I dunno, man...it clangs off my ear.
Which is not to say that I wasn't wrong, because I'm agreeing that I was. But that's that reformed and tidied-up version of my thinking on that point, FWIW.
posted by Winston Smith at
8:39 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks Winst, that helps a lot re: intelligibility. I think the key point is your hearing accusations of bullying as unutterably wimpy. I don't share that at all; I think bullying is definitely a Thing and it can be very effective and sometimes indispensable to call people out on it... But I do understand where you're coming from, and there's certainly a lot going on in the culture that does exhibit the dynamics you imho mistakenly attribute to the concept and discourse of bullying.
Now, about gun control...
oh here we go...
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