Understanding The Drumpf

 I am having difficulty knowing what to say anymore.  I guess I do not really remember his first four years. It seems such a long time ago. But this time around, four years into the future seema forever. Partly, that’s because I’m 90. I may or may not last for the entire four years.

I have lived through many presidencies, beginning with FDR and WW II.  Some I really hated, -- Nixon, Reagan especially.  But, now, in comparison, those look almost benign.  Even Trump’s first term seems benign.

But now, I wonder, faced with the prospect of Kamala Harris, an intelligent woman of some Black descent, how could they—anyone—actually vote for Donald Trump?  I can understand someone saying, well I can’t vote for a Black woman, so I will not vote. Now, I disagree with that decision, but I understand it. But for someone to say, I will vote for Donald Trump, because (the reason does not matter, because no reason justifies such a vote).  Trump is so stupid, and so awful, there simply are no valid reasons to vote for him.

And his behavior since the election justifies that reasoning.  Mainly, he seems bent on disassembling the entire US government.  He seems to have begun with USAID. He hates Foreign Aid.  Why? I guess because it involves giving away money, mostly in the form of goods, to other, poorer countries. There are, as it turns out, countries so poor, they cannot feed their own people, or provide them with health care, or in fact protect their borders.  So, our AID program helps them to remain viable and assists in keeping their people alive and somewhat well. I grew to respect USAID, I guess mainly because I worked in India, courtesy of USAID.  This was in the 1960s, when India was just coming into its own. We were friends then (are we now?). India had one population group every bit as well educated as were we, the foreign aid helpers. We, the helpers, were all graduates, mainly in engineering or business.  And we formed the equivalent of a consulting group within the Planning Commission. We carried out studies that could advance India’s economy.  But I also grew to understand that USAID undertook many forms of assistance, from supplying basic food and medicines, to more advanced planning enterprises.

So, Trump disassembling USAID, and thereby disengaging us from other less fortunate countries, was simply a form of international disengagement.  But apparently Trump viewed it simply as giving away his money.  And at one level, that is exactly what it was, as is all forms of charity.

Trump does not see the benefit to him from helping other countries.  I assume he sees Defence as a different matter, so were we to supply weapons and funds to another country for Defence purposes, he might better understand and agree.

Now, his attack on the Department of Education I understand even less. That, I assume, is governed by his religious supporters, who view regular education as partly a form of attack on religion, to the extent that better educated people might be less likely to support right wing religion.

But more, I think Trump prefers keeping the American population as ignorant as possible—perhaps the better to understand and support him.

Now Trump’s selection of JFK, Jr as Health Czar is also at best confusing. Junior is anti-vaccine and apparently anti-advanced health care. So, health research, drug/vaccine development (see FDA, or CDC) would be anathema.  Ergo, all of the Health and Human Services agenda would be on Trump/Junior’s kill list.

And you can keep going down the list –Environment, kill it. Anything vaguely science, kill it. The DEI thing is less understandable. I understand that Trump is both a racist and a misogynist, but I assume the anti-Trans/LGBTQ thing comes from his right wing religious zealots.

I assume that research into the stars/universe might be attractive to Musky, even if Trump has no clue. And we really have no idea who is directing the kill/support directives—Trump or Musk.   I guess his philosophy is vaguely –if a group promises to shoot other groups that might harm me, then that’s good. If a group promises to help others, then it depends on how much of my finances might be affected.  Also, if I can spend taxpayer dollars to help some group that promises to support me politically, then that’s good thing.  So he isn’t actually very complicated.  Now why Blacks, Hispanics, or Women support him seems more questionable, except when they are moved by something else he is doing (like religious right-wingers).

So, I guess, in the final analysis, if you are a religious fanatic, a racist, or a right winger politically (you hate Russkies, immigrants, or intellectuals) then you will likely support Trump, even though he is an ignorant POS.

Maybe, I just need to listen to him and decide which part of his dysfunctional brain is yakking at me.  Then I can either laugh, or shiver. In either case, whenever he opens his mouth, my state of depression is likely to intensify. Welcome to our world.