Slate: Trump Is a Madman

[babylonsister]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/10/donald_trump_and_the_paranoid_style_in_american_fascism.html

Trump Is a Madman
The third debate settles it: He’s not just cynical. He’s paranoid.
By William Saletan


Donald Trump is mentally ill. After 16 months of campaigning and three general election debates, this has become all too clear. Trump sees himself as the victim of a web of conspiracies encompassing House Speaker Paul Ryan, the FBI, the CIA, and the Iraqi military. He sees events in his life—women who claim to have met him, violence by supporters at his rallies—as tentacles of these plots. He refuses to accept the outcome of the election, and he demands that his opponent be jailed, not because Trump is cynical but because he is paranoid.

snip//

Trump’s fantasies of persecution reach deep into his party. As Clinton pointed out, he has previously accused Republicans of rigging the Iowa caucuses and the Wisconsin primary against him. In the debate, Trump acknowledged his beef with President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and complained—as Wallace tried in vain to move on to another subject—that Reagan was soft on trade. A week ago, at a rally in Florida, Trump fumed that Ryan wasn’t supporting him, that GOP leaders were “not putting their weight behind the people,” and that “there's a whole sinister deal going on” inside the party.

Trump’s refusal to endorse a peaceful transition of government shouldn’t surprise anyone who has watched his rallies. Last weekend, he called Barack Obama our “quote, president.” Trump suggested that Obama—whose eligibility for the presidency Trump challenged for five years—was elected in part through voter fraud. Trump also declared that Clinton “should be locked up,” that her attorneys should be jailed, and that “she shouldn’t be allowed to run for president.”

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who doesn’t like Clinton or doesn’t agree with her agenda, it’s hard to face the truth of this election. In a two-party system, you ought to get a choice between two plausible candidates. But sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. When one party nominates a madman, all you can do is vote against him. And you’d better do at least that much. Because if you don’t, you’ll get only one choice in the next election, too. And this time, it will be the madman.

[Jade Fox]

1. "Donald Trump is mentally ill."

Yes, that cannot be said enough.

[BSdetect]

2. Clinton is more than merely "plausible"

And her "agenda" is both realistic and achievable.

In your final paragraph you seem to be disparaging Clinton with those words.

If that is so then you are victim to the GOp relentless propaganda.

If not, than my apology.

[Dale Neiburg]

3. Just to clarify--

The last paragraph is Saletan speaking, not Babylonsister.

[babylonsister]

5. For starters,

I didn't write this. And the author is just stating the obvious; there are millions who don't like her and/or can't see voting for her. FTR, I am not one of them.

[CentralMass]

4. An article on "narcissistic injury"

http://www.decision-making-confidence.com/narcissistic-injury.html

"Narcissistic Injury Explained

Narcissistic injury is the term used for any threat to a narcissist's outsized ego or self-esteem.

Remember that those with narcissistic personality disorder have a distorted sense of their own self importance and consider themselves superior to others as well as entitled to whatever they want.

They live in a fantasy world where they consider they have great success and/or power, intelligence and beauty. They believe they are unique and deserving of special attention. They require praise, admiration and attention to boost this ego and inflated image of themselves.



Perceptions

Anything that they perceive as a threat to this 'false-self' or to their sense of dominance, is considered narcissistic injury. The word 'perceived' is important because it means that the threat may not be real, for example, it may not be perceived as a challenge by normal people.

A 'real' threat may be something such as a person pointing out one of their lies, or challenging their dominance, or saying that the narcissists needs should come second to their own.

Things that a narcissist might consider injurious include such things as when someone makes a simple remark about the color of the narcissist's clothes not being the best for them, or that something of the narcissist could be better, or when someone disagrees with their opinion.

Ordinarily, these things are part and parcel of everyday conversations and people decide if they want to pay attention to them and take it as advice, or not!

Sometimes it's the not saying something that causes the injury. When the narcissist does something, they often expect compliments and praise, no matter how small the thing. Normal people may consider that no comment is necessary, and so they say nothing.

For the narcissist, however, not receiving the praise or compliment may be perceived as an insult, a criticism of what they have done, and they respond to it as such."
..read more at the link