Great article. On a side note, I can’t believe how deeply educated you are on so many topics. I consider myself to be extremely literate, and I have degrees in philosophy, etc., but you constantly blow my mind with your extreme breadth of knowledge. Also... I think we're pretty much fucked, but I have really enjoyed reading all of your insights.
If you could see what happens to infants and small children who cannot elicit kindness and tenderness from their caregivers because their caregivers don’t have it to give, you’d realize how they’ve been the helpless victims of “evil” themselves.
They’ve been totally dependent on humans who have no capacity to empathize with them. Babies in these families absolutely crumble internally, their little hearts are broken and eventually the suffering is unendurable. They harden over in emotional self-defense, become apathetic, withdrawn, unresponsive, or on the other hand, become enraged and determined to avenge themselves in whatever way they can.
Trump became an incorrigible child, then when he was 13 he began collecting large knives to make himself feel powerful, if only in his fantasies. When his father discovered this cache of weapons he was kicked out of the house and sent to a military-type school. When he lost the 2020 election he was also “kicked out of the house” and took revenge by fomenting a violent insurrection where Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi, (mom and dad) almost got killed.
Hurt people, hurt people…that’s why they shouldn’t be given political power. Hurt people have felt, in their infancy and early childhood, as if they have been “deleted.“ Some who have been hurt to the core of their being form the belief that the antidote to their suffering is to “delete“ other people just as they had wished to strike back and annihilate the source of their early suffering.
What goes around, comes around… The child is father to the man… There are many ways our culture recognizes that emotional and physical violence in infancy and childhood can manifest in the violence and psychopathology of adults.
Oh my goodness. So much to say. First, I have often thought that being sent to military school was Trump’s “Rosebud”—I just couldn’t locate the metaphorical heart. You did!!!
Now he’s back “in the house” and kicking everyone else out.
Your analysis is right on.
But other people have endured similar childhoods. I have. It is hard not to pass on pain. But if one tries, one can minimize the amount. I did.
Cowards don’t even try.
Hmm. I wonder. What if we all—on a dime—started all doing the uncomfortable introspection that’s necessary for change. That would be powerful.
Ruthy, I agree that, once back in “the house” Donald is taking revenge on all the bad mommies and daddies he had no power over as child.
And of course, not everybody who’s treated badly in childhood is treated the same. Circumstances of all kinds very widely among families. Not everyone develops these sociopathic, narcissistic, Machiavellian and psychopathic traits. The specific traits were modeled actually by Fred the father who ridiculed and humiliated his sons endlessly.
Roy Cohn also tutored and rewarded Donald for the most cold-hearted attitudes and behaviors possible, so that didn’t help the rest of us, that’s for sure.
I agree that we all could do with more self-reflection and introspection, especially when it comes to raising children. As a society, we could support parents and schools much more than we do. This is not a child centered culture by any means.
I think it’s much too late for any of these kinds of things to have any impact on Donald’s mindset. His development really ended at about age 2. He sees the world as belonging to him, and the only people who matter, as with an infant or very young child, are the people who can attend to him in every way that a baby or child needs.
Thank you for writing that very thoughtful (and informed) reply- and for asking me what I think!
I was in the field- (mental health) for years as an art therapist in a mental hospital. But my real education as to what we’re talking about came with my own recovery. From self- centered, troubled person who truly had no concept of anyone else’s needs, to … not that. But that kind of growth — tho so worth it!!! — is not for the faint hearted. So my answer to your question is, Trump of course doesn’t have ANY of what it takes to shed those neurotic defenses you’re talking about, including any motivation.
As a child I read a lot and learned there were other ways to live. But the OTHER people who do do the work- that creates an energy.
What we have had for decades is a conglomeration of special interests who have come together to achieve separate but complimentary political agenda objectives. They have lied and bought their way into power. The ends justify the means. if they have to flush the Constitution, they will.
it's not liberal democracy that has failed. A conservative "democracy" run by the bad guys has once again robbed the people at large of what they truly want. Racism has been a standard playing card in the electoral process since before Lincoln went into politics. The USA is married to racism. The USA was built on racism. The USA thrives on racism. All racists are stupid.
"The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity" by Carlo Cipolla
The elite have figured out how to manipulate the stupid, and they are being used a weapon against us. "The Plot to seize the White House" by Jules Archer
The 25th amendment was enacted in 1967. Why do people vote for only President but not VP? 15 VPs have become President either during or subsequent to a term they served as VP. Why do people accept that a President can just choose his VP as if selecting an ice cream flavor? This is giving dictatorial power to the Vice President. He/she is essentially appointing a potential king or queen. All the President has to do is abdicate either officially or unofficially. If the people vote for the President, they should vote for the VP as well. Or maybe we shouldn't have a VP at all. Just a pool of 3-5 people who will each be able to step in, if needed, to finish a President's term.
The game of democracy has been gamed. The cheaters and fixers have won.
Are we going to keep trying to fix the fixed game?
It IS our move. But does anyone feel like I do? That each day, I learn ANOTHER new thing (usually from Jim Stewartson) and that swings my head a little MORE around, and I wonder why the people on TV act as if the things Jim says haven’t happened yet!! It feels almost like a burden too big to hold, this denial (ignorance?) of the truth. One thing it does, it’s making me value art and life and individual people more and more.
What those guys are selling is rotten to the core.
Yep, it's called selfishness and lack of human empathy. It's sociopathy presented to the masses as a masculine virtue of pulling up your own bootstraps and not having to care about how anyone is doing or getting along. Only the weak and useless need help according to this perspective. Only the healthy and strong matter because they are useful to capitalists and increase the profits of capitalists. A relative and follower of Rush Limbaugh's every word said to me 30 plus years ago: "I think if you don't work, you shouldn't eat." His exact words.
You know I admire your work, Jim. But this essay is fundamental, essential. The Enlightenment shook the world. As understood so well by Spinoza, the God mirage was exposed, and with it the false authority of rulers and clerics who used that mirage to project themselves as gods to dominate humanity from the beginning. Now, the fragile 'enlightenment' produced by 18th century revolutions is being systematically destroyed by the negation of democracy by would-be gods whose only law is greed and sadistic power over others driven by the absence of empathy, as you noted. But just as Nietzsche's God is dead, Spinoza's god (reason, science, love) still lives - for the moment at least.
It will live always. That is clear to me now. What wasn’t clear before was how heartbreaking it would be to feel reason and empathy in one’s heart, but see it disappear from people’s faces.
Thank you for a Crash Course in World History today,Jim. If this isn't History Repeating itself, I don't know what is ⁉️ and you're right, People get ready to Stand Up for Democracy, Truth and No bloody King's this Saturday October 18th 💥💪 peacefully✌️ outstanding article, and will reStack ASAP 🙏
Great article. On a side note, I can’t believe how deeply educated you are on so many topics. I consider myself to be extremely literate, and I have degrees in philosophy, etc., but you constantly blow my mind with your extreme breadth of knowledge. Also... I think we're pretty much fucked, but I have really enjoyed reading all of your insights.
If you could see what happens to infants and small children who cannot elicit kindness and tenderness from their caregivers because their caregivers don’t have it to give, you’d realize how they’ve been the helpless victims of “evil” themselves.
They’ve been totally dependent on humans who have no capacity to empathize with them. Babies in these families absolutely crumble internally, their little hearts are broken and eventually the suffering is unendurable. They harden over in emotional self-defense, become apathetic, withdrawn, unresponsive, or on the other hand, become enraged and determined to avenge themselves in whatever way they can.
Trump became an incorrigible child, then when he was 13 he began collecting large knives to make himself feel powerful, if only in his fantasies. When his father discovered this cache of weapons he was kicked out of the house and sent to a military-type school. When he lost the 2020 election he was also “kicked out of the house” and took revenge by fomenting a violent insurrection where Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi, (mom and dad) almost got killed.
Hurt people, hurt people…that’s why they shouldn’t be given political power. Hurt people have felt, in their infancy and early childhood, as if they have been “deleted.“ Some who have been hurt to the core of their being form the belief that the antidote to their suffering is to “delete“ other people just as they had wished to strike back and annihilate the source of their early suffering.
What goes around, comes around… The child is father to the man… There are many ways our culture recognizes that emotional and physical violence in infancy and childhood can manifest in the violence and psychopathology of adults.
Oh my goodness. So much to say. First, I have often thought that being sent to military school was Trump’s “Rosebud”—I just couldn’t locate the metaphorical heart. You did!!!
Now he’s back “in the house” and kicking everyone else out.
Your analysis is right on.
But other people have endured similar childhoods. I have. It is hard not to pass on pain. But if one tries, one can minimize the amount. I did.
Cowards don’t even try.
Hmm. I wonder. What if we all—on a dime—started all doing the uncomfortable introspection that’s necessary for change. That would be powerful.
It might blow him away.
Ruthy, I agree that, once back in “the house” Donald is taking revenge on all the bad mommies and daddies he had no power over as child.
And of course, not everybody who’s treated badly in childhood is treated the same. Circumstances of all kinds very widely among families. Not everyone develops these sociopathic, narcissistic, Machiavellian and psychopathic traits. The specific traits were modeled actually by Fred the father who ridiculed and humiliated his sons endlessly.
Roy Cohn also tutored and rewarded Donald for the most cold-hearted attitudes and behaviors possible, so that didn’t help the rest of us, that’s for sure.
I agree that we all could do with more self-reflection and introspection, especially when it comes to raising children. As a society, we could support parents and schools much more than we do. This is not a child centered culture by any means.
I think it’s much too late for any of these kinds of things to have any impact on Donald’s mindset. His development really ended at about age 2. He sees the world as belonging to him, and the only people who matter, as with an infant or very young child, are the people who can attend to him in every way that a baby or child needs.
What do you think?
Thank you for writing that very thoughtful (and informed) reply- and for asking me what I think!
I was in the field- (mental health) for years as an art therapist in a mental hospital. But my real education as to what we’re talking about came with my own recovery. From self- centered, troubled person who truly had no concept of anyone else’s needs, to … not that. But that kind of growth — tho so worth it!!! — is not for the faint hearted. So my answer to your question is, Trump of course doesn’t have ANY of what it takes to shed those neurotic defenses you’re talking about, including any motivation.
As a child I read a lot and learned there were other ways to live. But the OTHER people who do do the work- that creates an energy.
What we have had for decades is a conglomeration of special interests who have come together to achieve separate but complimentary political agenda objectives. They have lied and bought their way into power. The ends justify the means. if they have to flush the Constitution, they will.
it's not liberal democracy that has failed. A conservative "democracy" run by the bad guys has once again robbed the people at large of what they truly want. Racism has been a standard playing card in the electoral process since before Lincoln went into politics. The USA is married to racism. The USA was built on racism. The USA thrives on racism. All racists are stupid.
"The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity" by Carlo Cipolla
The elite have figured out how to manipulate the stupid, and they are being used a weapon against us. "The Plot to seize the White House" by Jules Archer
The 25th amendment was enacted in 1967. Why do people vote for only President but not VP? 15 VPs have become President either during or subsequent to a term they served as VP. Why do people accept that a President can just choose his VP as if selecting an ice cream flavor? This is giving dictatorial power to the Vice President. He/she is essentially appointing a potential king or queen. All the President has to do is abdicate either officially or unofficially. If the people vote for the President, they should vote for the VP as well. Or maybe we shouldn't have a VP at all. Just a pool of 3-5 people who will each be able to step in, if needed, to finish a President's term.
The game of democracy has been gamed. The cheaters and fixers have won.
Are we going to keep trying to fix the fixed game?
Or are we going to create a better game?
Or both?
Or neither?
Or?
It's our move.
It IS our move. But does anyone feel like I do? That each day, I learn ANOTHER new thing (usually from Jim Stewartson) and that swings my head a little MORE around, and I wonder why the people on TV act as if the things Jim says haven’t happened yet!! It feels almost like a burden too big to hold, this denial (ignorance?) of the truth. One thing it does, it’s making me value art and life and individual people more and more.
What those guys are selling is rotten to the core.
Yep, it's called selfishness and lack of human empathy. It's sociopathy presented to the masses as a masculine virtue of pulling up your own bootstraps and not having to care about how anyone is doing or getting along. Only the weak and useless need help according to this perspective. Only the healthy and strong matter because they are useful to capitalists and increase the profits of capitalists. A relative and follower of Rush Limbaugh's every word said to me 30 plus years ago: "I think if you don't work, you shouldn't eat." His exact words.
Yes. Thank you. They were wrong then and they’re wrong now. It’s the easy way out.
Crash course in Philosophy too
You know I admire your work, Jim. But this essay is fundamental, essential. The Enlightenment shook the world. As understood so well by Spinoza, the God mirage was exposed, and with it the false authority of rulers and clerics who used that mirage to project themselves as gods to dominate humanity from the beginning. Now, the fragile 'enlightenment' produced by 18th century revolutions is being systematically destroyed by the negation of democracy by would-be gods whose only law is greed and sadistic power over others driven by the absence of empathy, as you noted. But just as Nietzsche's God is dead, Spinoza's god (reason, science, love) still lives - for the moment at least.
It will live always. That is clear to me now. What wasn’t clear before was how heartbreaking it would be to feel reason and empathy in one’s heart, but see it disappear from people’s faces.
Another powerful piece, Jim. Nobody's covering out time from your POV. Thank you.
Wow. You just keep getting better and better . You’ve got “the right stuff” for our times.
Thank you for a Crash Course in World History today,Jim. If this isn't History Repeating itself, I don't know what is ⁉️ and you're right, People get ready to Stand Up for Democracy, Truth and No bloody King's this Saturday October 18th 💥💪 peacefully✌️ outstanding article, and will reStack ASAP 🙏