The world has been mesmerized by the siege on the United States Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. A ridiculous and enraged mob stormed the building to revolt against the legitimate outcome of a democratic election. They felt entitled to power, or threaten our government to show off their power.
Who instigated this entitled mob mentality and why? Of course, it was You-Know-Who and his enablers. Their psyches couldn't accept rejection—narcissism of delusional proportions rampant within politics.
In 2016, I wrote about You-Know-Who and my assessment of his character and what would happen if he became president. Today's Weekly Update takes those prophetic words from four years ago and explores how our politics is truly a reflection of our psyches.
May you heal from the traumas created by our politicians. Have a great week.
Politics: A Reflection of Our Psyches
Warnings from The Snake
For the past four years, "The Snake," a song that had been written by Oscar Brown Jr. in 1963, was repeatedly quoted as a metaphor to incite fear against immigrants and justify racism. Recently, I saw a parody of the politician reading the words as his forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth.
We can't say that he didn't warn us. Every time You-Know-Who criticized or complained about another, it seemed to more appropriately apply to himself. And so, "The Snake" became not a metaphor about immigrants, but rather a description of You-Know-Who.
It's best he remains nameless. Even a name has power, and he doesn't even deserve that power.
In 2016, I wrote two articles on this politician and warned people about his character and politics:
A Psychiatrist's Personal Opinions of Donald Trump
A Psychiatrist's Response to Khizr Khan's Speech and Trump’s Reaction to Mr. Khan
In short, my assessment of his character and how it would play out in politics was right on target. In fact, every concern I had four years ago played out in a more flamboyant manner than I even imagined because I underestimated the masses who condoned his narcissism, cruelty, misogyny, and racism.
In one section, I wrote:
"The whole progression of Trump’s appeal to the public reminds me of the rise in power of Hitler. Before Hitler came into power, he promised a lot of things to the downtrodden, and he used the Jews as a scapegoat for the country’s problems. Hitler arose from an environment where fear and anger could be used to gain power.
People felt disillusioned with the government, and they hoped for a savior. Hitler had the narcissistic grandiosity to say, 'Here I am. I will save you.' I see Trump using the same carrot to entice the public. Hitler thought of himself as above the law. I heard Trump tell Jeb Bush, during a debate, that if he had wanted to have a casino built in Florida, he would have.
Meaning, he thought of himself as above the governing powers of that state. In other words, his wealth/power makes him above the rule of law. A leader of a democratic or republican nation does not think of himself as above the law or government. Monarchs and dictators, however, do. When Bush responded, “You would not have.” Trump replies, 'Oh, yes I could!' Narcissism in action."
How many times during his tenure did this politician disregard the law? I've lost count. Lawlessness flows through his very bones. He justifies and reconciles it, inciting others to also disregard law and order.
In the same article, I presented six reasons why I believed that this politician is unworthy of being president of a democratic and free nation:
"He lacks the ability to be civil to his opponents. That is the whole point of politics: being able to work in a social setting without offending everyone you bump into. Trump has the opposite ability. He is an expert at bumping into people and offending everyone. These are not helpful characteristics for the president of a dog food shop, much less the president of the United States.
He does not use logical reasoning to persuade. He uses insults. In any given debate, I lose count of all the times he insults someone. How can such an illogical, abusive person ever hope to work with anyone in relative harmony?
He projects all his anger towards another person or group, calls them names and blames them for problems. And he has a lot of anger and a lot of blame. A president of a free nation does not behave in this manner. Dictators do.
He has no experience as a lawmaker or working in government. He does have a lot of experience bossing people around. He tried to boss around a television network, regarding who would have the right to moderate the debate, and he refused to attend the debate when he didn’t get his way. This is how he will behave if he becomes president but in a larger context. Can you imagine how he will handle volatile nations whose leaders think he’s lower than the dirt on the bottom of their shoes? How do you think he will treat the issues of freedom of speech and the press if he were to be elected?
He denigrates people for their sex, race, and appearance. These are extremely immature defense mechanisms. But, in a political leader, this quality would be disastrous. Hitler denigrated people, and then he acted on his feelings.
He ridicules politicians for being the puppet of millionaire donors, claiming that donors control the way lawmakers make decisions in government, missing the point entirely that he is essentially a donor running for president, holding the same mindset. To elect him would be similar to eliminating other competing special interest groups that attempt to influence government, and electing the head of one special interest group as president of the United States. Do you think that will improve our government?"
As a psychiatrist reading my words from four years ago, I am surprised and even impressed at how consistent this man has been in his depravity. He is consistently duplicitous, narcissistic, and unworthy of his office.
Moving forward, I suggest that we use him as a model of what not to do. He is the inflammation behind the political boil in need of lancing. His character—the underlying dysfunction behind his politics—must be examined not only within government but also within each of us as the poisons we need to remove.
My hope for this nation is that we will have the humility to learn from our mistakes and choose to live wisely moving forward.
Thank you for reading and have a good week.