A few people in my life have been confused over the past couple years because I haven’t joined the anti-Trump bandwagon, and therefore they’ve thought that must mean I’m pro-Trump. Especially since I haven’t written about opposing him, therefore they conclude I must support him.
Back in 2016 I wrote about this in my post, Identity Politics, in relation to what I write.
You’re either going to support me because you relate to what I say, or you’re going to oppose me because I’m not supporting the identity group you support.
Since I wrote that post, I’ve been making observations here and there about how the media and people on the left have been losing their minds over how their chosen ‘tribal leader’, Hillary Clinton, lost the election and how much they hate Trump as a result. And we all know Trump has been making it easy for them to hate him, what with some of the things he’s been saying.
Trump hasn’t tried to be factual, because facts don’t win elections, and facts don’t gain a person popularity. Trump has been twisting the facts to support his goals of persuasion. And he’s not trying to persuade everyone, just the ones that are already Republican or swing voters. He just needed a majority where it counted, and he succeeded – and facts never mattered in that.
Because I haven’t joined the hysterical ‘anti-Trumpers’ tribe, a number of readers and friends have been thinking I must therefore be in the ‘pro-Trump’ tribe. But I’m not, and never have been.
But that hasn’t stopped them from thinking I am. And it resulted in a number of them deciding we can’t be friends any more, because I don’t join them in their hysterical anti-Trumpism. That’s tribalism and identity politics in action.
I’ve never been interested in what Trump’s policies are. I’ve never taken the time to care, to read, or to listen, except for when the hysterical left has drawn my attention to it, and then I’ve had a watch or listen or read of whatever it is that he’s said, and I’ve often drawn a different conclusion than what their hysteria has asked for.
It’s those different conclusions which have led me to stay away from the left point of view and the incredible hysteria that exists with many of them. I don’t want to be associated in any way with their hysteria around fears of what might happen, rather than on what has happened – since nothing has actually happened yet. They’re taking worst case scenarios – and in many cases, pure fantasy – and reacting as if those scenarios or fearful fantasies have actually been realised in reality, when they haven’t.
I’ve had people point out to me various articles and videos here and there as ‘proof’ that Trump is another Hitler and needs to be assassinated to save the world, etc etc. Despite him not actually having done anything that they think he has. Most of those articles or videos reference these things that I once tweeted about:
#FakeNews is easy to spot.
* Source unnamed or not mentioned?
* Opinion being treated as news?
* Source being someone’s opinion?
* Predictions being treated as news?
* ‘What if’ being treated as news?All fake news.
Be a critical thinker. It’ll serve you well.
— A journey through life (@AlansJourney) June 7, 2018
When I read about an author thinking that Trump’s moves to tighten border security so the government can better control ‘illegal immigration’ really means that Trump is Hitler and needs to be forcibly removed from office, I wonder about the sanity of that author. But when I then read that other people think this author’s article is evidence that Trump is Hitler because it’s ‘in the news’ and so they need to do something about it, the only thing I see is hysteria and delusion leading people down a path that is completely and absolutely dangerous to our society today.
When the ‘evidence’ is simply an author’s opinion, or fears of what might happen, or mention of ‘anonymous sources’ (which is another way of just making shit up), then there’s actually nothing there. It’s a non-event or non-story. But these are the driving factors of the hysteria and delusion behind the anti-Trump movement.
I see it. I don’t support it. And I don’t participate in it. I have no interest in jumping on the ‘virtue signaling’ bandwagon of socially acceptable hysteria against someone who may or may not be a good or a bad President of America.
However… and this is a big however. Where the left provides a lot of ‘news’ and opinions based on their fears, I’ve also seen various media talking about the things that Trump HAS achieved. You can actually find that kind of news if you’re interested in looking…
What I’ve seen is that Trump is actually trying to support the US, as he said he wanted to when he campaigned for President, and that was why he was elected. And really… isn’t that his job as a US President? Despite all the negative reports and stories, I see him trying to bring back jobs to the US. I see him actually trying to bring peace to the world by bringing North Korea to the peace table with South Korea, and developing better relationships with Russia, so that America has the space to prosper without conflict. I see him penalising China for bad trade deals and trying to get better deals for America. I saw him put an end to ISIS. I see him trying to stop the war in Syria. I see him trying to get Iran to peace talks too.
Aren’t those good things?
But against all of this, I see the fear-based hysteria of so many people who think that having border security is racist and they should just be opened to everyone, and instead of trying to bring peace to the world, the US should go to war with Russia, North Korea and Iran.
How is that helpful?
So the question on my mind is – what’s in it for the left to want to perpetuate conflict and war?
But anyway… I don’t support Trump. I have no vested interest in him, his policies or his time as President. But I also don’t support the level of hysteria and opposition against him. And really, I can understand that me not being part of the hysteria, and seeing the good things in a Trump Presidency, makes people think I support Trump. But I don’t. I just see what I see.
People will believe what they want to believe.
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