It is remarkable — and perhaps praiseworthy — that Donald Trump gave a long and detailed interview on the subject of his being a pathological liar. The interview, with Time’s
Michael Scherer, covers a wide range of Trump’s lies, and features many
of his own justifications for them. The truly revealing moment of the
interview comes at the end, when Trump gives up the game. “But isn’t
there, it strikes me there is still an issue of credibility,” asks
Scherer, referencing Trump’s hallucinatory claims to have been
surveilled by his predecessor, which his own intelligence officials have
refuted. Trump rambles through various talking points, and lands on
this conclusion: “I guess, I can’t be doing so badly, because I’m
president, and you’re not.”
This
small line is an important historical marker of the bizarre and
disconcerting reality into which American politics has plunged. Trump is
not merely making an attack on truth here. He is attacking the idea of truth. His statement is a frontal challenge to the notion that objective reality can be separated from power.
Trump
and his officials have been dancing around this notion since November.
When challenged on almost any of their lies, they point to the election,
which proves that the credibility of the crooked Fake News media is
nonexistent, and theirs is beyond reproach. Questions about veracity are
met with responses about voting in Wisconsin, Michigan, and
Pennsylvania. Trump made the argument explicit: The only measure of his
veracity is power, which he has, and his critics do not. [...]
"I tell you Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and in any case soon perishes: only in the mind of the party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the party holds to be truth, is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party" George Orwell, 1984.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes!! This is America today. It is sometimes referred to as "moral relativism". And we elected Mr. Trump because he is so good at it. Our goal, ironically, was to unleash the power of groupthink in order to realign the collective mind and to demolish it.
ReplyDeleteA little dated, but still relevant.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/22/john-podesta-forces-within-fbi-may-have-wanted-clinton-to-lose.html?intcmp=ob_article_footer_mobile&intcmp=obinsite
That is, everyone is playing the "fake news" card. And any would-be politician in America today running on the "truth" platform would be well advised not to give up his day job.
Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteAnd if the collective "you" fails, and you simply irreparably damage the collective mind and realign it to falsehood and heresy? Then the collective "you" would have the led even the minority (but many) astray, who otherwise would have found truth. It reminds me of Jesus, who the Rambam says led the many astray and so has no place int he world to come. Toying with falsehood is playing with "fire"...
ReplyDeleteWhat's so remarkable? That celebrity, success, wealth, beauty and fame makes someone better and more truthful than others? Isn't that also accepted as true, societally, in the frum world?
ReplyDeletePeople with no part in the World to Come are given their reward -- for whatever good they've done, incidentally as it may be -- in This World. So...are you saying my reward is the satisfaction I have in electing Mr. Trump?
ReplyDeleteAlas. I will share a dark secret with you. I live in Maryland. So my vote did not contribute to Mr. Trump's victory.
When I brag about my contribution to his victory, I mean my alignment with those whose votes did count towards the electoral victory.
I was not questioning your place in the world to come (chas ve'shalom)!
ReplyDeleteYes you were. But no offense taken.
ReplyDeleteFlo seems to do that a lot.
ReplyDelete