Silly Symphonies, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise | @MDWorld

July 23, 2015 Victor El-Khouri 8 Comments

Sometimes, I’m lazy.  Sometimes, I go for the low-hanging fruit

Sometimes, I must vent about Donald Trump.  He is so very very very annoying.

As a New Yorker, this is not a new experience for me.  I’ve been annoyed by Donald Trump since the late 1970s.  His vulgar taste, his vulgar self-promotion, his vulgar treatment of people who work for him, his vulgar treatment of people who don’t work for him — it’s all gross.  Whatever business acumen he may or may not have (and my son, the economics major, tells me he would have a larger net worth if he had taken his inheritance and invested it in market-indexed mutual funds), he comes across as a bully and a thug.

When he was “feuding” with Rosie O’Donnell, he called her “fat.”  When he didn’t like something Jon Stewart said, he pointed out that Stewart’s real name is Leibowitz.  None of these “facts” would be considered news to O’Donnell or Stewart/Leibowitz.  And none of these “facts” constitute a persuasive argument.

Of course, to have a persuasive argument, one must have a position and the facts to support that position.  For the purposes of this discussion, I’m only going to discuss things that Trump has said (or had said for him) during this year.  Which is pretty much nothing.

I mean, he’s said terrible things about Mexicans, and John McCain, and Lindsey Graham and Rick Perry.  He’s said he has a foolproof plan to deal with ISIL (but he won’t tell us what it is) and he can build the World’s Greatest Wall between the United States and Mexico but he won’t say how he’ll pay for it.

I have, on occasion, said unkind things about some of these people, but 1) not in front of a group, 2) I’m not a public figure and 3) I’m not running for office.  None of these are policy positions.  None of these indicate an approach to governing.  None of these indicate an approach to diplomacy.  What these do indicate is a person who brags and boasts and expects to throw his weight around.

A bully.  Or, as those of us who spend too much time on the Internet will recognize, a troll.

As a progressive, I am amused by the havoc Trump wreaks through the current version of the Republican party.  By saying random provocative and offensive things, he makes the more “serious” candidates jump through hoops, either to accommodate him or to denounce him.  As a citizen, however, I’m afraid that too many of my fellow Americans actually like the guy.

Why do we put up with this short-fingered vulgarian?  Does he represent our hopes and dreams?  Does he set a good example for our children?

Do we want to wake up every day for four years looking at that face on the news?  Wouldn’t you rather look at this right now, instead?

You’re welcome.

Martha Thomases, Media Goddess, was actually at a party once that Donald Trump also attended.  Their paths did not cross.