Beyond Good and Evil

[H2O Man]

Last edited Tue Mar 20, 2018, 03:53 PM - Edit history (1)

In my last essay, I attempted to define both the limits and the dangers of Donald Trump's thinking. For sake of discussion, I shall attempt to summarize in a couple sentences:

“People who love me are good; people who hate me are evil.”

Likewise, those who watch Fox News are good, in his mind, and those who watch MSNBC or CNN are bad. Very bad. And very bad people must be punished severely, so that they don't dare disagree publicly with Trump.

Among the many things Trump is wrong about is his belief that there is no middle ground. There are a lot of Americans who have been so marginalized by society, that they don't believe their voices can make any real difference. There are so many of these people, in fact, that they could determine the outcome of elections. Yet, life has convinced them otherwise.

There's also another group that includes people who supported Trump before, but do not now. I'm not suggesting that they are ever “friends” of the Democratic Party. Some of them are very bad people, which is why they liked Trump, and he liked them. General Flynn comes to mind. An even more repulsive example is Jeff Sessions.

Sessions is a liar by nature, and willing to violate the Constitution when it fits his purposes. Hence, Trump tapped him for Attorney General. However, Senator Al Franken played him at his confirmation hearings, and Sessions was forced to recuse himself from anything having to do with the investigation into the 2016 election. This infuriated Trump, of course, and led to Session's playing a role in the firing of James Comey. And that resulted in Trump's unforced error in the Lester Holt interview.

Another Trump appointee, Rod Rosenstein (who likwise played a role in the firing of Mr. Comey), then appointed Robert Mueller. This is how, in Trump's mind, good people become evil. Trump had fully expected both Sessions and Rosenstein to serve as his versions of Roy Cohn, a man certainly burning in hell if there was such a place. Either way, Mr. Mueller's investigation quickly began to heat up.

Month after month, we have witnessed Trump's frustration over not being able to stop Mr. Mueller's intense investigation. Indictment after indictment, guilty plea after guilty plea, the investigation has closed in upon Trump and his family. Trump's incorrect belief that a president's crimes become legal upon his being sworn in resulted in his search for someone – anyone – to blame for his troubles.

Trump was eventually able to hire lawyers willing to defend him, after being turned down by those most qualified. His legal team recommended that he not try to fire Mr. Mueller, and assured him the investigation would be over by Thanksgiving. Then Christmas, etc. Instead, the flames kept moving closer and closer to Donald and Jared.

In Trump's mind, h legal team was “weak,” not able to prove a president can break any law he finds annoying. This darned witch hunt was going too far. As he retreated deeper and deeper into the decay of his troubled mind, Trump realized he needed to fire those formerly “good” people, such as Jeff Sessions. Thus, he turned to the intellectual cheerleaders at Fox News.

A plan was made to use mobster Joseph “da degenerate” diGenova to serve as a hit man on the truth. Joseph began playing a lawyer on television, specifically Fox, laying out a grand conspiracy theory of FBI corruption as mean and nasty as that of Chaos on “Get Smart.” He would serve as the “fire” in coordination with Jay Sekulow's “brimstone” in the effort to save Trump from impeachment and criminal charges.

Joseph coordinated with the Trump team, knowing an IG report would provide opportunity to force Sessions's hand regarding Andrew McCabe. They hoped Sessions would refuse to fire McCabe, thus justifying Trump's desire to fire Sessions. Thus, he could appoint someone who would take control of the Mueller investigation from Rosenstein. Genius.

What they did not anticipate was that Sessions and others were aware of this plot. Hence, the infamous dinner with Sessions, Rosenstein, and Noel Franscisco a few weeks back. Nor did Trump and friends realize that through Rosenstein, that Robert Mueller was fully informed on this plot. Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when we seek to deceive.

Shortly after Sessions fired McCabe, Trump added his degenerate hit man to his legal team. The two sane lawyers were engaged in negotiations with Team Mueller – including at least one face-to-face meeting – regarding the questions that will be posed to Trump. And the pair told Trump after this meeting that he cannot bullshit Mr. Mueller.

Thus, we have an enraged Donald Trump, seeking to punish anyone and everyone who fails to proclaim his honesty and integrity. This has spilled over and created an even more toxic environment in the White House, and sent ripples of poison throughout the administration. Like Sessions, many of those serving Trump were willing participants, up unto the point where they recognized that Team Mueller was looking closely at them. Then, in Trump's mind, they transformed from good to evil.

Tighten your seat belt, Donald, for the road ahead is bumpy. The path you are on goes beyond your concepts of good and evil, with a destination of justice straight ahead.

Peace,
H2O Man

[Me.]

1. EXcellent Read

[H2O Man]

3. Thank you.

I owe it to two cups of coffee this morning.

[kentuck]

2. I had forgotten about that meeting with Sessions, Rosenstein, and the Solicitor General.

I cannot believe that Sessions would have fired McCabe without being ordered to or being coerced in some way?

But, also, if Sessions reports this to Mueller, if he was indeed ordered by Trump to fire McCabe, then that would be evidence unlike any we have seen in public up to this point. It would be obvious obstruction of justice, in my opinion.

[H2O Man]

6. Exactly right.

Sessions knew he would be fired if he didn't fire McCabe. Rosenstein discussed this "trap" with both Sessions and Mr. Mueller. It's (almost) funny that Trump, who brags about being a counter-puncher, got counter-punched. Better yet, Team Mueller had already interviewed McCabe, and has been in contact with him since his being fired.

Now, add to that Trump's legal team leaking that Mr. Mueller wants to question Trump about Session's role in firing Mr. Comey, and related issues involving obstruction of justice. More, they told Trump that he can't lie to Mr. Mueller. At that pointed, his fury boiled over.

[ehrnst]

4. That sort of binary thinking is dangerous, no matter who it is.

Anyone who declares that those who agree with them are "right" and any who don't are "corrupt" is someone you don't want in leadership, no matter how much one may be attracted to their message, no matter how "affirming" that message might be to some.

The "my way or the highway" mentality renders that leader ill-equipped to deal with the cooperative nature of a democracy, even if it does make for a very dynamic following.

It is the mindset of evangelists as well as narcissists - who often have convinced themselves that the sheer number of followers they have along with all the publicity they get, is validation of their messiah status. Sarah Palin is another example.

Their followers call any who question or criticize their leader "haters," which allows them to dismiss the very real questions concerning their leader as "the corrupt status quo trying to take him down" or "more proof that he's right, and that threatens the powers that be."

PEEOTUS is following an old trajectory, and we should be on the watch for it wherever it shows itself.

Thank you for this post, H20.

[H2O Man]

7. Well said.

Very well said, indeed. Thank you!

In this case, the "my way or the highway" option leads Trump on the road to self-destruction.

[NurseJackie]

19. I totally agree! Sadly, this way of thinking does NOT belong EXCLUSIVELY to Republicans.

...even if it does make for a very dynamic following.

I'd describe that kind of blind devotion as being very cult-like.

It is the mindset of evangelists as well as narcissists - who often have convinced themselves that the sheer number of followers they have along with all the publicity they get, is validation of their messiah status. Sarah Palin is another example.

Among others. I can think of a couple of more, but for demonstration purposes, she's a good and obvious example.

Their followers call any who question or criticize their leader "haters," which allows them to dismiss the very real questions concerning their leader as "the corrupt status quo trying to take him down" or "more proof that he's right, and that threatens the powers that be."

Damn! You totally NAILED it with that one! Perfect!

Thanks for your insights and input! It's always a pleasure for me to read your posts.

[ehrnst]

21. Thanks, NurseJackie!

[Eliot Rosewater]

22. Yep.

[Heartstrings]

24. Agree! nt

[brer cat]

30. Declaring one's opponents as "corrupt"

is a sure tell. Another is saying "you are wrong" when "I disagree" is more constructive and more likely to generate debate. I simply don't have any respect for the "my way or the highway" crowd, and I certainly don't want to support them for leadership positions.

[George II]

31. Reminds me of the ol' bush/cheney mantra before and after the beginning of the Iraq War....

....."either you're with us or you're against us." All or nothing, no middle ground.

But, if there was no middle ground in politics Conor Lamb would not have been elected last week.

[coeur_de_lion]

5. Let me see if I've got this straight

Sessions had a choice - fire Mc Cabe or be fired himself?

So he fired McCabe?

[kentuck]

8. But wait...there is more.

If he stayed in his job, then Mueller would be more likely to stay in his job. A new AG would take over the oversight of the Mueller investigation and could fire him if he wanted.

Yes, he had the choice to fire McCabe or not, but we don't know why? If he was ordered by Trump to fire McCabe and Mueller gets that information, then that would not be good news for Trump.

[coeur_de_lion]

10. You think Sessions is cooperating?

Seriously? That would be grand if so!

Any other "proof" he is cooperating?

[H2O Man]

14. Trump's team

"leaked" that Mr. Mueller wants to question the president about the firing of Mr. Comey. This includes, according to them, questions about Sessions's specific role. They said they informed Trump that he has to answer honestly and accurately. This is because Team Mueller has questioned both Sessions and Rosenstein about their communications with Trump on this, as well as their communications with each other -- and any documentation they made at that time.

Several journalists have noted that Trump's legal team stressed that this is unlike other civil cases, where Trump could be his abnormal self while being deposed. They know that Team Mueller has nailed down two of the three participants' stories about what Trump ordered per Mr. Comey.

[Me.]

18. I Don't Know If It Can Be Called Cooperating

I think he's venal but not stupid and sees the handwriting on the wall. He knows, either way, this will not end well for him but is a matter of degrees...bad versus worse. Saving his own behind may finally have become more important than kissing the behind of Comrade President.

[coeur_de_lion]

23. Sure he of anyone

Gets really good legal advice and that’s why he recused himself.

I want to believe firing McCabe is just a strategy for Sessions.

But that concept is really hard for me to grasp.

[Me.]

26. I Think He May've Seen It

as the lesser of two evils but then what do I know about what a Keebler thinks

[coeur_de_lion]

28. Giggle

[H2O Man]

11. Again, exactly right.

Sessions countered Trump's move. This provides protection for himself, of course, but also for Rosenstein and Mr. Mueller.

[H2O Man]

9. Right.

And I want to emphasis, Sessions didn't do this because he is in any way a good person. Not at all. He lawyered-up long ago, and knows that Trump put him at risk of legal consequences. Thus, he followed Rosenstein's suggestion.

[coeur_de_lion]

12. see my reply 10

I meant to reply to your post. Damn iPad.

You are certain that Sessions is now cooperating with Mueller?

[H2O Man]

34. Think for a minute .....

A group of dull-witted boys, who fancy themselves brilliant, get involved with serious crimes. The police know they are guilty, and are investigating them. The lead detective talks to several of the boys, and gets some confessions. Then, he turns his attention to a weird little boy named Jeff Sessions. Do you think Jeff is going to tough it out? Knowing the gang's leader is willing to let him take the weight?

That's where we are at today.

[coeur_de_lion]

39. Sorry to keep hammering this point but

as far as Sessions is concerned, firing McCabe was just a ploy to keep Fredo happy so Mueller could continue his investigation unimpeded? Really?

So Sessions knows that the investigation will turn up vide ce of collusion?

I can just see some poor babysitter placating Fredo, keeping him happy with the belief that firing McCabe will help his cause.

[H2O Man]

41. No.

Sessions did this primarily for himself. This includes to keep his job, and to avoid getting in trouble with those running the investigation. His motives are entirely selfish. Yet, it was still to our benefit.

[coeur_de_lion]

13. My question from a few days ago

This might seem like a stupid and obvious question but ~ exactly why are the republicans willing to let trump continue this way?

They know the jig is up. They know even better than we do. They know that by defending him they will be painted with the same brush and it will be the ruin of them. WHY let this continue?

Are they hoping against hope that somehow Fredo will be vindicated?

Or do they just want to push through lots of damaging legislation while they are still in power?

[H2O Man]

15. They feel trapped.

Some, of course, are alt-right republicans, intent upon destroying "the system." Others recognize that they are at risk of losing their next election if they support or oppose Trump. Thus, they remain silent. Shamefully silent. But they feel no shame. Only cowardice.

This is, of course, the environment that tyrants seek to inflict upon government.

[ehrnst]

16. They are getting their judges installed at a record rate.

Which will make it much harder for their future policies and legislation to be challenged successfully.

They also know that the programs that they are dismantling will be much harder to restore for progressives than they were to maintain.

"Starve the beast" - wreck federal programs while they can, and then the Dems have to spend time rebuilding them, and won't have the resources to create more legislation.

And then the GOP can say to their base - "Look, they aren't getting anything done, and here we have all these problems..."'

[tblue37]

17. K&R. nt

[H2O Man]

20. Thank you.

[jalan48]

25. Thanks for the history and analysis. I agree about the bumpy ride ahead.

[H2O Man]

35. Thank you!

[democrank]

27. You always make me think underneath the headlines and above the din. Thank you, H20 Man.

Trump's habit of punishing people who disagree is truly disturbing. Demanding adherence to a particular idea is frightening, no matter who is doing it or what political party he/she supports.

I think of nuance, degrees, the effects of family, history, environment, circumstances, a zillion other things. I think of how, in the same family, siblings can be so different, how "eye witness" accounts can vary, how the same movie can move some people and bore others. We're alike and unlike, something I find quite interesting. Yet, in a Jim Jones kind of way, Trump bragged about how he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and wouldn't lose any voters. A chilling statement from Trump and a hideous example of the corruption of loyalty.

Blind allegiance is dangerous but it's undoing will most likely come from free thinkers like the courageous kids currently leading our nation's fight against gun violence.

~PEACE~

[H2O Man]

36. Right!

Why would a politician even say that about shooting someone, without losing support? What does that say about Trump's thinking and character?

And I definitely agree with you about this younger generation.

[malaise]

29. Great post WaterMan

[H2O Man]

37. Thanks!

[Me.]

32. Kick

[smirkymonkey]

33. Excellent post!

Thank you!

[H2O Man]

38. Thanks, smirkymonkey!

I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

[Mountain Mule]

40. K&R! nt