October 23, 2024
Trump Invokes Godwin’s Law
I really didn’t want to write this.
Too many people look at the “other side”, politically speaking, and immediately jump to calling them Nazis or fascists (or socialists or communists) — regardless of the actual behavior displayed. The words have lost connection to their meanings in too many online arguments. In fact, there’s a “law” of the Internet out there (more of an adage, really) that states, “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” So it’s become a bit trite to use that as comparison.
But.
Yesterday, The Atlantic, a magazine that was founded in 1857 and continues today, published a story about a new book, The Divider: Trump in the White House by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. In it, the authors recount an incident in which Trump, having grown frustrated with military officials who balked at some of his orders and suggestions, asked then-chief of staff John Kelly, “Why can’t you be like the German generals?”
Kelly gently tried to steer Trump into a different direction by asking, “Do you mean the kaiser’s generals? Surely you can’t mean Hitler’s generals?”
To which Trump replied, “Yeah, yeah, Hitler’s generals.” Kelly once more tried to get his boss to reconsider his point of view by mentioning that a number of the despot’s inner circle had attempted to assassinate him on multiple occasions, but Trump — who was unfamiliar with names like General Erwin Rommel — insisted, “No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him.”
The magazine reached out to Kelly to confirm the story, which he did. Kelly went even farther in an interview with The New York Times, where he argued that Trump could fit the bill of a fascist:
“Well, looking at the definition of fascism: It’s a far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy…”
Kelly’s comments have been backed up by others who were in the former POTUS’ inner circle, including former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and former defense secretary Mark Esper. And Vice President Kamala Harris has seized on this situation and his comments about wanting to send the military after American citizens he deems “the enemy within” as further evidence of Trump being unfit to serve.
Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone
According to a new survey from the American Psychological Association, more than 69% of American adults are feeling stressed out about this year’s presidential election. The APA ran similar surveys in previous years, finding similar overall results in 2020, but significantly lower stress levels in 2016. In a press release posted with the survey results, the APA pointed out that this year’s results were notable for a high level of “collective stress about the potential fallout from the election results”. And APA CEO Arthur C. Evans highlighted that over 70% of respondents reported concerns about violence coming out of the election.
Interestingly, these fears — as well as fears that this election could “mean the end of democracy” — are held at roughly the same rates for both Democrats and Republicans. So there’s some oddly common ground between the two camps right there. Even better: More than 60% of respondents are feeling hopeful about changes the election will bring.
If you’re having trouble finding the hope or positive vibes concerning the election, Evans has some suggestions: “For election-related stress, being engaged in the political process is an important way to manage our stress.” On the other hand, he also says, “Limiting the amount of information that you’re taking in, particularly when you’re tired, is also another very important coping strategy.” Other professionals recommend setting a timer on social media apps to limit “doomscrolling”, and finding times to set the phone down completely to focus on the people around you, or on things like exercise and self-care.
How to Cope with Politics — From Someone Who Knows
In addition to the last paragraph in the above item, there’s a newly posted item in Vanity Fair with tips on how to cope with … well, (waves vaguely) all of this. And it comes from someone who knows the stress of politics: Monica Lewinsky. She offers a “listicle” (editor’s note: I hate that word) of 25 things we all can do between now and November 5th to calm ourselves down and keep our sanity, reminding us, “We’re all in this together.” Among the items she offers are:
- Vote early: It gives you a chance to exercise some modicum of control.
- Distract yourself with games: She’s mostly talking “IRL” games with real people, like mah-jongg, tennis, Uno, charades. But she also mentions things like the plethora of word games from the New York Times, like Wordle or Connections.
- Try being creative: She suggests art therapy, jigsaw puzzles, knitting, or decluttering your home. (I seem to have taken up writing as my method.)
- Comfort bingeing: Here she’s recommending binge-watching an old (or new) favorite TV show, listening to podcasts, reading a book series, dancing, or meditating.
- Get active: Much like the above story, Ms. Lewinsky recommends engaging in activism as a way of exercising control over what you can. Knock on doors or write postcards. Donate money or time. Make a plan to vote, or help others to do so.
And finally, if all else fails? She has one more suggestion that I’ll leave for you to read directly from her, linked below!
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