Trump: The Abuser in Chief

Watching the heroic Zelensky have to profusely thank the tyrant Trump during his recent visit with European leaders was deeply disturbing.  Trump’s only real objective in negotiating over the Ukraine/Russia war is to win a Nobel Peace Prize.  He couldn’t care less about the tens of thousands of lost lives or the trauma visited upon Ukraine.  He hasn’t the slightest interest in creating a strong consensus with European leaders or with Zelensky.  If getting to a settlement requires forcing Ukraine to accept what are really unacceptable demands, then he will not hesitate to use threats and insults to achieve it.

Our nation is by far the most powerful empire in the world, and when its leader is a tyrant and an abusive narcissist, the rest of the world treads very carefully in its interactions with us.  Proud men and women swallow their pride and kneel before this megalomaniac because to do otherwise could harm their countries, or will lead to other unhappy outcomes.

 

Many so-called successful people are horribly abusive in their relationships with other people.  Almost everyone has encountered this sad truth in their lives, whether in business, the military, education, sports or even love.  If the abuser is in a position of power or dominance, then this abuse can seem to be very effective, and it encourages ever more abuse. 

 

Occasionally the abuser will suspend the abuse and treat the abused with some degree of consideration, or show some level of kindness or approval. The person who is abused will practically crawl up into the abuser’s lap out of sheer relief when this happens, and it is a sickening dynamic to witness.

 

Abusers have deep psychological problems, but they rarely have to confront them because human beings generally try to avoid conflict.  The people that abusers denigrate, criticize, insult and threaten are either not in a position to be able to combat these injustices, or they have been beaten down so completely that they are no longer able to judge what is or is not abuse.

 

Outside observers, peers or even superiors recognize the abusers and internally criticize their character and tactics.  But the success of the abusers often causes others to ignore their distaste and overcome their scruples in dealing with them.  Calling down an abuser requires a high degree of ethical fortitude, and sadly, that is a rare commodity these days.

 

So a large part of the United States and the world will continue to stroke the ego of this buffoon, who by some horrible twist of fate is now the most powerful man in the world.  Some may even feel sickeningly grateful when he exhibits some tiny bit of good will or bestows some small benevolence.  And we will all wait in outraged impotence as his temper tantrums and idiotic machinations create havoc and harm around the world, praying that in 2028 the United States comes back to its senses.