Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Trump’s ‘base,’ numbering millions, favors policies
OMG! Sixty-thousand mental health professionals have decided President Donald Trump is, IN FACT “suffering from delusions and is emotionally unfit for his office.” Letter writer Don Switzer says this proves Trump is not simply “an orange haired buffoon” or “carnival barker” or “mere fool” or “horribly deranged” but is “mentally unstable.” Another group of psychologists or psychiatrists “unanimously” called Trump “insane and dangerous.” Sounds like a unanimous Russian presidential election.
Mr. Switzer tells us the president is so successful because Trump is doing what his “under-educated and underemployed base” wanted him to do. Apparently people without the right education and employment made a bad decision. Could there be that many of us? A base of 50 million without decent education or jobs elected a man who is beneath the dignity of the office. And he is doing what they wanted him to do? What president does that? Perhaps we need a new definition of “dignified.”
Mr. Switzer should know that at least some of the under-educated and underemployed among the “base” hope Trump is able to get some of his policies through Congress. The “base” doesn’t believe it is undignified to want lower taxes and a better health-care system and better relationships with other countries and many other policies he is striving to achieve. Some of the “base” even pray and believe people who try to ridicule President Trump will ultimately do more to help him succeed than those who attack his policies. But it is fun to read what the over-educated and over-employed like to write; are these dignified attacks on the president? Do they even give a hint on what issues Mr. Switzer posed?
By the way, there is another definition for nihilism: Mr. Switzer says that, under Trump. it means a “total disregard for all law and regulation in favor of his whim,” certainly a dignified criticism of the president.
Nihilism truly means existing political institutions sometimes must be changed to improve the way they operate. After Mr. Trump successfully helps the Congress change and improve some things, maybe the next president can be dignified; dignified and successful. No whims!
The mental health care professionals will love it. TOM MURRAY Bella Vista