Burning Thoughts

Daffy Donald Trump tells so many tall tales that our heads are still spinning from the last whopper when the next one comes out of his mouth. That’s a main reason he gets away with it. While we’re searching for some truth, he’s busy shifting the floor of reality. Listening to him is like a visit to the fun house at the circus.

Personal Wealth Distortion

So, let’s take a breath and focus on his wealth for a minute, as a Politico article did. Here’s a snippet that should ground our ability to assess his words against his purpose.

On his disclosure report, Trump lists the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester Country, New York, as worth over $50 million. But ABC News reported earlier this month that for tax purposes, Trump’s attorneys at first argued the property was worth just $1.35 million before increasing the figure to $9 million, according to The Guardian newspaper and ABC. When Daffy Donald wants to inflate his wealth, he values it at $50 million. When he wants to minimize his taxes, he starts with a valuation of $1.35 million. That’s not merely shading the truth. It’s distorting reality for personal aggrandizement.

Simple Answers

There’s plenty more shifty statements citing in the Politico article, although they relate only to his personal wealth. They detail many dubious statements (he uses revenue as equal to income; ignoring expenses is wrong and grossly misleading). Unfortunately, this works in his favor with those voters who want simple answers to complex questions, but consider when Daffy Donald says put a huge tariff on Chinese goods. He’s ignoring all the people who won’t be able to buy those goods anymore and all those Americans who’ll lose their jobs in import industries, plus the stevedores, trunk drivers, loaders, unloaders, and a slew of WalMart employees.

Political Correctness

Daffy Donald ignores agreed-upon standards (like accounting) and injects emotionality into all attempts to discuss issues with him. He regularly insults those who question him rather than address issues raised. He prefers to say he’s fighting political correctness that would stifle his free expression, when actually he’s revealing his grossly prejudiced view of people by attacking the person for a disagreement, not the issue.

Result

Donald Trump’s prejudices plus his insistence that his personal viewpoint must override factual evidence gives him freedom of expression, but to positions that are free of rational support.

His followers enjoy the narrative he spins that they neglect those who were flung out of Trump’s sphere.

The stiffed workmen, the shorted investors, the accusations silenced by hush money, and the puff pieces built on payment not achievement.