Poll questions are supposed to measure opinions. They’re not supposed to have clear right or wrong answers. No pollster would ask a question like: “Do you believe the sun rises in the east all the time, sometimes, or never?” Or “Do you believe A is the first letter of the English alphabet all the time, sometimes, or never?”
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Shame renders apologies meaningless because it transforms actions into identity. You didn’t offend me; you are offensive. You didn’t make a mistake; you are a mistake. And if apologies are meaningless, why bother to apologize? If there’s no hope for forgiveness, why bother to change? Those are the questions Trump’s followers have been asking for a long time, and he gave them an answer: Don’t.
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The breakdown of civility has been written about extensively with regard to our political system, but it reflects a much more fundamental breakdown in the social norms that underpinned our culture for so long. Those norms can be expressed in just five words: Please. Thank you. You’re welcome.
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People have marveled how so many working-class Americans relate to a millionaire playboy. But that’s not what they relate to. They relate to his false victimhood and his desire to blow up a system they see as unfair... to them. Much of their victimhood is a figment of their imagination, but it serves a purpose. It’s a rationalization that gives them an excuse to spread more chaos.
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The best comedy pokes fun at the absurdity of the human condition. What could be more absurd than that condition known as Trumpism, and what could be funnier than a classic Monty Python skit? They were seemingly made for each other. So it’s hardly a shock that one of the best Python skits explains the appeal of Trump’s con to his gullible “base” to absolute perfection.
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A lot of people are just plain sick of hate. They’re sick of political manipulation. They miss the days when social media sites were just about sharing goofy pictures and personal updates with trusted friends and family, or networking for business. … That’s why there’s a real market for a different kind of social media with one simple ground rule: No politics, period.
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