A Puzzle: What if Trump is Good for America

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To me, Trump is a puzzle. Disparaging him as a dangerous idiot seems presumptuous. I’m not saying it’s false, but it might be. We react strongly to him. Those strong feelings make us feel certain.

Strong emotions, especially negative ones, rarely lead to true ideas about what’s real. Can you set aside the certainty? What other explanations fit the facts?

What theories fit ALL the facts we know,
without demonizing Trump or his followers?

Supposedly, Trump didn’t really think he would win the nomination. Why would he play a game he probably wouldn’t win? What was his motivation?

What if the effect he’s having, not just the energy and anger of his followers, but the supposed gaffes or too-extreme remarks followed by disapproval and needing to backtrack– what if they are all part of his plan? Not that he’s doing it purposely, but that he sees it, maybe even expects it, and accepts it. What would he do this in public?

We see a character that we disapprove of. Yet his family says that he’s a good, kind and loving person. It seems to be an apparent contradiction. So many dismiss what his family says. That suggests we’re unable to hold the two thoughts in our head. It’s not evidence that they’re really contradictory.

A thought experiment

As a thought experiment, assume he’s a kind and loving person, and he’s really saying and doing all the mean, bullying things we’ve heard, and he’s okay with his tendency to go too far at times. Why is he doing this?

When I internalized this, when I saw some reasoning that allowed all these facts to coexist without demonizing anyone, I realized I had had a breakthrough. I had overcome my simple, emotional reaction to not making sense of the world.

To me, the world is sensible. And when the world seems crazy, I say that it’s not the world’s fault. After all, we’re human. We err. When it seems that “God works in mysterious ways,” it really just points to me not yet understanding.

What good can come out of it?

What good can come out of it? It could be a lot.

And how can I help? I think Michelle Obama had a great answer- “When they go low, we go high.” For me, “going high” could mean letting go of my anger and my judgements both of him and his followers.

I’m not suggesting you vote for him. I’m not saying tolerate him. I’m just saying to use this strange situation to challenge yourself to be the best you’ve ever been. I try to be patiently disapproving.
"When they go low, we go high," Michelle Obama

Let it be a puzzle- mull it over

Sorry if this is doesn’t make sense. Let it be a puzzle. I could tell you my answer, but I didn’t get a breakthrough by being told the answer.

Assume Trump’s a good person. Assume he has the personality and social skills we see. Assume he means, at least emotionally, though perhaps shallowly, the things that he says. Assume this is a benefit to America, and he intends his efforts to benefit America. What’s his goal?

(Originally I thought I’d continue this. But I think this is enough…)

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About Rand Strauss

Rand Strauss is the Founder of PeopleCount.org, a nonpartisan plan to enable the public to communicate constructively with each other and government by taking stands on crucial political issues. It will enable us to hold government accountable and have it be an expression of our will. Connect with Rand and PeopleCount.org on Facebook. Or leave a comment on an article (they won't display until approved.)

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