President Boondoggle – the Swamp Master

We started this week with a cloudy and rainy day. It was akin to a snowy New England day without the shoveling and cold. It was a stay-in day for thinking and putting some words on paper – so to speak. These days our thoughts seem to drift to Trump and his daily tomfooleries. It seems imperative to keep up with his ongoing shenanigans. As of yesterday, Trump suggested that people ingest Lysol and beams of ultraviolet light to treat Covid-19. This was so ludicrous that the company that produces Lysol, based in Britain, had to follow up immediately with a statement urging customers not to ingest the product. Dr. Deborah Birx sat there withering as he made these statements. As we reflect back on this past week and the work of this President, we thought that it would be meaningful to highlight some key components of his “leadership” style.

First, the word Boondoggle came to mind. Boondoggle is an American word of unknown origin which originated back in the 1930’s. It is described as a project that is considered a waste of time and money yet is often continued due to extraneous policy or political motivations. What a wonderful word and how fitting it is to describe the grifter Trump’s entire presidency. We have fallen in love with this word!

The second word is Projection. Projection is a defense mechanism people subconsciously use in order to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. The person using this mechanism places their undesired thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto someone else who does not have those thoughts, feelings, or impulses. The classic example of Freudian projection is that of a woman who has been unfaithful to her husband but accuses her husband of cheating on her. In Trump’s case, we think that he knowingly exploits this to protect himself from having to admit to his own frenzied and reckless actions. Add this to his narcissistic personality and he can do no wrong.

Trump = My negative emotions will be owned by you. I did not lie, you did.

The third word is Gaslighting. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation because its purpose is to slant information in such a way that makes a victim question his or her own reality. Gaslighting intentionally makes someone doubt their memories or perceptions of reality. When you are told a lie repeatedly by Trump, his intent is for you to believe it as truth.

Trump = You will believe that the lie that I am telling you is the truth.

With the use of boondoggling, projection, and gaslighting driven by malignant narcissism, Trump believes that he can do no wrong. His main job has been filling the “swamp” that the Republicans proclaimed that they were going to empty.

(Just to clarify, DC was not really built on a swamp. Despite the hot and humid summers, this is a myth. The truth is that DC was picked as the nation’s capital by George Washington in 1791 because of its proximity to the head of navigation on the Potomac River and being adjacent to the thriving port of Georgetown. DC at the time looked much like George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon – a rolling riverside terrain of old tobacco fields.)

We ask, how can we get rid of DC’s current political swamp – a swamp that has been created by greed, lies, and massive gaslighting? We now know that Trump craves a stirred pot and loves to stir the pot of his weakening 30% base. The organizing of small groups of protesters, some of who are linked to Fox News, Republican politicians or backed by the Betsy DeVos family, are demonstrations attended by angry and disenfranchised souls. Fueled by Trump, these “virus deniers” have mocked the “stay in” orders given by Governors. At these Trump approved rallies, these protesters raise their long guns and act and look like the casting of an episode of the “Walking Dead.”

What a tragedy that this loyal group listens to, believes in, and is constantly swayed by madman Trump, the swamp master himself! The 30 percenters have been led down a road where they will never receive the tax breaks that they were promised. They will never be awarded those high paying jobs or truly feel equal. They carry those long guns and the Confederate flags which makes them, temporarily at least, feel equivalent or above others. Fear is their biggest weapon, not intelligence, as they are clearly following the doctrine of their snake-oil swamp master. As tensions rise, Trump continues to pit one against another. We have even heard from teachers that some school children are fighting along these lines. Trump, accompanied by his gang of bandits and his trail of swamp people, is plotting the second coming of yet another Civil War. So where do we go from here?

It is certainly a lot to think about but what we have as moral and ethical people is stronger than a long gun and more powerful than a Confederate flag. As we continue to focus on thoughts of peace and civil liberties, please join these 2 Gals in our plan: