THE FOG OF TRUMPTrump uses 5 tactics to create a fog of confusion and
bewilderment,so we don’t pay attention to the real damage he’s doing – undermining our democracy; rewarding the wealthy and hurting the working class, middle class, and the poor; stoking hatefulness; and undercutting Americas standing in the world. 1. His first tactic is to distract us – dominate the news with
tweets and rants,accusations, who he’s fired, and who he’s insulted,what he’s
demanded. He wants us to be so preoccupied with all this that we lose sight of
the tremendous picture.2. His moment tactic is to divide and conquer, pitting groups
against each other, and riling up his base,stoking racial tensions, and vilifying opponents. He targets transgender people in the military. Goes after athletes –
mostly black who won’t stand for the anthem. Fuels fears of immigrants and
foreigners, and of liberals and Democrats. This way,public dialogue and discussion
becomes so angry, bitter, and vitriolic that we end up shouting at each other
instead of seeing the damage Trump is actually doing. 3. His third tactic is to lie and distort. He generates a torrent of alternative
facts so we become disoriented and confused. Asserting that 3 to 5 million
people fraudulently voted for Hillary Clinton in the final election,with no
evidence they did. That unauthorized immigrants are responsible for a
disproportionate number of murders and rapes. That climate change isn’t caused
by people. His goal is for us to lose confidence in the truth so we cant be
certain of what he’s doing. 4. Fourth: conjure up conspiracies. He fuels paranoia about a “deep
state” that’s intent on removing him from office, engaged in a “witch hunt” to undermine
him, and plotting to question him. But he never identifies who or what this “deep
state” actually is. The mere assertion of a conspiracy is enough to generate
suspicion,erode trust in the political system and in the media, and sow doubts
about anyone who criticizes him or any findings that could show he acted
illegally. 5. Fifth and finally: accuse the accusers. He alleges that others
are doing what he is in fact doing. When the media catch him in a lie, or he
accuses them of disseminating fake news. He allows corporate lobbyists to run
departments and agencies,and then accuses critics of being portion of the
Washington swamp. He seeks to cover up whatever he and his aides did with
Russian operatives, and then accuses investigators of a being involved in a coverup. These 5 tactics are all designed to shroud what Trump is actually
doing so we don’t mobilize against him. Be aware. Don’t allow Trump’s fog to
cloud the truth.
Source: robertreich.org