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Trump and The Problem of Militant Ignorance

Somerville

Somerville

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Does Trump's ignorance of the world outside of his real estate development bubble increase the danger of war? The link is to an opinion piece but Josh Marshall's opinion is shared by many, including the leaders of allied nations and not so allied countries.

Back in December, the Global Times, a Chinese state-controlled media outlet had a headline: State-run Chinese newspaper: Trump 'as ignorant as a child'

Trump and The Problem of Militant Ignorance

It is what we might call ‘the consensus judgment’ that President Trump is a deeply ignorant man and perhaps a profoundly ignorant President. But it is worth stepping back and considering just what this means, the different kinds of ignorance that exist and how they differ.
(. . .)
What is endearing, terrifying and hilarious about Trump is not simply his ignorance, really his militant ignorance, but his complete lack of self-awareness about his ignorance. Trump told a reporter for The Wall Street Journal that his understanding of the problem of North Korea changed dramatically after hearing ten minutes of history from the President of China. Needless to say, Trump didn’t need to admit this. But neither was it candor.

So far the Trump Presidency has been a sort of Mr Magoo performance art in which the comically ignorant Trump learns elemental or basic things that virtually everyone in the world of politics or government already knew – things that the majority of adults probably know.
(. . .)
Remaining ignorant is probably a good adaptive strategy for him because it allows him to pretend that everything is obvious, that he can solve any problem and generally act like he can do anything – in a way, this allowed him to become President.

What is key though is to understand that this is not just ignorance. Ignorance is just the first stage of Trump’s fairly advanced problem. He is not only ignorant but clearly unaware of his level of ignorance. This is compounded by a seeming inability to understand that everyone else isn’t equally ignorant to him.
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From Israel's Haaretz Reality Bites Trump as Syria Crisis Looms Large
"He should emulate predecessors such as Andrew Johnson and delegate strategic decisions to more able subordinates"

From Deutsche Welle:
However, although mistrust of the intelligence agencies and their upper echelons is appropriate, it is presumptuous, naïve and downright dangerous to generally disavow their work - something President-elect Donald Trump has been doing for some time now. His claim, made in December last year, that he didn't need an intelligence service briefing on a daily basis, only if the situation required one, because he was "a smart person," not only bears witness to arrogance and ignorance. Quite possibly, it also puts security in the US and throughout the world at risk.
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Adding to the view that Trump is not only ignorant but actually believes that he is smarter than everyone else are the multiple reports that he prefers graphics and photos to words when he is being briefed on complex matters.
For one thing, it's clear that Trump is not a devotee of reading, whether it's newspapers, books or memos. Instead, he is most moved by what he sees and hears in a most fundamental sense. When Trump began receiving intelligence briefings in January, his aides asked the briefers to reduce the number of words in their daily briefing book and instead use more pictures and other graphics. Trump, the aides explained, is a "visual and auditory learner," according to the Washington Post. After Trump took office in January, his staff assessed President Barack Obama's contingency plans for Syria and trimmed them into small pieces, illustrated by photos, the Post said, so Trump could get a better grasp on what was going on in his own way and so he could best improve the situation.
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Ignorance is dangerous but refusing to accept one's ignorance multiplies the adverse effects greatly, when the ignorant one is the most powerful person on Earth.
 
this is the sort of thing you get when a politician appeals to the uneducated.
 
Somerville said:
...........
Reality Bites
Ignorance is dangerous but refusing to accept one's ignorance multiplies the adverse effects greatly, when the ignorant one is the most powerful person on Earth.
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Yes. That has been a problem. Obama was a very good example of this. And in spite of learning from that devastating experience we elected another novice at foreign and security policy. But hey! We elected him. We knew about this and other areas of risk from his CV. so don't blame him. We did it.
 
joG said:
Yes. That has been a problem. Obama was a very good example of this. And in spite of learning from that devastating experience we elected another novice at foreign and security policy. But hey! We elected him. We knew about this and other areas of risk from his CV. so don't blame him. We did it.
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The majority of us did not.
 
Somerville said:
Does Trump's ignorance of the world outside of his real estate development bubble increase the danger of war? The link is to an opinion piece but Josh Marshall's opinion is shared by many, including the leaders of allied nations and not so allied countries.

Back in December, the Global Times, a Chinese state-controlled media outlet had a headline: State-run Chinese newspaper: Trump 'as ignorant as a child'



From Israel's Haaretz Reality Bites Trump as Syria Crisis Looms Large
"He should emulate predecessors such as Andrew Johnson and delegate strategic decisions to more able subordinates"

From Deutsche Welle:

Adding to the view that Trump is not only ignorant but actually believes that he is smarter than everyone else are the multiple reports that he prefers graphics and photos to words when he is being briefed on complex matters.


Ignorance is dangerous but refusing to accept one's ignorance multiplies the adverse effects greatly, when the ignorant one is the most powerful person on Earth.
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There are few things funnier than watching the arrogant being ruled by the ignorant rabble.
 
lurchadams said:
The majority of us did not.
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This poster consistently claims that "we" chose Trump. He seems to need to push this false narrative at least once per day. I'm not sure why he is compelled to do that.
Perhaps he has buyer's remorse and wants to share a sort of "collective guilt"?
 
Somerville said:
Does Trump's ignorance of the world outside of his real estate development bubble increase the danger of war? The link is to an opinion piece but Josh Marshall's opinion is shared by many, including the leaders of allied nations and not so allied countries.

Back in December, the Global Times, a Chinese state-controlled media outlet had a headline: State-run Chinese newspaper: Trump 'as ignorant as a child'



From Israel's Haaretz Reality Bites Trump as Syria Crisis Looms Large
"He should emulate predecessors such as Andrew Johnson and delegate strategic decisions to more able subordinates"

From Deutsche Welle:

Adding to the view that Trump is not only ignorant but actually believes that he is smarter than everyone else are the multiple reports that he prefers graphics and photos to words when he is being briefed on complex matters.


Ignorance is dangerous but refusing to accept one's ignorance multiplies the adverse effects greatly, when the ignorant one is the most powerful person on Earth.
Click to expand...

An opinion and $5 can get you a high end coffee.
 
Somerville said:
Does Trump's ignorance of the world outside of his real estate development bubble increase the danger of war? The link is to an opinion piece but Josh Marshall's opinion is shared by many, including the leaders of allied nations and not so allied countries.

Back in December, the Global Times, a Chinese state-controlled media outlet had a headline: State-run Chinese newspaper: Trump 'as ignorant as a child'



From Israel's Haaretz Reality Bites Trump as Syria Crisis Looms Large
"He should emulate predecessors such as Andrew Johnson and delegate strategic decisions to more able subordinates"

From Deutsche Welle:

Adding to the view that Trump is not only ignorant but actually believes that he is smarter than everyone else are the multiple reports that he prefers graphics and photos to words when he is being briefed on complex matters.


Ignorance is dangerous but refusing to accept one's ignorance multiplies the adverse effects greatly, when the ignorant one is the most powerful person on Earth.
Click to expand...

I think he actually makes a very powerful socioeconomic statement as well.

One of the arguments for our ridiculously steep distribution of income is that the high earners are so much better than the rest of us. It just seems so glaringly obvious that this ignorant fool has been rewarded far in excess of his productive contributions. This is like a billionaire used car salesman.
 
katzgar said:
this is the sort of thing you get when a politician appeals to the uneducated.
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Trump is like the guy I want to be president when I'm drunk and in a sour mood.

And, that's the scary part.
 
joG said:
Yes. That has been a problem. Obama was a very good example of this. And in spite of learning from that devastating experience we elected another novice at foreign and security policy. But hey! We elected him. We knew about this and other areas of risk from his CV. so don't blame him. We did it.
Click to expand...


Don't say we cuz it sure as hell doesn't include me
 
Only if you think like a liberal.


Absentglare said:
I think he actually makes a very powerful socioeconomic statement as well.

One of the arguments for our ridiculously steep distribution of income is that the high earners are so much better than the rest of us. It just seems so glaringly obvious that this ignorant fool has been rewarded far in excess of his productive contributions. This is like a billionaire used car salesman.
Click to expand...
 
RickJames3000 said:
This poster consistently claims that "we" chose Trump. He seems to need to push this false narrative at least once per day. I'm not sure why he is compelled to do that.
Perhaps he has buyer's remorse and wants to share a sort of "collective guilt"?
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Misery loves company.
 
katzgar said:
this is the sort of thing you get when a politician appeals to the uneducated.
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which is what the Democrat party has done for years.
 
Absentglare said:
I think he actually makes a very powerful socioeconomic statement as well.

One of the arguments for our ridiculously steep distribution of income is that the high earners are so much better than the rest of us. It just seems so glaringly obvious that this ignorant fool has been rewarded far in excess of his productive contributions. This is like a billionaire used car salesman.
Click to expand...

Strong the envy is in that post, Master Yoda

Seduced by the green eyed monster, it has been, Obi wan
 
calamity said:
Trump is like the guy I want to be president when I'm drunk and in a sour mood.

And, that's the scary part.
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I'd hate to even imagine what state you were in when you were gushing over how great a president Hillary would be
 
lurchadams said:
The majority of us did not.
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In democracy it is a question of having done enough to get you gal elected and preventing the ones one says one hates. If you didn't do enough, you are responsible and own the results. No responsibility and democracy doesn't work. I mean, in this case you couldn't even beat a guy that only got twenty five percent of the eligible voters' vote. Complaining now is pathetic.
 
katzgar said:
Don't say we cuz it sure as hell doesn't include me
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You didn't prevent it, while only a little under 25 percent voted for Trump. You simply didn't do, what it would have taken. To try to deflect responsibility or even complain about the outcome is pathetic.
 
joG said:
In democracy it is a question of having done enough to get you gal elected and preventing the ones one says one hates. If you didn't do enough, you are responsible and own the results. No responsibility and democracy doesn't work. I mean, in this case you couldn't even beat a guy that only got twenty five percent of the eligible voters' vote. Complaining now is pathetic.
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Not complaining. Just stating a fact.
 
joG said:
You didn't prevent it, while only a little under 25 percent voted for Trump. You simply didn't do, what it would have taken. To try to deflect responsibility or even complain about the outcome is pathetic.
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Saints something constructive isn't something that's really up your alley is it
 
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