Below is my column in The Hill on the man who lit himself on fire outside of the New York courthouse last week. What does matter may be the reaction to such “demonstrations.”
Here is the column:
The scene outside of the New York courthouse holding the Trump trial has become a microcosm of our deep political divisions and rage this month. Images of citizens screaming at each other from across security barriers have played out nightly on news programs.
But few were prepared for what occurred Friday night, when a man threw flyers in the air, poured a flammable liquid on himself and lit himself on fire.
Some immediately rushed to use the incident to fuel their own rage. On the far left, postings and comments declared MAGA supporters were lighting themselves and “MAGA Terrorist just set himself on fire.”
For many, it seemed a fact too good to check. Even after the police and fire officials explained that the material distributed by the man did not seem to relate to the trial, journalists pushed for a connection to the pro-Trump protesters. Officials reported that the flyers concerned wacky conspiracy theories related to schools and other matters.
Max Azzarello, 37, of Florida worked briefly for Rep. Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.), but has a criminal record of property offenses that included throwing a glass of wine on a photo of Bill Clinton. We know little of his political views beyond his conspiracy obsessions. However, does it really matter?
What should be clear is that he was a deeply disturbed individual. Yet even self-immolation may no longer be treated as per se evidence of mental illness. In today’s politics, even setting yourself on fire can be rationalized.
An event was held recently at UCLA in which two psychiatrists appeared to rationalize self-immolation in the cause of people in Gaza.
Ragda Izar and Afaf Moustafa were reportedly discussing the self-immolation in front of Israel’s embassy of airman Aaron Bushnell in February to protest Israeli policies. It was referred to as a “revolutionary suicide” on the panel on “Depathologizing Resistance.”
UCLA’s Izar stated that Bushnell “carried a lot of distress…but does that mean that the actions he engaged in are any less valid?” She suggested that it is “normal to be distressed when you’re seeing this level of carnage [in Gaza].”
Moustafa is quoted as saying that “Psychiatry pathologizes non-pathological…reactions to a pathological environment or pathological society. It’s considered illness to choose to die in protest of the violence of war but perfectly sane to choose to die in service of the violence of war.”
There have been a few prominent historical self-immolations in protest, including the famous case of Thich Quang Duc, who burned himself alive to protest the Vietnam War in 1963. However, as lay persons, most of us would hazard to say that it is not “normal” or “valid” to set oneself on fire in a protest.
The dividing line between rage and reason has always been contextual. In my forthcoming book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discuss how we have faced regular periods of rage in our history. How one views rage depends largely on the underlying viewpoint. This country was born in rage with the Boston Tea Party, where a riot with massive property damage is celebrated as a moment of liberation.
Yet even self-immolation may now be viewed as somehow valid when used to oppose Israeli policies or other “distressful” realities. If Azzarello was motivated by his view of a conspiracy among educators or Trump’s trial, would his self-immolation also be viewed as valid?
Relativism has become deeply embedded in our politics, as we see in the continuing efforts to shut down opposing views. A year ago, Stanford University was the scene of a disgraceful shout-down of a federal judge who wanted to share his jurisprudential views.
The university apologized to federal appellate Judge Kyle Duncan, particularly after a dean appeared to blame him at the event for “triggering” students by sharing his opposing views.
The situation did not improve after the response of the university. At the time, I criticized Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Law School Dean Jenny Martinez after they declined to punish any students. Instead, all students were required to watch a widely mocked video on free speech.
One year later, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released “The Judge Duncan Shoutdown: What Stanford Students Think.” It turns out that 54 percent of Stanford students believe Judge Duncan’s visit should have been canceled by the administration. Seventy-five percent said that “shouting down speakers to prevent them from speaking on campus” is acceptable at least sometimes.
Most chilling, almost 40 percent of the students stated that using physical violence to shut down a campus speaker can at times be acceptable.
Of course, the same students supporting violence to silence opposing views would be triggered and traumatized by others preventing them from hearing their own preferred viewpoints or speakers. For these deluded young people, violence is righteousness when used to silence others, but reprehensible if ever used to silence themselves.
This relativism is taught by many faculty who have publicly discussed “detonating white people,” abolishing white people, calling for Republicans to suffer, strangling police officers, celebrating the death of conservatives, calling for the killing of Trump supporters, supporting the murder of conservative protesters and making other inflammatory statements.
Violent acts against others (or even against oneself in the case of self-immolation) can become “normal” once you accept that others have triggered a response through their conduct or speech. In recent years, we have seen journalists and lawyers throwing Molotov cocktails at police, and some justify it as a form of protest.
What we are losing is a sense of clarity or objectivity. Self-immolation is not normal whether committed by a monk or a madman. Likewise, violence against political opponents is not contextual, but wrong.
The alternative is to come up with excuses about how we must not “pathologize non-pathological…reactions to a pathological environment or pathological society.” That gobbledygook merely rationalizes the irrational and justifies the unjustifiable.
I have no familiarity with either Bushnell or Azzarello, but I know that setting yourself on fire or violently attacking others is indeed “less valid” than alternatives, such as participating in the political system. Before we stretch the spectrum of what is the new normal, we might want to consider the implications of this radical relativism that is taking hold in our political discourse. If you are heading to a rally with matches and a can of accelerant, then you have issues, and they are not political.
Jonathan Turley is the J.B. & Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at the George Washington University Law School.
When you go on social media and read what Hollywood actors say about Trump you should remember that these people know that molesting chid actors is happening and have never said anything about it. Epstein island was small in comparison to what’s happening to kids in Hollywood. It must follow that they are your heroes because you condone their actions. You must want the little girl to help you find your puppy.
Question….Can you think someone to death?
Setting your self on fire to further your cause does exactly the opposite of your intentions. It just paints a picture that says that all of those who are on your side are just as kooky as you are. If you say he is a hero then why don’t you have the guts to follow his example. The reality is that while using what he does against your political opponents you know that deep down you really know he’s a kook too. Maybe by using his death to attack Trump you might be just as kooky as he is. Applying this train of thought to some leftist posters on this blog should not be considered inappropriate.
The crazy is running thick this morning
iowan2: “The crazy is running thick this morning.” Sounds vaguely Shakespearean.
—Sconnie (Wisconsin Dweller)
And he was probably using enhancers. We dont know his psychiatric condition, but an act of suicide by someone this young is not unusual. A young friend of mine, about the same age, took his life in a violent way. He had everything to live for, very taleted, great potential, but he got mixed up with the wrong crowd in Dallas. Kennedy couldn’t even visit the place, that’s how bad it is there. I found enough going on in Dallas to close the place down. Washington DC is definitely the wrong crowd. I had an opportunity to work in Washington DC. I wouldn’t set foot near the place. I worked for some of these vile people on the West Coast. There’s no compassion for anyone but themselves. They use people, especially young people in the prime of life. All their secret handshakes and secret clubs, their pious religions. Young man sets himself on fire in broad daylight and they’re barely even shaken. I remember when the Buddist monk did the same thing. Atrocites were commonplace. Even the Holocaust plays second fiddle. Germany never even apologized. They show no remorse at all. People watched the Vietnam War during dinner. How on earth can you expect anything better. The media loves atrocities, they’re headline news. In fact, if there are not enough atrocities, they’ll generate some.
Just an added note. I was referring to the fact that apparently he was running with these so-called representatives of the people, referring to Washington DC. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, in the late 1940s and 50’s. I saw enough gping on in California, Hollywood, San Francisco, and Berkeley, to know where to avoid. After college, I wanted to live and work in NYC, thr nation’s center of brilliance and culture. Even when things began to deteriorate, I was still drawn by the magnificence. I even took my children on a road trip to NYC. Took one look at it and turned the car around. I wouldn’t even cross the bridge from New Jersey. How on earth could anyone possibly keep their sanity in a place like that. When do you ever have any peace of mind.
I often wonder if this site is an experiment, a psychological operation or just an exercise in stupidity. It has become worse than a trip to Walmart.
It’s a spiritual journey. Recall the words of the philosopher Hendra in his Deteriorata:
“A walk through the ocean of most souls would scarcely get your feet wet.”
It’s considered illness to choose to die in protest of the violence of war but perfectly sane to choose to die in service of the violence of war.
With that sophistry, Moustafa stepped out of his medical role and into the role of a third-rate political pundit. Other than suicide bombers, combatants don’t “choose to die in service of the violence of war.” They choose to fight and hopefully survive, knowing it is risky. There’s a relevant difference between that and intentionally killing oneself.
It’s not that far-fetched .. . and everything is relative.
And it’s certainly not sophistry to say some people are willing to die for a cause. Whether one commits suicide/end their life* or dies fighting in the trenches. (*my 98yr old aunt recently passed away – refusing all food and drink – because the medical prognosis was not good and the cost of care unaffordable)
“willing to die for a cause. “
Except thats mot what he said douchebag.
He said choosing to die
Idiot
Jonathan: In my opinion the cases of Bushnell and Azzarello are very dissimilar. The latter appears to have had some serious mental issues with no real coherent political views. Bushnell was a decorated member of the military with clear political motives behind his self-immolation.
While self-immolation gets immediate public attention it’s not a very productive long range strategy for dealing with social and political issues. If you want to make a difference join political groups, organize for political change, write letters to your congressperson or Senator. And join a social media platform, like your “Res Ipsa loquitur”, that I did years ago. It gives each of us an opportunity to express our views. And that serves another useful purpose–it drives some commentors absolutely bonkers, like “Anonymous’!
Yet another example of the mental health crisis raging in this country – RIP
Dennis, no one give a flying fvck about your opinion, because you’re a lying douchebag.
Dennis is often Full of Schiff, but I DO pay attention to what he says.
We should ALL pay attention to what those we disagree with say.
Most of the time reading Dennis is reading nonsense. He leaps to conclusions without evidence, and spouts what are just false conspiracy theories.
But I am always looking to see if he has any actual insight. The test of the merits of my own positions is their abilty to hold up under criticism from those who most fervently disagree.
But sometimes Dennis is NOT completely bat schiff.
In this last post – while I would shift emphasis, there is nothing he has written that I see as wrong.
I do nto see a compelling reason to attack Dennis when he is not wrong.
Azzarello and Bushnell are dissimilar – though I do think Bushnell has mental health problems too.
Self immolation is shocking, but it is not effective. In the specific instance of Azzarello it does nothing except shock us.
Does anyone KNOW or care what the issues that he sacrificed his life to bring to our attention are ?
@Dennis
You’re a f******* idiot, Dennis. Every bloody day. We are tired of you the way one gets tired of a four year-old. For the love of mercy, spare us your idiocy.
James,
He truly is an idiot.
James, while everything you say about Dennis is correct, it is NOT correct about THIS post.
We need not KNEE Jerk respond to a post presuming it is complete nonsense because it is Dennis.
I do not think this post offers any great insight. At the same time, it is NOT the juvenile idiocy that is typical Dennis.
Unfortunately I doubt it is representative of a trend towards less juvenile and idiotic posts.
Regardless, if we excoriate adult Dennis as well as toddler Dennis, we are unlikely to see more adult Dennis.
I dont like either Dennis. He doesn’t have an opinion. He gets it from Vox or The Atlantic.
This idiot quoted above thinks that people who serve to protect others are “choosing” to die.
After that ignorant observation, there is nothing else to say.
Amazing – I am in agreement with all that you have said.
Though I would expend that “It does not matter”.
I am not sure that Bushnell’s conduct was as purely political as you are.
But people have chosen to die over matters of principle.
Joan of Arc. Archbishop Beckett, Thomas Moore, Nathaniel Hale. Deitrich Bonnhoeffer,
and many many others.
Though in all the cases I can think of they allowed OTHERS to murder then rather than deny their principles.
Still they made rational choices that the KNEW would lead to their death.
It seems evident that Azzarello was mentally disturbed.
I had a freind that I found out after the fact was going to immolate himself on the steps of the capitol over some issue of such importance – I can no longer remember it. He bought 5 gallons of gas, drove to the capitol, but stopped because there were school groups constantly arround the capitol and he was unable to inflict the emotional damage of watching him burn to death on children – atleast that is what he said. Shortly after he died of quasi natural causes – poor health from failure to take care of himself.
Regardless, he was inarguably extremely intelligent, inarguably mentally distrubed. inarguably political – mostly left, but like the unibomber left but nuts.
Most of the people who do extremely abnormal things – kill others that they do not know, or kills themselves in public ways are mentally unhealthy.
Whatever your politics it is pretty much always wrong to draw political conclusions from the acts of the mentally unhealthy.
The Unibomber or the El Paso shooter were going to do what they did no matter what. And they were going to attribute their actions to some cause – no matter what. Their actions have nothing at all to do with the merits of the cause.
Azzarello appears to be nuts. But what would change if he was not ?
He does not appear to have tried to harm anyone except himself. He was NOT a terrorist.
Does it matter if he immolated himself to draw attention to some cause ?
Does it matter he immolated himself to call attention to the injustice of this trial ?
Or if he did it to protest Trump ?
There is one important issue that you did not cover.
That is the mental health crisis in this country and its underlying causes.
Though you have claimed otherwise there is no evidence that politics drives the specific actions of mentally unhealthy people.
By that I means there is no evidence that Chuck Schumer’s speeches cause mentally unhealthy people to commit mass murder.
Nor those of Trump.
But there is evidence that rising mental health problems, rising suicide, Rising drug abuse, rising drug overdoes, rising crime, do all have political foundations.
The rising chaos that we see drives all of these.
Regan cited our highest aspiration as the maximum of individual liberty consistent with public order.
This concept of ordered liberty is important. Conservatives often OVER emphasize the ORDER part.
Freedom is an absolutely necessity for rising standard of living, improving quality of life.
Some order is a necessity because we do not have REAL freedom in anarchy.
As the declaration of independence states – the purpose of government is to SECURE our liberty.
Without some order there is no real liberty.
When out liberty is not secure – ordered – we are anxious.
We see massive spikes in anxiety and depression in this country.
And those increases have a pattern, and those patterns are new – little more than a decade old.
The levels of anxiety and depression are double for the young than the old.
They are double for women than men.
They are double on the left than on the right.
Throughout this blog nearly EVERYONE – right or left TALKS about the failure of our society.
Everyone TALKS about imminent collapse. That their political enemies will increase their power and that will somehow be the end of the world as we know it.
But that is FALSE.
Biden is arguably the worst president in US history. But his presidency is NOT the end of the world.
Even Bill Barrs remarks that re-electing Biden would be national suicide are an exaggeration.
I doubt Biden will get re-elected. I have no doubt that if he is we will get MORE of the same mess that we currently have.
All of us will be poorer and less well off than we otherwise would have been.
But the world will not come to an end. Society will be messy – but it will not collapse.
If we re-elect Biden we will have to learn even more the hard way how bad the values of the left work.
Many who already got that message – will have to endure and suffer, despite the fact that they have their eyes opened and fought this stupidity tooth and nail.
Conversely if Trump is elected it will not be the end of the world.
I actually expect a recession soon – regardless of who is elected.
That is the only way we know that works to purge inflation from the economy.
I wish something else worked, but nothing else has ever worked.
After that recession – with less bad fiscal policy – which we will not get under Biden, we can look forward to something like the recovery of the 80’s and 90’s. The low interest rates and booming economy of that period are NOT the aberration – the 21st century low growth and doldrum economy is. a protracted period of low interest rates and 3-5% economic growth without substantial government growth would cure nearly all the problems the US faces.
Trump’s election will NOT end the political jousting that occurs in the press, social media.
But it is not WORDS that are the root of the chaos that is damaging our mental health,
it is ACTIONS. And those bad actions are nearly exclusively by the left.
It is fitting that those bringing chaos to the country are the ones suffering the mental health problems caused by it.
Finally that guy says something smart and agreeable. Well said Dennis, why can’t you apply some of that wisdom to other topics
People that take such actions, are ill. The question is never WHY, but WHEN.
Its just sad. People attaching their own crazy, to the acts, such as this, are on the road to the same conclusion.
Why do these poor souls focus on such trivial things on earth that will pass when eternal things last forever?:
https://sumofthyword.com/2017/01/19/him-crucified/
As a physician I would say this man had severe mental health issues and it seems strange that in such a liberal progressive area of the country (New York City) that he could not get appropriate care to prevent this self immolation. Of course to most of us who live outside of the New York City metroplex and the Southern California deadheads, this self immolation seems entirely appropriate to the area where it occurred. I mean why would someone live in New York City where there seems to be no cost to being a criminal or squatter, only republicans seem to get prosecuted or go to jail, and you can’t get a ticket out of town, and so many north easterners are terrified of living in the rest of the US where life tends more towards normalcy. I mean why else would someone be depressed there. Of course the exodus of people from New York of what remains of normal people will just drive up the levels of craziness with those that remain.
I think many New Yorkers see a map and there is New York City and then far away to the west is an Island called “the West Coast”. In between is this huge area that is labeled “Unexplored, here there be Dragons and Cannibals, Travel here at your own risk”.
I’m not sure if we should build a wall between us and Mexico or just an around New York City and Los Angeles – San Francisco. I think San Diego is still worth keeping. You close off those areas and I suspect Seattle, Portland and Chicago would wither on the Vine.
As far D.C. is concerned, build a dome there with strict exit requirements and much craziness and 99% of the co2 would be eliminated.
Time to Switch Parties Professor.
GEB said: “As far D.C. is concerned, build a dome there with strict exit requirements”
First, offer free (one-way, of course) transportation to D. C. to anyone who wishes to join their heroes there…
GEB: I live in the “Unexplored” area and I highly recommend it. One becomes accustomed to the ammonia smell; it is merely fresh air and can be found in abundance outside Chicagoland. I haven’t spotted any dragons and no cannibals have been reported lately.
–Sconnie (Wisconsin Dweller)
He is from St. Augustine, FL, the heart of the Matt Gaetz-esque GOP…
Florida should have had him involuntarily committed for longer than they did.
Seems odd to use this event as a way to attack NYC?
Because it occured in NYC. Because whether Azzarello was from Florida or not – these was going to occur in NYC.
Most of the complete insanity in this country is confined to deep blue cities.
That is a pattern and it is not an accident.
We have confilicts in the rest of the country – but we are orders of magnitude less afflicted by this insanity.
Even mentally disturbed people can live without immolating themselves
In Czechia the self-immolation of Jan Palach on January 16, 1969, is remembered and marked by a monument in Praha or Prague. He did this to protest the end of the Dubcek government by the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops. This act was said to set off the Velvet Revolution.
@Anonymous
Sure. Tell us about the personal time you spent in your own skin in Czechia. Share a picture of your boarding pass.
People who think suicide as a good action need mental health care; they do not need the urgings of pernicious and deranged people using them to further a fanatic jihad.
My background originally was in athletics and, in the reporting on them, there is a standard cliche often used that goes something like this: ‘you are what your record says you are’….
To that end, unfortunately, there are some trends emerging that don’t surprise me in terms of reactions to them that involve self immolation.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the fact we’ve let a rogue president so abuse the rule of law that we’re going to leave it up to 12 jurors in NY to reign him in are two issues that fit the self immolation bill to me.
We should NOT overlook the fact that this man chose the demonstration area at the trump trial to do this…, this is the type of desperation trump inspires.
I read Azzarrello’s ‘manifesto’ and it’s kooky for sure. He tries to loop any conspiracy theories into a financial model that isn’t how markets really work. That’s a given. What’s more important is WHERE he chose to set himself on fire and this should be a huge wake up call to trump apologists like you, Jon.., both when trying to sanitize what happens in Gaza everyday and with what a rogue ex president brings out in people.
TDS.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the fact we’ve let a rogue president so abuse the rule of law that we’re going to leave it up to 12 jurors in NY to reign him in are two issues that fit the self immolation bill to me.
You need help to get back and find reality. Your perceptions are severely warped.
Magat sentiments duly appreciated, but I really don’t consider you a voice of reason. Can’t convey accurately how much I see you as a voice of pathology instead. Party on yo!
“magat”
Interesting word you regularly deploy in order to dehumanize fellow human beings whose political opinions you despise.
You say “you are what your record says you are” ?
YOU are what you rail against, fool.
The thing I love about the term magat is that it’s a self label. Stands for make America great again trumper. If trump fans don’t like it they’d be well advised to change their tag line. In other words: stop walking around with a diaper on your head and getting upset when it gets pointed out to you there’s a diaper on your head, you know?
I mean, you guys twisted an HRC term into being proud to be considered to be deplorable…, so get on with the adaption in terms of being a magat and stop being such snowflakes.
Diaper on the head?
Oh, you mean that face diaper you still wear?
Good boy.
Iowan2,
Well said.
Can always count on the anonymoron to give us insight into his severely warped mind.
“Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the fact we’ve let a rogue president so abuse the rule of law that we’re going to leave it up to 12 jurors in NY to reign him in are two issues that fit the self immolation bill to me.”
And yet, rather than go to Gaza and fight against the evil Jews, or douse yourself in gasoline and light yourself on fire in protest, you sit comfortably in a climate controlled environment pecking away on your keyboard. Because you are a coward.
Sarah Palin did not inspire a kook to try to assassinate several people in Arizona and Trump did not inspire this nut to set himself on fire. We do know with certainty, however, that Rachel Maddow and Democrats absolutely did inspire a man to try to execute a baseball field full of Republicans.
Your mind has been poisoned.
Love that you’re so pro self immolation. Kind of makes my point for me.
As an aside I’m typing this on my phone just before heading into the brush on a landscape project. But don’t let that stop you from running the normal clichéd insults that are standard paid right wing troll tactics. Or maybe you could try to a bit more original, hmmm?
@Anonymous
Does your mom know what you’re doing in her basement?
Clearly you’re suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and should seek immediate help from a competent Mental Health Professional.
Is trump derangement syndrome a real thing?? Especially after he not only did what many thought he’d do in office but actually upped the ante as well?
And what type of medical specialist would treat the truly affected victims of derangement around trump? A respiratory therapist in a covid ward? A burn therapist for someone determined to get crispy at the trump trial?
“‘you are what your record says you are’….” “Israel’s genocide in Gaza . . .”
Funny how that particular “record” doesn’t begin until *after* October 7, 2013.
When you start recording events whenever you feel like it, you can conclude whatever suits your fancy.
Fully aware of the seventy year history of Israel/Palestine. But madness always has to stop in the present. Especially when one side is committing genocide because it couldn’t defend its own borders on the date you mentioned.
because it couldn’t defend its own borders
Even if I leave my door unlocked, I still have the legal power to kill you in my bedroom.
But you don’t in the neighbors house, ayy?
I do not. That is, however well within the power of government to go to war after being attacked.
Of course the Hamas terrorists could have stopped this in less than a week if the terrorists had just released the hostages. But the Terrorists put their hate before the suffering of the people starving. Isreal has no control over Hamas
Anonymous at 7:55:
You failure to realize that the two events (Azzarello’s suicide and the Trump courthouse) were likely mutually exclusive events; –a deranged Azzarello may simply have been seeking ANY event or location where there was sure to be many journalists and people/spectators gathered. Indeed, virtually ALL such public suicides are INTENDED to garner attention.
You likewise failed to note that apparently Azzarello’s pamphlets (“flyers”) had nothing to do with Trump OR his prosecution. The pamphlets he threw into the air were about “conspiracy theories that the university [NYU] is involved in ‘blackmail rings,’ ‘criminal propaganda’ and ‘political revenge killings.’” https://nyunews.com/news/2024/04/22/self-immolation-victim-calls-nyu-mob-front/
Why you felt the need to tell us about your journalistic “background” is curious. Perhaps you should stick to reporting concrete facts: athletic scores, game schedules, and who scored? Your quoted “cliche” (‘you are what your record says you are’….) is no more original or thought-provoking than “you are what you eat.”
Thanks anyway.
Well, I played and coached sports, didn’t write about them.
And if you’d notice in Azzarrello’s writings, he tried to loop those other conspiracy theories through his foundational crypto ponzi scheme one…
Better yet though, as your post is representative of, the trumpists here are fundamentally incapable of understanding metaphor. I suppose it’s because there’s so much craziness around trump and his behavior that the only way to try to defend it is through a divide and conquer approach such as the one you’re trying here?
As to my point about location, Azzarrello was at the demonstration area at the trump trial all week, so we’re not talking an entirely random event. Crazed events cause crazed reactions. And I hold to my point that trump’s crazed actions cause further crazed actions.
🤣
You are many things not to mention the scores of personas, sock puppet accounts and careers you have claimed. The only thing we know for sure is that you’re a pathetic troll who couldn’t handle a real career or vibrant life outside your mommy’s basement. You’re a legend in your own mind
Love me some classic Carly!! Thanks. As always, I have to attach the disclaimer that I don’t GAF about what you think. But hey…, party on!
The “divide and conquer approach such as the one you’re trying here?” –is actually one employed by anti-Trumpers.
Moreover, your own “understanding [of] metaphor” is more akin to a creative use of associative pathology, speaking of which (pathology) being the topic here. ( p.s. I am not a Trump loyalist.) But thanks anyway. smile.
Glad you’re happy in your world.
Lin,
LOL!
Well said!
Ah, finally have a minute to address your toilet treat of a response with a bit more attention. I’ll just start off saying I’m gad the moronic Farmer is getting some vicarious entertainment through your stilted viewpoint…, so we’re all happy right?
Truth is, divide and conquer is a common military and rhetorical tactic from every persuasion. Glad you accept that was your path here. And it’s actually your only path in relation to our discussion here. I’m commenting from a place you don’t agree with, and I’m doing it from 30 thousand feet so to speak. You’re speaking through isolated individual points. The two approaches necessarily come from as different a place as our political beliefs writ large.
What’s most hilarious though is your maintaining you’re not trumpist. Ha. That’s pretty much what trumpists who tend to frown on wearing red hats in public say. So thanks for the chuckle there!! I truly enjoyed it.
Apologize for the typos, my hands get pretty beaten up as the day moves if I’m working out and about. Sometimes doesn’t mix well with typing with my thumbs on my phone!
Is there an argument here ?
Your entire post is a vague attack on the way others argue. That is a fallacy – ad hominem.
It is not an argument. Make your own points and rebut those of others – if you wish to be taken seriously.
@Anonymous
That’s because you aren’t particularly bright. Money may have bought you a degree; that is a far cry from education, let alone enlightenment. If we weren’t laughing hysterically at you, kiddo, we’d be crying. But we are laughing. 😂😂 nobody gives a s*** about your money or social media whatever. You are a clown. Influencer, sh**fluencer – either way, you are a shill for the powers you claim to despise. We are actually aware of that fact, and we aren’t prisoners to the same. You are very small.
James,
Well said and very small indeed.
I use the “Recent Comments” on the right hand side of the good professor’s blog to just skip over the anonymoron’s and go directly to people’s comments worth reading. Much faster to bypass all those useless comments.
Lin,
Well said!
If Trump has the ability to make people set themselves in fire, I can’t understand why he hasn’t worked his magic on Letitia James.
I’m well aware of trump’s skills of mesmerism and the effect it’s had. In fact, I’ve always had the belief he’ll eventually go the way of a cult leader, either directly or indirectly as with Azzarello.
Seems inevitable trump will eventually call, at least in the aggregate, for a couple of outcomes. One is for mass shootings to take place in support of a shared ideology. Check. Already done as we’ve seen several shooters write trump inspired racist manifestos and head to the market to live stream their mass killings.
A sustained mass suicide effort is next. Even though Azzarello was not a strict trumpist, he chose to be trump adjacent with his self immolation. So, trumpists, take his act as a warning of what your future may entail.
If there’s a point of optism here, and there really shouldn’t be considering the horror behind Azarrello’s act, trump was calling for a 1/6 type action at his trial and only a handful of demonstraters showed up.
Yes, Azzarello felt the need to make a misguided statement, and it’s tragic because he was clearly afflicted, so let’s not discount the tragedy of that reality. It’s truly sad.
“Trump adjacent”? What will you dream up next?
I’m dreaming of a day when a flatulant orange con man doesn’t occupy so much of American political consciousness.
BugAnon – You will only need to wait until 2029 when Trump leaves office. That will also be the beginning of Tulsi Gabbard’s first term.
don’t use big words you don’t even know how to spell. It gives you away.
If Trump has the ability to mesmerize others – why haven’t you immolated yourself ?
It is one thing to argue that our children – subject to decades of political indoctrination have impaired ability to think rationally.
It is entirely different to claim that a politician who most of us only hear in passing has magically sucked 50% of the country into a Jim Jones cult.
What is evident is that what you think “seems inevitable” is just your loonacy.
You say Trump is going to call for mass shootings ? Really ?
You can not even ACTUALLY establish that he called for what little violence occured at J6.
He did not as Schumer did promise to release the Whirlwind.
Here are just a few of the many Democrats engaged in ACTUAL calls to violence.
https://youtu.be/NgJDbzXo3rQ
I trust that Trump means what he says – no more no less.
I trust that democrats mean what they say.
Taking people at their word – Democrats are FAR more dangerous, and FAR more of a cult.
Trump owns the Republican party today – not because everyone agrees with him.
But because the left has successfully persuaded the entire republican party and a growing number of independents that their political differences with Trump are less significant than the lawless authoritarian threat increasingly possed by democrats.
You rant about all this lawfare.
There is nothing occurring with Trump that can not be done to any politician of any party.
Republicans are not standing solidly behind Trump because they 100% agree with his policies – or even his actions.
They are behind Trump – because there is nothing being done to Trump that could not be done to Cruz, or Cotton, or Paul or DeSantis, or Noem or any other republican that posed a threat to democratic hegemony.
Further Democrats are openly terrified of Trump – because there is nothing they have done to him that could not be done to them when he is elected.
Democrats are RIGHTLY terrified of Trump, because turn about is fair play.
Further – completely independent of Trump- the cult is on the left.
It is Not Trump supporters that beleive that Trump and Russia colluded in 2016.
It is not Trump supporters that beleive the Biden laptop is russian disinformation.
It is not Trump supporters that beleive they can not win elections without massive illegal ballot harvesting.
It is not Trump supporters that beleive they can not win elections without change the rules at the last minute.
It is not Trump supporters that beleive that Putin is evil incarnate while their leaders take millions from Putin chronies.
It is not Trump supporters that are tearing down photos of the victims of Hamas acts of war.
It is not Trump supports that STILL beleive MAsks work, lockdowns work, that Covid came from a wet market,
that Trump told people to drink clorox, That the economy is good. that inflation was temporary, that a man becomes a women by uttering that he now is, that exposing K-12 students to pornography is education. the reality of ones body and ones genes is subordinate to the delusions of raging teenage hormones.
I can go on and on. Today some of the purportedly best educated people in the world,
people with higher than average IQ’s beleive unbeleiveably large amounts of total garbage.
And you want to rant that the people who produce your food, build your cars and homes and spend their lives totally enmeshed in physical reality are mesmerized into a “cult” ?
Republicans expect to win the 2024 election because of their policies – on immigration, war, the economy, israel, energy, the border, crime.
Democrats are looking for a miracle from Willis, or Smith or James or Bragg.
They are the ones hoping that 12 jurors in Manhattan will win the election for them – because people do not believe them.
Every day we get your 2 minutes of hate straight out of 1984.
You have made Trump into Emmanuel Goldstein in your head. But you are making him into a martyr in everyone else’s.
ATS,
If we had the rule of law – 12 jurors would NOT be given the task of trying to alter an election by lawlessly prosecuting non-crimes domcrats would win elections at the voting booth. Not the court room, not by lawlessly rigging elections, not by government censorship, not by massive illegal ballot harvesting.
If you want people to believe you won 2020 legitimately – win 2024 legitimately.
After 9/11 the US killed between 200,000 civilians and possibly 2M attempting to destroy Al Queda.
Were you protesting those actions ? Were you screaming about an american Genocide ?
Israel is a nation, and its very existance requires that it secure the rights of its citizens.
If it fails to do that – it does not exist.
It was attacked by forces intent on its destruction. It does not matter whether you call that terrorism.
The attack was real, Israeli citizens died. Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens and punish those who harm them.
Genocide would be efforts to exterminate all palestinians – NOT harm to palestinians in the course of exterminating Hamas.
Just as harm to Iraqi’s and afghani’s was not genocide as we persued the destruction of Al Queda and the Taliban.
You want to make the argument that the Iraelis should take care to harm fewer palestinians –
We would all like the surgically precise extermination of hamas.
We would have liked a similarly antiseptic destruction of Al Queda.
But war is still not surgical. When you commit an act of war – you can expect that you will have war reign down on you and your people.
It will not be pretty.
The means to perfection do not exist and would be extremely dangerous if they did.
Enough! Stop with so many equivocating words John Say. I may do this…or that…I just don’t know yet.
The country is at stake. It’s time to commit.
Decide right now: Your vote FOR Trump is the only one that matters in this election.
It matters!
Make a plan right now.
Do the right thing.
Vote Trump.
Relativism and China’s Olympic Doping
While doping may be wrong for one culture (America), it’s not necessarily wrong for another (China), claim relativists.
“Twenty-three top Chinese swimmers tested positive for the same powerful banned substance seven months before the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 but were allowed to escape public scrutiny and continue to compete after top Chinese officials secretly cleared them of doping . . .” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/20/world/asia/chinese-swimmers-doping-olympics.html)
China wouldn’t use the same relativistic philosophy to cover up a lab leak — would it?
Doping for athletic purposes is just as prevalent in America as it is in other cultures. It may be policed more stringently, but the desire to use anyways means possible to improve is just as strong here as it is anyplace else.
Is the desire to do so universally the same ? possibly, but you have not proven that.
Is the prevalance the same ? NO!.
Where it is policed it is less prevalent – or do you beleive policing does not work ?
A psychiatrist who suggests there’s anything, anything remotely sane about turning yourself into a human torch to get attention should give pause to anyone seeking psychiatric consultation. Personally old age would be my preferred method.
“This relativism is taught by many faculty who have publicly discussed “detonating white people,” abolishing white people, calling for Republicans to suffer, strangling police officers, celebrating the death of conservatives, calling for the killing of Trump supporters, supporting the murder of conservative protesters and making other inflammatory statements.”
In other words, simply DEMOCRATS.
This stuff is carried on by the Democrat Left people. Including, castrating young boys and cutting the breasts off young girls. What pushed these people over the edge, mentally speaking? I think one answer, one part of it, is cognitive dissonance, that is, the discomfort caused by the split between what they believe, and Reality. They can no longer argue their position in a rational sense, so they become irrational. Here is an example. The Bill Maher Syndrome, where a person knows their party is nutz, but still stays in the Party – because reasons.
Floyd,
The leftist Democrats will just say it is all a far-right conspiracy theory.
Just like trans dont prey on children, when we have arrest after arrest of trans doing exactly that. NOT all trans are like that, but the party that supports those who do are leftist Democrats.
Mutilating children is now seen as treatment. I would not expect any common sense regarding the appropriateness of self immolation from the current inhabitants of the ivory tower or psychologists. Contrary to the deconstructionists, everything is NOT dependent on context. There are truths. One truth – self harm is bad.
Rationalize is a 4 syllable word for lie.
The worst lies we tell, are the ones we tell ourselves.
Defund Columbia.
Seriously, does anyone really think the fortune we, as a society, spend on higher education, in tuition, grants, tax exemptions, and more, is money well spent?
Not any longer. I have given Cornell University, my alma mater, a lot of money over the decades and I regret it all now. The rot began in 1969 when an armed takeover of the student union went unpunished and has continued to accelerate until today when the DEI cult has made the slide permanent and irreversible. We, as a nation, must totally abandon these cesspools of division and hate.
Your tactics, the tactics used by your kind to subvert and undermine the Christian order, have been taught to others and are now being used against you and your authority. The dogs are having their day, Christ killer. You shall reap what you have sown——who said that schmuck?
We cannot abandon them, we must remove then from our nation. My suggestion is a one way tcket to wherever the choose as long as they cannot return