I was listening to Trump's presser after the NATO summit. And even though he claimed the meetings were unifying, his words did not match his message of unity. He could hardly make it through a sentence without hurling invectives at at his enemies, foreign and domestic.
Invective is harsh, abusive, or highly insulting language used to express vehement blame, censure, or deep-seated ill will. It goes beyond simple name-calling, often combining anger with rhetorical skill or bitter sarcasm to publicly denounce, shame, or tear down a target. -webster
According to an article in Physiology Today from 2016 by Nigel Barber.
"The purpose of a put-down is to reduce someone else in the imaginary status hierarchy. So it is hardly surprising that insults will often refer to a person's social status in terms of ancestry, lack of prestige, or membership in a despised out-group; for example, Nazis or vagrants. Otherwise, the content of insults across the ages is monotonously predictable: Many insults feature a sexual component, refer to sexual organs, or bring up shameful or ineffectual sexual behavior. In addition to status and sexuality, insults inflict shame by mentioning unappealing traits—fatness, shortness, baldness, spottiness, and contagious diseases."
For Trump, it's not just verbal. He's using his power to make his perceived opponent suffer. From weaponizing the DOJ, to wielding economic sanctions, to demanding payment for favors, to blatant racism, to brute force against against citizens and foreigners alike. The government says their going after the worst of the worst, and deporting them. And yet, 70 percent of those being detained and deported have no criminal record at all. The two most recent extrajudicial killings by ICE involved individuals who where just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Perhaps unity, and understanding and respecting differences would produce a better outcome?
Then. A little later in the day, some answers came from some inspirational words that appeared in my daily readings.
The simple believe everything, but the clever consider their steps.- Proverbs 14:15
If we don't wake up / And shake up the nation / We'll eat the dust / Of the world wondering why...
- Jonathan Larson, “Louder Than Words”
And then, this prayer
God of the land, impress on us a lucidity about our times that pierces through smoke-filled grandeur.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
