This. This. Right. Here.
Although Donald Trump has not conceded defeat, pundits and Republicanpoliticians are already debating the man’s legacy as though he were part of the past.
A recurring theme is that of “Trumpism without Trump.” If we’re being honest, this is a bit of an extravagant and presumptuous notion. Without Trump? We are talking about Donald Trump, yes?
As far as I can tell, Trump is not a philosopher. He has never written a treatise or a manifesto. The “America First” platform is valuable, and one certainly hopes that it leaves a mark, but unless I am mistaken, Trump supporters do not love the man chiefly for his ideas.
Perhaps the most well-known advocate of “Trumpism without Trump” is Ann Coulter, known for her doctrinaire criticism of Trump’s putative failures to deliver on the “America First” agenda. But others, who cannot be considered hardcore nationalists, have latched onto the concept as well.
That is not much of a surprise, given the abundance of pseudo-Trumpists in that part of the conservative punditocracy that prizes respectability above all. For these, Trump was useful as a muse for waxing about some generic form of “populism” but not much more than that. They’ll be glad to be rid of him.
But can’t we first recognize what an extraordinary person Trump is, before we discard the man for an abstraction?
Oh, I’m gonna be stomping all over Fair Use with this one.
“Trumpism” is a vague thing, and the Republian establishment and the kept Right are eager to jettison Trump and leave us with an ersatz version of his movement. Trump’s primary achievement, says Rubio, is that he made the Republican Party the home of a “multi-racial working class.” But this elides an essential part of Trump’s rise, which was that he acknowledged American whites who had felt put upon and alienated in an increasingly hostile regime. Any “Trumpism” that lacks the courage to push back against the relentless, anti-white sentiment of the Left is counterfeit.
Trump’s movement is a genuine revolution. Like any revolution, it is liable to corruption and change. This has happened with many movements before: the momentum gets lost, and it turns into a husk of its former self. If we’re being unsparingly honest, it is possible that Trump’s movement dies with him. History does not always offer second chances.
If Trump’s downfall really is a fait accompli, then millions of Americans will take his loss like a deathblow to America. If that is cultism, count me in. We are lucky to have Trump. He is an American hero, the best—the only—real defender we have had in generations. We should say this without shame or reservation, and if things do not go our way, we should not flinch from the difficulties that lie ahead without him.
As I’ve so often said, Trump proved to be one of the best Presidents this country was ever blessed to have, perhaps THE best. Certainly the best in my lifetime, hands down. I was on board the Trump Train from that fabled escalator ride, and predicted he would win before almost anyone else, back in the earliest days of the GOP primary stretch. That said, even I didn’t expect the man to deliver the goods to the extent that he has. Considering the devious, conniving opposition he’s faced from every side, the political-neophyte outsider’s many achievements start to look not only exceptional, but downright staggering.
Yes, the struggle will go on, with or without him. But it’ll go much, much better with him, no doubt about it. If there’s such a thing as a truly Irreplaceable Man, Trump at this singular moment in American history would have to come as close to it as anybody ever did. “Trumpism without Trump” is horseshit on stilts, arrant nonsense peddled by Lilliputian mediocrities hoping to make themselves appear bigger via hitching a ride on the shoulders of the bona fide giant they had worked so feverishly to tie down.
- Entries
“Quoted for Truth” as they say. Well said, Mike.
I hate to critique the original author, as he otherwise has written some great stuff – not least of which is this statement “We are lucky to have Trump. He is an American hero, the best—the only—real defender we have had in generations.” – but Mr Boose is wrong when he says:
Donald John Trump has written dozens of books over decades, all of which clearly and consistently define his philosophy and his ideas about America and about American business. Mr Boose and anyone interested in the genuine philosophy of the last honest man should start with those, at least The Art of the Deal, and The America We Deserve. They should also read the definitive book by the pastor who formed him, Dr Norman Vincent Peale: The Power of Positive Thinking. Those are his philosophy. And as we have seen him in action, he applies those principles and ways of thought & action persistently.
We DO love him for his ideas – because he applies those ideas to himself and his work. He makes his ideas concrete and demonstrates their success honestly. He has also persistently sought to share the “secrets of his success” with anyone who wants to achieve. He’s egalitarian in teaching how to apply these ideas for our own benefit and that of our families and country. If that isn’t a philosophy and a manifesto, I don’t know what is.
The author lauds “America First” as a “platform” when it is actually a Philosophy distilled down from his experience and knowledge built up over 5 decades in business and now politics.
It’s an Idea in other words.
That the author cannot see the Idea in the very same sentence he is saying Trump has no Ideas is what our “Elite” are constantly doing. They don’t understand Ideas unless there is an Appeal to an Academic Elite embedded there.
I can almost hear the guy thinking “Trump never taught College or wrote an Academic Paper, he just produces ‘platforms’ of populist appeal to get Elected. Only a College Professor or Professional Author (like me!) can truly have Ideas!”
“Donald John Trump has written dozens of books over decades, all of which clearly and consistently define his philosophy and his ideas about America and about American business.”
It’s almost like they ignore reality isn’t it Tina?
“Donald John Trump has written dozens of books over decades, all of which clearly and consistently define his philosophy and his ideas about America and about American business. Mr Boose and anyone interested in the genuine philosophy of the last honest man should start with those, at least The Art of the Deal, and The America We Deserve.”
Said a mouthful there, Tina. It’s baffling, really, that even a guy who is obviously fully in Trump’s corner like Boose can’t muster the wherewithal to be perceived as giving the man TOO much credit. Very damned strange.
Perhaps the most well-known advocate of “Trumpism without Trump” is Ann Coulter, known as an evil witch out for $$$.
FIFhim
The “Trump is not a philosopher” is a bit of egocentric conceit that is common, even on the Right. What the author really means is that “Trump can’t be smart enough to be a philosopher, because I’m so much smarterer than him.” Pecancorner is right – Trump’s philosophy on business, life, and governance has been laid out clearly in books that the author chooses not to acknowledge.
“Certainly the best in my lifetime, hands down.”
In mine, without question. Perhaps rivaled by Ike. In my lifetime, starting 1953, we’ve only had 3 good presidents; Ike, Reagan, and Trump. President Trump is the only one that has had to fight the entire establishment of the uniparty including the FBI, DOJ, and intelligence.
Great comments! As others have already noted, the whole “Trump is not a philosopher” boils down to:
(A) Trump doesn’t have a PhD from an “elite” university.
(B) Trump can’t be a philosopher, because he actually does real things like build stuff and run for office rather than just abstract theorizing from a perch in academia.
Some days, even the academia types who are generally right-ish leaning make me understand why the Khmer Rouge killed their entire intellectual class. The leftist academia types do this every day.
“…make me understand why the Khmer Rouge killed their entire intellectual class.”
Things that make me go “Hmm”.
Impale them all. Yog-Sothoth will recognize her own. 🙂
Did you just assume Yog-Sothoth’s gender???
#Triggered #LiterallyShaking
Cross the Rubicon. Cite the Insurrection Acts. Declare Martial Law. Prosecute the perpetrators of the election fraud and hang the traitors.
Ditto!
Then put their heads on pikes around the Beltway.
Pour encourager les autres!!!
Trump has shown up at exactly the right time to save us – here’s hoping we’re worthy of being saved.
We’re not. Fuck worthy. We’re going to win anyway, worthy or not. Because we’re just flat better than they are. And we’re also worse.
We’re the very best kind of worse.
Ask for mercy, not justice, John.
Edit: Oh, and one more thing…
Trump’s not a Savior. We’ll save ourselves if needs be. He can help.
Because we’re just flat meaner than they are.