Lawrence O'Donnell on Donald J. Trump!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

Again, the road not taken:
In his first segment on last night's Last Word, Lawrence O'Donnell ambled down 2018's most important road not taken.

He was discussing Donald J. Trump. This is what he said:
O'DONNELL (1/2/19): Well, in his first public speaking of the new year, today the president of the United States revealed that the 27 psychiatrists and mental health professionals who call out in the book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump are right, that Donald Trump's condition is obviously getting worse.

Now, all of us in middle age and above find ourselves spending more and more time looking for our keys. There's some neurological decline that's absolutely inevitable over time, can't escape it. But Donald Trump's is dramatic. If you thought that his pathological lying could not become more pathological or that he could not become more delusional, you were wrong and the mental health professionals who told us he would are right.

Here is a sample of President Trump's 2019 mental process...
To watch the whole segment, click here.

Lawrence went on to offer some unconvincing, poorly conceived examples of Trump's "mental process," which is allegedly "more pathological" this year. After presenting his slipshod examples, the cable star offered this:
O'DONNELL: And so, the president's delusion is getting worse, much worse. Or at least his willingness to publicly display his delusion is getting even worse now as he ages and as we enter a New Year.
Is the president's "mental process," "delusion" or "condition" actually getting worse? In his lazy opening burst, Lawrence illustrated some of the potential problems with the most important road the mainstream press corps chose not to take last year.

For starters, what's The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, the book to which Lawrence refers? Due to the mainstream press corps' road not taken, it's very possible you've never heard about this book on cable news.

What's the book to which Lawrence refers? The leading authority on the book describes it thusly:
The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump is a 2017 book, edited by Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a forensic psychiatrist, containing essays from 27 psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals on the "clear and present danger" that U.S. President Donald Trump's mental health poses to the "nation and individual well being." They argued that the president's mental health was affecting the mental health of the people of the United States and that he places the country at grave risk of involving it in a war and of undermining democracy itself because of his pathological narcissism and sociopathy. Consequently, Trump's presidency represents an emergency not only allowing, but perhaps also requiring, psychiatrists to deviate from the American Psychiatric Association's Goldwater rule, which holds that it is unethical for psychiatrists to give professional opinions about public figures without examining them in person.
Bandy Lee is a Yale psychiatrist. She tried to start a public discussion through the publication of this book, which has been widely ignored.

Lee actually knows what she's talking about. But as we've told you in the past, the New York Times editorial board decided that mainstream journalists mustn't discuss these topics, except of course at cocktail parties speaking among themselves. In January 2018, they wrote an editorial to that effect, and everyone rushed into line.

Is Donald Trump's "mental health" a danger to the nation and the world? Is it possible that he's actually suffering from such conditions as "pathological narcissism" and "sociopathy?"

It seems to us that those are very obvious pressing questions. But the Times said the topic must be ignored, and everyone fell into line.

On its face, that seems like a bad journalistic decision. That said, Lawrence shows us what would have happened if a different approach had obtained.

His examples last night were silly and unconvincing, except by the grading standards of cable entertainment. Beyond that, he wandered the countryside, trying and failing to define what he was talking about.

Was he talking about type of cognitive impairment? Was he talking about "mental illness" of some type? It was very unclear from his presentation. But such is the way of partisan cable.

The press decided to take a pass on the emperor's new mental condition. Had they decided to tackle the topic, they almost surely would have done so sloppily, lazily, poorly.

In large part, we got to our current dangerous place through the lazy work of these feckless types over the past thirty years. There's no sign the quality of their work will improve in this entertaining new year.

25 comments:

  1. Trump is an idiot!
    Trump is Hitler!
    Trump is insane!
    Trump is totally disorganized!
    Trump is destroying the Constitution!
    Trump is destroying the media!


    All these extreme statements have fallen by the wayside. In fact, Trump is carrying on the job of President in a fairly normal fashion. He has gotten some legislation and failed to get others. He has appointed judges, cabinet members, etc. He makes speeches when appropriate. He gives press conferences in which he handles the give-and-take quite well. He has done these things in the face of extraordinary media attacks.

    What's left is that he exaggerates (sometimes wildly), he frequently gets his facts wrong when speaking, and his speech and tweets are unusually bluntly. These are bad things (the first two, anyhow.) But, they're not impeachable offenses. They're something we can live with. It's a lot more important that he get policies that are good for people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is Trump Fit to Serve as President


      Secretary of Defense James Mattis – Trump has the understanding of a “fifth or sixth grader.”

      Secretary of State Rex Tillerson – “Trump is a “f*cking moron.”

      Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin – Trump is “an idiot.”

      First chief of staff Reince Priebus – Trump is “an idiot.”

      Second chief of staff John Kelly – Trump is a “f*cking idiot.”

      Third chief of staff Mick Mulvaney – Trump is “a terrible human being.”

      '..former deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh has said that “[Working with Trump is] like trying to figure out what a child wants.”

      Trump’s second National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said about Trump: he’s an “idiot” and a “dope” with the intelligence of a “kindergartner.”

      '...Gary Cohn, the president’s first Director of the National Economic Council who also served as the Trump’s chief economic advisor: Trump is “dumb as sh*t,” “an idiot surrounded by clowns,” “a professional liar,” and “less a person than a collection of terrible traits.”

      John Dowd …….the president is “an effing liar.”



      The maladministration is currently running with an "acting" AG, an "acting" SecDef, and an "acting" WH CoS.

      "fairly normaL fashion"

      Bwahahahahaha!!!!!

      Delete
    2. Don’t forget 4-star Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former top commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan:
      “I don’t think he tells the truth,” McChrystal said in an exclusive interview on “This Week” when asked by Co-Anchor Martha Raddatz if he believes the president is a liar.”

      “Is Trump immoral, in your view?” Raddatz asked.
      “I think he is,” he said.

      “"If we want to be governed by someone we wouldn't do a business deal with because their -- their background is so shady, if we're willing to do that, then that's in conflict with who I think we are. And so I think it's necessary at those times to take a stand."”

      Delete
    3. Trump is the living embodiment of the Republican Party and the Modern Conservative Movement.
      The amoral, racist grifter shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a civilized society, nevermind near the levers of governmental power.

      Delete
    4. I don't think I'll vote for Trump, but if Davidincal's grandkids , oops, I mean "little collateral damages" hurry-up and die from Mercury poisoning, due to Trump and the GOP's EPA rules, I could be persuaded to give him a 2nd term. For the sake of capitalism, of course.

      Delete
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    6. No matter how old you are, family history is important. While you might not think so at the time, as you get older there will be things you and your grandchildren will want to know. Most of us don't realize it until the older generations are gone and you can't replace first hand comments. Don't just put in about the good times, add in the harder times and how you overcame those trials. Another thing to remember is what caused the deaths of those you loved. There are many things that have been found to continue into future generations that knowing it runs in the family can be helped with now or possible in the future. prevention starts with knowing where to start. I wish someone had taken the time to write these things down for mew to be able to go back to. My Grandmother and my mother told us many stories of what things happened in their lives and about the people in their lives. I now wish someone had written those things down since both have passed now. But I never thought at that busy point in my life that I would one day want to remember all those things. So much family history is lost when the older generations are gone. Please pass it on to your family while you can. You can even just do it digitally so it can be accessed by family later on.Family pictures are something to cherish also. Just be sure to write down who is pictured in them, where they are taken and when. I have found family pictures that no one now even knows who is in them.

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      No matter how old you are, family history is important. While you might not think so at the time, as you get older there will be things you and your grandchildren will want to know. Most of us don't realize it until the older generations are gone and you can't replace first hand comments. Don't just put in about the good times, add in the harder times and how you overcame those trials. Another thing to remember is what caused the deaths of those you loved. There are many things that have been found to continue into future generations that knowing it runs in the family can be helped with now or possible in the future. prevention starts with knowing where to start. I wish someone had taken the time to write these things down for mew to be able to go back to. My Grandmother and my mother told us many stories of what things happened in their lives and about the people in their lives. I now wish someone had written those things down since both have passed now. But I never thought at that busy point in my life that I would one day want to remember all those things. So much family history is lost when the older generations are gone. Please pass it on to your family while you can. You can even just do it digitally so it can be accessed by family later on.Family pictures are something to cherish also. Just be sure to write down who is pictured in them, where they are taken and when. I have found family pictures that no one now even knows who is in them.

      AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
      or
      call/whatsapp:+2349057261346

      Delete
  2. I love it when liberal zombie death-cult panics. Globalist scum and imperial warmongers get more and more unhinged every day.

    Thank God for The Donald.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Globalist scum and imperial warmongers"

      You're describing neocons. Republican neocons, mostly Jewish, (and liberal zombies like Clinton and Obama too.) Why do you leave out the Republicans? You wwre so quick to defend Bush and his illegal war (UN charter), why is it all liberals with you?

      I'll answer.

      Because you're a zombie too!

      Delete
    2. Dusty,
      Every Right-wing accusation is, in reality, a confession.

      Delete
    3. I don't give a fuck about repocrats, dembot. Or any particular zombie-clown. Or your idiotic legalisms.

      Liberal establishment zombies; which includes neocons, obviously, who are just as (and more) Trump-haters than any brainless dembot out there.

      And thank God for The Donald, and for the Trump Revolution. It has already changed the politics forever: there is no way back to liberal banksters bullshit like "trade is good", "responsibility to protect", and "bombing for human rights". And that's great, dembot.

      Delete
    4. Look who's unhinged haoha.yer the dictionary definiton. Ok, the term is "neoliberal" then not liberal junior.

      Delete
    5. They are not my legalisms sweet girl. ;)

      Have a good weekend pretty little beauty queen.

      Delete
    6. They sure are, dear. No one cares what you consider 'legal' or 'illegal', and it changes nothing.

      Delete
    7. Quit your crying Mao. You big baby.

      Delete
  3. First of all,

    “Lee actually knows what she's talking about. “

    Has she actually had a session with Trump? Ummm, no. And yet, she feels comfortable diagnosing Trump. One would think his behavior in private would be an important element in any diagnosis. Trump may well be posturing publicly for all Ms Lee knows.

    Next: what about the mysterious case of her book “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, the book to which Lawrence refers? Due to the mainstream press corps' road not taken, it's very possible you've never heard about this book on cable news.”

    Oh, that’s right. The very same Lawrence discussed it OVER A YEAR AGO on his program. Here it is on YouTube:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nhoGIvOKJU

    With the title “'The Dangerous Case Of Donald Trump': 27 Psychiatrists Assess | The Last Word | MSNBC”

    and dated Oct 5, 2017.

    Oops.

    Finally, Somerby wants the press to discuss this. Now that they are (well, actually, as the above shows, have been for some time), he criticizes the way they are discussing it, without suggesting in what way he thinks the discussion should go.

    Somerby needs to try harder. Stay on vacation like he said he would.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Today’s post brought to you by Bob Somerby, armchair psychiatrist.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would suggest that yesterday’s entire “Cabinet Meeting” is evidence that Trump is unhinged. Who isn’t convinced by watching that fiasco? What can the media add to the evidence of Trump’s own behavior? Do we need a book by 27 psychiatrists to tell us there’s something wrong with him?

    And yet, it isn’t necessarily evidence of a mental illness as Somerby wants to believe. None of his close ex-advisors claim he is deranged. They say he is an idiot, a child, unfit.

    There is zero effort by Pence, the cabinet, or the GOP to activate the 25th amendment. They have enabled him at every turn.

    Or, as Somerby’s hero Ocasio-Cortez said “I’m also not sure why McCaskill is covering for the GOP by saying they 'secretly think Trump is nuts,' she continued.
    "
    Nobody cares. Trump is melting down our institutions and inciting division between people. At any time GOP could have checked him and choose not to. They’re accomplices”

    Right on, Ms Ocasio-Cortez.

    ReplyDelete
  6. TDH, we are communicating in a hyper-connected global society. It's a crowded theater and there are butterflies affecting the whole floor. When you normalize calling someone mentally infirm, how can you possibly take responsibility for any blowback to more marginal mentally infirm people?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't really know what to make of this

    Trump says something that's not presidential, I see ten blue check mark media members tweet partisan pejoratively, at best, or ten f-yous on Twitter.

    I don't know.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Robust employment report underscores U.S. economic strength

    Not too shabby for the insane administration -- eh Bob?

    For the guy as fascinated with logic as you are, this can only mean one thing: your zombie cult leaders' economic performance is worse - infinitely worse - than that of a totally insane president.

    Tsk. Sad, aint it, Bob?

    ReplyDelete
  9. After being in relationship with Wilson for seven years,he broke up with me, I did everything possible to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so much because of the love I have for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to someone online and she suggested that I should contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back but I am the type that don't believed in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I meant a spell caster called Dr AKHERE and I email him, and he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, it was around 4pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that happened, that he wanted me to return to him, that he loves me so much. I was so happy and went to him, that was how we started living together happily again. Since then, I have made promise that anybody I know that have a relationship problem, I would be of help to such person by referring him or her to the only real and powerful spell caster who helped me with my own problem and who is different from all the fake ones out there. Anybody could need the help of the spell caster, his email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
    or
    call/whatsapp:+2349057261346 you can email him if you need his assistance in your relationship or anything. CONTACT HIM NOW FOR SOLUTION TO ALL YOUR PROBLEMS
    AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
    or
    call/whatsapp:+2349057261346

    ReplyDelete
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