Synonym Discussion of equivocate
lie, prevaricate, equivocate, palter, fib mean to tell an untruth. lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty
-Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Probably my second-favourite Shakespearean tragedy, Macbeth delves darkly into the theme of equivocation. The word and the theme recur throughout the play as a way of exploring the evil that envelops and ultimately destroys the usurper king. From the moment he admits to his desire to be king, through to his cruel murder of his monarch, Duncan, and carrying through the bloody reign that ensues, Macbeth tries to present an innocent face while embracing mayhem. As his predator-partner Lady Macbeth counsels him, Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't (1.5.74-5)
Some would argue that there is no equivocation when it comes to Donald Trump, that what you see is what you get. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If you haven't seen it, check out John Oliver's splendid takedown of Trump, available on The Mounds' blog. Oliver very skillfully demonstrates that to hear Trump talk is to listen to a flood of falsehoods, half-truths and self-important nonsense.
If you don't have the 21 minutes required to watch Oliver, you can take a look at the following much briefer report from NBC Nightly News. You will see quite clearly, as he temporizes and lies about the circumstances surrounding his refusal to disavow white supremacist David Duke, that you are watching vintage Trump as he blames others for his own lack of character and barely concealed racism.
The facts about Donald Trump, and the truth behind his self-propagated fiction about being a masterful businessman, is readily available for anyone who cares to look. But the question is, do Trump's supporters, and they are legion, even care that they are embracing someone who is so profoundly unworthy of national trust?
UPDATE: Over at the Toronto Star, Darren Thorne argues that the Trump blight is the logical outcome of the Republican Party's politics:
In reality, despite what is now being said, Trump is not a foreign entity executing a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. Rather, he is the tip of the spear; the sharpest point and the ultimate extension of the way Republicans have practiced politics in recent times. The lack of serious policy engagement, and the normalizing of corrosive rhetoric, anger and resentment that has become the norm have primed the electorate for a candidate like Trump.
It's remarkable how many people believe that Trump is trustworthy, Lorne. So much of life seems to be above their pay grade.
ReplyDeleteThe demagogues are counting on such people, Owen. And owing to the long tenure of our homegrown version, Stephen Harper, we clearly have no shortage of such benighted souls in Canada either.
DeleteTrumps behaviour Lorne is like a testing stone to American culture and how far down it has fallen. The face and voice of this wasteland is Donald Trump. The republican party has not been driven by rational political thought for a long time now. Chomsky does not even consider them a political party.The republicans have been presenting the lowest intellectual common denominator in their presidential candidates for a long time now. Trump is just their latest politically empty headed buffoon. The founding fathers would be stunned! America whose republic and constitution was based on Greek philosophical thought specifically Aristotles, is now, judging by todays political discourse based on a combination of gangsterism and a porky pig cartoon. This was an excellent post. Thx for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pamela. "A combination of gangsterism and a porky pig cartoon" is a splendid and apt way to describe the Republicans' current dysfunction.
DeleteI like the take of the New York Times editorial board that yesterday described Trump as a "shady, bombastic liar."
ReplyDeleteIn a few words, that says about all we need to know, eh Mound?
DeleteWhat we need to know, Lorne, is why so many Americans don't care that he's a crass, vulgar, manipulative liar. Why are they ready to support him regardless?
DeleteOff topic but I find it curious that ProgBlog is still down. About the same time it crashed I tried to access Kinsella's web site only to be blocked by Norton Anti-Virus. I mentioned this at Scott Tribe's Facebook page but he dismissed it saying he had no trouble accessing Warren's page. Curious, I used another system to get into Kinsella's web page a few days later. There he'd posted that several others had also been blocked by their anti-virus programmes. Seems the site had been hacked and WK's techie had to strip about a hundred lines of malware code. Given the timing, I still wonder if the ProgBlog hack wasn't a knock-on of whatever got to Kinsella's site.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, Mound. My understanding from Scott's FB page is that it did indeed come under attack (or at least strongly implied by references to a security breach). From what he said, I think it will require the rebuilding of the entire site.
Delete