A critique of pure stupidity: understanding Trump 2.0
3 hours ago
- #governance
- #Trump
- #stupidity
- The first and second Trump administrations have provoked different critical reactions, with the first focusing on 'post-truth' and 'fake news'.
- The second Trump administration is criticized more for its 'stupidity' rather than outright lies, with policies that seem irrational and harmful.
- Trump's lying remains constant, but the focus has shifted to incompetence and policies like tariffs and defunding medical research.
- The administration's actions are seen as an assault on evidence-based governance, with bans on fluoride in tap water and irrational policies.
- Speculations about strategic intelligence behind stupid actions are dismissed, emphasizing genuine incompetence.
- Comparisons are drawn to the movie 'Idiocracy,' highlighting a grim prophecy of governance by idiocy.
- Stupidity is analyzed as a systemic issue, not just individual, with organizations functioning dysfunctionally.
- The role of markets and technology in replacing human judgment is critiqued, with AI and big data failing to provide true understanding.
- The 'new conspiracism' is identified, where repetition and social validation replace evidence and explanation.
- Hannah Arendt's ideas on imagination and true understanding are highlighted as a way to navigate political stupidity.