"The risk in framing racism as mental illness is that it locates problem of racism in individual psychopathology rather than in deeply entrenched systems and structures... We can address individual psychopathology and systemic injustice at once.. they are co-constitutive and symbiotic."
- L. Bruce
'As a psychiatrist, I know that mental illness is not a scapegoat for racism. One could argue that mental health disorders can cause patients to lose their filter. But racist behavior does not just happen out of the blue, it originates from mindsets and beliefs.'
www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/13/o...
"Four reminders:
not all bizarre behavior is mental illness; not all ineptitude results from psychiatric deterioration; not all egregious deeds are clinical symptoms; and madness is not synonymous with evil.
... his behavior is not psychosocial alterity, it is white supremacist Reason laid bare."
I think he is actually crazy.
However he undeniably has a *lot* of people who aren't directly supporting him (in addition to the dupes).
Ultimately the crazy is the least important part.
I do not think Trump is crazy, and I think that's the whole point of the essay. I think Trump is a deeply racist sexist privileged unkind nasty white man who has never had to face consequences for his ugly behavior and doesn't see anything wrong with it, sees it as his due.
Sociopath
& I can't recall another term.
His idols are Hitler, especially Mussolini, currently adores Putin, Xi Jinping, ❤️ North Korea's leader,
Kim Jong Un threatens US with 'more offensive action' DW News 20 hrs ago
former leader of the Philippines Roderigo Duerte. loved Bolsinaro loves facists.
That's valuable. But I don't think you can argue away the personality disorder (not deterioration, he's probably had it all his life, less a handicap than an ingredient in his business success, but now maybe decompensating) and learning disabilities (S-RCD in reading, probable ADHD)
He is a megalomaniac, lives by ego. Not accountable for his actions, cold bloodied, arrogant, self-absorbed, egotistical, no empathy, no sympathy. Has others do his dirty work, needs adoration. psychopath.
Or you know, maybe you're describing a spectacularly entitled trust fund brat who was was raised by a man who was arrested at a Klan rally and wasn't exactly shy about his belief that rules and accountability were for suckers and rubes.
Perhaps - but as someone who is actually living with a mental illness I'm also unconvinced that mental health-shaming entitled rich pricks is particularly helpful.
i worked all over this county. many people i met in the South enjoyed their racism. made them feel special to dehumanize others. it is disgusting. they were educated and owned business and were horrific racists.
I've also worked and lived in the north, south, and west, and this attitude can be found everywhere. Several hundred years of history, indoctrination, and policy that continues *to this day* have created that perception. I imagine it can be hard to let go of.
yes..i was stunned by people in the middle of the country...like they were in a past century. and now with the collection of data by governments and businesses, it will be very difficult to stop the encouragement of such behaviors. and that's why Roger Stone picked tr*mp.
It's so upsetting to me. My last racist coworker bragged that she is prejudiced against Mexicans, and her boyfriend is also prejudiced against Jews. My boss is a man who came here from Mexico in the 90s. He is one of the hardest working and kindest people I've ever known. People are people.
i have two gorgeous bi racial godsons and i worry for them. i met some people who seemed nice when we moved here. they showed me a video of a very poor Black woman and they made fun of her. revolting. i dumped them.
In the late 80s we honeymooned in Florida, and I could not believe the casual racism among the “family friends” we met.
I held a store’s door for a young black lady, and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw it was me. I’ve never forgotten that!
I said something stupid like, “I’m Canadian.”
