Trump must be happy coming across as a remorselessly American buffoon — embodying America’s economic & psychological bravado & its associated insecurity.
Arthur Koestler, in his 1964 book, The Act of Creation, claims the Joker intermediates between the Artist & the Scientist.
Like the child in the Emperor’s New Clothes & Shakespeare’s Fool, Trump freely speaks truth to power.
Trump would like to be seen as the lovable rogue. The hero in a dystopian world. The only sane man left in politics.
He needs just enough of your brain & heart for just long enough to get that vote.
Trump’s stance on trade appeals to disaffected traditionally left wing voters as pointed out by Thomas Frank in this week’s Guardian.
Back in 2011 I came across Thomas Frank’s book Pity the Billionaire — about the rise of the Tea Party. It claims Obama was attacked from the left. That Tea Party populism inspired the righteousness of Che Guevara with the cash of the fossil fuel billionaire Koch brothers.
This strategy was used in Germany in the 30’s when Prescott Bush and the Dulles brothers met with and funded Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party.
And it’s being attempted again in Britain today.
Billionaires pour funds into campaigns which claim to look after the interests of hardworking families.
Zac Goldsmith has been trying to come across as the caring London Billionaire in his attempt to become Mayor. But this has started to unravel. Despite being patron of a local disability charity this week he voted for severe cuts to welfare payments for the disabled.
So why is Trump succeeding where Goldsmith fails?
Perhaps this is because Trump really believes he’s the type of person he’s makes himself out to be.
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