[RCL]

Jim Moonan asked, over on General Talk, if anyone has been able to create proverbs or sayings to capture how so many do so much to harm themselves by loving or even tolerating Trump. Of course, many have already tried in prose and verse, but shall we try again? Post verse, prose and proverbs, if you’re so inclined.

[RCL]

OK, I’ll risk it.

Self-Annihilation

The purpose of propaganda, the Church and Hitler knew,
is repeating lies until the victims think like you.
Seamlessly, your victims will adhere to you as one,
and fusing finally means that the “new normal” won.
Make us Great Again and we’ll soon feel at home,
our unity community a la the Stockholm syndrome.

[Adrian Fry]

Do people 'harm themselves' by tolerating Trump? How might one not tolerate him? By marching uselessly up and down in front of public buildings at weekends when he and his administration aren't there? No. The English polymath Jonathan Miller observed of his atheism that 'I live my life without reference to God. I don't spend time not believing in Him.' Live your life without reference to Trump: do other things more socially useful.

[Max Goodman]

Originally Posted by Adrian Fry

Live your life without reference to Trump: do other things more socially useful.

When an administration's policies are destructive, it's socially useful to oppose it and the policies.

Not everyone has the luxury of living without reference to Trump. In that regard, as a white cisgender male without urgent financial needs, I'm among the luckier Americans (not to mention those overseas who are hurt by his policies). But I still have responsibility for the government that represents me.

There may be more useful things to do than marching, but it's not useless to express one's opinion, be part of an activist community, or show those Trump is attacking that one supports them.

[Roger Slater]

A lot of us marched up and down when they were about to repeal Obamacare, and then they didn't. I have no doubt that the walking up and down was instrumental in saving healthcare for many millions of people

[Adrian Fry]

Points taken, Roger and Max. I suppose I just reacted badly to the idea that those so much as tolerating Trump harm themselves by doing so. It seems to make activism mandatory, somehow, and I don't feel that can be right.