It Isn't Just Gaslighters And Narcissts-- It's Also Fascists

I ran this Democracy Now video of fascism expert Jason Stanley being interviewed late last night and I don't think enough people saw it. So-- since Trump is still sitting in the White House-- here it is again. Reading Stephanie Sarkis' Forbes essay on how gaslights and narcissists create crises and then act like they solved them reminded me of how fascists also create crises and then act like they solved them. Perfect position for Trump-- gaslight, narcissist and fascist.

Sarkis wrote that after they "solve" the crisis they invented, they "demand accolades." Sound like anyone know and hate? She says they do it to "create support within their base. And with 2020 elections right around the corner, Trump knows the importance of manufacturing an enemy and then portraying himself as the only person who could 'conquer' this manufactured enemy."

The most recent case in point is Trump's tariffs on Mexico. Trump is touting himself as the key factor in getting a border agreement with Mexico. However, the New York Times reported that the U.S. and Mexico had reached an agreement on border policies months before Trump's tariff threat.

Trump tweeted the following on June 7th:

If we are able to make the deal with Mexico, & there is a good chance that we will, they will begin purchasing Farm & Agricultural products at very high levels, starting immediately. If we are unable to make the deal, Mexico will begin paying Tariffs at the 5% level on Monday!

He then followed with this tweet on the same day:

I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended.

Again, these tweets were sent out two months after an agreement had already been reached. Trump then went after the New York Times, which accurately reported that a border agreement was in place two months ago. And as he has done several times before, Trump called the press the "Enemy of the People." He tweeted, "The Failing @nytimes, & ratings challenged [sic] @CNN will do anything possible to see our Country fail! They are truly The Enemy of the People!"

Trump is more frequently adding "Corrupt" to "Fake" when describing the news media. So in addition to claiming that the media have made stories up, Trump is now accusing them of receiving money or power in exchange for false stories. This is a common tactic of gaslighters/narcissists in power-- they will accuse any accurate media outlets as traitors to the country and its leader. Gaslighters/narcissists particularly accuse those in the media of being corrupt or making up stories, and they will go after the media at a fever pitch. For example, see the history of the Argentinean government going after Grupo Clarin.

Trump has manufactured crises time and time again and then tried to make himself look like the savior of that crisis. Look closer at Trump's manufactured border crisis. In reality, illegal border crossings have actually decreased in the U.S for 46 years. He also created the crisis of the "criminal immigrant." In reality, immigrants, illegal and legal, actually have a lower rate of criminal activity than citizens born in the U.S.

Trump also focused on his belief that a majority of drugs have passed through the U.S. border via illegal entry points when the truth is that a vast majority of drugs enter through legal entry points. If Trump was truly concerned about drugs entering the U.S., a much more effective course of action would have been to beef up security at those legal entry points. But that wouldn't have fit Trump's "bad immigrants" narrative.

Trump also manufactured a "crisis of patriotism" regarding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Kneeling during the anthem was a protest against police brutality and racial injustice, but it was spun by Trump as an issue of "patriotism." At a rally in Alabama in September 2017, Trump said to the crowd, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now!'" Trump said to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, "This is a very winning, strong issue for me," according to a sworn deposition of Jones. Pay attention to Trump's use of the word "winning." Trump views others as "winners" and "losers", another common gaslighter/narcissist tactic. And Trump knew exactly what he was doing. Narcissists/gaslighters in power will rile up their base by declaring a behavior they don't like to be "unpatriotic." Interestingly, it has only been since 2009 that NFL players came out for the anthem, contrary to a common belief of that this was a long-standing tradition. But Trump proclaimed victory when the NFL issued a statement in May 2018 that required all players to "stand and show respect for the flag." The NFL Players Association filed a grievance, and the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to stop implementing this new policy until discussions were held.

Why do gaslighters/narcissists manufacture crises and then proclaim that they have solved them? Because it gives their supporters the false belief that the narcissist/gaslighter is accomplishing great things. It also takes the focus off real crises in which the gaslighter/narcissist has failed to take action. Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, for example. And if the gaslighter/narcissist finally provides help or aid to an area, he still plays the savior and tells the people they should show gratitude towards him.





How do you counteract this gaslighting/narcissist tactic? Call it out for what it is-- a blatant attempt to cater to supporters. Present facts that contradict the gaslighter/narcissist's assertions that first, there is a crisis, and second, they are the solver of that crisis. If you work with this type of "crisis manufacturer," keep documentation of the statements and actions taken by the gaslighter/narcissist. In addition, a constant stream of truthful information is the best way to counteract this type of behavior.

Does that work when the gaslight/narcissist is also a fascist tyrant? Not a chance. Tom Steyer has a better idea: throw the bum out. Steyer is amping up pressure on the House Democrats who should be doing their duty and impeaching him. Steyer's group, Need to Impeach, kicked off a campaign to target 12 districts held by Democratic lawmakers who do not yet back impeachment. The group plans to spend $360,000 in the first few weeks of the effort, which will fund targeted digital ads, billboards, organizing activities, and events like so-called “Impeach-ins,” which are intended to make the case for impeachment.

The dozen Democrats whom Need to Impeach is targeting are either all prominent members of party leadership or hold positions on key House committees. They include Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the number three House Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the Democratic Caucus Chairman...

Other lawmakers being targeted by Need to Impeach include Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a candidate for president and Pelosi ally who sits on the House Judiciary and Intelligence panels; Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee and is another close Pelosi ally; and several Democrats representing liberal districts in southern California and Florida.

Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) is another target. A Need to Impeach source provided an example of a billboard that could soon be going up in his district. “Rep. Luján: We need an impeachment inquiry now,” it reads. The billboard displays the phone number for the D.C. office of Luján, a top member of House Democratic leadership and candidate for Senate, and urges constituents to call in with their thoughts.

The new campaign by Need to Impeach comes as a growing number of House Democrats have begun calling for the launch of impeachment proceedings against the president. The group, along with others organizing for impeachment, believe that building support among voters in progressive districts is key to persuading lawmakers on the fence to take a stand—which would ultimately put pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to take up impeachment, an option she has repeatedly dismissed at this stage. Some 60 Democrats have so far come out in support of launching an inquiry, accounting for a quarter of the party’s House membership.

In a statement, Steyer said that momentum behind impeachment is growing by the day. “The leaders of the Democratic Party deserve to know where their constituents stand, and alongside millions of Americans, we’re calling on them to stop putting political expediency ahead of what’s right,” he said.

Need to Impeach has targeted 47 members of Congress so far this year, and the group says its organizers and volunteers have visited over 100 congressional offices to make the impeachment case. In January, Steyer announced he would pour $6 million into a nationwide ad campaign to boost his message.

The agitating from Steyer has gotten him crosswise with Pelosi, who represents the hedge fund billionaire’s hometown of San Francisco. Steyer has blasted Pelosi’s declaration Trump isn’t “worth” the effort: “Shall America just stop fighting for our principles and do what’s politically convenient?” he asked in a March tweet.

We caught up with Heather Brewer, campaign manager for the progressive Democrat who Luján is running against, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. She told us today that Oliver "knows that holding elected officials accountable is a key part of what makes our democracy work. That’s why she fully supports initiating impeachment hearings. And that’s she agrees with Need to Impeach that voters must make their voices heard  to hold the Congressman to account for his position on impeachment."






UPDATE: Time For Pelosi And Her Team To Retire

Progressive Democrat Shahid Buttar is primarying Pelosi from the left. He told us that "Voices who oppose impeachment, like Speaker Pelosi's, are the same ones that never saw Trump coming in the first place. We shouldn't accept their supposed wisdom as gospel now, especially when their positions have demonstrably emboldened our criminal president to escalate his attacks on America and our Constitution. Even if Pelosi were right about impeachment being a losing political proposition-- which she is not-- it remains a constitutional imperative. Failing to initiate impeachment will ensure that kleptocracy will be accepted, whereas initiating the process will put purple state activists in a position to force the hands of Republican Senators to either show up for their oaths of office or find a new career. Nothing would be better for the Democratic Party's base heading in the 2020 general election. This is no time for timidity."