Jesus fucking christ. Trump is claiming he has a natural ability to do science.
Trump muses that he could’ve become a research scientist instead of president.
TRUMP: I like this stuff. I really get it… every one of these doctors said, ‘how do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. pic.twitter.com/9ppWsjwN2v
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 6, 2020
Here’s what really makes me mad, though. Look at that scene; there are 6 other people standing around listening to that buffoon, and at least one more behind the camera. Not a single one of them speaks up. No one corrects this deluded liar or raises an objection. This is the ongoing social cowardice that allows a dangerous fool to persist.
I would have said, “You know nothing about this subject. Your uncle’s competence in physics is not heritable and is irrelevant here. I guarantee you that none of the scientists you’ve talked to actually respect your knowledge of science.” That’s the least any of those people should have done.
Trump is hopeless, but the rest of you are required to correct him.
He seems to have learnt from an early age that no matter what nonsense passes his lips he will not be corrected. And just in case there is some independent measure of his intelligence, why then he will block his academic records from ever being seen. And independent commentary – why he will sue you for suggesting he is not the most intelligent human being to live on this or any other planet. In fact he is a remarkably stupid and incredibly ignorant man. What America has done is elect to the Presidency the sort of grumpy old white man who inhabits blog threads all over the world.
Sure, but look; for one thing, if you would have said that then you wouldn’t have been up there in the first place. And secondly, if you know that if you speak up then you’ll just be replaced with some sycophant who knows how to pucker but doesn’t know their job, then people are going to die as a result of that. If those guys have just decided to endure and keep their mouths shut so they can get back to work because getting back to work is important, then I’m not going to judge them for that.
Found this every bit as galling as you did, but I’m not going to blame those poor, haunted bastards.
He’s just jealous. DPRK News Service:
Trump U. would have made him a huge diploma, if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids.
In that context, speaking up means getting fired.
Loss of a single senior scientist means delays in the labs’ work; delays mean more people dying.
They all just sacrificed a lot of self-respect, but for a worthy cause.
Now, now. The God-King, Emperor Trump accurately predicted this virus when he mentioned Covfefe! It is black heresy to say otherwise!!!!!!
Remember, the more punctuation, the more truthful it is.
Or something.
@PZ, why don’t you attend one of his press events and correct him? I’m sure it’ll be well received, why I’m certain that you’ll get a complimentary thumping by the Faithful on the way to the lockup, to be held for a few weeks.
It’s a vivid and nasty vista on the human condition.
hmm. The emperor’s new clothes, only it’s cynical, doctrinaire underlings gaslighting people who are too clueless, even in their private moments, to figure out what they’re looking at. And I mean seriously, how can anybody be so feckless as to tolerate having this shit pumped down their gullet year after year while believing that, despite a little rudeness, things are otherwise just fine?
Stick a fork in it.
Correcting him would be impolite, and that simply isn’t done.
Never mind his own track record on politeness.
OK I’m skipping right over Hitler on this one and going straight to Stalin. Why are they so afraid of this man? Stalin sent people to the gulags and actually had them killed. What’s the worst Trump could do? Fire them? Stalin had a cult of personality that lead a nation for decades. Trump has a cult of pathetic spineless sycophants.
Why can’t we beat this? He’s King Lear wandering with his fools in the rain. It shouldn’t be this hard.
I’m sure as a boy his uncle John tried to encourage him toward science. Early childhood memories may be some of Don’s most vivid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Trump
What never ceases to confuse me is that while we see a rambling, incoherent, fool who can’t stop making demonstrably false claims or constant self-congratulatory statements, his supporters see a tough-talking sage who’s so much smarter than those intellectuals with their big words and science,
I want to ask him what science is. The answer could be funny. Most people confuse the process with other things but he could be uniquely amusing.
Lord help us. Notice that when he’s saying: “They should be given tremendous credit.” he’s gesturing towards himself.
It feels like I’m trapped on a speeding bus with a suicidal maniac at the wheel and nobody else seems to think something is amiss.
We’re fucked.
I know this is probably not helping, but the doctors may be sarcastic when saying that, like “how do you know so much about this (compared to other 7 yr olds)?”
Also, if those people are senators/judges, I agree that yes, they are required by law to correct him (although obviously the title man has absconded his duty). Actual doctors who have lots of work to do with a not-so-secure job? That’s understandable.
The problem isn’t of course Trump himself, it’s the giant pyramid of corruption that keeps him there. There is no base layer of decency, it’s arseholes all the way down.
this is how he drove so many business ventures into the ground and had to file bankruptcy.
he thinks that if people believe him it wont fail this time not like it has all those other times before.
it is totally appalling
uncle frogy
As a Brit, and a confirmed believer in a European Republic, I may not be in the best position to be sarky, but I couldn’t help thinking.
It took the Habsburgs two centuries of inbreeding to produce Carlos II. It took the USA roughly the same time to produce Trump, but they did it as far the incest (probably). Let lesser nations recoil in awe at the achievements of the mighty United States.
laurian@14
Good analogy except more than half of the bus recognizes the peril and is screaming for the bus to be stopped and the driver thrown off. The problem is the rest of the passengers, who are at the front, are cheering the driver, blocking the way, and just keep singing “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round…”.
Anytime Trump speaks he has to remind us he is smarter than the experts, be they generals, doctors, intelligence people and even specialized scientists. We are guaranteed to hear certain things when he speaks. How smart he is, how dumb people are when don’t agree with, how he has done more for America than anyone else (ever) and any news outlet that doesn’t praise him as he deserves is a phony (fake) provider of information. He is actually the most fake thing on this planet.
Speaking of him being fake, maybe we should just make him divine ruler of earth and get it over with.
What never ceases to confuse me is that while we see a rambling, incoherent, fool who can’t stop making demonstrably false claims or constant self-congratulatory statements, his supporters see a tough-talking sage who’s so much smarter than those intellectuals with their big words and science.
I mean, can’t they hear what he’s saying?
So far in Britain the liar Boris Johnson is often appearing with two scientific experts on viruses and is saying the right things whilst avoiding alarming people unnecessarily. Perhaps the egotistical lying moron Trump could be persuaded to do the right thing by either Johnson or Macron (I think he telephoned the latter in relation to the G7 and they agreed something or other).
I truly don’t understand how anyone can listen to this sort of thing (that he always says) and continue to support him, ideology and everything else aside.
Interesting commentary
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3074087/never-mind-china-look-us-next-big-coronavirus
lucifersbike,
His family is a particularly vile bunch of relatively recent European immigrants. My mom’s family has been in the Americas for thousands of years.
Dear TV producers: I have a sure-fire ratings bonanza for you. Every time Trump appears on your screen, have a well-informed smart person typing commentary in the subtitles underneath his image, in real time. I understand that Senator Warren may be available; she’d be excellent.
Two other (perhaps slightly more realistic) thoughts: (1) His incompetence is so obvious it’s going to shave at least two points off his already low approval rating (I hope for 15, but that’s about the max, since it would put him at 27%), which may be enough. (2) Let’s encourage him to visit emergency rooms and shake hands with patients. Admittedly, that might result in the Republicans nominating a different candidate, but I’d take the chance.
Honestly, I wonder why Pence doesn’t invoke amendment 25 about now. The only thing Trump ever had going for him was the ability to run a “sugar rush” economy for long enough to get re-elected before the bottom fell out of it and the next recession hit. (See Dubya Bush.) Now that the stock market is falling and likely to fall further, dare I hope that the billionaires will withdraw support and leave Trump to lose to Biden or Bernie or Gabbard who still seems to be running?
the only time they ever listen is at a rally there is no indication that they are listening at all. he only projects an image in which his base (target) can place all their desires. The lies work within that projection and the marks desires. That is how a con works. it is a very helpless feeling watching from the outside of the con and seeing it for what it is. He has managed to get pretty far and has put us in a very dangerous position and that is no lie.
uncle frogy
If you’ve had 25 years of convincing yourself that the Bibble is the inerrant, convincing yourself of the profundity of the ramblings of a syphilitic orange shit gibbon is probably easier.
Just sayin’.
@petesh: “Mystery Trump Theater 2020”? But will people understand it’s sarcasm or just take it as fan-fiction?
Perhaps Chris Moore @ # 2 and I @ # 4 need to revise or retract our statements in support of CDC leaders apparently forced to kowtow to Donald the Menace.
Trump-appointed CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has a history of superstitious bigotry perfectly in line with Trump/Pence nastiness:
Ah PZ If you disagree openly with a narcissist then they will abuse you. It doesn’t matter if it’s a minor matter or not. It doesn’t matter whether you’re right or not. You disagreed with the narcissist therefore you’re bad and your badness deserves punishment unto death. That’s why the GOP is basically kissing Trump’s ass .
This Washington Post had me laugh till I cried. Still crying.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/06/got-medical-question-ask-dr-trump/