James Gleick

I remember the most dramatic vote of the new Trump administration, in July 2017, when John McCain defied Trump and his fellow Republicans and killed their attempt to repeal Obamacare.

Could you have imagined that seven years later Trump would deny that ever happened and pretend he was Obamacare’s protector? And expect to be believed? We are living in strange times.

Oct 2, 2024 at 4:53pmWeb
Show threadJason Perseus has movedOct 2, 2024

@gleick

It was the most intense C-SPAN Senate coverage I’ve ever seen.

Felt like this:

Show threadBryan WilliamsOct 2, 2024
@gleick There seems to be a lot of people that enjoy being lied to. 🙈🙉🙊
Show threadideaPDishOct 2, 2024
@gleick
Why...
Why..,,,
Why.. did McCain have to die so young?
Show threadAndreas KOct 2, 2024
@gleick Well, obviously his old buddy John was acting on secret orders from #P01135809
Show threadNahmiaOct 2, 2024
@gleick trump is "working" on health care. after 10 years, he not only should have a concept, but a working system developed and gone through congress. this should have taken one year, three at the at most extreme.
Show threadNicole ParsonsOct 2, 2024

@gleick

Masha Gessen offers great insights on "Power Lies".
Egregious lies play a role in despotic regimes.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/how-george-orwell-predicted-the-challenge-of-writing-today

https://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2017/1-2017/a-russian-american-journalist-describes-the-9-common-traits-of-putin-and-trump-

https://www.nybooks.com/online/2016/12/13/putin-paradigm-how-trump-will-rule/

https://universonline.nl/nieuws/2022/12/07/masha-gessen-besides-military-weapons-lies-are-putins-greatest-weapon/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-15/trump-no-despot-nor-first-president-power-lie-america/12876516

How George Orwell Predicted the Challenge of Writing Today

Masha Gessen on George Orwell’s essay “The Prevention of Literature” and what it says about the modern condition of creating art in the face of a totalitarian state.

The New Yorker
Show threadWinchell Chung ⚛🚀Oct 2, 2024

@gleick

Their campaign appears to be based on the principle of "What I tell you three times is true"

Show threadCharlie StrossOct 3, 2024
@nyrath @gleick Nothing new here: it's Hitler's "Big Lie": you screech a giant mistruth, then double down and keep repeating it at ever increasing volume, and whenever anyone challenges you over it you change the subject and accuse them of something evil that you want to do.
Show threadPhotoartOct 2, 2024
@gleick yes
Show threadJake MillerOct 2, 2024
@gleick The justification for this is telling: He didn’t take executive action to actively sabotage the American healthcare system. The idea this is implicitly a legitimate choice for a president, to deliberately sabotage our medical system for political gain, is in itself disqualifying.
Show threadJoe Hill 🇵🇸🇺🇦Oct 2, 2024

@gleick At this point, There is nothing I wouldn’t put past Donold and his MAGA cult.

As Nicolle Wallace is find of saying, they live on “Earth II.”

Show threadderptronOct 2, 2024
@gleick I didn't imagine that specific scenario, no, but I've actually come to expect the whole, "We've always been at war with Eurasia," thing from them since way before Trump wasn't a Democrat.
Show threadLeta_DarnellOct 2, 2024
@gleick Trump also said he improved healthcare many times, but has have a plan. After ten years, he only has 'concepts of a plan'
Show threadToni AittoniemiOct 2, 2024

@gleick This singular thing explains 90% of MAGA behaviour:

Hero complex

Whatever happens, any situation must end with them the hero and you the loser. Nothing else matters.

All cults promise their members something in return for their loyalty. Trump’s MAGA promises they can walk away from any conversation with people they don’t like feeling like a winner.

#cults #socialpsychology #maga

Show threadPeteOct 2, 2024
@gleick Trumps based is fundamentally stupid and have been brainwashed for 25 years. Fox etc will rewrite history weekly to appease Trump and their audience.
Show threadJeff Zugale - Z FactoryOct 2, 2024
@gleick his people believe him, even when they don’t. They’re venal, tribal, and not very fucking bright overall. And enough of them are drooling for violence that even if the GOP loses big all over in this election, we’ve got trouble ahead. It’s appalling.
Show threadClaire BlueVoterOct 2, 2024
@gleick
I so remember that also. Another reason #CriminalTrump hated the late Sen John McCain. Sen McCain didn’t think much of the felon, either. Rightly so!!
Show threadPirateRoOct 2, 2024
@gleick no, we have a lying liar that other lying liars want to keep Putin in front of us.
Show thread🛠️☘️🍯 bug 🍄🧣⚙️Oct 2, 2024
@gleick i mean yes, he's a con artist, it's what he does for a living
Show threadEdward JazzhandsOct 2, 2024

@gleick "Expect to be believed"

I'm pretty sure there's like at least 100 million people who genuinely believe most of what he says.

Show thread66gardenersOct 2, 2024

@gleick
Stephen Colbert did a joke about this last night. He delayed his show and did it live after the debate.

He had on Chris Hayes who had some good observations.

Show threadobscurestarOct 2, 2024
@gleick His strategy is to lie so much that no one can remember it all and anyone who does sounds like a conspiracy theorist because most people can't conceive of a grown man who lies like a 6yr old.
Show threaddraNgNonOct 3, 2024
@gleick i watched this live.
Show thread(Andreas Bulling) has movedOct 3, 2024
@gleick What's even worse: I couldn't have imagined that there are millions of Americans who believe him.