How differently are we thinking about Trump compared to to how we would think about any other white rich person in America? Particularly a celebrity.
A white rich person can certainly obey all the laws and respect all the traditions of his or her community. There are lots of wealthy Americans who do — they’ve earned what they have (or inherited it, which is fair enough, that being the law now) & are perfectly lovely people.
But a white rich person doesn’t have to be. They can disregard laws & local customs if they want to, and pretty much be assured of getting away with it. The American legal system allows money to buy time; a white rich person caught cheating an employee or a contractor;...
....cheating on his taxes; using illegal drugs; forcing himself on a woman; or being generally abusive can generally buy himself out of legal consequences other Americans would face for such behavior. As for extra-legal consequences, money limits those as well.
These are the guiding principles of Trump’s entire life, not just his Presidency. And they apply to wealthy white Americans generally. The American public expects that they will, and would be sorely confused if they didn’t.
I’m thinking about this as a theoretical explanation for why acts of personal corruption, sex predation, or flagrant goofing off on the job — things that have ended many political careers — are accepted as normal for the outgoing President.
One might argue that Trump has unique status as a political demagogue such as the Founders feared or, as @jameshamblin does, that he uses the same psychological tools that sustained medical quacks a century ago (and still do). theatlantic.com/health/archive…
But perhaps it’s simpler than that. Perhaps the license given to Trump is just an exaggerated version of the license any white rich person in America expects, and is expected to get, in our society. Ability and virtue are imputed to such a person because of wealth....
....(and, in some cases, because of celebrity as well). The expectation of impunity goes with that. It’s not a healthy aspect of society I’m describing. But a phenomenon like Trump requires explanation; I’m just looking for the simplest one that makes sense. [end]
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