Don't Stop Believin'

 Trump Lies: A Thurber Brigade Sidestep

As noted in several previous blogs, males compete constantly with each other.  Whether in a sports setting or an argument over sports, we guys always want to best our opponent. You can clearly see this when a young child gets in an argument and his knowledge is limited.  He will suddenly blurt out anything that pops into his mind no matter how ridiculous.

For example, he might state his father could whup King Kong or that he has exploding ping pong balls that create a big flash when they hit the ground (I admit, I uttered the latter one—hey, I was eight).

As we get older, we tend not to exaggerate or make up things in arguments because we know they'll easily be destroyed by facts from our opponent.  Donald Trump seems to still be in the adolescent state.

He lies all the time.  When something doesn't go his way, he will make up some excuse that is clearly a lie.  For example, he is still so freaked out that he lost the popular vote by the biggest margin in US history (by someone who won the electoral college) that he has blurted out that over three million illegal votes were cast.

It's a lie.  However, since he's the president the news media gives him the benefit of the doubt and although they will acknowledge there are no facts to back him up, they still give the issue extensive coverage as if it was legit. It's not. He's lying. He just blurted out some nonsense to win his argument.

We've known he's a liar for some time. In fact, there's an extensive article in a Canadian paper that lists all his lies and gives the facts to refute them.  They have over 550 listed!

Some of the whoppers you've undoubtedly heard include:
- the voter fraud mentioned above
- his tax cuts would be HUGE for the middle class
- the US trade deficit was HUGE
- Clinton hired protestors to attend his events
- he was HUGELY popular with African Americans
- the murder rate in the US is HUGER than before

Well, the list is exhaustively HUGE.

The bottom line is that everyone needs to stop believing him.  Stop giving him credence by paying undue attention to his lies. When he tells another one, instead of asking him for something to back up his claim (he doesn't have it, he'll just put it off until later), just say something like "welp, there's #603" and move on with the conversation. It's the sarcastic way to say he's lying.  Or just tell him he's lying.

By not calling him out, it gives credence to his lie.  In effect, it validates him to his devoted followers. It becomes big news (headlines even) when instead it should be a small sidebar that states he's lied yet again.

As president we can't just ignore him.  However, we don't have to accept everything he says as gospel. We don't have to give him or his lies the incredible attention that the press keeps giving him (they made him by giving him unrelenting attention in the primaries as noted in a previous blog). Stop believing him.

However, don't stop believing.  In decency. In justice. In human rights. In the American sense of fair play. In America.  We used to be a shining beacon to other people, we need to return to that status. So keep protesting his administration. Keep standing up for American values such as freedom and equality. Keep calling him out on his lies.

Ahhh, James Thurber

The Thurber Brigade does not apologize for this sidestep.  For one thing, we've been warning about it for a few blogs.  Also, surely everyone would expect radical, progressive satirists to be chomping at the bit to hit The Orange One.  We'll get back to the important dialogue about relationships between men and women in no time.  And we'll get Mexico to pay for it.  Also, yes, the blog title is taken from an 80s Journey song of the same name.  Yes, we're still stuck in the 80s.