Comment Directions:
It has been a particularly busy week since my last current event post. So busy, in fact, that I've decided not to focus on a single current event in this post. Instead, I've compiled a list of links to different articles on some of the major news stories of the last couple weeks. However, since there will be several articles posted here I will not give you any questions to discuss, instead for your comment you should briefly summarize the main point or thesis of the article, or articles, you read and thoughtfully reflect on it. I want to hear your opinions on these articles and on each other's posts! Do you agree with the author's thesis? Why/why not? What about your classmates? Engage each other in some thoughtful, provocative political discussion!
The Link List:
America's 100 Other Declarations of Independence - From Politico.com
Happy birthday, America! Here’s what you need to know about federalism. - From The Washington Post
Plausible deniability: The drug that President Trump can’t stop abusing - From The Washington Post
How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets - From Politico.com
The evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July tweets - From The Washington Post
What is Kris Kobach Up To? - From Politico.com
Purple America Has All But Disappeared - From FiveThirtyEight.com
How Civic Obligations, Education, and Federalism Can Save America - From The Atlantic Magazine
Finally, please be sure to start your comment by telling us which article, or articles, you are commenting on.
The article that I chose was, " How the Physiology of Cyberbullying Explains Trumps Tweets" From Politico.com. It is clear that trumps behavior on Twitter is not acceptable, nor appropriate, but it does give an good understanding of how cyberbullying actually comes into play. In this article it states "Crazy Mika Brzezinski, bleeding badly from facelift". The president of the united states should not be tweeting something so personal about someone else like that and it shows that Trump should take into consideration what he is saying, because it is clear he doesn't use a filter. The schools in this country are trying to teach the students how cyberbullying is wrong and unjustified. Trump is showing that it is ok to show aggression towards others via the internet. When a child is taught to idolize the president and that person is showing bad examples of how one should act, shows the child that theres no wrong in degrading a certain person, for their lifestyle, race, or gender. If citizens show the same online characteristics as Trump, than the lessons that are taught in school are meaningless. Another quote from this article is that Trump is not in a position to be a victim of bullying. The president should not be fighting their battles online. Going back to Mika Brzezinski, Donald Trump mentioned her 3 more times in 3 different tweets. One of those tweets threatened to revel the truth about Mika and her co star. This is unpresidential, and flat out disrespectful. Also one of Melania Trumps biggest Campaigns is bullying. " She was talking about cyber bullying and behavior she describes as 'absolutely unacceptable' but which some experts say in an accurate, and helpful descriptor of Mr. Trumps online behavior."Some may say that Donald Trump is trying to make a point, where he is showing those who dislike him that even though he is the president of the United States, he is not going to change who he is and how he acts. He wants to make the point,that each president is unique and he is going to be himself.
ReplyDeleteMy question is, What do you think urges Donald Trump to Tweet these degrading things and why do you think he gives in to all the hate and tries to fight his battles Via Twitter and other social medias?
ReplyDeleteAs I discussed in my post, I believe that there is a chance that Donald Trump is a victim of the condition associative regression. Sigmund Freud's 27th lecture: the General Theory of the Neurosis describes how a person may act with an ego they had during early stages of development. I think there is a chance that he may have experienced abuse from a female figure in his childhood, physical or otherwise, and is now using Twitter to treat women who have a chance of overpowering him with disrespect because he fears being powerless against a woman. Social Media may be his battleground because its a relatively safe space where no one can physically target him. These are all traits of an average cyberbully and must me treated as such. In my opinion, Donald Trump should seek counseling.
DeleteDonald Trump is usually viewed as simply ignorant and abusive for his treatment of other races, gender diversity, and, most importantly, women. Sarah Holder discussed this in her article “How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets.” While some may not consider him a typical cyberbully, which he isn’t, he is still antagonistic and degrading to others similar to a cyberbully. For example, he constantly tweets derogatory comments regarding women, particularly their intelligence and figure. As Holder puts it “72.5% of the cyberbullying incidents recorded from 2000-12 were reported by women. With Trump, too, it is women- and women’s bodies- that seem most viciously attacked. This spawns three very important issues regarding the effect on women, the effect on children, and Trump’s own psychology.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Trump has no excuse to treat these women the way he does. His provocative language and graphic depictions of women has strongly affected women’s ability to work in business, education, and other professional careers since his presidency. Women, according to a CBS news video, are about 30% less likely to get the top promotion job of a manager than men due to what is known as secondary bias. Secondary bias is not like what our grandmothers would have experienced, however it creates a line between men and women where men always are promoted over women while women have to increase their work status slowly and never reach the top. This means that a lawyer at a law firm may rarely (or never) get to work on a case even though she may have a higher degree. Donald Trump has convinced women that they are insufficient for professional jobs but did not grade the women he judged by talent. In reference to their appearance, Trump has described “Rosie O’Donnell as “fat,” “dumb” and “a loser,” Arianna Huffington as “unattractive inside and out,” and Megyn Kelly as “average in every way.” During the campaign, he says that Hillary Clinton “doesn’t even look presidential.” Hillary Clinton, as a candidate, never discussed the appearance of men and instead used facts while also mentioning that both men and women have contributed to the problems of the country. Emily Bazelon, a respected journalist, describes that his constant behavior may truly be a carnal impulse to denigrate women, which makes him a candidate for some psychological problems that were never treated which I will further discuss later. I suggest you watch the video here is the link: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/trumps-effect-on-women-in-business-and-education/.
Donald Trump’s cyberbullying could also potentially negatively impact children who witness his mistreatment on the news and are essentially taught that behavior like that is socially acceptable. Petula Dvorak, a columnist in the Washington Post, describes something known as the “Trump Effect,” which essentially says “Oh, you think you’re only screwed for four years? Huh, that’s funny.” Literally, Trump’s personality is conditioning people to become a generation of racist, sexist, power-hungry white supremacists (to put it lightly). Dvorak mentions that “[She doesn’t] know whether Trump was the inspiration for the kids on an all-white Annapolis-area hockey team who singled out the black players on [her] son’s team, calling them the N-word and harassing them throughout the game. But they heard those words somewhere.” In case it’s not clear, that somewhere is obviously Trump. While her article pertains to race rather than gender, it is still noticeable how Trump has affected children who now chant “Build that wall” and “You’ll be deported” in school hallways. This behavior is teaching children a terrible lesson: If someone bullies you, bully them worse? Trump is basically approving of children fighting. In Sarah Holder’s article, people are becoming increasingly nervous about Trump’ effect on the children. They wonder if children will assume that the president’s behavior is always trustworthy, which it simply is not. This also brings up a final point, is Trump also a victim of the same effect? Has he seen mistreatment as a child and assumed it was good behavior. Here is the full link to the Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-trump-effect-is-contaminating-our-kids--and-could-resonate-for-years-to-come/2016/03/07/594a7f46-e47a-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html?utm_term=.056e726a5186.
DeleteThey scary and quite sad truth is, it may be. In Holder’s article, it is pointed out that “‘cyberbullying isn’t just an expression of the aggression trait - it is also an expression of the regression trait.’” Regression is a serious issue that is often overlooked. Its full name is Associative Regression and describes a person’s capability to revert back to a version of him/herself from his or her past. In Trump’s case, it suggests that he may have been the victim of abuse by a female figure in his life, explaining his mistreatment toward women. Sigmund Freud, the first man to study and document associative regression, discussed that throughout childhood and growth the libidinal function goes through a lengthy development and can lead to regression. So, subsequently, if Donald Trump has experienced verbal abuse from his mother at an age where he was maturing, he would logically experience regression and treat women the way he only knows how they had treated him: with disrespect and abuse. Freud’s book of lectures, “A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis” has a section discussing the neurosis and how treatment during sexual development can impact ego, impulse control, and social behavior when experiencing scenarios similar to some at an early age. The patients described in his lectures seems to have parallels connecting to Trump’s social behavior which, if Trump truly is a victim of abuse by a female figure, would bring whole new insight on the President. Here is the entire book of lectures on pdf: https://eduardolbm.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/a-general-introduction-to-psychoanalysis-sigmund-freud.pdf.
Trump, nevertheless, has mistreated women and is extremely ill suited for presidency simply due to his stubbornness. Women are a constant victim of Trump’s effect on bosses, boards, and even men in general and therefore lose the chance to get respectable careers. Even when such careers do happen to work out, Trump singles them out and judges their appearance which magnifies the fact that he is so concerned about being overpowered by a woman that he targets their physical appearance. Children witness this abuse, and assume that it is okay. Imagine a whole generation of half-Trump, half-Victims; that is what Trump is creating which is just inexcusable. Unless, he is a victim of Associative Regression, he has no reason to blatantly call out women for being ugly or fat. If he is a victim, it allows for some understanding and even some sympathy but nevertheless, women constantly face abuse. In conclusion, I agree with Sarah Holder’s article in saying that Trump’s behavior as a cyberbully may be a result of psychological aspects that should have been addressed a long time ago.
DeleteVery sorry it got too long so I had to separate it into three parts
ReplyDeleteIn the article I chose from Politico, called, "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump's Tweets," shows how U.S. President Donald Trump is a so called "cyberbully." Trump is very fond of twitter as most of us know because he continuously attacks CNN, celebrities, and people of the opposite political party on twitter. He recently attacked Mika Brzezinski on twitter by getting into her personal life. "Since then, Trump has referred to 'crazy @morningmika' at least three times; claimed she had a mental breakdown on-air; and threatened to expose the 'real story' of her relationship with her co-host, Joe Scarborough." In my opinion Trump is not only a cyberbully but also a coward. He hides behind a screen and uses Twitter as his shield from reality. Although psychologically he may not be altogether. He may have trauma he grew up with that affected him and stuck with him still to this day. When things like that happen, seeking help, maybe a therapist would be a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose was “How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets” posted on Politico.com. Trump has been known to attack nearly everyone and everything that criticizes him. Many label Trump as a “cyberbully,” which is someone who uses electronic communication to bully a person by sending messages of a demeaning or threatening manner. Trump’s most recent insult was aimed towards Mika Brzezinski, an MSNBC host. Trump claimed that Brzezinski has had multiple mental breakdowns on-air, and that he was willing to expose her true relationship with her co-host Joe Scarborough. Trump’s attacks towards women are not uncommon, as they have been occurring for years. He often comments on women’s looks, calling women fat and ugly in order to degrade them. He also insults the mentality of women, calling them neurotic, liars, crazy, or the most popular one used against Hillary Clinton, crooked. Trump has not been afraid to insult fellow male politicians as well, calling some of them “low class slobs” and “pathetic.” Trump has even gone as far as calling Rand Paul a “spoiled brat.” It is clear that Donald Trump has abused his use of Twitter, using it for degrading others rather than as a casual source of communication.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Trump is clearly a cyberbully and is not at all presidential. We are taught in school that bullying others is bad and can truly damage someone’s mentality. We are also taught that we should respect the president, since he is the leader of our country. It is hard to follow both of these ideas when they contradict each other. How is it possible to idolize a president who has a habit of attacking others, one of the many things we were taught NOT to do. Many of Trump’s supporters blindly follow him, and are willing to defend anything mean comments or tweets that he has directed towards another person. Some believe that anyone who criticizes Trump is trying to defy the government and ruin the country. However, Trump himself is polarizing the country by the mean comments he makes. For example, Trump has made many rude comments towards women, as mentioned earlier. He tweeted about Arianna Huffington: “@ariannahuff is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man-he made a good decision.” This is certainly not a good example to set on how to treat women. Trump has also made derogatory comments about people of color. One of the groups he is known for attacking is Mexicans. He tweeted: “When will people, and the media, start to apologize to me for me statement, “Mexico is sending…”, which turned out to be true? El Chapo…likewise, billions of dollars get brought into Mexico through the border. We get the killers, drugs & crime, they get the money!” Here he is saying that those who come over the border are just criminals, which is obviously not true. These examples show how Trump’s mean tweets are simply polarizing America. He attacks women and other minority groups, and his supporters blindly follow him and continue to attack these minorities themselves. I think that Trump cyberbullies other people as an attempt to gain confidence and control. It sets an awful example for children to follow. The president is meant to be a role model and truly successful. Trump has just been handed everything for most of his life, and has worked his way to the top by bullying others and labeling it as “being honest”.
The article that I chose was, "The Evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July Tweets", by the Washington Post. This article mainly focuses on how Trump's tweets have changed throughout the years starting from 2009-2017. As the Fourth approached, his tone has changed in recent years from past years. The first 3 years of Trump's Independence Day tweets were straightforward and wished America a happy birthday. Starting in 2012 he's made outrageous posts. He said that Miss Pennsylvania should pay him $5 million for what she said. Before, Trump had supported Mitt Romney for his run in presidency, but in 2015, he said, "Why would Republican candidates support Mitt Romney after he had lost to Obama that shouldn't have happened." What made Trump change his mind so quickly about supporting Romney and then throwing him under the bus. In my opinion, Trump shouldn't even have a twitter account since he's president now. Some examples are because he has been tweeting hateful comments to CNN and how the US made some of the worst trade deals in the world history.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Do you think our president Donald Trump should have a twitter account after his latest posts?
I think Donald Trump should keep his twitter account, but try to restrain from any hateful/rude comments towards anyone. He needs to control his selfishness and ego, especially now that he is president. I think he also uses social media too much during the course of his presidency so far. I do think he should keep the account, but stay away from it especially because it is a distraction. Twitter has taken up about 12% of his life (according to Washington Post) and has caused many unnecessary problems, such as heated arguments between himself and news stations. Therefore, I think the best option is only that Trump should limit the amount of time he spends on Twitter, and control his attitude.
DeleteI agree with Norah. In today's society, social media is the biggest outlet and everyone will be using it as the years go on. I think President Trump should have an account but not use it in the way he is right now. He is too busy focusing on himself and not the people. Most of Trumps tweets are creating chaos and setting a bad example of what he is going to do for our country. Trump needs to cut back on Twitter and some other social media outlets and focus on more important things than fighting with news stations and other politicians .
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ReplyDeleteThe article “The evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July tweets” shows the different colors of Donald Trump as his tweets change from year to year (towards the time during the 4th of July). Back in 2009, when he first used twitter, his tweets were straightforward, wishing everyone a Happy Independence Day. Meanwhile, as 2013 approaches, you can see a noticeably different change in his tweets. He starts to offend people and begins to use twitter without a filter, showing his selfish attitude. He starts petty arguments regarding his political and his personal opinions. Exactly on the 4th of July in 2013, Trump argues “Why do you follow me like a little puppy moron?” Trump boasts about his ego and disrespects others through social media. He got so caught up in his arguments that he did not even bother to tweet anything regarding Independence Day in 2013. In 2015, when he became a candidate to become a president, his tweets appear to be less aggressive, but more political, using the campaign slogan “Let’s Make America Great Again” while saying Happy 4th of July. One thing I would like to mention that this article doesn’t is the tweets that occurred this year. Last week on July 3rd, he posted a thank you message for Fox News and a hateful comment towards CNN. He referred to CNN as “Fake News”. Fox News appears to be more biased for Trump (vise versa), while CNN and other news organizations have reported on things that Trump would rather keep hidden. This shows that Trump uses twitter to attack his political components and dissidents the tweets. Furthermore, The president shouldn’t even get his information from the news, but from the federal agencies. Being president of the US also requires a very intelligent person. America relies on the president for safety and protection, yet he doesn’t take the job seriously. Twitter is a distraction. If he uses it, he should at least try to use it respectfully. The president's job is to run the country, improve the economy, and create policies, not to tweet all the time and get distracted easily.
ReplyDeleteMy question for you all is do you think Trump should try to change how he uses Twitter or should he take his attention away from social media?
I specifically favor watching CNN over most other news broadcasts, and some may differ but I do not think they’re for or against Trump or make any biased claims. I encourage everyone to watch and read this article by CNN about how Trump uses Twitter. The interviewer makes a very good point that there is a difference of using Twitter and using it wisely. The representative for Trump claims that he uses it to communicate to America directly. However, I think Trump is using it in an arrogant manner and only states his opinions and not facts regarding our country.
( http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/09/opinions/trump-twitter-first-amendment-opinion-wolfe/index.html )
*please ignore the many typos and erros I made
DeleteHello Norah,
DeleteI would like to say that your comment makes a lot of great points and I completely agree with most of, if not all, of what you've said. To answer your question, I think that Trump should definitely continue to communicate with the masses of people he is leading through social media, but he also surely needs to, stating it bluntly, learn to have a filter. I am not saying that he should not say anything other than generic messages that seem almost robotic, but there comes a point where the President just should not speak absolutely everything on his mind. Some things just should remain private and confined to official political business, and not exploited through his very colorful messages on Twitter. Like I mentioned before, the President should rally people together, not continue to widen the rift between America's people.
I chose the article “Plausible deniability- the drug President Trump can’t stop using” by The Washington Post. The first thing that struck me was the first part of the title. I had no idea what it meant until I read on so to help, plausible deniability: a term coined by the CIA during the Kennedy administration to describe the withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by the CIA became public knowledge. I look at plausible deniability as disregarding the truth or sugar-coating information, a politician's best friend. In this article it explains how plausible deniability is Trump’s “way of life”. Trump has used this strategy very well, but in the grand scheme of things it is not effective. During the course of his presidency so far, Trump has gone right up to the line of doing something he can’t explain and leaves himself an out aka plausible
ReplyDeleteenial. For example, when Trump talked with Lester Holt, NBC news anchor, about the Russia investigation and James B. Comey, he never technically said Russia was the reason he fired Comey- only that may have been the reason and the situation was on his mind. He gave himself wiggle room and uses enough plausible deniability “for the people who think he’s great to go right on thinking that”. This also gets reported as “Trump says he fired Comey because of Russia,” “Trump says he might have tapes of Comey” and “Trump says his tapes threat worked,” when in fact that’s not exactly what he had said but may have suggested. Trump also has a funny way of showing what he supports. He has been seen verbally abusing news reporters and promoted the prospect of violence, but then tweeted about the CNN wrestling video and had his surrogates complain that the media overreacted. All in all, I agree with the author that Trump uses this strategy of plausible deniability too much, and tries to muddy the waters and rally his supporters against a common enemy. So, to add, do you think this strategy is productive for Trump? What are your thoughts?
On my first post on this blog, I stated that Donald Trump has a very "black or white" set mentality. Well, it looks like I am going to have to contradict myself. In one aspect, Trump actually is, and makes sure to remain, very gray and very vague. In the article "Plausible deniability: The drug that President Trump can’t stop abusing" by Aaron Blake, the author points out Trump's use of plausible deniability on Twitter. I (and I can assume that others as well) had been fully aware of the president elect's particular use of Twitter (I mean this in a "negative" connotation). However, upon reading this article, I am surprised to see his tweets summarized in an actual analysis. Basically, the "negative" approach Trump has towards Twitter has been explained in a conclusion. And once pointed out, his mindset on Twitter really seems to click into place. This article points out the strategies that we would not expect to be in play, but have a significant effect on us and our reactions to his posts. Basically, Trump's tweets are manipulated in the way that, should trouble arise, our president can always find a loophole in his wording.
ReplyDeleteIn actuality, this method is utilized by numerous politicians, but Trump is probably one of the first to apply it on this platform. While others may use plausible deniability in their wording in speech, our president, on the other hand, puts it to work in his 140 characters on Twitter. For the sake of limiting summary, I would recommend reading the article in question to gain a more full understanding of this phrase (although I will do my best to explain it myself).
According to USLegal.com, plausible deniability is defined as "circumstances where a denial of responsibility or knowledge of wrongdoing can not be proved as true or untrue due to a lack of evidence proving the allegation". A more colloquial definition simply states that because Trump does not provide outright statements in his tweets, he can not be held accountable for their content. In a sense, Trump is protecting himself by creating room for interpretation. Take his tweet about James Comey, former FBI director. After this man started to release information about the situation concerning his firing, Trump expressed this on Twitter: "James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!". Trump is not saying that he has recordings. Yes, it is highly believable that he is referring to himself, but even that is considered interpretation. And that is what he depends on. Most can infer what he is saying, but should they call him out, others may have a different view on his words. Like shown in any high school English class, the same text may prove to have many different interpretations. It is human nature to have varying opinions, and it is this that Trump relies on. No matter how clear his message may appear to be, a defense may still be presented. In this instance, after conflict arose concerning Trump alluding to the idea that he had tapes of Coney, Trump "clarified" that he meant that "someone", not he, himself, might have tapes. To me, this just seems like something you might hear in an argument between children. In the big picture of a conflict, a child who recognizes that they are in the wrong may turn to their last hope. This may be a weak point, but for some, this is a last resort: wording. The accused begins to try to explain their words in a way that would weaken the other's point. In the same sense, Trump turned to his plausible deniability to say that his words had been interpreted wrong. And for some, his weak excuse is enough and they are satisfied. As we all know, in order to make any case, the facts must be clear, clean-cut, cold. Trump focuses on making sure that no one can build any sort of case against him by remaining vague and providing himself with the benefit of the doubt.
In truth, the root of plausible deniability lies in passive aggressiveness. Many know that some passive aggressive statements may indeed have bad intentions, but their charm is that, if recalled, they may seem harmless. In fact, it is all in the delivery. Often, it is the way or situation in which something is said that greatly affects its interpretation. Some commonly used phrases of this nature include "just wondering", "I was only joking" and "why are you getting so upset?", among countless others. We all know that these sure can be meant with mean intent, but then again, can't they just be harmless and innocent? Trump's tweets can be viewed in the same way.
DeleteOf course, this plausible deniability is no mere unintentional occurrence. Trump is very much aware that he will spur discontent, and seems to enjoy the controversy that he causes. After all, doesn't he have the perfect method of defending himself after the uproar? After all, wasn't he just suggesting something and not really stating his true meaning? Perhaps he did not mean at all what it appears that he is saying? Well, of course, yet again, his unpresidential behavior becomes evident. How many times has Trump instigated conflicts on Twitter, then was "surprised" at the backlash?. Even so, he seems also inept at receiving any form of criticism. At a Trump rally in October, 2015, Lauren Batchelder, an 18 year old college student, asked Trump this question:"I want to get paid the same as a man, and I think you understand that. So, if you become president, will a woman make the same as a man and do I get to choose what I do with my body?". Trump's answer did seem satisfactory; however, he took to Twitter, saying that "The arrogant young woman who questioned me in such a nasty fashion at No Labels yesterday was a Jeb staffer! HOW CAN HE BEAT RUSSIA & CHINA?". This woman later experienced numbers upon numbers of threats, rude remarks, and cyberbullying for months after Trump tweeted about her (http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/trump-tweet-woman-cyber-bullied-cnntv/index.html). Did her question at Trump's rally really warrant blowback to this great extent? Taking to Twitter to talk about Batchelder (as well as including his at-the-time political opponent in the tweet) led many of his supporters to shower her with this negative treatment. This is probably not the behavior we would expect from someone who is supposed to lead us. Presidents are supposed to unite their country and try to instill changes to improve it. To me it appears that rather than utilize his enormous Twitter following for a positive goal, he is using it to sow conflict and controversy. Sure, it does not harm him because he has his faithful plausible deniability at his side, but it is not helping this country nor gaining him any support as our president.
DeleteSome say that President Trump is not your typical president, and he does not care what people think, therefore making him a great man for the position. They claim that Twitter is his outlet for his opinion, his honest, unfiltered opinion, similarly to the millions of other Twitter users. However, here lies the catch. He is not a common American; Trump is the leader of one of the most influential superpowers in the world. It might be just me, but I do not think that he is entitled to the same venting rights as the common people. As the other article linked to this blog mentions (“How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets”), Trump not only writes crude, harsh, and informal comments on serious issues on Twitter, but manages to bash other people, such as other politicians, journalists, as well as even normal Americans (some consider this a form of cyberbullying). Where is Donald Trump's composure? His petty, unprofessional actions have people from all over the world viewing him as a joke. To add to this, his sneaky way of using plausible deniability in his tweets also goes to show just how immature this grown man can be. He manages to take serious issues concerning our country and finds a way to broadcast them to the people over Twitter, often not in a informative, professional way. Mostly, he just uses Twitter to rant. And should our president really be ranting on Twitter and picking fights with everyone who criticizes him (and sometimes even those who don't)? And after accusations, he manages to get off without consequence, all due to the little strategy we call plausible deniability. As a little sidenote, I would like to include a link to a video I found very interesting on Youtube. It analyzes a lot of Trump's tweets as well as provides facts about his psychology and reasons behind his tweets. While it may not be about plausible deniability, it gives a lot of useful information on the Twitter topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geEVwslL-YY.
DeleteI chose to comment on the article, "How the Psychology of Cyber Bullying Explains Trump's Tweets." As many have heard, Trump is known to make rude remarks via twitter about fellow politicians and news reporters. In the article, it states that Trump tweeted about MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski saying she,"Is off the wall, neurotic and not very bright mess!" It is known to me that MSNBC is very anti-Trump, and thus something untruthful may have been said about him that caused him to tweet such harsh things. Trump has every right to correct wrongful news about himself, but he should not personally attack someone and threaten them. Going back to what Sydney commented, many look up to Trump and are strongly influenced by his actions, and when the president shows it is okay to personally attack someone, many people's mindset may be changed for the worse. Although Trump has made harsh remarks over twitter, I believe he should continue to use it. Social media is the quickest way information is spread in today's world. With the president using it, information is efficiently spread across the country at the push of a button. Also, Trump's tweets are directly from him, and thus can't be changed or reworded by anyone else. However, Trump should refrain from directly insulting people and making harsh remarks.
ReplyDeleteThe article, How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets by Politico.com, goes into great detail about the hateful comments Trump has posted online targeting different celebrities, and how he should not be able to cyber bully under the excuse that he is the president. It also explains some possible reasons as to why the president, who is considered a role model to many, has decided to respond to twitter posts with intentionally bitter comments. Mika Brezezinski’s name is often brought up in the article to give evidence on Trump’s cyber bullying streak on his twitter account that is viewed by millions. President Trump has called Mika crazy because of her anxiety attack on air and has threatened her by saying he will exploit the truth about her relationship with her co-star. I agree with the author of this article that Trump should not be able to raise himself up by cyber bullying other celebrities and politicians. The article states that “cyber bullying behavior is less about coping with personal problems, however, and more about gaining status or reputation among certain circles”. Knowing this, we can safely say that President Trump is attempting to make celebrities look and feel bad in order to keep his reputation as the country knows it. The Trump Administration does not agree that Trump’s comments are considered bullying. They are attempting to argue that in these situations, Trump is considered the victim. However, Trump has repeatedly explained in interviews and press speeches that he simply does not care that people do not like him and often imitate him. He understands that politics are a very controversial topic and there will never be a politician that satisfies everybody’s needs and desires. It is really hypocritical for The Trump administration to claim that Trump is the victim of all of his tweets that clearly target celebrities like Mika. On the other hand, Melania Trump responded to these convictions by saying “When her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder”. This is very understandable because it falls into the competitive category. As many restaurants compete with each other to gain the best reputation and most income, Trump wants to gain the best reputation and is achieving this by making other celebrities sound worse so that it seems like he has the least amount of flaws in the long run. I also agree with this, because many celebrities go back and forth with insults to make themselves seem like the more flawless person to the public. It is known as normal competition to many, but since Trump is the president, he is held to a higher standard and is expected to rise above the silly competition. However, Trump is still a normal person and everybody in general would like to be seen with the least amount of flaws as possible.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Question: Do you think that Trump’s twitter comments are seen more as cyber bullying or more as celebrity competition?
I agree that President Trump does respond back with harsh comments, but I do not think that it is cyberbullying or celebrity competition. I think that it is raw emotion at the time of insult. I think that everyone involved should be accountable for what they say or their actions are. Kathy Griffin posted that horrible picture of the bloody beheaded Trump. She later went on to say she "went to far" but it was already out there. Anderson Cooper even called her out calling her actions "disgusting". She is a public figure that should hold herself to a higher standard. Maybe that could be considered celebrity competition.
DeleteThe article I chose to read about was, "Plausible deniability: The drug that President Trump can’t stop abusing," and this article focused mostly on how Donald Trump had denied knowledge of a responsibility for any bad situation, which is plausible deniability. Almost all politicians use plausible deniability, but the article shows examples on how it is a way of life for Donald Trump. He usually does this through social media. For example, a man named James Comey a former FBI director was fired by Donald Trump and Comey was going to go to the press with details on why he was fired after talking to Donald Trump about the Russia investigation which if you didn't know is an investigation about alleged Russian tampering in the 2016 presidential election,but Donald Trump tweets how he might have tapes on comey, " James Comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations." Which is a threat for Comey not to go to the press, but then Donald Trump later says how he didn't personally have these tapes, but "someone" may possibly have them and after this basically said his threat worked but tweeted how it was just a way to get comey to tell the truth. Donald Trump here is showing plausible deniability because he said how he did not fire comey because of the Russian investigation nor threaten him in anyway, but he obviously did since his tweet is a threat just backed up by him saying he doesn't personally have these tapes. Reading this article, it really opened up my eyes on how Donald Trump treats people and how he could be very threatening but manages to convince people otherwise. Although we all say things that we don't mean from time to time, this was only one example of Donald Trump covering up what he said and trying to make it into nothing, the article shows other examples on how manipulating he can be. I want to know what you guys think though, do you think it wasn't meant as a threat and just a simple misunderstanding or not?
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article, "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump's Tweets," posted by Politico.com. Almost everyone has heard of and/or seen Trump's tweets before and can agree that they are unprofessional and offensive. He has been accused of being a cyberbully, which is posting messages online that are mean, hurtful, harmful, etc. to others. Trump will verbally attack anyone who does or says something that he doesn't like. One woman who he has personally attacked is Mika Brzezinski, a host for MSNBC. He "has referred to 'crazy @morningmika' at least three times; claimed she had a mental breakdown on-air, and threatened to expose the 'real story' of her relationship with her co-host, Josh Scarborough." President or not, who would say this to anyone, never mind a woman? This shows that Trump will degrade anyone, no matter their race, gender, political party, or professional ranking. Now I am a fan of most of Trump's political views, however his tweets have gone way too far. What's the need for him to even have Twitter? There is none. It just creates greater talk in the media and distracts from the real problems that Trump should be dealing with as the President. Just like Sydney mentioned, kids look up to and idolize the President. But no one wants their children to learn that degrading someone in any way is acceptable, especially not from the highest leader in the United States.
ReplyDeleteThe article also mentions how Trump is unlike any other bully out there, mostly because " he is arguably the most important person in the world, more people listen to him, and his words can have far broader consequences than hurt feelings." Wouldn't a leader of such great authority want to be a positive influence to the people of his country? That is why I agree with Nicole Wallace, a host for MSNBC and former member of the George W. Bush administration, that the female members of the Trump administration should no longer be silent, but instead put an end to Trump's hurtful words. No matter how destructive and nasty someone's words may be, it is never okay to one-up the person and try to bully them even worse. Everyone deserves to be respected.
Discussion Questions:
What do you think is the reason why Trump writes degrading tweets to those who share different opinions than him?
What do you think he gains,if anything, from having Twitter?
If you could, how would you put an end to Trump's twitter account? Would you even want him to stop using it?
The article I chose to examine was "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump's Tweets" The article talked about the tweets that Trump wrote and how they related to cyberbullying. Although, the article states that "Trump is 55 years too old to be a cyber bully" I still consider him one. Trump is a cyber bully and a regular bully. For example when he was at an interview with Howard Stern because of the ad that Hilary Clinton released. Howard asked Trump if he had actually said any of those comments and if he treats woman with respect. He said no to the comments but replied to this to the second part of the question “Uh, I can’t say that, either." [laughs] (Washington Post). The interview proves not only does he discriminate woman but also bullies them. This is not only unfair to woman but also to our country. Just like Brooke Tracey said Trump's words have a bigger say than any other cyberbully. Trump is suppose to be our leader and protect us from any harm. Trump should not be harming us with his words from his Twitter account. Trump also chooses to bully to harass mostly woman like Mika Brzezinski, a host for MSNBC. She was bullied and threatened by Trump when he called her "Crazy Morningmika" and threatened to tell the real story of her relationship with Josh Scarborough. Trump will also sometimes harass men and is known for calling them sad, clowns, pathetic, and so much more. Also like Maya said, Trump may be putting everyone down just so he can have the best reputation. Maybe, Trump is scared about everyone overthrowing him, do to many protest from when he first got elected, that he is scared. He probably fears that the people are going to start to think they are better than him and try to take control. So, by putting people down it may be Trump's way of feeling better about himself and making look like he's the best, just like any other cyberbully. All in all no matter what the reason is Trump should NOT be bullying anyone. Whether it's to their face or not Trump is our leader and he should be setting an example to our country.
ReplyDeletePresident Donald Trump has proven himself to be a bold Twitter persona. The article “The evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July tweets” references a Twitter post by Trump, in which he wishes all the “haters and losers” a Happy Fourth of July. Author, Philip Bump, believes Trump’s Twitter persona is “a far cry from what it was” in 2009. Trump’s first three years of Independence Day tweets were simple and inoffensive. Ever since then, Trump’s tweets have developed an aggressive edge. Last Fourth of July, Trump sent to Twitter this message: “With Hillary and Obama, the terrorist attacks will only get worse. Politically correct fools, won't even call it what it is - RADICAL ISLAM!” This post made by Trump was rather bold. I agree with Philip Bump that President Trump’s Twitter persona has changed over time, especially ever since he interfered with politics. I feel Donald Trump has gotten more aggressive due to him having a Twitter account. I believe if he doesn't use Twitter, then he won’t make as many regretful comments. If he were to stay off Twitter, the media would be able to focus on what Trump is doing in office instead of reporting on his Twitter posts.
ReplyDeleteMy question to the class is: Do you think Twitter is distracting our president from doing his job?
The article I chose to read was “ How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets” -From Politico.com. This article explored the idea of President Donald Trump being considered a cyberbully, from the degrading, offensive tweets he posts. Throughout Trump’s campaign and his presidency, he has continuously posted rude comments and tweets on social media sources, that were directed at either groups of people or one individual person. This kind of behavior is not acceptable from a president and it should be addressed. People are now even considering Trump a cyberbully. A cyberbully is someone who bullies and harasses using electronic forms of contact. According to lawyers, psychologists, and others who study these subjects, “Trump’s behavior bears many of the hallmarks of cyberbullying, from his language to his frequency to his particularly callous targeting of women,”(Politico.com). Although cyberbullying is mostly looked upon as something only teenagers do, Trump has clearly proved that this is not always the case. Most cyberbullies commonly use, “inflammatory language and profanity in hopes of eliciting a reaction, start full-blown arguments by saying derogatory or offensive things about certain people or groups, and repeatedly target the same individuals.” Trump has exhibited all three of these common traits. He has called people fat, dumb, losers several times, called Arianna Huffington, “unattractive inside and out,” and Megyn Kelly, “average in every way.” This kind of behavior is not accepted in any case, especially when the bully is the President of the United States. The President is supposed to be someone the citizens of this country can look up to and depend upon to make good decisions. These tweets clearly send the wrong message to young children of this country, and even other adults. If people see the President, who is supposed to be a highly respected person, saying terrible, cruel things like this to people who did nothing wrong, then they might pick up his bad behavior as well. I agree with Sydney Goodrich when she said that, “Trump is showing that it is okay to show aggression towards others via the internet.” He is basically promoting bullying and setting a bad example for future and current generations.Over the months, Trump has showed no signs of stopping these harsh tweets. He has continuously insulted and harassed numerous amounts of people and some action should be taken to prevent this. By sending these tweets, he is only tarnishing his own political image and creating more drama which distracts the country from his true job, being the president. He even tweeted that Hillary Clinton “doesn’t even look presidential,” during his campaign. This not only offends Hillary Clinton, but shows the world that poor sportsmanship and attacking someone else’s appearance is acceptable. The country should be focused on what Trump is accomplishing in office, not what offensive comments he is writing about someone else. I personally agree that Trump is a cyberbully, which is not acceptable under any circumstances, especially the President of the United States. As to why Trump tweets these hurtful things, I believe it has something to do with him making himself seem better than others. Sydney Goodrich’s question was, “What do you think urges Donald Trump to Tweet these degrading things and why do you think he gives in to all the hate and tries to fight his battles via Twitter and other social medias?” Trump has many supporters, but he also has many people who protest against him, so I think he believes that by sending rude tweets, he will somehow gain more support. Or, he could be doing this on purpose to distract the news and press from what he is really doing in the White house. Also, it is easier to fight your battles on social media, rather than in person. If you are able to hide behind a screen and not face millions of people while you state your opinion, than of course you are going to take that option.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOverall, these tweets are not having any positive impact on our country whatsoever, and Trump should definitely restrain himself from writing anymore hate comments. The less hate we have, the more united a country becomes, and right now, the U.S needs to be united to address the current issues we face. My question is, If Trump was to stop posting these tweets, do you think the country would become more focused on what the President is doing in office, or would people still find ways to write and talk about everything Trump physically says?
ReplyDeleteThe article " The evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July tweets" - from the Washington Post emphasized the development of Donald Trump's posts during Independence Day from 2009 to 2017. As President Trump has been using Twitter steadfastly for about 12 percent of his life, his tweets provide excellent evidence of his development as a politician from 2009 until today. From 2009 until 2011, he tweeted simple messages wishing the country a wonderful and happy holiday. Later on, his tweets became more bold and aggressive and focused on firing back at opponents, like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and mass media. On July 4th, 2016 he stated that " With Hillary and Obama, the terrorist attacks will only get worse" and that both politicians are "politically correct fools". As oppose to his previous tweets which were completely centered around Independence Day as a celebration, he has used this holiday as an opportunity to recognize vulgar comments and celebrate legal victories. This change in behavior reflects his defensive and provocative attitude, which developed because of the negative response from the media and his assertive viewpoints. I agree with the author that his 4th of July tweets are good mile markers of Trump's development, whether it is or is not for the better of his career. His progress as a president however, cannot be determined by his activity in social media. Even though he frequently updates online, this is no measure of his capabilities and dedication as President of the United States.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article, "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump's Tweets," posted by Politico.com. Most people can say that Trump's tweets are offensive and not necessary. President Trump has been accused of being a cyberbully to others online through messages, Twitter, and more. Trump states his opinion very offensively if anyone were to say or do something he doesn’t like or agree with. Trump attacks people in ways that are unprofessional for him being president. Trump tweeted about Mika Brzezinski, a host for MSNBC, saying she is, “off the wall, neurotic and not very bright mess”. Trump even called her “crazy @morningmika” at least three times. Donald Trump exposed her saying she had a mental breakdown on-air, and threatened to leak the real story to her relationship with her co-host. In my opinion, that is just 100% not necessary and even as president, Trump doesn’t have the right to say that nor does anyone. Trump feels as if he has the power and ability to terrorize and expose anyone he wants, even through social media. Even though I usually support Trump and his decisions as president, I disagree strongly of what he has been doing. He also attacks women about their bodies. For instance his tweet at Brzezinski was meant to humiliate a woman about their appearance, saying that she needs to “improve her looks with plastic surgery” and then showed the image of her altered face. I honestly don’t know why Trump uses Twitter in this way. Why should he have Twitter and use it inappropriately? Isn’t he suppose to be a role model towards kids who look up to him as a president? He really needs to stop being a bully to others and step up his game in being president. This is not what a president should be doing or saying to others. Going back to what Sydney said, people look up to Donald Trump and his actions. However, these actions he is doing are not good and people are influenced by them. SInce Trump says and does these things, many people can think it is okay to cyberbully others as well, which is incorrect. In addition, kids look up to their president and I feel like this isn’t the type of person you should allow your kids to look up to. Trump should be a good influence to kids, so he should start to get on the right track as president and fix his mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump's Tweets” also talks about how Trump is different from other “bullies” out there because he is the president of the U.S.. It mentions that " he is arguably the most important person in the world, more people listen to him, and his words can have far broader consequences than hurt feelings." His actions impact others and himself strongly. Personally, I believe that Trump should change the way he acts on social media, especially Twitter, and fix his wrongdoings. However, I don’t think he should stop using social media. Even though he has put negative remarks all over the internet, he should still use it, but in a positive manner. Social media is the fastest way to spread news and media during this day of age. Even though this means he is able to personally interact with others through social media, he should refrain from cyberbullying citizens and use it as an advantage. Social media can help Trump greatly as long as he uses it the correct way.
The article I chose was "The Evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July tweets." Over the course of the years (2009-2016), Trump's tweets on the 4th of July haven't changed drastically, if at all. Back in 2009-2014, he would just wish the American people a happy 4th and then carry on with his day. He even said once, "Happy 4th of July to everyone, including the haters and losers!" Also, in the upcoming years as the presidential campaign began, Trump didnt change his tweets much, but continued along the path of hate against people such as Mitt Romney, Obama, Macy's, and CNN. Now, on July 4th, 2016, he posted a picture of himself at a Trump Rally that said, "Today and Every day, we celebrate our independance" This wasn't hate against anybody, but possibly a way of saying that the American people will forever be safe and free because he will "Make it [America] Great Again." Do you think this is the case?
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose to analyze is “How The Psychology of Cyber Bullying Explains Trump's Tweets” by Politico.com. This article describes why President Trump writes rude and aggressive tweets and how cyberbullying is affecting our culture today. Cyberbullying starts when a child has low self esteem and has none or little empathy so they say nasty, hurtful things to others through the internet. Since cyber bullying itself is children or young adults targeting other people through Internet, 71 year old president Trump cannot be considered cyber bully. However he is considered a cyber harasser. Many of us have seen exactly what makes Mr.Trump a cyber harasser with his harsh tweets that are mainly directed towards women. For example our president recently bashed Mika Brzezinski calling her “crazy” and commented on an incident that correlated with her facial rejuvenation saying she was “bleeding badly from a face-lift”. As a citizen it shocked me that the leader of our country and a role model is harshly ridiculing celebrities. Psychologists have stated that people who feel the need to put down others online do this because they have poor impulse control or trouble in personal relationships. In my opinion it is slightly scary knowing that our president, who makes huge decisions that can affect thousands of people, has such a poor impulse control that he doesn't see or care about the consequences he may get after targeting people on social media. Also if he thinks it is appropriate for our role model and leader to bully someone on social media how can anyone trust he won't make a hasty, emotional governmental decision. In addition, for him to threaten people with information he had, such as when he tweeted he will expose the “real story”of the relationship between Mika and her co-host makes me think he does this for attention and power over someone. Also 34% of children experience cyber bullying and that people in government like President Trump's wife, Melania are trying to prevent bullying that Trump's tweets are Hypocritical to the standpoint of the government. Lastly it concerns me that since he has such a monumental position as a role model so children may follow Trumps example by thinking if they have power that rules or etiquettcy does not apply to them.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Question: Do you think Trump's tweets will affect how children and young adults view cyberbullying?And if so how?
Answering your question Rachel, I think Trumps tweets will affect how kids and young adults view cyberbullying. I feel like kids would think it is okay to do it because Trump, such a high leader, does it then they may think it is okay. Young adults may think of it as a fun way and able to be rude to others through social media because of Trump. With Donald Trump tweeting such harsh tweets, it puts an example out in society that is wrong. Young adults and kids can get the wrong message from Trumps tweets, that would effect the U.S. and the social media world just from his own wrong doings.
DeleteI would like to answer Brooke Tracey's question: What do you think is the reason why Trump writes degrading tweets to those who share different opinions than him?
ReplyDeleteI think President Trump tweets or speaks poorly and harshly towards people who don't agree with his points or opinions because he feels threatened by the fact some one may be able to spread their ideas to people he wants to agree with him. This bring me back to what I read in the article that states that cyber bullies put down people because they are self conscious and have a low self esteem. This might explain why Trump gets so hurt and defensive when people disagree with him. So the only way he feels he can handle that is not considering their point but bashing the person them self and not even their actual opinion. I think he feels it will discredit them thus descrediting their opinion as well.
The article I chose to examine was “How the Psychology of Cyberbullying explains Trump’s Tweets” by politico.com. In this article, the author discusses the reasons behind Trump’s behavior and the effects that his negative comments can have on the United States and its population. In the article, it states, “In the case of adults, Patchin says, cyberbullying behavior is less about coping with personal problems, however, and more about gaining status or reputation among certain circles.” In Trump’s case, status and the way that the population view him as a president is very important. By gaining more supporters than opposers, Trump would be much more powerful and liked as a public figure and that would therefore lead to more alliances with other countries. I don’t think that Trump takes that into consideration when posting Twitter comments about other important figures because his comments are mostly about physical features and not something more relevant to his political position. That can cause people to view Trump as unprofessional or childish, as he is displaying traits of an adolescent cyberbully. According to the article, these are some things that Trump has said about public figures: “Trump had also described Rosie O’Donnell as “fat”, “dumb”, and “a loser”, Arianna Huffington as “unattractive inside and out”, and Megan Kelly as “average in every way.” During the campaign, he tweeted that Hillary Clinton “doesn’t even look presidential.”” Looking back at Trump’s tweets, it is evident that his comments stay within a specific type, not only physical but with the intention of “hurting feelings”. It would be much more effective if President Trump resolved his conflicts in a more mature and professional manner, rather than call people out on their physical features. Going along with what Erika said, President Trump represents our country to the rest of the world and should be viewed as a role model by children in the United States. That is not possible if he occasionally “cyberbullies” other adults and sets a negative example for the American population.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Question: Would it be effective to call Trump out on his Tweets? Would it put a stop to or change the way he deals with his conflicts with other public figures?
The article I chose to analyze was "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump's Tweets" by Politico.com. Sarah Holder is the author of this article who talks about President Trump's derogatory comments on social media and more specifically, Twitter. Recently, Trump tweeted comments about Mika Brzezinski " bleeding badly from a facelift" was in response to the comment that Mika had made on her morning show that Trump was "destroying the country." Mika also made the comment that " Nothing makes a man feel better than making a fake cover of a magazine about himself lying every day and destroying the country" (businessinsider.com). The author of the article on Politico.com did not call out all parties involved in this instance. I agree with Sydney that President Trump's behavior on Twitter is not acceptable at times, however he reacts to negativity that is aimed at him or his family. I do believe that he does lack impulse control at times, but I do not think that his Tweets are a reaction to negative or offensive comments. President Trump has been feuding with Rosie O'Donnell since 2006. Rosie O'Donnell even went as far as suggesting that Barron Trump might be autistic by posting a video on November 21, 2016. She later apologized to Melania Trump but obviously in this case even the kids were not off limits? Would this not have been an instance of cyberbulling? They both have behaved badly through social media comments and should both be ashamed of things that have been said. President Trump will never be perfect, as none of will. I am sure that everyone of us has said something of posted something that we are not proud of. The difference with our posts versus his, is that the Media runs with every negative comment that they can. I do agree with Lojean that President Trump should try to resolve his conflicts in a more mature and professional manner, however I think that he and his family deserve the same respect. Also Sarah Holder stated that "To me the connection that matters between Megyn Kelly and Mika is that he has carnal impulse to denigrate women" (polictico.com). If this was in fact true, would he have chosen Kellyanne Conway as his campaign manager? Or how about the fact that he raised Ivanka Trump to be a strong willed and successful woman. President Trump is not perfect and he will do not do things that everyone approves of or likes but I do not classify him as a cyberbully.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Question: Will deleting a Twitter account solve all our nation's problems?
Where does the First Amendment play in this, the Freedom of Speech?
I chose the article "Plausible Deniability: The drug that President Trump can't stop abusing" Trump can use this method where he says, puts out, or publishes a statement or remark that is vague and allows Trump to wiggle with it. In some cases he uses this method when he makes a mistake, says something that causes controversy, or posts something which causes a negative response from the public to make himself feel better for what he has done or even make his supporters back on his side. Trump doesn't want to lose supporters but gain them, so he wants the public to believe he isn't the one making the mistake by allowing himself to make a vague statement and be able to say it wasn't exactly him who did the act or mistake. This allows Trump to have people appease him and make him look like he is being or acting better than the controversial things he puts out in the public. On the other hand this is a good method for politicians to use once and awhile because most politicians won't be able to please everyone so if sometimes they can add a little leeway to correct themselves is fine. However, it is not good to use plausible deniability all of the time and Trump is on a track to use this method a lot which can come to hurt him in the long run. People will stop appeasing him so easily and realize he is technically tricking the public into thinking his decisions are less controversial than they really are, such as his strong opinion to women and sexism. He again uses this method to cover himself up when he gets a bad review or bad word from the media. Basically Trump will tweet back and use this method to almost make himself feel better for what he does which also makes his supporters feel better and may even gain supporters. This could turn bad in the long run if he continues to use plausible deniability all the time in such critical decisions such as moving to war with North Korea or trying to out do them with weapons where Trump may tweet like the government had decided to threat North Korea with our powerful weapons so that when Trump gets blamed for something big like this, he can easily just say "the government had decided to move forward" or "it wasn't all up to me to make these decisions". For Trump I believe this method is more for himself so he can have an escape goat so he doesn't feel so bad about what he has done or might not have to deal with all of the people who disagree and argue with him. Trump has probably been using a method like this for sometime if he is so used to it that he may have used it in his regular life in the business world. My question is is it right for Trump to be using this all the time and even if Trump was not president and just a big business person, is it right to use a lot of plausible deniability in the world we live in?
ReplyDeleteI chose the article "How the Psychology of Cyberbullying Explains Trump’s Tweets" from Politico. This article speaks out to readers about how, as Sarah Holder states it, "The president has demonstrated an unrelenting fondness for Twitter attacks against celebrities, fellow politicians and the media." The article later describes his actions as cyberbullying and a mix of flaming, trolling, and cyber harrassing. I agree with the author on how Trump's behavior should be changed and how he had a lack of impulse control. Seeing as President Trump is arguably the most influential and important person in the world, his words will have a huge impact in the world we live in. Most cyberbullies and their victims are children. Trump's actions will show them that it is acceptable to attack someone through the use of social media since it is coming from someone as important as the president of the United States. My opinion is that Trump should be more professional with his social media posts. But with people tolerating his actions, Trump will continue to harass people online. It will be up to us, the community, to stand up to his actions and say no, it is not acceptable to bully. Will taking away his Twitter account have an effect? Is it right for the most important person in the world to express his opinions on social media even if it isn't professional?
ReplyDeleteI chose to analyze the article “The Evolution of Donald Trump, as seen in his Fourth of July Tweets” written by Philip Bump from the Washington Post. Bump provides direct evidence that President Trump’s tweets have evolved from innocent to vulgar in a matter of a few years. One tweet provided read, “Here's to a safe and happy Independence Day for one and all - Enjoy it! --Donald J. Trump.” This tweet from 2009 was inoffensive and plainly stated that President Trump wanted citizens of the United States to enjoy their holiday. These straightforward tweets lasted until 2011 but in 2012 they took a turn for the worse. This year Trump started to become heavily involved in politics. In his 2012 Independence Day tweet he took a dig at President Obama and the birth certificate scandal they were both involved in. Ever since 2012, Trump’s tweets were no longer polite like they were before. His independence day tweets from 2016 read “Happy 4th of July!” with a simple picture illustrating him at a rally with the words “We Celebrate Our Independence” written across it. Following this tweet, Trump heckled Obama and Clinton by saying, “With Hillary and Obama, the terrorist attacks will only get worse. Politically correct fools, won't even call it what it is - RADICAL ISLAM!” So that carefree tweet about Independence Day was only there for two hours when he tweeted this one. Throughout the article, Philip Bump voiced his opinion by calling Trump a “businessman” in the beginning and then an “aggressive[ly] confrontational politician“ now. I for one agree with Bump. Trump twitter persona has changed enormously over the years. I also agree with Leah Coelho. President Trump has gotten more aggressive on twitter since he got involved in politics. If he were to abandon twitter, news outlets wouldn’t have to judge him on his tweets and could focus on what he is doing as a leader. Do you believe that if Donald Trump gave up twitter, the citizens who doubt or are unsure of him would come to a final conclusion and decide whether they trust him as our president?
ReplyDeleteBefore I start, to Mr. Balanda, I'm sorry i'm cutting my deadline for this so short but I just came home from vacation.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, Mel, and thanks for the heads up!
DeleteI choose the article "How the Physiology of Cyberbullying Explains Trumps Tweets"(Politico.com.) Hi Sydney! You started your essay just as I was going to mine, with saying that schools today are continuously pressing the issue of cyberbullying. Therefore, it should be shocking that our own president is participating, but as stated in the article it isn't surprising. To start off, I believe that the title of this article is entirely wrong. Nothing can explain why Trump would make such comments. So, rather than asking why he is leaving these comments, as many of you asked, shouldn't we be asking why we are letting him? As her current event post for July, Kaylin Lawlor posted an article regarding Trump and lying for his votes. I had always been astonished at the fact of Trump getting the votes to control our country. During his run he was rude in person let alone online. And of course the majority was to women, which ties back to my first response on the supreme court where I said that Trump is a bias person. So why did we let him get this far? To the point where we need to find words that are "more adult" to describe him rather than saying he is a cyberbully.
ReplyDeleteTo Shannon Burby, as an answer to your question, "Do you believe that if Donald Trump gave up twitter, the citizens who doubt or are unsure of him would come to a final conclusion and decide whether they trust him as our president?" I believe that regardless of his position online, he should not be trusted. He is more concerned with indulging himself with worldwide issues rather than making an effort to fix them. There is not much more to say that everyone else hasn't other than that these actions are unacceptable and should not be tolerated or continued.
I choose the article "America's 100 Other Declarations of Independence"- from Politico.com. The article is mainly about different declarations being made through out the years. Though, it has some information about other things like the brief history behind it or who was apart of what declaration. The original declaration of independence is changed to accommodate other rights and etc.
ReplyDeleteSorry I get very off topic sometimes and tend not to write much and spelling is not my strong suit please over look errors.
my question to the class is: what could do you think about how the declarations treated to other states or to Britain?