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In Paris on Thursday, Donald Trump said, A lot of people dont know that France is Americas first and oldest ally. That may be true. But commentators noted that when Trump uses the a lot of people dont know formulation, its usually a sign that he didnt know himself.

Its called projection. And Trump does it with remarkable frequency. You may have noticed that over the last few days, Trump and his allies have begun talking a lot about the Hillary Clinton campaigns alleged collusion with the governments of Russia and Ukraine. On Wednesday morning, for instance, Trump tweeted a quote from the conservative Washington Times that claimed, Democrats have willfully used Moscow disinformation to influence the presidential election against Donald Trump.

Why is Trump suddenly interested in the Democratic Partys ties to the Russian government? Perhaps because on Monday, The New York Times broke a blockbuster story about his campaigns ties to the Russian government.

Its a pattern that has repeated itself again and again since Trump launched his presidential bid. Last June, as Hillary Clinton was finishing up her primary campaign, she began testing a line that she would use against Trump throughout the summer and fall: Hes temperamentally unfit. In her speech at the Democratic National Convention, she added that, A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Soon, Trump was making the same argument about her. I dont think shes all there, he declared in August. In September he called her trigger-happy and very unstable.

Another, related, Clinton theme was the impact of Trumps bad behavior on Americas children. In its first negative ad, the Clinton campaign depicted children watching Trumps crude, violent, and demeaning comments on TV. Trump soon picked up the theme himself, asking a North Carolina crowd, What should these parents tell their children about Hillary Clintons attacks?

Then in August, after Trump named Steve Bannon to be his campaigns chief executive, Clinton announced she would give a speech on Trumps ties to white nationalists. That same day, Trump told a Mississippi crowd that, Hillary Clinton is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future.

Pat Robertson Gives Trump a Pass on Russia

The following month, as journalists pressed him to state definitively that he believed President Obama was born in the United States, Trump announced that, Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. In October, as numerous women came forward to accuse Trump of sexual harassment, he began accusing Clinton of abusing women.

Trump invited three alleged victims of Bill Clintons sexual harassment to the second presidential debate, and declared from the podium that, Hillary Clinton attacked those same women and attacked them viciously.

During the primaries, Ted Cruz actually tried to diagnose this Trump habit. This man is a pathological liar, Cruz insisted. He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. And in a pattern that I think is straight out of a psychology textbook, his response is to accuse everybody else of lying.

Why does Trump do this? Sigmund Freud believed people project onto others impulses that they cannot accept as their own. Erick Erickson suggested that projection may be a response to crisis or extreme stress. Others have linked it to narcissism.

The more important question is why it works, at least among Trumps base. One answer may be that Trump supporters embrace his projection because theyre doing it themselves. Consider Trumps claim that Hillary Clinton is the real bigot. On its face its odd given that Clinton enjoyed overwhelming African American support. But its easier to understand the statements appeal when you realize that, according to a November 2016 Huffington Post/YouGov poll, Trump supporters were twice as likely to say whites face a lot of discrimination as they were to say blacks face a lot of discrimination. When it came to bigotry, in other words, Trumps overwhelmingly white fan base may have been projecting, too.

Or take Trumps claim that Clinton was the real harasser of women. Its easier to understand when you realize that more than 40 percent of Trump supporters think, society seems to punish men just for acting like men, according to a PRRI/The Atlantic poll. And that in a May 2016 Morning Consult poll, 49 percent of Republican men who had an unfavorable opinion of Clinton called her a sexist. A November ABC/Washington Post poll found that 87 percent of Republicans considered Trump more honest than Clinton despite the fact that Politifact judged 50 percent of the Clinton statements they evaluated to be true or mostly true compared to only 17 percent of Trumps.

Maybe Trumps supporters believe his projections because hes not the only one who wants to escape from reality.

Continue reading here:
The Projection President - The Atlantic

MSNBC

Donald Trump is already a legend in his own mind MSNBC About a month ago, at his first full cabinet meeting, Donald Trump spoke very highly of himself. Never has there been a president, with few exceptions case of FDR, he had a major depression to handle who has passed more legislation and who has ... How to win a friend and influence a PresidentCNN Read Excerpts From President Trump's Off-the-Record BriefingTIME President Trump spoke with reporters for an hour, but it was off-the-record... or was it?CNNMoney all 41 news articles »

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Donald Trump is already a legend in his own mind - MSNBC

Most of my writing is about the Trump administration. In fact, my mandate from Pacific Standard is Trump and the law. On Twitter, the bulk of my recent follower growth and new relationships with others in the politico-legal sphere have come out of responding quickly when the president tweets and engaging the threads of conversation that flow from those tweets.

So when President Donald Trump blocked me in June, apparently for suggesting that Russia influenced the outcome of the 2016 election, he harmed me professionally. Even though I knew @realDonaldTrump was important to my career, it still took me at least a few days to recognize how being blocked by the president on Twitter would affect me as a public intellectual.

Twitter initially became a haven for me when I recognized it as a great equalizer in the media world. Washington DC, generally, and the world of writing and commentary, specifically, operate on networks and connections that many denizens inherit. Mine are hard won.

Not every tweet is a hit, but when I make a point pithily and its liked and retweeted by thousands of people, some of the people who agree with my point or like the way I make it follow me or reach out. And some of those people are editors, experts, and advocates who become employers, contributors, and collaborators.

Gone now is my ability to participate in the timeliest and most robust conversations around law, policy, and politics on Twitterthose around the presidents tweets. Taking part in these exchanges was an ideal way to stay current on not just facts, but new ideas. These threads make up the marketplace of ideas in which my peers and potential employers, colleagues, and audience are present and participating. Ive been forced out and have no meaningful way to rejoin them.

I didnt think being blocked on Twitter was a big deal at first. Its just a button you can click, a way to mute an ex or tune out trolls attacks. But it turns out that when the person who blocks you is the president of the United States, it can matter quite a bit. Every day Im blocked I lose opportunities to advance my views and engage others'literally the reason a reader follows a writers work, the substance a publication pays a writer forin these conversations. I cant fire off a 140-word tweet, create a thread, or share pieces I write to drive discussion within these very conversations . That quick click I thought was so inconsequential is constraining my career in ways I have yet to fully appreciate.

Twitter also brought me to where I am today: Pursuing a lawsuit with others against President Trump for his decision to block us on Twitter. It was because I tweeted about being blocked that I eventually connected with the Knight First Amendment Institute and became involved in the legal effort.

When it comes to Twitter, I thought my fights would be confined to threads and direct messages. It never occurred to me that Id end up in court. I cant say Im glad I have, but I am proud to stand up for the right to free speech, which is essential to not only to individual peopleand entire professionsbut democracy. Each day my appreciation grows for the magnitude of what I am part of. How I respond to being excluded from the presidents Twitter may be more important than anything Ive ever said on Twitter.

Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza is a legal analyst, advocate, and author based in Washington DC.

Continued here:
Trump Blocked Me on Twitter and It's Costing Me My Career - Fortune

From Garrydose to Lathamite.

Racist posters have been appearing across Sydneys inner-west this week depictingAsians, the Apex gang and high-profileMuslim Australians like Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Waleed Aly as Pokemon. Designed to look like Pokemon cards, the posters read Gotta catch & deport em all. One poster of Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young reads gotta catch &hang em all.

The posters are tied to a group calledAussie Nationalists (though they deny distributingthem) and NSW Police are currently looking into the matter. A representative of the group has said they may be making more and intend to raise awareness as to what is happening to Australia through mass immigration and the Chinese buy-out and the anti-Australians we have in parliament and on our TV networks.

In short: its fucked. Its full-blown racism and abusein the streets, and a depressing yet accurate reflection of a huge part of Australian culture right now. Both Abdel-Magied and Hanson-Young have publicly condemned the posters.Junkee writer Patrick Marlborough, on the other hand, figured if anyone was going to be reduced towild caricatures it shouldprobably besome of the peoplespreading the hate.

Lets reclaim Pokemon with the Alt-Right Starter Deck:

HP: 420

This ubiquitous Pokemon may become Alt-Right if exposed to an MRA stone.

Pub Test (10): If Garrydose decides his opponents attacks arent Up To Snuff, he may activate Passive Aggressive Silence.

Average Punter (passive): Garrydose is immune to Persuasion and cannot be harmed by moves such as 4 Corner Expose.

Coward Punch (30-45): Garrydose may punch an opponent when it is not his turn. If Garrydose is holding a schooner add +15 damage.

Cronulrite:If Garrydose is exposed to a Cronulrite he will hold a commemorative BBQ on the 10th anniversary that will be attended by four other Garrydose.

HP: 129 marked down to 120, the price of a slightly discounted Lu Lu Lemon hoodie

Often paired with Garrydose, Minioninas passive ability Banality allows her to offer bonuses, as well as quietly condone their behaviour.

Think Again Sweetie (5): Minionina deflects an attack and reminds her opponent that social media influencer is essentially a medical degree.

Minion Gif:If Minionina is holding a Minion Gif she gains +5 Sp. Def. for every react received on her anti-vax page.

HP: 1996

This legendary flame-haired rodent Pokemon is known for baffling trainers with its paranoiac syntax and unsinkable legacy of hate.

Dancing With The Stars: Hansonite summons a Paul Mercurio mirage, add Mecurios scoring of Hansonite to its special defence.

Maiden Speech (10): Hansonite stuns opponents for two terms.

Resurgence: If KOd Hansonite will return after four turns with double HP and media coverage.

HP: 69

This once great Pokemon is often mistaken for a pile of trash. It is constantly thirsty, and gains +20 Sp Atk insecurity points when fighting Pokemon of a different gender.

Toxic Vlog (20-50): Lathamite spews bile on his opponent, and may do so multiple times if his holding a Live Stream.

Cab Grab (25): Lathamite falls asleep for two turns. Once woken, Lathamite accuses his opponent of giving them the screw around, tackling them and possibly causing a status condition, such as Broken Arm.

Man Cave In: Lathamite bloviates and gains a sharp increase to Sp Def, but suffers a greatly reduced platform.

HP: 14

This basement dweller gains +5 attack for every RT, but is weak against Social Interaction and Facts.

DM Slide (15): Kekabra may slip into the DMs of opponents to call them slurs, causing 5 damage (15 max) for every reaction gif.

Extremely Online (passive): If Kekabra is battling Online it gains +5 to its Sp Atk for every questionable newsource it RTs. Kekabra also suffers a steep decrease in Sp Def however as Extremely Online leaves it vulnerable to Criticism.

Blocked: Kekabra is able to block an opponent that calls it out. This move can be countered by Email Employer, which will reduce Kekabras HP to 0.

HP: 88

The final evolution of Kekabra, Pepekazam harnesses a powerful combination of Post-Irony, Rebranded Nazism, and Untreated Personality Disorders to dazzle its opponents.

Meme War (20): Pepekazam RTs a barrage of poorly executed memes. May cause opponents to become Confused or Disinterested.

Triggered (120): If Pepekazam causes their opponent to flinch they may go in for an all-out attack. However, if Pepekazam misses the recoil damage may cause him to Meltdown.

Meltdown: Pepekazam becomes confused and starts linking perceived personal slights against him as Conspiracies. Pepekazam deals 30 damage to opponents, himself, and may accidentally say something anti-Semitic on his Twitch livestream.

Proud Boy (passive): Pepekazams warped view of history and their own self-importance makes them immune to Fear and Common Sense.

HP: 510 minus declining readership

This self-reviving fossil Pokemon is able to banish any Pokemon a darker shade of Clefairy. Its ability to Summon Witch Hunts and Offer Platforms makes it the perfect support tank for an Alt-RightDeck.

Spiked Column (35): If there is an Albwreckt or Bolton in your hand, this attack gains +10 Hysteria Damage and may cause Public Outrage.

Hot Take (10): Newskore may refashion a Guardianite or Pedestrions Content ability to cause Critical Damage to an opponents National Discourse.

Photoslop: Newskore photoshops opposing Pokemon into an SS Uniform, may cause Confusion and Eye Rolls.

Syndicated: Passive ability that poisons any opponents battling on a Media Landscape.

HP: 5.1 percent swing

This Magost Berry-headed Pokemon is mysteriously found in Cabinets. His Thinly Veiled Hate make him a tenacious opponent, if one unelectable as leader.

Mandatory Detention (20): Duttonyx may hold already damaged opponents in Mandatory Detention, causing 20 damage for an indefinite amount of turns.

Tow Back: Duttonyx may counter Drownings At Sea by towing his opponent out beyond his jurisdiction. The opponent can no longer affect Duttonyxs stats.

Citizenship Test:Any Pokemon that fails Duttonyxs Citizinship Test must return to its trainers hand, and stay there.

HP: 2013 2015

This budgie-smuggling Pokemon robo-apostate gains approval points while in opposition, but loses them when Held Accountable.

White Ant (5): Ab-Bot leaks confidential information about his opponents weaknesses, causing 5 damage for each turn Ab-Bot is still (inexplicably) allowed on the field. May harm allies.

Onion Chomp (100): Ab-Bot bites an onion causing his opponent to flinch, deals 100 recoil to Ab-Bots Sp. Def. Opinion Polls.

Knighted (75): Ab-bot knights his opponent, every active card and player becomes Confused.

Rhodes Scholar (passive): If Ab-Bots Approval Ratings reach 51 percent the opposing player is forced to acknowledge that Ab-Bot he is a Rhodes Scholar, adding +15 to his Atk.

Mad Monk (passive): If Ab-Bots Approval Ratings dip below 49 percent whoever played him must acknowledge that he is a Mad Monk and deal 50 wrecker damage to any Malcomites in his hand.

Pell Defense: Abbott may boost the Def. and diplomatic immunity of any Cardinal in the players deck.

Patrick Marlborough is a writer and comedian based out of Fremantle. He tweets at@Cormac_McCafe.

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A Guide To The Brand New Australian Alt-Right Pokemon Starter Deck - Junkee

After the culture wars of Western politics went online and were appropriated by Millennials, something strange happened. You could see it when Jeopardy! champion and Twitter personality Arthur Chu surveyed the phenomenon of young men pushing against the influence of feminist criticism on their entertainment and declared, As a dude who cares about feminism sometimes I want to join all men arm-in-arm & then run off a cliff and drag the whole gender into the sea. Those on the left side of these wars claimed to be victims as individuals even though, as a collective, they were capable of bullying people out of their jobs and harassing them to to the point of suicide. Taught by self-esteem con artists and childrens media that everyone is special in their own way, this generation in turn taught itself that everyone is oppressed in their own way.

It is partly such a mindset that Angela Nagle, in her new book Kill All Normies, says the multifarious alt-right is defining itself against. Nagles delightfully short treatment of this movement is stuffed with charming asides, the most endearing of which asserts her openness to the possibility that her tour through the ironical in-jokey maze of meaning created by the right-wing activists may document nothing more than a strange and passing moment.

Nagles definition of the alt-right phenomenon is helpfully expansive. For her, the movement is broader than white nationalists such as Richard Spencer. It encompasses the larger constellation of right-wing-populist, new-media phenoms such as Milo Yiannopolous and Lauren Southern, as well as neo-Reactionary thinkers such as Nick Land and Mencius Moldbug. And its culture was fed by the transgressive message boards of 4chan, the strange pickup-artist scene, and South Park conservatives.

Nagle has many arch observations. This right wing learns quickly from the online Left and imitates or parodies its tactics. The movements transgressive performances are a way of effecting its final detachment from any egalitarian philosophy of the left or Christian morality of the right. And its commitment to itself as a vanguard means it has rejected Buckleyite conservatives belief that the masses were their naturally traditionalist allies. (If one imagines where Milo would line up politically in terms of the infamous William F. Buckley v. Gore Vidal televised presidential debates of 1968, Nagle writes at one point, It would probably be closer to that of Vidal, whose libertinism and mischievous gay rhetorical style was so abhorrent to Buckley.)

Kill All Normies is just as sharp, and perhaps twice as cutting, when it observes the young online Left. At points, Nagle dances close to suggesting that the Left brought this on itself: After crying wolf throughout these years, calling everyone from saccharine pop stars to Justin Trudeau a white supremacist and everyone who wasnt With Her a sexist, the real wolf eventually arrived.

Nagle quotes Marxist critic Mark Fischers observation that the online Left is driven by a priests desire to excommunicate and condemn, an academic-pedants desire to be the first to be seen to spot a mistake, and a hipsters desire to be one of the in-crowd. She then adds that the witch-hunting tactics that shame people into silence have the effect of creating social and economic scarcity in an online world where virtue is treated as currency. If everyone has value in this medium of exchange, then the only way to accrue more yourself is to burn a few friends.

Even though I appreciated the brevity of Nagles book, I did want a little more. We know what Nagle thinks of the role the young online Left had in summoning this beast. We know less about the role that people in real positions of authority in education, media, and even organized religion played in the same accident. The style of counterculture may be superficial, but it exercises a powerful hold on the imagination of those that enter it and those that oppose it. Although nobody was planning it, the messages extant in the culture said that you had to be a rebel to be truly authentic, while to be good you had to conform to ever-more elaborate norms defined by a new class of campus deans and human-resource administrators. Every culture has its contradictions, but this was bound to bewilder people; unsurprisingly, many of them decided it was better to be real and bad than tame and good.

Kill All Normies focuses on whats happening online, but looking at this culture of young people sharing transgressive images on 4chan and beta males paying money to pickup artists this culture that occasionally leads its adherents to racialist ideology I wonder about whats happening offline.

Nagles book mentions the figure of Canadian professor Jordan B. Peterson, who has become something like a surrogate father figure to many in the constellation of the alt-right and beyond it. Peterson came to prominence after opposing a new Canadian law that concerned the use of novel, ideological pronouns like xir. But for those who watch his YouTube videos, hes built almost a portal to taking responsibility for yourself, feeling like an adult, and even entering the life of the mind. His advice begins with the encouragement to clean up your room.

In the way it acts out to get attention, in the way it tries to shock people, and even in its ideological promiscuity, the alt-right gives me the strong impression of being a movement of orphans. Theyre on the Internet all the time. Who abandoned them IRL?

READ MORE: The Racist Moral Rot at the Heart of the Alt-Right Richard Spencers White Supremacism is Boring, Not Newsworthy

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review.

Read more:
The Kids Are Alt-Right - National Review