Trump's Appeal to Authoritarianism

12.18.23

To the editor:

Matthew Schmitz argues that Donald Trump's appeal is unrelated to his authoritarian proclivities; he suggests his moderation and pragmatism are primarily at play  (12.18.23, The Secret of Trump’s Appeal Isn’t Authoritarianism).  This is wishful thinking rather than a reflection of reality.  An August poll by CNN-SSRS showed that over 70% of Republicans do not believe President Biden won the 2020 election fairly; 37% of Independents likewise question the legitimacy of the 2020 election.  This is Trump's pragmatism at play; convince the voters they have been disenfranchised to get their support.  Sowing dissension, mistrust, paranoia, and hate are also  perversely pragmatic and part of his authoritarian playbook.

Is Trump moderate?  As the saying goes, a stopped clock is right twice a day.  Is overturning Roe v Wade moderate?  Or his engagement of Vladimir Putin?  Or adding almost eight trillion dollars to the national debt?  I believe Donald Trump's decision-making is best understood through a self-serving lens  rather than than of a public servant. This makes him an erratic leader ... unpredictable and dangerous.

Ultimately, in addition to calling out authoritarianism for what it is, the underlying conditions for its appeal must be addressed.  In particular, socioeconomic hardship and growing income disparity in this country have created a fertile environment for authoritarianism. 

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Fighting for Gun Reform

10.28.23

To the editor:

Re. Stephen King on Mass Shootings: We're Out of Things to Say (nytimes.com; 10/27/23):

Stephen King laments the unending cycle of violence in our gun addicted, gun loving culture. He sees no way forward in the current political environment.  However, according to the Pew Center, the majority of Americans believe it is too easy to legally obtain a gun and support stricter gun laws.  Our politicians are out of step with the majority of Americans.

We would do well to have a litmus test for candidates for elected office their commitment to gun reform and supporting legislation to make that happen.  Pro-life constituents succeeded in catalyzing massive legislative and judicial changes with respect to abortion; while I abhor the outcome of these efforts, perhaps these conservative, largely Republican individuals can apply the same pro-life pressure in supporting candidates willing to break with the NRA and make real their commitment to life whereby the right to life takes precedence over the right to bear arms.

Larry S. Sandberg

Obesity and Shame

9.9.23

To the editor:

Aaron Carroll highlights the pernicious role of shame for many people suffering from depression and/or obesity (9.9.23, What obesity drugs and antidepressants have in common).  For many individuals the presence of medication to treat these conditions ‘medicalizes’ them and in so doing decreases both stigma and shame. They can consider that they are stricken by a condition rather than defined by it. When benevolence and compassion are cultivated (rather than harsh judgement), people can take an increasingly active role in their care because they feel deserving of relief.  As shame reflects, at least in part, the internalization of societal values, we all benefit from doing what we can to show kindness to those suffering with these conditions. 

Respectfully submitted,

Larry S. Sandberg

Racism Parading As Anti-Wokeness

7.22.23

To the editor:


Ron DeSantis is a living caricature of the anti-wokeness campaign he champions (7.21.23 DeSantis faces swell of criticism over Florida’s new standards for Black history). He appropriates a term that has its origins in Black America’s fight against racism (essentially to be aware). He perverts its meaning as something threatening, offers an antidote to this newly defined danger and portrays himself as the protector or savior of those at risk. Case in point: middle schoolers should learn ‘slaves developed skills which … could be applied for their personal benefit.’ Does this mean it was not so bad to be enslaved? Or a slave owner? It should be kept in mind that the skills slaves developed (beyond survival) were for the commercial benefit of the slave owners and not acts of benevolence.

As a psychoanalyst, I think it is racist behavior (whether conscious or not) to distort the meaning of ‘wokeness’ and to then use this new meaning in an effort to whitewash our history. However imperfectly, Germany in relation to the Holocaust and South Africa in relation to apartheid have made efforts to confront the dark and damaging aspects of their histories. Our country as a whole would benefit from a similar effort.

Respectfully
Larry S Sandberg

Fox (Faux)News: Too Little, Too Late

4.24.23

To the editor:

There are bad business decisions - like lying to your audience to maintain market share - and good business decisions - like firing an employee whose lies cost your company hundreds of millions of dollars (Tucker Carlson Is Leaving Fox, 4.24.23).  I hope this marks the beginning and not the end of Fox doing the right thing but I am not holding my breath.  This is an unapologetic, bottom line, financial calculus and not one based on morality or ethics - that ship has sailed as they say.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Fox News: An Oxymoron

3.12.23

To the editor:

While one can never predict the outcome of a trial, the argument that Fox news was simply reporting Trump's (and his allies) accusations rather than embracing them is patently false (3.12.23 How Fox hopes to win in court after setbacks).  Legitimate news outlets, like the PBS Newshour, reported the news objectively noting the unsubstantiated or baseless nature of the claims being made. Fox News parroted those claims to their audience while taking an objective stance in private where market share was not at risk.  Most disturbing is that Fox news lied to its loyal viewers for personal gain; sacrificing the truth and any journalistic sense of integrity to its listeners. Tucker Carlson's recent spin on the events of January 6th suggest that he and the network are doubling down on what they believe is a winning strategy.  I hope Fox's viewers prove them wrong.

Respectfully,

Larry S. Sandberg

Sorry David Brooks ... Don't Shoot The Messenger

3.10.23

To the editor:

David Brooks shoots the messenger by suggesting that progressives are engaging in 'catastrophizing' - a maladaptive mental activity that interferes with effective problem solving and a healthy sense of agency (3.10.23 The self-destructive effects of progressive sadness).  For progressives, catastrophe abounds: racial injustice, gun violence, loss abortion rights, climate change to name a few. This is a lived reality, and should not be denigrated (however unintentional) tas an anxious state of mind. That many conservatives deem these problems as non-issues, or pay lip service to them, or feel threatened by the needed solutions to these catastrophes can lead to problematic efforts to 'cancel' those individuals who hold opposing views. But that fact in no way diminishes the life threatening catastrophes we face both nationally and globally.

Respectfully,

Larry S. Sandberg

George Santos and the Ethically Challenged Republican Party

1.20.23

To the editor:

I hope that former congressman Peter King is right that the Republican party risks being punished for its shameless mishandling of the fabulist George Santos (1.20.23 Santos won't be able to fake his way through Congress).  There are situations that lack moral ambiguity and this is one of them.  The amorality of Santos is only exceeded by the immorality of a Republican leadership corrupted by power and a desperate need to hold on to a slim majority in order to exercise that power.  George Santos is nothing more than a pawn in the Republican's power play, being used just as he has used others for his personal advancement.  This is not the kind of justice Americans expect from their elected officials.

Sincerely

Larry S Sandbeg

Misplaced Documents: Biden versus Trump

1.20.23

To the editor:

I am much less worried than Jonathan Alter about the political consequences of the discovery that President Biden has mishandled classified documents (1.20.23 Oh Biden, what have you done?) Insofar as the Republicans push a false narrative of equivalency - namely that Biden's misconduct is on a par with Trump's misconduct - attacking Biden is an attack against Trump.  If they argue that the two situations are, in fact, different there is no way that a gaffe prone Joseph Biden is viewed less favorably than a self-serving and self-aggrandizing Donald Trump. The 'worst case scenario' is that Donald Trump's popularity continues to erode and Joe Biden decides not to run for reelection.  This would not only open the way for the next generation of Democratic leaders to come forward; it would also strengthen Biden politically making attacks against him largely inconsequential and highlighting how extremism dominates the current Republican party.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Kellyanne Conway's Self-serving Subservience to Donald Trump

1.15.23

To the editor:

It was quite generous of the Times to offer Kellyanne Conway precious space in the Opinion pages to submit her job application to run Donald Trump's presidential campaign [1.15.23 The case for (and against) Donald Trump in 2024].  She famously supported Trump's dishonesty by speaking of 'alternative facts' as if such a thing exists.  Case in point: Does anyone really believe that Trump 'stared down' Putin?  Trump's greatest gift has been getting people to believe in his power, greatness and good intentions only to discover a self-serving, insecure core beneath this grandiose veneer (see the failed ventures of Trump University, Trump Airlines, Trump Vodka, Trump Streaks, Trump Ice, Trump Magazine and more). I imagine, with the passage of time, his presidency will mark a low point in our country's history.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Santos Socipathy

12.29.22

To the editor:

Perhaps in the holiday spirit of generosity David Brooks expresses sorrow more than anger towards Representative-elect George Santos whose main 'qualification' for office seems to be his ability to deceive those he hopes to serve (12.29.22, The sad tales of George Santos).  Contrary to Brooks positing that Santos is driven by shame to create a false narrative, I would suggest that it is likely he suffers from shamelessness; shame, along with guilt, are important guardrails in guiding and constraining our behavior.  When a fuller picture of Santos emerges, it will be interesting to see whether his recent conduct is an aberration or, more likely I would imagine, a way of life.  More important is how the Republican party will face the moral challenge it faces in the moment.  Will it shamelessly turn a blind eye or do the right thing?

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Facing Loss

12.4.22

To the editor:

Jill Biolosky writes poignantly about her complicated process mourning the loss of her sister by suicide (12.4.22 Grief is a forever thing). She also criticizes the American Psychiatric Association's recent addition of prolonged grief to the DSM-V.  While the latter risks pathologizing a healthy albeit painful process, it serves to highlight that for some people a normal process of mourning may go awry and such individuals may benefit from treatment.  Losses that are tragic, traumatic or highly ambivalent (for example, the death of a parent who was abusive) are particularly hard to mourn.  As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst I have worked with many patients for whom living fully after loss was difficult due to unresolved feelings of guilt in relation to the deceased. It is not that sadness can be or should be eradicated from one's psyche. If one lives constantly haunted by loss one has become deadened or prematurely died.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

SICKENED BY GUN VIOLENCE AND OUR MACHO GUN CULTURE

11.23.22

To the editor:

If only it were true, as Governor Youngkin said, that 'heinous acts of violence have no place in our communities' (6 people killed in shooting at Virginia Walmart, 11.23.22). Our country suffers from an epidemic of gun violence where shattered lives and broken hearts are part of the daily news cycle. Politicians, more interested in holding on to power, refuse to take the unpopular but necessary steps to - literally - stop the bleeding. We desperately need moderate pro-gun members of Congress to do the right thing by taking the lead on gun reform and, yes, putting their jobs on the line.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

POST MIDTERM ELECTION GLEE

11.10.22

To the editor:

What a difference a week makes! David Brooks lamented one week prior to the election 'We're about where we were...Nothing the parties or candidates have done has really changed this underlying balance.' He alluded to deep structural differences within the electorate contributing to a hostile, menacing atmosphere. (11.3.22) Why aren't the Democrats trouncing these guys'?) Lo and behold a week hence, he proclaims 'The fever is breaking.' (11.10.22) The election results, while still unfolding, suggest that our country is less divided than it seems and that sowing divisiveness itself may be a less successful political strategy than it has been in the past. If these results encourage respect for one another, respect for the rule of law, and respect for our differences we will have taken a major stride to put Donald Trump where he belongs - in the history books and out of politics.

Larry S Sandberg

The January 6th Committee: Partisan? My Ass.

10.14.22

To the editor:

Perhaps it is unsurprising given these divisive times to take issue with Christopher Caldwell's characterization of the Jan. 6th Committee as 'pursuing their case in a grandiose and ideological manner, tarring Mr. Trump’s voting base as a bunch of authoritarians and election deniers' (10.13.22 The Jan.6th Committee Has Been Almost Wholly Ineffective). There are three groups of Republicans: those who are lying to promote their political self-interest; those who are vulnerable, susceptible to believing the lie and who are being victimized by the very politicians they support; those disillusioned conservatives who see today's Republican Party as unrecognizable and a threat to our democracy. Liz Cheney, clearly in the last camp, has been explicit in making the important distinction between those Republicans who knowingly lie and those who have been lied to and now believe the lie. Both of these groups comprise 'election deniers.' But the psychology and motivations involved are fundamentally different. Cheney has expressed sympathy towards those individuals who must face being deceived by those they trusted. This is not tarring Trump's voting base.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

The January 6th Committee: Trying To Protect Our Democracy

10/14/22

To the editor:

While Christopher Caldwell (10.13.22 The Jan.6th Committee Has Been Almost Wholly Ineffective) portrays the hard work of the Jan. 6th Committee as a partisan political effort, it is worth remembering that, with rare exception, testimony has been obtained from self-proclaimed Republicans, many of whom were Trump appointees. Insofar as the committee has been committed to establishing facts; i.e., a semblance of objective reality, it is unclear what Caldwell means by the lack of 'oppositional checks' on the committee.

At the same time, Caldwell rightly emphasizes the role of Trump's psychology as a major disturbing variable. But mental health professionals who openly voiced their concerns early on were either ignored or openly criticized for being 'unethical' in their public statements. Moreover, we need to confront the group psychology at play in two respects. First, Trump's malignant effect on many Republican politicians who have willfully adopted deception as a political strategy. Second, a large part of the electorate incapable of identifying misinformation as such living with the delusion (i.e., fixed false belief) that the election was stolen. It is important to keep in mind that many people who attacked the Capital genuinely believed their actions were patriotic. The irony is that they accurately saw themselves as victims but for the wrong reason: of a stolen election rather than manipulation.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Trumpism versus Trump

9.7.22

To the editor:

Bret Stephens mistakenly claims 'The gravest threat American democracy faces today isn’t the Republican Party, MAGA or otherwise. It’s Trump.' (9.6.22 With Malice Toward Quite A Few). Like a highly malignant cancer, Trump has metastasized into Trumpism and destroyed the Republican Party. The damage he has caused his Party and the threat this creates for our democracy will be with us long after Donald Trump is gone.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg

Trump Unraveling ...

8.13.22

To the editor:

The wheels of justice are turning ... slowly, deliberately and inexorably (8.13.22, Files seized from Trump are part of Espionage Act inquiry). Donald Trump decried the rampant criminal activity in our streets in his vulgar inaugural speech heralding his role as the law and order president. Multiple investigations in Washington, New York and Georgia have already exposed Trump as having disdain or even contempt for the rule of law. His unfitness for office is impressive. He will go down in history,ironically enough, as a lawless President who reaffirmed the importance of the rule of law.

Respectfully,

Larry S Sandberg

Feelings Help Us Think and Make Decisions

7.24.22

To the editor:

Russ Roberts illustrates the futility of trying to make important life decisions like whether to marry - what he calls 'wild problems' - by attempting a dispassionate cost-benefit analysis of pros and cons (7.24.22 How to make a life-defining decision). Roberts suggests thinking more about one's destiny rather than one's path in order to lead a meaningful life. But he downplays the central role of emotions in such decisions. Interestingly enough, this is nicely illustrated in the example he gives of Charles Darwin deciding whether to marry: his thinking incorporates an 'emotional vein' that frees him to choose marriage.

Contemporary neuroscience has proven what psychoanalysts have known for a long time: thinking and feeling are not independent functions of our minds. Feelings, which are inextricably linked to our bodies, our very existence, play an integral role in thinking and solving the 'wild problems' we face.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg MD

The Real Threat: Over 400 Million Guns In The United States

7.9.22

To t he editor:

David Brooks paints a psychological portrait of mass shooters - isolated, lonely, humiliated, vengeful - that acknowledges their 'malicious lunacy' often in the absence of a diagnosed psychiatric illness (7.8.22 Why Mass Shooters Do The Evil They Do). Their alienation and disconnectedness from others makes them hard to see and easy to ignore. I support mental health efforts to identify and help those young (typically) white men who fit this profile. But we should keep in mind that it is only because assault weapons are readily available in our country that a potential mass killer can become an actual one.

Respectfully submitted

Larry S. Sandberg