Is President Trump a victim of hypomania along with an inate desire to embrace Fascism?

 

Trump’s emerging fascism:

 

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines fascism as a political system that 1) promotes nationalism at all costs, 2) maintains a centralized autocratic government, 3) is headed by a dictatorial leader, 4) demands a severe economic and social regimentation, and 5) applies forcible suppression of opposition. These elements are increasingly being adopted by Donald Trump.

 

Trump’s actions are clear indicators of the direction he is taking

 

1. Promote nationalism at all costs: Think trade tariffs, increased military spending and belittling our best Allies of over seventy years. He has created trade wars with European nations, Canada and especially an escalating one with China.

2. Maintain an autocratic government: Think signing many Executive Orders, the many dismissals from senior posts of people he once called great and tearing down long established government agencies.

3. Admires and defers to other dictatorial leaders: Think Putin, Xi and Kim Jong Un. Trump deals in private with these dictators with no tangible benefits to the U.S.

4. Demands severe economic and social regimentation: Think Supreme Court, tax cuts for the rich, immigration.

5. Applies forcible suppression of opposition: Think claims of people voting four times - justifying voter suppression, talk of body slamming protesters at rallies and railing against “fake news.”

 

The belief system underlying a fascist movement is well described by Robert Paxton, a life-long student of fascism. He defines it according to attributes listed below.  

 

These attributes and links to Trump are:

 

1. The primacy of the group is more important than individual or universal rights. No matter how many lies are told, no matter how poorly other people are treated his followers ignore it.

2. Belief that the group is a victim, so any behavior against the group’s enemies is justified. The narrative is that the group has been treated badly, especially by the “elites” and the press – the new enemy.

3. Belief that individualism and liberalism enable dangerous decadence and have a negative effect on the group. Drugs and crime are falsely blamed on immigrants, blacks and minorities.

4. Hold a strong sense of community and brotherhood that forge unity and purity by common conviction. A sense of community is ever present at nearly all white rallies.

5. Self-esteem stems from the grandeur of the group with an enhanced sense of identity and belonging. They now have a sense of belonging rather than feeling isolated and lost.

6. Maintain extreme support of a “natural” leader - always male who takes on the role of national savior. They have a leader they believe in. He says “I’m the only one who can do it.”

7. The beauty of violence and will are acceptable when they are devoted to the group’s success as a naturally superior biological group. This is the white supremacy part, ever present with his supporters.

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A simple definition of fascism is one that was actually a characteristic of the Tripartite Powers before WWII, Germany, Italy and Japan. Their governments were very nationalistic, totally authoritarian, and they adopted a corporatist economy.

 

The three fascists characteristics – nationalism, authoritarianism and corporatism are firmly entrenched in policies being pursued by the President. At times he has gone beyond fascism; he called immigrants “animals.” He spoke of “infestation” when referring to immigrants. This is Nazi talk. I think he’s testing the waters. He sees what’s tolerated by the base.

 

A question to think about is what can be done to stop the President from taking dangerous actions as he tries to realize his delusion as national savior. For the large majority of Americans the answer is to vote. If a substantial majority of eligible voters voted, the emergence of fascism we are now witnessing would end.

 

Trump’s mental condition:

 

The President’s mental state is extremely important, because the safety and well-being of all Americans as well as everyone else in the world depends upon a mentally stable President of the United States.

 

In my opinion, the president is and has been afflicted with a significant mental disorder. It is called hypomania and borders on mania. Here is how it’s defined in authoritative sources. You judge whether it fits the President.

 

Common signs and symptoms of mania include:

 

1. Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable

2. Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers

3. Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic

4. Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up

5. Racing thoughts; jumping quickly from one idea to the next

6. Highly distractible, unable to concentrate

7. Impaired judgment and impulsiveness

8. Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences

9. Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)

 

On a scale of one to ten, the President gets close to a ten on all points, except perhaps an eight on talking; and there’s no way to know about number nine. A question arises as to how his habitual lying fits in with his apparent hypomanic behavior. I suspect, if he faced the truth on many issues, he would not be able to maintain his unrealistic, grandiose beliefs (item 2). Thus, he resorts to habitual lying with no regrets. 

 

I want to be sure about what points to the existence of hypomania in the President’s thinking. So here is another report on hypomania. It can be viewed at https://counselingresource.com/features/2014/05/27/hypomania-recognize  The important components of hypomania as stated by this resource are:

 

Overly Positive or Elated Mood Hypomanic:  individuals can seem overly optimistic and unrealistic in their outlook not only about things in general but also about themselves. They might even display some grandiosity, believing they will succeed in things that others might view as improbable. They might report feeling particularly “creative” and enterprising and may even resist attempts by others to bring them back down to earth.

 

Persistent High Energy Levels:  A high energy person can appear “wired” or “hyper.” It might be hard to keep up with them during a conversation because their thoughts are racing so fast. They might talk very rapidly, talk over others or exhibit pressure to keep talking when it would be more appropriate to pause and take a breath between expressions of thoughts. They might also tend to go off on tangents and to have great difficulty focusing their attention. Folks infused with high energy typically report or display a decreased need for rest or sleep and feel a certain pressure to be engaged in goal-directed activities.

 

• Increased Irritability and Anger:  The person appears easily annoyed and overly prone to lash out over minor irritations.

• Increased Sensation-Seeking and Risk-Taking Behavior:  Manic and hypomanic individuals often lose their internal “censor” or controller and act without reasonable forethought. Excessive spending, gambling, substance use, and a general loss of inhibition is common. Outrageous and impulsive escapades and getting into intense but short-lived relationships that are later regretted is also common.

• “Mystical” or Other “Unusual” Experiences:  Folks who are manic or hypomanic can believe themselves to have special powers or abilities or to be aware of special connections between events that others might regard as mundane or relatively unimportant.