By Elaine Goodman
For quite a while I’ve been calling Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy a gift to the world. Most people smirk and say ‘you mean to the Democrats, right?’ I then explain, no, to the world. I see his rhetoric as a loud, uncensored, unrestrained and unapologetic expression of our shadow side.
I think he’s a bit cross. Image: Mike Licht / CC
Every one of us has this shadow side, in varying degrees. Even major forces for good like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa were reported to have struggled with their personal negatives throughout their lives.
Trump’s seemingly inescapable comments in every form of media give us a very in-your-face chance to see parts of ourselves that we prefer to ignore or don’t recognize. Hopefully they are so distasteful and shocking that people will decide they are no longer acceptable, and shift.
In its highest possibility, Trump could be acting as a mirror held up by the Universe to help evolve people’s consciousness. It’s extreme, but some of us seem to need it. And it seems right on time for the larger Universal energies in play now for our evolution.
For a while there, it appeared that the shift was not happening. Trump continued to attack different groups, his poll numbers climbed and no one seemed to challenge his views. Other candidates, such as Dr. Ben Carson, even presented views (such as bans on Muslims in the US) that weren’t that far off from Trump’s.
I was worried that as a society we were sinking deeper into negativity and missing this important opportunity for change. And some still are. A recent CNN story identified that well more than half of Trump supporters hold similar extreme views.
But the tide seems to be shifting with recent opinions from individuals and media outlets. As an example, the Dec. 9 headline for the conservative-leaning New York Daily News read, “When Trump came for the Mexicans, I did not speak out — as I was not a Mexican. When he came for the Muslims, I did not speak out — as I was not a Muslim. Then he came for me…”
The headline was accompanied by a cartoon of Trump crowing in victory as he held up the Statue of Liberty’s head in his right hand and a raised scimitar in his left. The corpse of Lady Liberty was sprawled on the ground, her torch lying nearby. Great political cartoons like that can be so powerful and add so much to a discussion. I’m hoping we see many more.
Michael Nutter, current mayor of Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation, said about Trump’s comments, “whatever it is he’s talking about is vicious, it’s negative, it’s vile. And I think just violates general human decency.” Nutter went further, calling Trump an asshole and saying if he had the power he would ban Trump from the city because Philadelphia doesn’t have “any room for that kind of stupidity.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney even said, “I think this whole notion that somehow we need to say no more Muslims and just ban a whole religion goes against everything we stand for and believe in. I mean, religious freedom’s been a very important part of our history.”
When Dick Cheney says that about your ideas, you know you are really out there.
Perhaps if things keep going in this upward direction people will also wake up to the continued encroachment on our civil liberties. When part of the public debate for the highest elected US office includes comments like, “Freedom of speech? These are foolish people,” you can’t help but question where we are as a society.
And these views are not just in the Republican camp. Haim Saban, a top financial donor to Hillary Clinton, said the following about “liberal Hollywood views” after the recent attacks in Paris, “They value their civil liberties more than they value life. I disagree with that. You want to be free and dead? I’d rather be not free and alive.”
We still seem to be a long way from Patrick Henry’s “give me liberty or give me death!”
Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of the U.S. identity, and an inspiration for much of the world. I’m hoping most people continue to cherish these hard-won liberties, and continue reaching for even higher personal ground and demanding it from our leaders. Our government framework gives us the foundation and the current astrology gives us the energetic lift. If only we will be conscious of our gifts and use them wisely during this crucial time.
For Further Reading
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/09/opinions/obeidallah-trump-muslims/index.html
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/mc-pa-michael-nutter-donald-trump-0710-20150710-story.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/philadelphia-mayor-calls-donald-trump-an-ahole/
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-21/how-far-america-has-fallen
Shadow, or you could say id. He is not egotistical, he is idtistical.
“In Freudian theory, the part of the psyche associated with instinctual, repressed, or antisocial desires, usually sexual or aggressive. In its efforts to satisfy these desires, the id comes into conflict with the social and practical constraints enforced by the ego and superego.”
c’mon we all know Jung did it better haha
Freud gave us the crude chunks. Jung gave us the sublime. Freud’s problem was that he was way too invested in the physical form as the only form, he was a serious addict and he refused to be analyzed. He never went through proper psychoanalysis.
Eric, you once wrote (I can’t find that post) “emotional charges blind one from perceiving reality as it truly is…recapitulation is used to discharge one’s emotions so that they do not react…Trump could use some work with an energy healer, never mind Jung….what are the chances of that?!
Well…does god need an energy healer? I would say he needs to reincarnate, as something like a sheepdog or sled dog — a working dog, who works for food and the sake of a decent job.
Recycle — that’s the ticket! Thanks for the laugh, boss
Thank you Elaine for a well-written and balanced piece. I agree with you that Donald Trump is demonstrating the shadow side of America. Grateful to hear that the cosmos are tipping the scales too: we’ve seen evidence of the world’s exaggerated shadow side manifest in many forms, whether through extreme politics, super storms and melting polar ice caps, or terrorist cell activities scattered across the globe. Our mental states of exaggerated separation from within ourselves and extended to each other & our environment is coming to a point where we can no longer bear the consequences of our actions. We may finally become conscious to the truth that we are one and the same: We are Muslim, Mexican, earthling…imagine that, what potential we would unlock in ourselves, what peace we would find, what love we could offer to ourselves and the universe. Imagine that!
Yes, there comes a time when even the exaggerated form no longer seems real and when that form is questioned, the whole house of cards begins to fall. Imagine that!
A gift from Heaven indeed!
Thank you! Yes, we live in challenging times but also times of great opportunity. Every person who chooses to live with consciousness helps raise the planet’s vibration for all. Appreciate your thoughts as well!
I think he’s playing to the “ideals” of bitter, angry, frustrated people. Ever since Kurt Cobain pointed out that it feels stupid to be happy, it seems like it’s become all the rage to be a pissed off asshole who has no empathy. It’s a form of extreme victim consciousness.
That’s an interesting point Eric. I s’spose its a product of American marketing, branding and of course, politics (one and the same)- we (US) are #1, everyone hates us, so we must victimize ourselves in a form of justification for being #1. It’s easier that way, rather than looking inside ourselves and consider why they hate us, the victim consciousness is an excuse, a form of argument used to justify taking our position in the world as #1. It is a classic tool of argument when you are on the loosing side of an argument, but it is so petty. Bottom line- it doesn’t debate the real issues, it only debates the exterior outer issues and therefore becomes a defense. And with the American public’s usual attention span of a gnat, small sound bites of defenses, a true deep pr1obe seems unlikely, unless Neptune and Venus enters the picture 🙂 I always remain hopeful