Body Shaming Trump: Statue of Limitations

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Dammit. I never thought I’d have to defend Trump or Clinton on anything.

I have to weigh in on the Naked Trump statues. Have to, because I have now been told to “Fuck off;” been called “vapid;” been called a “rube;” “deluded;” “against SPEECH;” “ashamed of your body;” … all because I expressed a view that such derogatory Body Shaming is unproductive and likely to backfire and has no place in political discussion…not to mention, cruel.

It’s not that I am Politically Correct. I am far from that. I like crude jokes. I simply see no benefit from substance-less attacks on people based on superficial personal traits. I fully believe that Identity Politics has neutered radical resistance. (I recently was at a gathering of young, predominantly white radical environmentalists so I could address new logging plans on Public Lands and seek allies to oppose them. The discussion of the massive new logging was given 30 minutes on the agenda. The next topic, “Oppression” was given 2.5 hours). I loathe PC diversions.

Sure, I go shopping for groceries and see huge people riding electric carts, unable to walk for their shopping. I, like most people, have friends and relatives with food addictions. And, of course, at my age, 67, I have had friends and relatives die prematurely from it and I worry about others. Numerous times I have had discussions with others about our common friends’ food addictions and whether there is anything at all we can do. On the other hand, I know people whose food addictions run the other way and are very thin from anorexia.

As a life-long athlete, I admittedly used to get disgusted when seeing people like this. Then, I used to feel pity. Now, after reading a lot on and understanding Body Shaming and how that derails so much, I now blame most of it on false Big Ag and Madison Avenue concepts of nutrition and beauty.

As to the Trump Statue and the quick back-atcha of mirror-image demeaning political cartoons of Hillary Clinton, I find them despicable. I abhor both candidates. But, cruelly Body Shaming 69 and 70-year-olds does nothing to address just why I abhor them – their positions and actions are what matter. If anything it generates sympathy for them and gives them a pass on the issues.

Small Dicks and Big Ankles

Trump asks for it, of course, He demeans people with handicaps; he ridicules women he finds unattractive, etc. But stooping to his level is not an appropriate or effective response. So what if he is lumpy and has a saggy man butt (and yes the artist admits to having searched the Internet for images of “saggy old man butt” in order to create it). So what if he has a small dick – likely 20% of men do. How is that funny or politically enlightening in any way? Why in hell would liberals/progressives/radicals buy into the “one has to have big cock to be a real man” BS?

Same goes with Body Shaming Clinton. I can’t believe she is ridiculed for her “cankles,” when it is her policies are that are abominable. When one ages, muscle mass deteriorates. Why in hell would liberals/progressives/radicals buy into the “one has to be svelte and pretty to be a real woman no matter what age” BS? (On the other hand, we have seen Michelle Obama criticized by the Right for being too buff, too masculine.)

None of this matters, other than on the personal health level. Whatever happened to the vaunted progressive ethic of not attacking people for how they were born/for things they have no control over? Does it only apply to people you like…agree with?

Again, I abhor both Imperial candidates’ politics. I live in a state where it won’t matter how I vote – Clinton will sweep Oregon by over 10%. I don’t even think it matters how one votes nationwide – it appears to me that the fix is, and has been, in for HRC all along.

I told a pollster who called last night that I planned to vote for Gary Johnson (I won’t, as I cannot stomach the Libertarian position against Public Lands.) I told one a week ago, I was voting for Jill Stein (I may well, though I have misgivings about the mis-leadership of the Greens.) I tell them that because I want to see their poll numbers rise – a minor monkey-wrenching the Status Quo pleasure I highly recommend.

Dammit. I never thought I’d have to defend Trump or Clinton on anything.

MICHAEL DONNELLY has been an environmental activist since before that first Earth Day. He was in the thick of the Pacific Northwest Ancient Forest Campaign; garnering some collective victories and lamenting numerous defeats. He can be reached at pahtoo@aol.com