The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Remember in primary school, there were always a couple of people who made you feel like you weren't as good as they were? I mean, they never came out and said it, but their actions and behaviour really did show that perhaps the rules didn't appy to them. They were somehow less restricted by what the teachers said or the laws of the playground. And it wasn't just one sort of person. At my school we had a mix of bullies and the spoiled kids.
The bullies, well, we all know about them. They wandered the grounds, instilling fear in the other kids, and whilst the reaction at the time was probably a combination of fear, hatred and avoidance, the mature adult can look back at those kids and say there was probably something going on in their lives that caused them to be that way. Bad home life, personal insecurity, maybe abuse of some kind, a lack of discipline or love from those who should have known better, more than likely a combination. But think back to your school bully for a moment. Think back to anyone who has wronged you in that thuggish schoolyard manner and just hold on to that feeling for a second.
The other group I mentioned, the spoiled kids. Remember, what often separated the regular school kid from the people we are speaking about wasn't just the way they made you feel, it was that they seemed to always get what they wanted. Some of them had tantrums, some of them sulked. They were clearly used to these methods working at home and indeed, the spoiled kids I knew as a young lad ALL had parents who doted over their every move, even when they were behaving badly. And it wasn't just the cliched "only child" or the "rich kid", it was often unclear what may have been the cause, so without context, it's wrong to assume or judge negatively. But we all know how someone else's sense of entitlement, particularly when played against the fairness exhibited by others, makes people feel.
Now remember too that each of these people had entourages. Bullies rarely work alone and spoiled kids always have friends who benefit from their "riches".
The problem with these children, aside from whatever was going on behind the scenes and at home, was that they were completely unprepared for not getting what they wanted. They lashed out. Tantrums, aggressive screaming, or simply by punching little Johnny. And what happened? Well they were told off, but their behaviours were never corrected. They weren't told NOT to have a tantrum. They were told to "calm down" or placated with nonsense like "you'll get your turn next time".
Now...let's MERGE these two kids, the Bully and the Spoiled Kid.
"Naww, look at that cute old man" says my daughter.
"Ah yes, he's cute now, but in school, he may have been an arsehole!" I reply.
The usual response is one of those looks, but the point remains. Remember those bullies and spoiled kids from your past? They tend to grow up as well, and despite your mother's assertion that "he'll grow out of it", clearly not all of them do. And clearly, not all of them think that there's anything wrong with their behaviour because, like the little spoiled kid or bully from your past, they more often than not GET what they want. Keep that old saying in mind, the definition of stupidity is repeating the same thing and expecting a different result.
These guys GET THE SAME RESULT!
We see it at lesser levels day to day. The person who pushes in front of you at the deli counter, the person standing in the 12 items or fewer checkout with 152 items, the cretin who changes lanes in front of you without indicating and SEES you, but has no shits to give that they nearly caused a car crash. These people we generally can deal with as we only pass them occasionally in our day to day activities. But when one of them is the leader of the free world it can be a little harder to move past.
So as of writing this, the person in question is having a tantrum. He's sulking. He's having a sook or a meltdown and he's refusing to accept what he's being told. We've literally seen this behaviour before, in school, by children.
That it is happening isn't a shock, but that it is happening in the White House IS.
When you've spent 5-10 years not having anyone say "No" to you, getting everything you want, being GIVEN what you want, behaving how you want, achieving everything you want BECAUSE of these behaviours, well, that's one thing. A thing you hope the child grows out of when they have to deal with authority figures, bosses, law enforcement, respected elders. But when they have never encountered those situations, what then?
What if you're 74 and nobody has ever told you no? You bully your way through life, flush with money, power and an unhealthy disrespect for anyone, especially women, minorities, other races, anyone not as rich and powerful as yourself?
What exactly were we expecting him to do?
This was ENTIRELY predictable.
What ISN'T predictable is what this spoiled, entitled bully is going to do for the next three months. Despite seeing what he's done over the last four years, and accepting that it would take a lot to surprise anyone at this point, he has nothing to lose now. Everything he held dear, the respect, the adoration, power, ratings! He's lost it.
And when you've got nothing to lose, you're more dangerous than ever.
llama
@SirWonderLlama
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