There is a line attributed to the nefarious Steve Bannon that neatly captures former President Donald Trump’s approach to communication. Bannon’s (edited) line was “flood the zone,” which translates to filling the airwaves with confusing and conflicting information, giving the average person trouble discerning between fact and fiction.

It is compounded by a supporting strategy, which is repeating that flood of words. People tend to accept repeated words as valid if stated by a “credible” source, e.g. a self-described billionaire on “The Apprentice.”

Trump is constantly “flooding the zone” publicly in speeches, using his online network Truth Social, using surrogates (think Tucker Carlson). Trump wants his minions to be entertained and connected, returning to third-grade nicknames and slander. He professes innocence and superior performance while threatening to destroy those who disagree and rain venom if reelected.

He encourages violence as a means to his end. His “stand back and stand by” commentary was an invitation to his supporters to react violently and aggressively. The rise of and violence of the white nationalists has his tacit blessing.

Reelecting a demi-god, whose anger knows no bounds, would jeopardize our democracy. Those who believe that he is the next great white hope are his lemmings. Like all autocrats, he will continue to deceive and control them to achieve his ends, sexual abuse verdict and multiple indictments be damned.

Trump’s need for vengeance takes precedence over maintaining our democracy. His ego and desire for supreme power are substantiated through his abuse of the “flood the zone” strategy.

David Hyde
Pownal

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