Trumpian anarchism

One common observation about Donald Trump is that he is very lucky in that, no matter how outrageous or ill-considered his words or actions, his opponents save him by over-reacting. This is unquestionably true. There are people who defended a play in which a Trump-look-alike was stabbed to death and then turned around were outraged at video from a wrestling event in which Trump body slams a guy who has had a CNN logo superimposed on his face.

With enemies like that who needs friends.

It got me thinking about anarchists. Many anarchists believed that, because the state was illegitimate in their eyes, attacks on the state would only highlight the problems with the state because leaders would over-react. That theory didn't work out for anarchists but it is working for Trump. Why?

Part of the answer is that the state is legitimate. Many states are badly run all the time and even the best are badly run some of the time but the state is necessary. But it's the other end that interests me. In Trump's case, he is succeeding because the current elite—the academic world, the media and the political class— are utter frauds.

Nowhere, I'm sorry to say, has this been more evident than with the writing of Jonah Goldberg. Goldberg's fixation with Trump is at least as embarrassing as that of First Things for Lena Dunham. It's not that Goldberg isn't right. There is much about Trump that is cringe-inducing—he is a crass, vulgar man. And these things would be worth worrying about if there was anything even remotely resembling evidence that the elite arrayed against Trump were willing or capable of behaving in good faith. They aren't. We saw what they did to past Republicans, conservatives and libertarians willing to behave in good faith—they pulled out all stops to destroy them.

Added

CNN is not publishing "HanA**holeSolo's" name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again. In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same. 

CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.

CNN proves my point.