A guy I admire who wrote by the name of Mark Twain once defined patriotism as “supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”
Twain’s distinction between love and loyalty to country and anything but blind obedience to government still holds true. President Theodore Roosevelt also mused on the subject in a similar manner, stating that patriotism meant to stand by the country, and not by the president, or any other public official. Both men were clear: America is not a monarchy, and no leader should be blindly followed.
So here we are in 2025, a year when most neo-futurist writers of the mid-twentieth century likely imagined we’d be well into the flying cars era. Instead, in America, discourse within the pre-eminent platforms for such, or the giant sandbox that is social media, is largely degraded to more resemble feces-flinging monkeys, as opposed to anything akin to a cogent thought, or civil conversation.
Critical thinking has largely subsided to WrestleMania faux machismo and narcissistic self-aggrandizement as opposed to the humble sharing of ideas.
Lately in our letters to the editor section of the print edition, there have been a great deal of references to “TDS” regarding our faithful Mencken-meets-Asimov columnist and company-wide IT guru Jim Powers, about his writings on this page, which, as of late, have posited many truths, as well as well-articulated opinions, about President Donald Trump. Now, for many of you, those truths, as well as the opinions, have been quite uncomfortable.
TDS, which is shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” is a catch-all that has its roots in a term coined by the late, great conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer, to reference George W. Bush. It then popped up again around 2015 to reference Trump, and has been used to refer to anyone who expresses anything other than obsequious, undying, ring-kissing loyalty to Trump.
Jimbo and I agree on a great many things, politically speaking, but one thing I cannot see him ever doing is bending the knee for any politician. Now, by the examples of our founding fathers, as well as the sublime Twain maxim, there’s nothing deranged about holding leaders to account, so Senor Powers ain’t deranged at all. The problem is more of an issue of devotion, or absolute devotion.
Trump Devotion Syndrome, as I’m calling it here, might reference the current president, but it’s a symptom of a large-scale disease. We the People, somehow, have created untouchable icons out of political leaders. I first took notice of this absolute blind loyalty to a president when Barack Obama was sworn-in.
I recall speaking out about some of the Obama administration’s missteps, particularly regarding civil liberties, and some folks looked at me as though I were un-American for questioning the president at the time.
Donald Trump was elected by the American people to lead this country’s government, not to be some sort of sacrosanct emperor king, or some sort of idol/cultural icon. Sure, he has had a long spell in the public eye as a real estate mogul and multi-media celebrity. Here in 2025, however, he is the President of the United States of America, the duly elected leader of our country, yet one who must also follow the law, and is subject to checks and balances prescribed by the three co-equal branches of our government.
For some, Trump is a savior; an idol, beyond reproach, and great avenger of widespread grievances. Patriotism and loving one’s country does not include absolute loyalty to an elected official and holding rallies to celebrate 100 days in office.
Patriotism demands of it critical thinking and the courage to speak up whenever leaders put personal ambitions above the public good. Again, Jim and I agree on a great many things, so let’s take one topic which we’ve both written about as of late and put a bit of a lens on it.
The tariffs that have been instituted by the Trump-Musk administration are a big and dumb government idea that both Jim and I agree amount to crazy bad economic policy, and there’s no derangement present in pointing this out, just old-fashioned critical thinking.
Even the astute pundit Ben “If I Keep Speaking Really Fast And Not Letting You Speak And Then Say You Are Interrupting Me When You Speak Then I Win” Shapiro, himself, a die-hard fan of President Trump, cried foul on the topic. However, if you are to take the word of many commenters on various Facebook stories regarding tariffs, to merely criticize or point out the possible ramifications of these tariffs makes one a nasty portmanteau combining “liberal” and a slur no longer deemed acceptable beginning with an “r.”
It's convenient for keyboard warriors to blame immigrants, Democrats or the media when the chips are down, but if hard times arise from bad economic policy, why not blame those who actually wrote and signed-off on said policies?
As President Kennedy famously inquired in his 1961 inaugural address, what are you doing for your country.
Supporting our leaders when they lead, but holding their feet to the grease when needed is patriotic. Have the courage to question and speak up.
Our leaders, from the president down to your local school board members, work for us, and not the other way around.
