The Rationalist Papers (21): enemies

Here’s a list. What do these people and things all have in common?

• ABC, CBS, and NBC.
• Amazon.
• The Associated Press.
• Alec Baldwin.
• Steve Bannon, former Trump strategist.
• Glenn Beck, conservative commentator.
• Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO.
• Michael Bloomberg, former New York Mayor.
• John Bolton, former Trump National Security Advisor.
• George W. Bush, former Republican President.
• Jeb Bush, former Republican Governor.
• Canada.
• Hillary Clinton.
• CNN.
• Michael Cohen, former Trump personal lawyer.
• James Comey, former FBI Director.
• Ann Coulter, conservative commentator.
• Ted Cruz, Republican Senator.
• Andrew Cuomo, Democratic Governor.
• S. E. Cupp, conservative commentator.
• Robert De Niro.
• ESPN.
• Facebook.
• Jimmy Fallon.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, director, National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases.
• Fox News.
• Ruth Bader Ginsberg, late Supreme Court Justice.
• Google.
• Lindsey Graham, Senator.
• Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador.
• “Hamilton” (musical).
• Harley-Davison, motorcycle company.
• Brit Hume, Fox News commentator.
• Samuel L. Jackson.
• LeBron James.
• John Kasich, former Republican governor.
• General John Kelly, former Trump Chief of Staff.
• Megyn Kelly, conservative commentator.
• The people who run the Kentucky Derby.
• Charles Koch, conservative financier and Republican donor.
• John Lewis, late Democratic US Representative.
• Spike Lee.
• General James Mattis, former Trump Secretary of Defense.
• John McCain, late Republican Senator and Presidential Candidate.
• Meghan McCain, conservative commentator and daughter of John McCain.
• Mitch McConnell, Republican Senate Majority Leader.
• Mexico.
• MSNBC.
• Lisa Murkowski, Republican Senator.
• National Review, conservative journal.
• The New York Times.
• The NFL.
• Nordstrom, department store.
• Barack Obama, former Democratic President.
• General Colin Powell, former head of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• Jerome Powell, Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Reserve Bank.
• Puerto Rico.
• Dave Roberts, manager of the LA Dodgers.
• Mitt Romney, Republican Senator and former Presidential Candidate.
• Marco Rubio, Republican Senator.
• Bernie Sanders, Democratic Socialist Senator.
• Jeff Sessions, former Trump Attorney General.
• “60 Minutes,” news program.
• Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Rex Tillerson, former Trump Secretary of State.
• Twitter.
• Turkey.
• Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister.
• T-Mobile.
• The United Nations.
• The U.S. Postal Service.
• The Wall Street Journal.
• Elizabeth Warren, Democratic Senator.
• Oprah Winfrey.
• Anna Wintour, editor, Vogue.
• Neil Young.
• The Washington Post.
• The World Health Organization.

The hate list

These are all people and things that President Trump has insulted.

His enemies range across the political spectrum, from Ted Cruz to Bernie Sanders, and include institutions from the WHO to Nordstrom. You could be a scientist, an actor, or a basketball player, doesn’t matter — Trump has singled you out for nasty, belittling criticism.

You may think this is heroic, to stand against anyone who gets in your way, regardless of political bent of influence.

But consider this.

Governing requires coalitions. Dictators can attempt to get things done while treating everyone as an enemy, but in the United States, governing demands cooperation.

If you hate nearly everyone, then nearly everyone will hate you. It’s pretty hard to govern from that position.