Politics boosts vocabulary

As a result of reading about recent events and listening to political commentaries I have learned a lot of cool new words, like:

Dystopia — a country or society where everything has gone to hell. President Trump described the U.S. in his campaign as dystopian. And he alone can fix it, which leads to the next word.

Solipsism- the belief that what one feels or thinks at any given moment is the truth. Trump is definitely solipsistic in every statement he makes.

Emoluments- a gift or service given to you based on the political position you hold. The Constitution forbids emoluments. It will remain to the courts to decide if any of the many financial rewards Trump is receiving while in office constitute emoluments.

Oligarchy - a form of government in which a few people control the instruments of power that run the government. Since the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court many think that the U.S. is moving towards an oligarchy (read “Dark Money” by Jane Mayer).

As this interesting political period in American history continues to unfold, I’m sure I’ll continue to learn other new and useful words.

Richard Cripe

Coeur d’Alene