Projection
On This Piece
When a critique that never mentions Donald Trump gets dismissed as Trump Derangement Syndrome, something revealing has happened. Not an argument — a reflex. A label deployed to avoid engagement entirely. This piece identifies that move for what it is: once every critique gets reduced to identity, nothing has to be understood. The signpost reads projection.
Imagine a response. TDS. Trump Derangement Syndrome — applied to a post that never mentions Donald Trump. No accusation. No argument. No engagement with the idea itself. Just a reflex. A label deployed to avoid interpretation. Because once every critique is reduced to identity, nothing has to be understood. There's a signpost up ahead. You just entered — Projection.