• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Democracy Chronicles

Towards better democracy everywhere.

  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy
You are here: Home / DC Authors / Trump, the Scorpion and the Frog

Trump, the Scorpion and the Frog

January 29, 2020 by Peter J. Dellolio 2 Comments

FacebookLinkedInPin5TweetShares5
Trump, the Scorpion and the Frog
An 1847 illustration from a fable in which Tortoise carries Scorpion on its back across a river, Walters Art Museum Ms. W.599, fol.40b From the Kalilah and Dimna, otherwise known as The Anwar-I-Suhaili (Lights of Canopus) or Fables of Bidpai – Image source

Parts of Former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s book have leaked and we see numerous excerpts where he gives FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS of Trump withholding the Ukraine aid to force Zelensky to do what he wants. Of course, no one who supports Trump is willing to look at reality, just like with Lev Parnas, with a FOX anchor even referring to Bolton as a “tool of the Left,” even though Bolton is a staunch Conservative who has served in 4 GOP administrations.

I am reminded of The Parable of The Scorpion and The Frog. Trumpers, when you continue to dismiss facts, reality, and common sense to support your President, think of this:

The Scorpion and the Frog

A scorpion wanted to get across the river. He asked a frog, “Will you please give me a ride on your back?” The frog replied, “How can I do that? Your sting is fatal!” The scorpion answered, “Now where is the logic in that? If I sting you, we will both drown.” The frog, being a logical creature, agreed to let the scorpion ride on his back. But halfway across the river, the frog felt a terrible pain in his back. The scorpion had stung him after all.

“Where is the logic in this?!” cried the dying frog as he and the scorpion drowned.

“This is my character!” replied the scorpion. “And there is no logic in character.”

FacebookLinkedInPin5TweetShares5

Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: American Corruption, Republicans

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

About Peter J. Dellolio

Peter Delliolo has contributed to DC both as a writer and political artist since 2014. You can see his artwork at Peter Delliolo Fine Art. Born in New York City in 1956, Peter went to Nazareth High School and New York University. He graduated in 1978 with a B.A. in Cinema Studies and B.F.A. in Film Production. Among various short-subject films that he wrote and directed, he adapted James Joyce’s short story Counterparts into a screenplay, which he also directed. The film has been shown at numerous national and international film festivals.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Foobar says

    February 10, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    Trump himself loves to use this metaphor, but with a snake and a woman instead of a scorpion and a frog.

    Reply
  2. Mandrake says

    October 6, 2020 at 10:47 am

    I think about this parable a lot when it comes to Trump but the Scorpion is the media who swears over and over that they won’t play Trump’s game of repeating and reporting on every outlandish lie he tells (and therefore legitimizing them) then every day when he does they rush to put his words on their headlines. The Frog is of course the American people and the media, stinging the public once again cries out “oh we can’t help it it’s our nature!”

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

democracy chronicles newsletter

democracy around the web

  • CPJ, partners express alarm over detention of...
    Source: Committee to Protect Journalists Published on: 9 hours ago
  • CPJ joins landmark mission to the Philippines...
    Source: Committee to Protect Journalists Published on: 9 hours ago
  • Montana Plan is not Without Its Skeptics
    Source: Election Law Blog Published on: 10 hours ago
  • France 24 and RFI broadcasters suspended in T...
    Source: Committee to Protect Journalists Published on: 10 hours ago
  • Hold the Line Coalition welcomes Maria Ressa...
    Source: Committee to Protect Journalists Published on: 11 hours ago