Hanlon’s razor is an aphorism expressed in various ways, including: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” An eponymous law, probably named after a Robert J. Hanlon, it is a philosophical razor which suggests a way of eliminating unlikely explanations for human behavior. – Wikipedia
The aphorism was a meme I recently saw on my Facebook News Feed.
Although the meme didn’t actually cite Hanlon, I pointed it out in the comments. My friend noted that this would explain why the idiot in the White House does what he does.
I said, “Not really.”
Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.
Stupidity is when Trump can’t spell hamburger or his wife’s name.
Stupidity is when Trump calls Belgium a city.
Stupidity is when Trump said the Continental Army “took over the airports (in 1776!)
Malice is when Trump tells four US Congresswomen to go back where they came from. (Note, three of the four are natural born citizens.)
Malice is when Trump says some neo-Nazis are “very fine people.”
Malice is when Trump calls some Mexicans “criminals and rapists.
Malice is when Trump says all “Haitians have AIDS.”
Malice is when Trump says immigrants from Haiti and Africa come from “shithole countries.”
See the difference.