Allen Frances doesn’t think Donald Trump is "crazy." This is not comforting news. Last winter, the former the chair of the DSM-IV Task Force and the department of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine wrote a widely circulated letter to the New York Times affirming that as the man who “wrote the criteria” that define narcissistic personality disorder, Trump doesn’t seem to be suffering from it. Instead, as he suggests in his new book, he’s just “a bad person.” Which is worse. In his new book, “Twilight of American Sanity: A Psychiatrist Analyzes the Age of Trump,” Frances suggests that it’s America that’s the psychologically distressed party here — and offers his insights on what it takes to become “rational again.” In this episode, Frances speaks with Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams about why we make bad choices, and how the best results can come from the worst crises.

Salon Mix

Donald Trump isn't "crazy" — but America might be having a breakdown

Feminist writers and writers of color experienced extreme online harassment during the years leading up to the 2016 election, when the so-called alt-right then turned its efforts to supporting Donald Trump's campaign for the presidency. Writer Laurie Penny, author of the new book of essays "Bitch Doctrine," and Salon's Amanda Marcotte discuss why the pushback to identity politics on the left is misguided, the surge of the so-called alt-right, and why online harassment against feminists and people of color should have been taken seriously from the start.

"They came for the nerd girls first": The price of ignoring Gamergate

The mainstream media has an ongoing obsession with trying to find remorseful Donald Trump voters. Salon's Amanda Marcotte talks to psychologist Carol Tavris, author of "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)," about why we're unlikely to experience mass Trump regret any time soon.

Why Trump voters will stand by their man

Can playing a video game teach someone what it's like to live in poverty, or as a transgender woman? Or is that outside of the scope of a game? Salon's Matt Smith and Austin Walker, editor in chief of Vice's Waypoint, debate the limits of art and agency and whether or not video games can make us feel like we understand someone else's life.

Can video games promote empathy?

American University professor Allan Lichtman has correctly predicted the outcomes of every U.S. presidential election since 1984 — including Donald Trump's. Now, he's predicting Trump will be impeached. Salon's Matthew Rozsa speaks with Lichtman about the history and purpose of impeachment, why Trump fits the bill, and what could happen next.

The case for Donald Trump's impeachment

Although abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973, TV — both scripted and reality — all but ignored the issue for decades. Salon writer Mary Elizabeth Williams talks to sociologist Gretchen Sisson, one of the directors of the Abortion Onscreen Project, about the evolution of abortion on TV, from "Maude" to "Jane the Virgin" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."

Abortion on TV: No longer for Very Special Episodes

Veteran humorist and political pundit P.J. O'Rourke — who's been known to refer to himself as "the only intentionally funny conservative" — talks to Salon's Andrew O'Hehir about Donald Trump, conspiracy theories and his new book about the 2016 election, "How the Hell Did This Happen?"

P.J. O'Rourke on Trump's impending doom: Be careful what you wish for

Salon's Matthew Rozsa talks to Morénike Giwa Onaiwu of the Autism Women's Network about the intersectional roles gender and race play in autism diagnosis, visibility, and advocacy.

Black, female and autistic: Hiding in plain sight

Salon talks to "Marvel's Luke Cage" score composers Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge and "Westworld" score composer Ramin Djawadi, who before this show was known to HBO fans as the composer for "Game of Thrones," about how they made their shows' signature sounds

"Luke Cage" and "Westworld" composers talk music

Amanda Marcotte talks with author Andi Zeisler about the year in feminist pop culture, and the backlash against it that helped Donald Trump win the presidential election. Go to Salon.com to read an article and watch a video on this topic.

Female "Ghostbusters" sparked a Donald Trump-sized backlash

Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams spoke to "Lady Dynamite"'s Bamford via Skype to discuss visibility, turning mental illness into creative inspiration, and why psych wards aren’t as nearly fun as they look in the movies.

"Lady Dynamite"'s Maria Bamford on TV's Best Year for Mental Illness

Alex Jones, with his conspiracy theory media empire Infowars, used to be a fringe character, until Donald Trump's paranoia-driven campaign launched him into the national spotlight. Salon's Amanda Marcotte speaks with conspiracy theorist expert Mark Fenster about Jones' unconventional career. See more at salon.com

How Alex Jones' paranoia became a political force

Salon.com, providing fearless political journalism and cultural analysis since the dawn of the digital era. Salon Mix features stories on the people, trends, phenomena and experiences that define and inform our lives and culture. You’ll hear conversations between cultural tastemakers and Salon voices, as well as lively discussions about the topics that shape our public discourse. Read and watch more of the story at http://www.salon.com/topic/salon-mix/.

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Salon Mix

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