It’s not brain surgery to note what can happen when the people are fed lie after lie by the thousands, for 4 years, by the president of their own country. Those not able to see though the lies will certainly fall victim to them, and that’s not just the Trumpers. The currently severe polarization in American, undeniably fostered by the Republicans, did not create the historical conditions and prejudices in our country which made this all possible.
Watching the riot and crude coup attempted by Trump on January 6, 2021, a date which will live in infamy . . ., as FDR’s spirit would surely say, it was easy to see that there was an almost unapproachable level of anger and fictional consciousness, driven by long standing racism and ignorance. Much like we saw back in the civil rights days among some whites. The difference is now they have a president who openly confirms their emotional state and racist beliefs. Such are the consequences of mass deception.
How many posts in left circles have I read that expressed contempt for the cult-like Trumpers and their seemingly insane and unexplainable behaviors. But if you took the time to review the speakers and to listen to some of them, you will realize that these folk have been there all along, not just since Trump was elected. They just never had a president who repeatedly fanned the flames and affirmed the myths and prejudices that consume them. Virtually every Republican in office can trace their successful elections to the irrational, fictional world they reside in and opine about, and have pandered to both their fears and prejudices. And when even were those factors were not enough to win elections, they concocted conspiracy theories and lies to assist their campaigns. Trump was willing to continue such talk in earnest after he won the election. And continued to pour gasoline on the raging fires. The explosion was both planned and inevitable.
But many of these and other long held irrational beliefs and prejudices have long existed in the general population. If we are to be totally honest, many myths and distortions of reality have been exploited to various degrees by both parties and their politicians over the years, many in a bipartisan way. Along with a Walt Disney-like education as far as understanding history and politics are concerned. It has only been in more recent times that the two parties have polarized, seeking very different voter bases.
A Few Examples of Negative Bipartisan Collaboration
Persecution and repression of those with left wing or class conscious ideologies are a prime example of bipartisan agreement. One that I experienced personally during the Vietnam War. It took more than 50 bloody years and many deaths to establish the industrial trade unions, which were mostly opposed, often violently, under both Democrats and Republicans. Women and Blacks have only been able to vote since after WWI and the 1960’s respectively. Demonization of immigrants is an American tradition for politicians. Racism and white supremacy, as well as their economic roots and connections to the development of free market capitalism, were rarely addressed or meaningfully challenged or debated openly up until the launching of the Civil Rights movement. The latter two were the foundation of Trump’s appeal. The role of nationalist imperialism (i.e., capitalism’s desire in various countries to expand and control/exploit foreign markets and countries) in causing both World Wars is rarely mentioned, and is certainly a bipartisan trait. The Vietnam War was supported by both parties, with lie after lie being told to the American people by all leaders involved, turning father against son, and American against American. More recently, major changes in the tax code favoring corporations and the upper classes have often found support from politicians in both parties. Tax rates after WWII were about 90% for the wealthy and corporations before deductions. Today, they have been reduced to 35%! This decline has clearly been bipartisan in nature.
Getting back to the Trumpers, they now positively represent a large popular movement towards fascism. But it will not help us to merely have an arrogant contempt or hatred for them. Or feel superior Or think that we ourselves cannot fall victim to some of the same faults and prejudices. Nor should we ignore the threat they pose. So what should we do? Lose the battle for hearts and minds of Americans not already under the Trump cult-like spell and fail to expose all the falsehoods and the lies, and direct confrontations will dramatically increase, along with the possibility of all out civil war.
Not only has race, and attitudes towards race, played a major role in the polarization, but so have real and imagined differences between cities and rural areas, science and religion, new immigrants versus current citizens, authoritarianism versus democratic ideals, male domination versus woman’s equality, and homophobia versus gay rights.
The abuse of information and distortion of reality is being orchestrated by the right and far right largely because it has lost the ability to win voting majorities without evoking fear, hatred, and mistrust and spreading fictional and manufactured threats. The right also now favors authoritarian rule because a fully functional and fair voting system will put them out of business.
The Battle for Truth and Democracy
The struggle for truth goes hand in hand with one for democracy and justice and against racism, authoritarianism and fascism. The polarization of the two parties has directly pitted one against the other. There is no longer a single redeeming quality associated with the Republican Party, which at one time freed the country from slavery and dissolution. So we are left with a Democratic Party which is also in transition, one which itself has great differences in ideologies and beliefs, and has both left and rightward tendencies. And both Wall Street and populist views, as well as advocates of socialism, capitalism and even militarism. Our common interests must be toward telling the truth and working for economic progress and against racism and the other “isms”. For which there are bound to be struggles among ourselves as well as with the Republicans. And to put a moral face on capitalism, which it currently lacks. Failure to make progress in this direction and fascism will win out.
If ways are not found to break the back of disinformation/conspiracy and news/political information systems, we may indeed be doomed to have another bloody civil war. We’ve all seen the consequences of civil wars in other countries, many of which break down over time into one evil versus another.
Smashing Trumpism’s New “Normal”
I for one believe there is a need, just as the freedom riders did in the past to confront racism, to bring a major grass roots campaign with a positive message of hope and economic progress to Trumpland. Not just through the mass and social media but in person as much as possible. Just like South Africa saw the need for a Truth and Reconciliation Committee, we need something similar. We need to advocate a positive and pro-people agenda. Ironic indeed that the Senate would fall to the Democrats on the same day Trump’s mob stormed the Capital, but this may make the progress so desperately needed possible. Finally, any mass campaign must be coordinated with an economic campaign that will produce both aid for both individuals and the states and infrastructure and Green Energy projects that produce jobs. Biden cannot survive an ordinary do little or nothing presidency. I believe he know this. Massive spending and changes will be necessary. And President Biden, please get the vaccine into the arms of the public in huge numbers ASAP.