And thusly went The United States loudly into the night…
The recipe to slowly poison a democracy is simple: one part hubris, one part hyper-nationalism, and add reactionary elections to taste. Stir vigorously, then let the mixture simmer over a low flame until authoritarianism congeals.
The most astonishing aspect of 2018 isn’t The Trump Show – it’s progressives. Their ill-earned optimism and inability to accept that progressives are the Tea Party of the left. Just as the the political right – awash in self-righteousness and emboldened by cause – were blind to the damage they inflicted on the Republican Party, progressives now believe they’re somehow saving the Democratic Party… when the extent of their achievement is contributing to the erosion of key social mechanisms that stabilize democracy. Moderation, or “The Middle”, is one such key: the more each extreme faction pulls away from the political center, the more tension is created in the system; the deeper the disagreements and more difficult the compromise. Large countries are pulled apart — not saved — when political parties are controlled by their extreme wings. Purely reactionary election cycles are both a symptom and facilitator of that ever-increasing political tension.
Die-hard progressives and conservatives won’t proactively destroy democracy – as they each accuse the other – but they are blameworthy for the inevitable social impact of their actions: a beatdown populous so fed up with the political system that they embrace a strong man.
One should note: that strongman is not Donald J. Trump. Trump is only the beginning.
Equal And Opposite Reaction
President Donald Trump is the second reaction by the people to our crumbling democracy. The 2010 Tea Party and gradual pulling to the right of U.S. politics was the reaction to President Barack Obama (who as far as they’re still concerned is “destroying America“).
Whereas the Tea Party was the backswing, Trump is the downswing that impacts the ball. President Trump is the final burst of energy in this particular reactionary swing cycle.
Like any pendulum, the political pendulum swings higher – in both directions – as more energy is put into it. Our having a young black president injected an enormous amount of energy into the political swing. So much so, that the resulting opposing swing smacked America in the face with and old white president, de-hooded Neo-Nazis, alienated allies, and “honorable” dictators.
Americans no longer cast votes – they cast blame. As such, whoever comes next will be nothing more than another reactionary swing; a counterpunch to the gut of the opposition. It could happen in 2020, but since progressives are behaving like children with their hair on fire, it looks like the next reactionary cycle might not happen until 2024; just like Obama had two terms.
The same reaction will likely happen when America is done with Trump: more energy creating a stronger opposition, ultimately repeating itself until it resembles and atomic explosion… or flubber. Democracy cannot survive under these conditions. It never has, and it never will. Under these conditions democracy tears itself apart.
When elections are nothing more than reactions to the opposition, then the core principles that created a country become lost in its own turmoil. The escalating reactions can be stopped, but one side has to make that decision. As of now, neither side appears willing.
More Than Just Losing The Political Middle
Many have preached of losing the “political middle”, but that’s not our problem. The problem for democracy is more profound than mere politics: it’s how a people treat one another as a result of politics.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, there’s no doubt you’ve noticed that Americans personally treat one another with less respect, less patience, and more biases. Inspired to do so by our politics. Americans no longer dialog – they confront. It’s fiercely tribal – as if aggressive interactions are now believed to be necessary for survival. Such primal instincts are incompatible with democracy.
This American attitude – which, let’s not lie to ourselves, is the new normal – feeds into the downward spiral of tribalism, at the bottom of which Dante smirks and wishes he could have a rewrite. Shared, foundational values disappear so that all that remains is the win. Dominating the other. People become worse than Politics, and when that happens, it’s game over for a functioning democracy
American elections are approaching this point: being events of oppositional reaction rather than cooperative action. If it continues – like many before us – our empire will fall.
Published: by | Updated: 06-13-2018 16:23:03
