We all talk about how we would have handled the big moments of history had we lived through them. But, to be cliché, hindsight is 20/20. No one really knows how they will act in the big moments in history because we cannot recognize them in the moment.
We can only teach ourselves, and our progeny, a set of morals that can allow us to respond in at least a decent way as history unfolds. This is part of the problem addressed in my last post. If we consciously choose to forget history, we forget our moral values. Life becomes relativistic. It is how dictators control the masses. They erase community history, thus, they erase community morality.
We, as Americans, have never agreed on our community history, thus, our community morality has always been open to interpretation. We are, in many ways, a Machiavellian society with no actual concept that Machiavelli was writing satire when he wrote, “The ends justify the means.” We take it literally without any real thought into the underlying philosophy.
Trump is the personification of everything that is bad in our society. He is unintelligent. He possesses zero intellectual curiosity. He feeds and stokes the fear in segments of our society. In some cases, he creates that fear so he can stoke it.
His followers listen. Why? Because the ruling and political classes in our society have long encouraged a more jingoistic view of our supremacy that does not require we actually be supreme. It is easier to control an electorate that is uneducated, especially in the function of the societal contract.
Every man for himself is encouraged. We use platitudes like, “self-made,” and “pick yourself up by your bootstraps.” Any actual thought of a society that cares for all it’s members is called evil. If you think our society should be equitable for all, you are labeled a socialist. As if that is a bad thing.
The ruling and political classes have divided us by teaching us “otherism.” We are us. Everyone else is “other.” Other is bad. The corporate overlords who give away your jobs for profits are not the evil in our society. The “others” who are given your jobs are the evil.
A divided populace is easier to control. We started early. Plantation owners told the poorest white man that he is better than the richest black man. It fed a fear. It worked so well that millions were convinced to fight a war to defend a system that provides nothing for them. In fact, the plantation system is part of what kept the poorest white man down because the plantation owners created a built in work force that kept poor whites from finding work.
It did not happen overnight. It took a generation. We are seeing the same seeds bloom again. It happened when one group of the political class defined themselves as “real Americans” while everyone else was the “liberal elite” that needed to be defeated.
The problem is that they lost control of the monster they created. It is how we find ourselves with Trump. He knew how to manipulate, and for a time control, the beast.
Now, the beast is awake and the bulwark that could protect our currently fragile democratic experiment is playing ostrich to the possibility of the danger. We cannot admit to ourselves that we are on the brink of a new schism that will irreparably split us this time.
We forget that “the pen is mightier than the sword” does not mean we can bring a ballpoint to a knife fight. Trump, however, understands just how well words can motivate. He knows as well as any other dictatorial-minded tyrant has known how to turn a crowd into a mob. He has shown it time and time again since he entered politics.
This week, he fully admitted that he tried to overthrow the rightfully elected government of the United States. Nothing meaningful will be done. Half the political class will continue to protect him.
Why? Hubris.
In the back of their minds, they still think they have some level of control over a deal they made with the devil. Those that know they don’t, are still betting that the devil will win and they would rather be pets than cattle.
It will not end well for anyone. The devil only cares about his own power and comfort.