What made Trump's political rise possible was precisely the polarization of American politics that he came to symbolize. It was not exactly a radical split between Democrats and Republicans or even between liberals and conservatives. Trump is only nominally a Republican, and he's certainly no conse…
What made Trump's political rise possible was precisely the polarization of American politics that he came to symbolize. It was not exactly a radical split between Democrats and Republicans or even between liberals and conservatives. Trump is only nominally a Republican, and he's certainly no conservative. What facilitated Trump's rise was the alienation of American elites—who, so to speak, lost spiritual contact with the America outside a handful of major urban areas. Yes, I know, this is a generalization and exceptions can be cited, but in the large I believe that it's valid.
Trump was shrewd enough to spot this sense of alienation and exploit it politically, but once in office his indiscipline, egomania and mendacity did him in. I will not say that everything he did as president was bad. But his behavior cost him the 2020 election, and his behavior post-election demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is unfit to be president.
However, Trump's defeat did nothing to change the underlying political dynamic, as Joe Biden has learned to his discomfiture. And if anyone doubts my diagnosis of elite alienation, I refer them to the debacle of the pandemic now ending, which showed us just what various elite groups really think of ordinary American citizens. That thinking can be summed up in one word: contempt.
I myself hold no brief for that puerile abstraction, "the American people." But in a republic like ours the people cannot be treated—must not be treated—as irresponsible idiots who have to be managed and cajoled and even lied to in the service of some greater good. How can we take seriously talk of "our democracy" when that's the attitude of those who govern us? Indeed, I don't take such talk seriously when it emanates from the fever swamps of Woke progressivism. To people like that, "democracy" only exists when it appears to be serving their purposes. Otherwise, "fascism" prevails.
Considering the damage that Trump did to the Republican Party, it's very telling indeed that all signs point to red wave election in November. That shows you just how disgusted people have become with elite institutions. And note that the disgust is to some extent bipartisan. In Virginia, San Francisco and other places, people who describe themselves as Democrats and liberals have turned on the progressive elites who mostly control the Democratic Party. And it loos to me as though the party has no idea what to do about it.
Though I'm no Trump fan, I mostly agree.
What made Trump's political rise possible was precisely the polarization of American politics that he came to symbolize. It was not exactly a radical split between Democrats and Republicans or even between liberals and conservatives. Trump is only nominally a Republican, and he's certainly no conservative. What facilitated Trump's rise was the alienation of American elites—who, so to speak, lost spiritual contact with the America outside a handful of major urban areas. Yes, I know, this is a generalization and exceptions can be cited, but in the large I believe that it's valid.
Trump was shrewd enough to spot this sense of alienation and exploit it politically, but once in office his indiscipline, egomania and mendacity did him in. I will not say that everything he did as president was bad. But his behavior cost him the 2020 election, and his behavior post-election demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is unfit to be president.
However, Trump's defeat did nothing to change the underlying political dynamic, as Joe Biden has learned to his discomfiture. And if anyone doubts my diagnosis of elite alienation, I refer them to the debacle of the pandemic now ending, which showed us just what various elite groups really think of ordinary American citizens. That thinking can be summed up in one word: contempt.
I myself hold no brief for that puerile abstraction, "the American people." But in a republic like ours the people cannot be treated—must not be treated—as irresponsible idiots who have to be managed and cajoled and even lied to in the service of some greater good. How can we take seriously talk of "our democracy" when that's the attitude of those who govern us? Indeed, I don't take such talk seriously when it emanates from the fever swamps of Woke progressivism. To people like that, "democracy" only exists when it appears to be serving their purposes. Otherwise, "fascism" prevails.
Considering the damage that Trump did to the Republican Party, it's very telling indeed that all signs point to red wave election in November. That shows you just how disgusted people have become with elite institutions. And note that the disgust is to some extent bipartisan. In Virginia, San Francisco and other places, people who describe themselves as Democrats and liberals have turned on the progressive elites who mostly control the Democratic Party. And it loos to me as though the party has no idea what to do about it.