Great points. I also can’t stand when I point out something that’s objectively wrong (like trying to overturn an election result), and I get something like “All politicians are dirty. They’re all the same.” Well no, they’re not.
This is an important observation. Pretty much what happens everywhere all the time except there used to be a clear line beyond which no buts where allowed.
Now it's all up on air, no clear ground, no lines that can't be crossed. The most serious damage that populists like Trump do to their countries is that very thing and the longer they stay in power the more difficult to revert. I'm afraid severe economic struggle for the majority of their people is the only way to kick these men out.
I find most people who do this are actually happy with the cruelty and the authoritarian actions because it's their guy, but they don't want the social implication of saying it outload. If they were truly worried about the day to day issues they would have never voted for him in the first place.
When you are dependent on a system that has been intentionally broken/corrupted to be unfair, you need an excuse to continue working for it.
Our filled prisons and shredded safety nets seem to indicate that people need excuses to continue working for it, or admit something very disturbing about who and what they are working for, and why.
I think we should also notice the use of willful ignorance and the rising popularity for blaming the weakness of the oppressed, rather than the other side of the equation.
The business equivalent is the feedback sandwich. Bad news sandwiched between two pieces of good news which leaves the recipient confused about what’s they’re actually being told and ends up being counterproductive.
Spot on. I found myself doing this exact thing recently, equivocating the harmful propaganda of Fox News with “all media” in a friendly discussion, even though I didn’t believe my own words. Weird. Thanks for the insightful analysis, as always.
EDIT: But I would also posit that, for a lot of people just trying to figure out how they will put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, "the economy is doing well" is a more important consideration than "the President is corrupt and the country is well on the way to electoral authoritarianism".
It's always suspect when one has to constantly caveat any criticism made towards something they're ostensibly against. Are they really that much opposed at all if they're constantly balancing it with something positive?
Equally though, with Trump I think context is important. I agree with the criticisms made about his illiberal methods of Governance.
Yet, he did not appear in a vacuum. Like Brexit, I feel many voters were voting against something rather than for something.
Trump's ascendancy is as much to do with a rejection of wokery and elite consensus opposed to a genuine endorsement of all that he stands for.
This acknowledgement is vital for Democrats to understand their failings and hopefully learn to recalibrate.
Simply criticising Trump - however justified - doesn't really allow us to understand how he got there or how he can replaced with a Govt. who'll actually protect democracy.
Great points. I also can’t stand when I point out something that’s objectively wrong (like trying to overturn an election result), and I get something like “All politicians are dirty. They’re all the same.” Well no, they’re not.
Most people really are just trying to rationalize their tribal allegiances.
This is an important observation. Pretty much what happens everywhere all the time except there used to be a clear line beyond which no buts where allowed.
Now it's all up on air, no clear ground, no lines that can't be crossed. The most serious damage that populists like Trump do to their countries is that very thing and the longer they stay in power the more difficult to revert. I'm afraid severe economic struggle for the majority of their people is the only way to kick these men out.
I find most people who do this are actually happy with the cruelty and the authoritarian actions because it's their guy, but they don't want the social implication of saying it outload. If they were truly worried about the day to day issues they would have never voted for him in the first place.
When you are dependent on a system that has been intentionally broken/corrupted to be unfair, you need an excuse to continue working for it.
Our filled prisons and shredded safety nets seem to indicate that people need excuses to continue working for it, or admit something very disturbing about who and what they are working for, and why.
I think we should also notice the use of willful ignorance and the rising popularity for blaming the weakness of the oppressed, rather than the other side of the equation.
The business equivalent is the feedback sandwich. Bad news sandwiched between two pieces of good news which leaves the recipient confused about what’s they’re actually being told and ends up being counterproductive.
Worth mentioning that Mussolini did not, in fact, make the trains run on time
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/loco-motive/
(I see that this point has already been made, but I'll leave this here)
I've read that this myth arose in part from a command that the train taking him to Rome to seize power should run on time, but can't chase this down
Spot on. I found myself doing this exact thing recently, equivocating the harmful propaganda of Fox News with “all media” in a friendly discussion, even though I didn’t believe my own words. Weird. Thanks for the insightful analysis, as always.
Exactly
Bravo, Mike. You tagged and named the insidious beast that’s devouring our public political discourse …
Excellent in every way!
The sad thing was that Mussolini didn't even make the trains run on time, at least if Snopes had their facts right in 1999: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/loco-motive/
EDIT: But I would also posit that, for a lot of people just trying to figure out how they will put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, "the economy is doing well" is a more important consideration than "the President is corrupt and the country is well on the way to electoral authoritarianism".
At least you're still alive.
EDIT #2: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/tyranny-herodotus-authoritarianism-strongman-1.7315510
Herodotus discussed this well over two millennia ago, in his story of Deioces and his founding of the Median kingdom.
"We tend to think everybody hates [authoritarianism], everybody wants to escape from it. But it's better than starvation. It's better than dying."
"The perfectly despotic law is the law that the despot can do whatever he wishes."
This is great. This is my dad 100%
It's always suspect when one has to constantly caveat any criticism made towards something they're ostensibly against. Are they really that much opposed at all if they're constantly balancing it with something positive?
Equally though, with Trump I think context is important. I agree with the criticisms made about his illiberal methods of Governance.
Yet, he did not appear in a vacuum. Like Brexit, I feel many voters were voting against something rather than for something.
Trump's ascendancy is as much to do with a rejection of wokery and elite consensus opposed to a genuine endorsement of all that he stands for.
This acknowledgement is vital for Democrats to understand their failings and hopefully learn to recalibrate.
Simply criticising Trump - however justified - doesn't really allow us to understand how he got there or how he can replaced with a Govt. who'll actually protect democracy.