The Danger Is Real

I’m reading a book titled “UPSWING,” by Robert D. Putnam. It’s an analysis of the upswings and downturns in social, cultural, political, economic, religious and ethnic thinking and conditions in the last 125 years. One chapter, “Culture: Individualism vs. Community,” seemed especially relevant to the dangers emanating from the 2020 elections.

The campaign starkly revealed the opposite poles of that chapter’s title. Of course we don’t normally think of those terms as representing anything other than individual liberty (good), as well as community responsibility (also good). Democracy is supposed to be the ideal mixture of the two. But what we saw in the 2020 campaign was divisive individualism (“Lock her up!”) vs. emphasis on community, with its clarion call for unity (“We are not red states or blue states, we are the United States!”). I don’t have to tell you who espoused what.

The favorable results, however, while setting us on a path toward unity of purpose in the fight against the pandemic and for equality of opportunity, did not eliminate the poisonous affliction of divisiveness propagated by President Trump. And he’s doubling down on it. At this writing he is still insisting that the election was stolen from him, and is encouraging his supporters to continue the fight against the results, despite his having lost by 7 million votes. And his multi-state legal attempts have been tossed out of court by every judge — Republican as well as Democrat!

But we can’t ignore the fact that Donald Trump — after four years of blatant incompetence, racism, incessant lying (most deadly about Covid-19), and enriching himself as well as the already wealthy (He reportedly told his cohorts at Mar a Lago after passage of his tax plan, “I just made you guys a lot richer”) — received over 73 million votes!

There are elements among those voters who are out-and-out racists and neo-Nazis. They will have to be dealt with lawfully if and when they stir up violence. But the vast majority of his supporters are decent, law-abiding citizens, who, for one reason or another, were taken in by Trump’s con man anti-politician tactics.

The only way to deal with this dangerous situation is to work toward unity via the programs put forth by Joe Biden, and even to press for greater reforms enunciated by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

A major impediment toward moving our country forward, however, would be if the Republicans keep control of the Senate. The elections in Georgia on Jan. 5 will be critical. We should do all we can — especially financially — to support Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their senatorial bids.

 

 

 Wake-up Call

When I wrote “Allegiance to a Con Man,” about why so many Americans voted for Donald Trump in 2016, I did not expect what happened in 2020. After four years of incompetence, lies, insults, rule by tweets, racism, criminal — yes, criminal — undermining of our fight against Covid-19, and isolating us from the rest of the world, Trump still received 9 million more votes than he did in 2016!

Yes, he was soundly defeated by Joe Biden, who beat him by over 5 million votes. But at last count Trump had over 72 million votes, whereas in 2016 he received a bit over 63 million.

Why?

There is something seriously wrong in the body politic of the United States. And while we can justifiably celebrate the end of Trump’s presidency we’ll still by infected by Trumpism after he’s gone.

As I said in my “Con Man” piece, only a small portion of those who support Trump should be considered “deplorables” — to use Hillary Clinton’s impolitic term. I’m referring to the neo-Nazi, white supremacist, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic forces, all of which were encouraged by Trump at every turn. They will still constitute a very real danger to our country while Mr. Trump is sulking back in Trump Tower.

I’m hopeful that if the Biden/Harris leadership can reduce the effects of the pandemic, and that their plans for job creation — especially with a sharp turn toward renewable energy — it will weaken the hold that Donald Trump held on a large segment of the American people.

But this is not just a question of Biden/Harris and the people — who can’t just sit back and wait for President Biden to work miracles. There will have to be a lot of public pressure behind him, and even movements to take his plans a step further. And let’s not forget that in our system of checks and balances, the executive branch is only as effective as its relationship with Congress. There’s a possibility that the Senate will wind up in Democratic hands — just barely. But if it remains in Mitch McConnell’s nefarious hands, the march toward undoing Trump’s damage and realizing Biden’s domestic and international plans will be more of a slog than a stride.

But I believe that with Trump gone, and with the working relationships Biden had with Republicans when he was their colleague, they will feel freer to compromise. And since they always have their eyes on the next elections for Senate, even though Trump got a whopping 72-plus million votes, they had to be even more impressed that Biden got over 5 million more!

Fingers crossed.

Allegiance to a Con Man

Since I wrote “The Trump Syndrome,” which dealt primarily with the reason Donald Trump was elected president, I’ve been thinking about why he is still attractive to so many Americans after nearly four years of utter incompetence and cruelty. Though I believe he will be defeated in his bid for a second term, he will still receive millions of votes. Only a small portion of those votes will be cast by unregenerate white nationalists and neo-Nazis. What motivates the millions of other decent, hard-working Americans who are willing to overlook Trump’s outrages and want him to serve another four years in office?

Political life is complex. Throughout history it has taken many forms, from communal societies to slave states to royal rule to autocracies and, thankfully, to democracies. But while this progression has been bloody, it has also become less barbaric and has moved toward greater equality. Unfortunately, there’s still a long way to go before “the pursuit of happiness” reaches its ideal in a world of peace, justice and brotherhood.

But the complexity in politics is an outgrowth of the complexities in the lives of the people within and between the nations of the world. Human and societal imperfections have resulted in different viewpoints of the same phenomena. Thus the development of various political structures in each country. In the U.S. we have a Constitution, which lays out basic principles for the establishment of what Benjamin Franklin rightly called a republic. Although that document did not mandate a two-party system entrusted to function on the basis of those principles, different views by our legislators resulted in the establishment of the Republican and Democratic parties. While the political winds have resulted in the birth of other parties, these two are still dominant in our political landscape. And those winds have reversed their characters 180 degrees: the Republicans, once the party of Abraham Lincoln, has become conservative, while the Democrats, once the party of slave-owners, has become, as its name applies, democratic (small d).

As to the views of “We the People,” our attitudes are influenced by various factors: upbringing, conditions, occupations, relationships — and, not least, the media and the politicians. To complicate the picture, there are also psychological aspects as to why we think the way we do. Not being a psychologist myself, I can’t analyze it. But when a woman attending a Trump rally is told by an interviewer that most of what he said was untrue, and her response is, “I know, but he’ll get things done,” I’m sure that something beyond objective reasoning is at work in her mind. Perhaps it is a need that compels her to ignore reality in the hope that this blusterer will somehow fulfill that need.

In his book “What’s the Matter With Kansas?”, Thomas Frank delves into the contradiction of voters who consistently vote against their self-interest. He details the factors involved, and it’s not a pretty picture. The Kansans, he says, have repeatedly been hoodwinked by populist rhetoric, much like the feel-good lies we’ve been deluged with from Donald Trump.

 I also believe that the explosion of imagery into our lives with the advent of television is a factor in coloring our political perspective. Most notably we remember the very first presidential debate between Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. Much emphasis in the analysis afterward focused on Kennedy’s good looks and his calm demeanor, while Nixon was sweating and had a five o’clock shadow. These should not have made a difference in our estimates of the political capabilities of the two men, but they did. Ask anyone who works in advertising about the importance of imagery in the art of persuasion.

As I said, I can’t explain why some people view an established liar and fraud as their savior, while vilifying a candidate who makes sense and is obviously a decent person. My only hope is that — as the polls now indicate — Joe Biden, the decent if not perfect candidate, who has presented plans to improve conditions for the mass of Americans in this pandemic-ridden society, is elected on Nov. 3.

How To Be Old

It’s not a great revelation to say it’s not easy being old. The hardships, mostly physical, mount by the day. But you can do one of two things as age creeps up on you: deal with it or let it deal with you. To put it another way, old age is going to come no matter what you do, but there are ways you can soften the blows.

As for that popular phrase “The Golden Years,” the more appropriate metallic metaphor would be lead. So you have to do what you’ve done all your life: the best you can. And that starts with attitude.

I’m not suggesting that you deny what the years are doing to you; they have always had the last word. But if you simply bemoan your plight, and let the inevitable shadow of age envelop you without bringing some sunshine into it, you’ll not only grow old you’ll grow miserably old. When Mother Nature gave us a heart, lungs and a brain, she said, “Okay, here are your tools. Now go ahead and use them to build something, not for just a few robust years, but as long as they’re in your body.”

So as your body loses its vitality, and your brain goes a bit haywire, you have to compensate for decline in the following simple but effective ways.

1.  Read a book – Most older people’s intake of the outside world is TV. That’s okay, but a lot of it is better at putting your backside to sleep than stimulating your brain. Game shows and commercials predominate. A good sitcom, such as “Everybody Loves Raymond,” is fine, but that’s the exception. A book reveals the intricacies of its characters, their relationships and foibles. It can get you to think thoughts you never thought of — even though that thing between your ears is not what it used to be. So don’t give up TV, but take a book off the shelf once in a while.

2.  Get a Hobby – Needlepoint, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, whatever. They’re very popular with people of all ages. If you don’t try any you’re missing out on a brain stimulation method every gerontologist advocates.

3.  Exercise – No, I don’t mean entering the Marathon. And you don’t have to go to a gym or hire a trainer. Simple stuff: stretching your arms out, holding on to the back of a chair and lifting your legs one a time, maybe ten times for each if you can, bending over and back several times. If it’s not disabling for you, walk around the block once a day.

4.  Interact – Television can’t hold a candle to the boost you get when you gather with friends and relatives. Regular card games, maybe. Dish the dirt with Harriet, or Tom, or Gertrude, whoever. Your relatives are far away? I hope they telephone you regularly. But if they don’t, call them and give them what for — lovingly, of course.

As for your inner body — diet and ailments — I can’t advise you about those. You and your doctor are already dealing with the intricacies of that factory inside you. But the things I have suggested can make your older years more tolerable — and, most important, more enjoyable.

 Trump’s Base

I’ve been thinking about “Trump’s Base.” The rallies he’s been holding have been shocking shows of recklessness. Why do so many people care more about this charlatan than about their own well-being? It would be comprehensible if the danger were not so manifest. Is it possible that they put more faith in Trump’s bluster about the virus going away than they do about the mounting death toll that dominates the news?

If there is anything you can see with a sense of disbelief it is the sight of these thousands jamming together — most without masks — cheering a weakling who pretends to be Superman. What’s most frightening about this phenomenon is the frame of mind of the thousands at these rallies — not to mention the millions who will be voting for Trump — regardless of whether he wins or loses. These Americans — which include a sizeable number of armed white nationalists — constitute a disquieting danger.

We have just witnessed a shocking manifestation of this danger with the plot to kidnap, and possibly murder, Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) — Keeper of the Flame, so to speak, in documenting the actions of white nationalist, anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi groups throughout the country — reveals their great extent coast to coast. Donald Trump’s presidency has emboldened these groups. When he leaves office — albeit kicking and screaming — these groups, and the general pro-Trump mentality of thousands of Americans — as witnessed by his mass rallies despite the dangers — will remain.

Hopefully, the sanity of leadership by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, will overcome the damage and lingering danger to Americans and to democracy itself. It will take effort, not by the Biden administration alone, but by all of us, to eradicate the virus of hate that existed before Covid-19 and was exacerbated by a self-centered psychotic who doesn’t give a damn about anyone — including those labeled “Trump’s Base.”