Post Truth

An interesting and disturbing series of articles this morning in the Sunday Times.  One was on what they are calling our “Post-Truth” era, thanks to our President who apparently cannot tell the difference between truth and fiction.  But the article attempts to explain the continuing support for him, even when he is clearly lying. They attribute the support to folks’ ability to think, “well, it could be true” . . . sort of a “wannabe truth”.  For example, Sarah Huckleberry engages in this kind of explanation routinely, since she is the chief splainer for the Liar-in-Chief.  Her explanation for his lies about having the biggest audience ever for his inauguration. “Well, it could have been . . . had the weather cooperated”.  In other words, in another universe, his audience might have grown to the largest ever.

Now the problem I have with the explanation, is that it implies that nothing anyone does or says has any relationship to fact or truth. If we are to follow that logic, then nothing anyone says or does also has any consequences. For example, if someone runs a red light and strikes a pedestrian, the driver might say, well, my light could have been green . . . ergo, I am guilty of nothing.  And of course, that explanation could well have been used to justify the invasion of Iraq . . . “well they could have had WMDs”.

And if that explanation is the rationale being used by his supporters to eliminate any issues concerning “truthiness” by The Liar-in-Chief, then it truly no longer matters what he says or does. But I wonder about such an explanation. I understand that Sarah Huckleberry might use such a rationale. I mean, she lies for a living and so has to construct whatever rationale works for her.  But I wonder about his supporters at large. Could it be that they simply no longer care what he says, or whether his words have any relationship to the Truth? I am brought to the belief that his supporters simply like what he is doing or saying, and the truth, to them, is irrelevant. If he proposes to ban all Muslims, and they don’t like Muslims, then whatever his rationale, his supporters will cheer, regardless of whether he is truth-telling or lying.  And if he is bashing Gays, or people of color, and they don’t like such folks, then again, it matters little his rationale.  What happens as a consequence, of course, is that the Nazi’s are allowed out of their closets and can now proceed to demonstrate for Nazi-rights on our streets . . . you know, the freedom to kill people they don’t like, just cuz.  And the Evangels of our Land, our very own Christian Taliban, can also yell and scream and try force as a method of shutting down programs such as the Planned Parenthood clinics, because they could be providing abortions.

And nobody does anything.

We could vote I suppose, but even that drastic course (well, remember, at least half of our voting age public does not routinely vote) is subject to the rules dictated by the Republican Guard in many of our states and precincts. First they gerrymandered, then next they try intimidation at the polls.

But we have apparently simply given up on demanding anything of our President. We now accept his behavior, regardless of what he says or does.  He lies about something, and now, our collective response seems to be, “OK so who needs a beer?” And so life goes on, and we no longer have any standards of behavior.  See, it isn’t really any longer about just Trump. A large change is occurring, or perhaps, has occurred in the American people. If we no longer care about “truthiness” then we are no longer a worthy people.  And are we now ok with that assertion? Are we really ok with no longer being a worthy people?  Because the Nazi’s in the 1930s Germany were no longer a worthy people. And the slaveholders in the 16^th-19^th centuries were no longer worthy people.   We imagined that we had grown more civilized, at least I thought we had. I imagined that the Civil War, and World Wars I & II meant that we had standards of morality that were better than what I see being demonstrated on a daily basis here in America of 2018. Maybe we have retreated now and, although we can blame Trump, it really is ourselves we must blame. We allow his behavior and tell him repeatedly that such behavior is actually ok with us.  He continues because he is allowed to continue.  And my question is . . . are we really ok with that position? If so, then we really are finished as a Nation and we only need a new Edward Gibbon to document the “, The History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire,  So, think hard American people. Think hard.

And I also began thinking about our Liar-in-Chief and his constant campaigning.  He avoided the White House Correspondents dinner in order to campaign in Washington, Wherever. Two things: first, he avoided the dinner because he is incapable of listening to any critical commentary about himself—that’s his extreme narcissism in action.  But second, and perhaps more important, he has never actually stopped campaigning since he won the Electoral College vote. No president on record has ever done that. And I wondered. But finally, I have concluded that it is because he never actually wanted to be president. He simply wanted to campaign for president, Campaigning delivers large crowds (yuge crowds . . . the biggest ever on record anywhere in the universe) that cheer him on.  The crowds deliver smiles and that is what he needs, all the time. So, maybe, instead of governing, he intends to continue campaigning. And maybe there could be worse things. Whenever he actually attempts “governance”, we see one disaster unfold after another.  So maybe we should encourage him to continue campaigning. He will do less damage to the world.  The government will be on hold for a few years. Couldn’t be worse than having him actually making decisions.

So, ta ta folks. And do think about that voting thing. If you check out instead of voting, then you don’t get to complain.