Problem: Trump and the Republican Party

Trump and the 20% or so of the American population that adulates him is not a new problem in the United States.  Of course, there are racist issues, xenophobic tendencies, conspiratorial thinking.  But there is also utter sociopathy, paranoia, fanaticism, and just pure, unadulterated greed.  There is also stupidity.  There is not ignorance, because ignorance is self-correcting. 

            This brings us to the problem.  Trump was allowed to take office and those who support him, support him knowing who and what he is.

            In order for Donald Trump to have taken office, there was a decades long movement to undermine good government policies.  The undermining of these policies has allowed for a minority to take control of this country.  This is part of the problem.  In a functioning and fair, and healthy governing system, Donald Trump would not have stood a chance.

            However, there will always be the fringe minority, the “deplorables” of any country.  These people are the cost of a civil society but the majority must not let them overtake the country.  People who support Donald Trump have no place in a civil society, and yet to be civil, there must be a place for them. This is the catch-22.  However, all opinions must be allowed, but all opinions cannot be considered respectable, much less accepted.

            Religion, fear, and greed all play a part in the debacle that the Republican Party has become, and in the once unthinkable idea that someone such as Donald Trump could become president.  While we cannot rid our society of people who would stand in the way of social and political progress, we must never, ever let them become philosopher kings.

Solution: Civil Responsibilities, Individual Responsibilities, Realism

            It would be much easier to simply state that education is the answer.  It would be much more comfortable if we could just make policy changes in the government, or regulate the billions of dollars that unconscionable corporations and individuals poured into both political parties for dubious reasons.  But these solutions, however much they are needed, are short-sighted for this particular problem.

            A solution to Donald Trump is more opaque, less ideological perhaps.  The United States has something very good, worth fighting for.  But we must always keep that in mind.  We often get derailed.  We often lose track of what it is that is important.  With that in mind, we must concentrate on changing anything and everything that allowed for Donald Trump.  This ranges from accepting everyone’s opinion (which we mustn’t do), to “agreeing to disagree”.  This includes calling out and facing people who would undo those ideals this country supposedly stands for.  This includes holding people responsible, especially politicians and religious leaders who allowed this atrocity as well as those who would undermine the basic ideals of the concept of democracy.

            This also includes facing realities.  As a country we must face certain realities that are beyond ideological beliefs.  We must realize that ideologies fall short, and that reality is what counts.  While we may want “things to be different”, we must agree on a direction, how we want them to be different.  In short, we must decide on what kind of society we want to live in, and then work (not wish) our way towards that goal.  We must give up John Locke and look towards John Stuart Mill.

            Donald Trump is a wakeup call.  His followers have always been here and unfortunately those sorts of people will always exist.  The rest of us allowed this to happen because of apathy, or laziness, or indecision.  We allowed this because we were too caught up in our own personal battles.  We were too busy buying the latest gadget or checking our “feed”.  We turned our heads instead of facing reality.  We got what we deserved: the Republicans and Donald Trump.  The Republicans, Donald Trump and that ilk are correct about one thing:  freedom does not come free.  But none of us can be free from our responsibilities to never allow another Donald Trump.