Public Comment

Who are they?

Why do they follow the misogynist, racist, narcissist, con-man, liar, cheater, bully?

What can be done to heal the division in our society?

From the beginning of his career as a public personality, and certainly since he glided down his escalator into politics, Donald trump's character has been obvious and visible to all with a modicum of life experience. Bad boss, misogynist, racist, narcissist, con-man, liar, cheater, bully; trump has fit these descriptors with astounding consistency. So, the question that's been dogging me over the duration of his presidency is how can so many people follow this creep? 

There are lots of reasons, all fragmentary. It's not complete nor entirely accurate, to say that his followers are stupid, uninformed, ignorant, or brainwashed by deceptive disinformation media and foreign interference, although these are valid factors. Nor is it clearly a matter of economic disparity. The gulf between a few with uncountable wealth and the many struggling day to day to barely subsist is real and dangerous to our nation, yet his followers come from every socio-economic tranche, including the most elite. 

Some followers resent "undeserving" people (whom they see as lower in the social order than they are) getting "free stuff" from the government. Their racism, xenophobia, misogyny, are unleashed when non-whites, foreigners and women are given a step up (actually a half-step, to try to equalize opportunity). trump marshals their resentment into a group identity, giving it a name, a slogan, a color and a hat. Whenever he doesn't get what he wants, trump models this underlying emotion with one of his most-used expressions, "it's not fair." 

What motivates his followers to prefer an information ecosystem of falsehood and anger? Why do they recklessly cling to untrue and illogical denial of reality (whether about the results of an election, for instance, or the efficacy of wearing masks to prevent Covid infection)? Why do they give this man a devotion that is usually only offered from the hearts of fervent religious believers? 

An insight to these questions appeared as I watched the President of the United States incite his followers to attack the citadel of our country's most precious political treasure: democracy. He invited them with a tweet to "be wild," to be angry, to become a mob. At the rally just before the insurrection, he exhorted them with, "Let's go to the Capitol," after his enabler, Rudy Giuliani, inflamed them with "trial by combat." He gave his followers explicit permission to rampage through the halls of Congress, and stop the peaceful transfer of power taking place. 

When trump acts like a bully and says words that denigrate a person's race, gender, origin or physical impairment - doing so without shame or regret - he gives his followers permission by example to do the same. Even in the face of visible facts that he lied, he doubles-down on a falsehood, refusing to be wrong, ever. His example gives his followers permission to be similarly obstinate, allowing them to feel that they, too, are unassailable, undoubtable, untouchable. 

But why would they want to adopt such despicable characteristics? How could they even have the notion that trump's "permission" is valid? What causes one to seek and find a permission-giving father figure in such a character as trump? 

trump's followers, maybe 35% of the population, seem to believe that being tough is the way to behave, that being anything else - empathic, caring, or self-reflective - is weak, is being a loser. They emulate the lead of the celebrity who acts like a "tough guy," hoping that his toughness will trickle down on them, unaware that his is an act, a sham, a con. 

Were they trained, as young Donald was by his father, that the only way to behave was to dominate? Was their spirit similarly broken when, as children, a harsh and inflexible parent withheld love and abused them whenever they lost or showed vulnerability? Were they taught, 

"Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,  

I will fear no evil, because I'm the toughest mothafricker in the Valley"? 

Did they suffer so much abuse that they learned to become abusers themselves? 

Some people compensate from such emotional, physical and spiritual abuse, by aspiring to become bullies themselves. They need to cover over their feelings of low self-esteem, the fear that they may be losers, with trump-like braggadocio. Inherently, they know that they must give loyalty to stronger bullies and demand loyalty from those weaker than themselves. 

Even many "elite" members of trump's Administration, the actual in-crowd, suffer from an unfulfilled need for approval, recognition, and permission. They fall prey to trump's tactic of dividing and setting the parts against each other, long practiced on his TV show, "The Apprentice." They compete for the leader's attention under an unpredictable, erratic regime that never allows anyone to feel secure in their position. They are unfazed when they see some other loyal follower getting "thrown under the bus" for a perceived infraction of absolute loyalty, apparently believing that it wouldn't happen to them. 

Those outside the inner circles are offered a feeling of belonging with "inside information" through trump-supporting media that feeds them conspiracy theories and propaganda. Needing external validation, they yearn to be included in the "in-group" where they can feel unique and special. No one doubts the leader; doubting is for losers. 

Is there a way to get through these followers' hard shell of faith-based misinformed belief, of their determined self-identification with their chosen leader? Or are we condemned to remain a divided society? Throughout history, caring and nurturing tendencies have clashed with those of forceful domination. Often, the "softer" tendencies get overwhelmed by violence from the hard "untouchables." Yet, within two or three generations of stark authoritarianism, liberalism arises again, like verdant vegetation emerging from a fire-storm burned forest. Can this pattern be broken? Can we, at this time, avoid another descent into a reign of ignorant, unfeeling domination? 

Liberals like to believe that love trumps hatred. If the diagnosis is correct that a yearning for love long withheld during childhood is the reason people chose a father-figure to follow, is there a way for love to melt through their hard shells? Their chosen leader says, "I love you" with shameless insincerity while his actions clearly reveal his only love is for his own self-serving aggrandizement. Yet, those who are thirsting for love, desperate for the promise of quenching, will drink his muddy water. 

Can those who see the distinction between the nurturing and the domineering ideals actually offer love sincerely to those who view such an act as weakness? How can people who grew up learning to hold resentment and anger turn to self-reflection, which leads to understanding that leads to compassion? How can a person show compassion for trump's followers without being interpreted as condescending? Can compassion respect a bully?  

How do we reach out to those who think they are just fine, that they are the ones who see the truth, and think that it is we who are misled by our own echo chamber of values and information? Can love trump hatred and anger? Could love trump Trump? 

I envision this historic polarity struggle as if we were crawling out of a dank and slippery-sloped hole. 

The ground gets less slippery and more horizontal the further we emerge.  

We are tied to those further down the hole with invisible ropes.  

Can we help pull them up? Or will the weight of their mass drag us back down?  

Perhaps the warmth and light we feel above us, around us, and within will give us the strength to keep pulling, upward.  

Is Love that strength? 

At the same time, I yearn for justice, accountability, and consequence for the bad actions trump and his supporters have committed. I was in Chile when an unsuccessful coup was attempted against the Allende government, in June 1973. The perpetrators were allowed exile to Ecuador, where they planned the coup that became "successful" in September, 1973 (9-11-73, to be exact). That is what happens when attacks on Democracy go unpunished. 

Do trump and his enablers have any incentive NOT to try another insurrection, perhaps during the inauguration of President Biden? The lesson from the last impeachment with its failed conviction is NO, crime does pay, and even when it doesn't payoff, there is no consequence for trying. trump must be held accountable, or else this attempted coup, this insurrection, will only serve to encourage future actions, which may be more successful than the current shameful attempt. 

Can his followers be held accountable as well? Should they be? 

How can we help them fulfill their psychological need to be loved, included and special, yet dissuade them from similar bad action? Would deterrence help or hinder? 

People change their predilections and behaviors only after they want to change. What kind of example can we offer to encourage them to become more caring of others, more connected to the ideal of America as a mutual community of equals? If we were to embrace them, would they warm to a more respectful way of being? Could we even embrace those who would like us to yield under their own domination? 

May Love's energy manifest throughout this year and may we learn to use it to heal. 

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