Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Ben Rhodes on the Amazing Radicalization and Incredible Assholery of the GOP
During my 20 years in politics, two destructive trends stand out: the steady radicalization of the Republican Party and the trivialization of politics, particularly the way it is covered by US media and how politicians respond to that dynamic.
The Republican debate stands out for how unsurprising it was that a stage full of people acted like a bunch of kids trying to get admitted to some fascist costume party. Kill people at the border! Prohibit women from any agency over their bodies! Side with Putin! Etc. Etc.
The bridge between radicalization and trivialization (as always) is Trump. Last night, a group of accomplished adults refused to condemn someone who has broken laws related to overthrowing the U.S. government, stealing classified information, violating campaign finance laws, etc
If I told you 20 years ago that a guy who was facing 91 felony charges, including trying to overthrow the U.S. government, would be the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination and none of his opponents would dare to criticize him, well...
There's a lot to say about the radicalization of the Republicans. I've written two books that were largely about that. Frankly, there's nothing more to say. We have a radical right-wing party. It is what it is now.
But the trivialization of politics demands as much attention and is just as important. Because without it, the radicalization would be impossible.
Last night, for instance, the GOP frontrunner talked at length on this platform about vicious mosquitos, conspiracy theories, and general nonsense. A man who said those things in a job interview for just about any other position in the world wouldn't get hired.
Trump's hack of political media has always been that he mirrors their complete lack of interest in any substance, in favor of political optics, news cycle stupidity, and performative bullshit. He is both a creation - and conductor - of the stupidity of political coverage.
It is jarring to consider how impossible Trump would have been 20 years ago. He is only possible because of a Republican party that descended into grievance based insanity after the Obama election, and too much (not all) political media that cares only about performative nonsense
Consider the fact that Vivek Ramaswamy, a man who has precisely zero interest in performing any functions of the U.S. presidency, is heralded for a performance in which he mainly demonstrated his complete lack of fitness to run for any office, nevermind the most powerful one.
Meanwhile, what's at stake? The livelihoods of Americans. A world in which there is the biggest European war since World War II and the potential for a war between nuclear-armed superpowers in East Asia. The survivability of the planet.
Until we see that these things are not trivial or entertaining; that they are serious challenges to the underpinnings of our Republic and global stability, then the radicalization will continue.
A common thread to these two trends is money - the enormous amount of money poured into corrupting our politics since Citizens United has served to fuel both radicalization and nonsense in order to serve very specific ends. That, too, is hiding in plain sight.
Meanwhile, many Americans suffer a crisis of belonging, a vulnerability to conspiracy theory, an understandable inability to make sense of it all. Because the blending of radicalization (Us v Them) and trivialization (nothing matters) leads to the destruction of objective truth.
To defeat both radicalization and trivialization, we need to get back to a democracy in which debate, disagreement, and even division can be based upon an objective reality that recognizes the stakes involved. Because all of this DOES matter. A lot.
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Monday, August 14, 2023
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Saturday, August 5, 2023
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