Skeptocracy
Revisiting my thoughts from 3 months into the Trump Presidency
Note: From time to time I reach back to past writings on my original blog to see how my observations and predictions have held up over time. The original version of this piece was posted on April 20, 2017, at 1hundredsixty8.com
The first months of Donald Trump’s Presidency are being described as a failure, devoid both of accomplishment and of a coherent approach to policy. According to multiple polls, his approval ratings are at historic lows. He has abandoned many of his campaign promises, disappointing many of his backers in the process. He has indulged in multiple forms of prevarication, from unfounded rumor-mongering to outright lies. He has, however, notched one notable achievement he can crow about: He has made virulent skepticism part of the national zeitgeist.
We are skeptical of his disparaging the rumors of Russian influence on his campaign when multiple intelligence services- both our own and those of our allies- claim there is credible evidence that it did occur. We wonder why, if there is no fire amidst all the smoke, his Administration so strenuously resists Congressional efforts to investigate.
We are skeptical of his motivations in his conduct of foreign affairs: Is he acting in the best interests of America or of his family’s businesses?
We wonder why people involved with the campaign and/or the Administration (Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Carter Page) have received payments from Russia.
We cynically speculate that some of his actions- his tweets, his statements in interviews- and the pronouncements of Administration staffers are meant to misdirect attention away from more problematic issues.
With blatant rolling of our eyes, we consider that recent military actions- the cruise missile strike against Syria, a nation with which we are not at war, and the dropping of the massive bomb on the ISIS tunnel-and-cave complex in Afghanistan- were also meant to distract from the Administration’s bumbling and present Mr. Trump as a strong leader.
We question the stated reasons he will not release his tax returns and cannot help but conclude he is hiding something.
His incessant diatribes against the press have left us skeptical of all media, both pro-and anti-Trump. We wonder what is “fake news” and what are sincere journalistic efforts to find the truth.
His constant attacks on judges who rule against him have made us skeptical of the impartiality of our courts, an unhelpful effect in a society based on the rule of law.
His flouting of ethical standards is beyond even the malleable limits to which our elected officials hold themselves (see Tom Price). He has maneuvered himself into the position where his actions as President can potentially benefit his and his children’s business interests.
He, both during the campaign and after his election, sought to delegitimize the voting process, describing it as “rigged” and whining about the “millions of illegal immigrants who voted”. He did this without evidence.
As we watch the things that do get done- the executive orders repealing regulations promulgated by the Obama Administration, or bills signed into law which benefit large corporate interests (such as allowing ISP’s to sell our Internet histories to advertisers), we doubt, in contrast with his populist rhetoric during the campaign, that Donald Trump is serving as President of the people, but is instead promoting the interests of the monied class of which he is a member.
The truth is, each day seems to bring more outrageous, unsubstantiated claims from Trump and his spokespeople. The sheer volume of misinformation is undermining the public’s faith in government, allowing the emergence of an authoritarian cadre that pines for a strong leader. If this trend is permitted to thrive, people will question the activities of the political institutions that bind our society together.
As this destruction of faith comes to pass, as our beliefs in political society’s building blocks are put to the test, we will find ourselves living in an environment of skepticism, a skeptocracy.
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