The past election once again proved the old adage, “There is no evil a well organized, energized minority cannot inflict on a disorganized, apathetic majority” It proves equally well that people who cease to believe in existing organizations and authority do not cease to believe, but become zealots eager to believe anyone or anything. They provide fertile ground for sociopaths tyrants and demagogues.
In the present case, the minority that have ceased believing in the existing order of things is primarily white males of limited education, disenfranchised by technological change. The demagogue who emerged to capture their belief and energize them was Trump. His wild accusations, inflated promises and bizarre behavior appealed to their fanatical craving to believe in something.
It is apparent the next few years, perhaps even the next decade, will be regressive and unpredictable. Norms regarding conflict of interest, nepotism, conduct, and character will be eroded and altered. It is equally apparent that the greatest evil in the world today—ever increasing concentration of wealth and power in ever fewer hands—will continue unabated. One need only look at his cabinet appointments. Most, like Trump, are obscenely wealthy. Most are elderly white males. The others are from privileged families. None have lived among, or experienced the lives of the vast majority of industrial age families. Expecting them to act for the benefit of the masses of people they know little or nothing about, rather than their own benefit, and the benefit of those they know, experience and admire, is foolish.
None the less, there is reason to be optimistic. Evolution does not move in a straight line or at constant speed toward its destination. In this nation, it is not moving toward white male dominance. It is not moving toward a dominant sex. It is not moving toward a racial majority. It is not moving toward a common life style. it is not moving toward exclusivity. Rather, it is moving toward ever increasing social diversity, complexity, and inclusiveness. What is not clear is whether it is moving toward increased liberty, economic equity, justice, peace, and democracy, or toward tyranny, power and privilege. The only way any minority, whether economic, political, racial, sexual or cognitive, can impose its will on majorities in ever increasing societal diversity and complexity brought about by ever increasing capacity to receive, utilize store, transform and transmit information, is by abandonment of liberty and democracy, and ever increasing tyranny, force and brutality.
Trump and his followers are merely the last hurrah of white, male dominance, bigotry, and intolerance. Diversity Complexity, liberty, equity, tolerance, peace and love are where evolution is heading. Democracy will eventually evolve into more beneficent, chaordic concepts of societal organization in which power, wealth and justice are more equitably distributed and commonly shared. How much social and environmental carnage we must endure before that happens is not known.
Revel in trumpery while you can Donald, then “Requiescat in pace.”