(What Happens When Your Grievances Make You a Willing Traitor?)
“Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he’s depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, “Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.” Man bursts into tears. Says, “But doctor…I am Pagliacci.”
Rorschach, Watchmen – 2009
On May 14, 2018 an article in the Washington Post by James Hohmann declared “Trump voters stay loyal because they feel disrespected”. The article went on to interview multiple Trump voters that while seeing the economy continuing its trajectory felt vindicated in their choice of the so-called “Businessman”, they still felt the disrespect of Liberals for their choice. They felt liberals disrespected Trump daily, and in peeling back the onion stream of consciousness felt that they felt mocked in the world even prior to Trump. They felt talked down to. They felt the liberal focus on the smaller populations of citizens such as minorities, immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ communities left little room for them. These quotes really sum up the sentiment of the article and of the space in our current politics.
“Our culture in Hollywood or in the media gives off the distinct air of disregard to people who live in the middle of the country, as if we have no value or do not contribute to the betterment of society”
“Notably, people in all seven of their categories expressed frustration, even a year after the election, that they are not understood, respected or valued by the powers that be on the East and West coasts.”
Near the first anniversary of the president taking office, Glazier worried especially that those who voted for Trump are now viewed by others as therefore being like Trump. “I’m far from being a racist,” he said. “I’m far from being a bigot. Not everybody makes the crude comments. Not everybody walks and talks like he’s a big bully, like the president can do sometimes.”
One realization I have after the horrendous blow to America in the 2016 election is that I believed in these people more than they ever believed in themselves. I guess I expect people not to quit. I expect people not to take their ball and go home. I expect people to take responsibility. I learned at a very young age that pulling out “The Sun was in my eyes” excuse was a wimp’s substitute for owning the play. One of those actions re-doubled your commitment to quality, and one left you a coward’s darkness to slink into without improving your skills or character.
Our Country was under siege. Our Digital Space was violated by a Foreign Power, and the Right Wing aided and abetted this behavior. Crimes were committed on our soil. On our property. We technically had our space occupied by a foreign actor, and all we could get from Faux Patriots of the Right Wing was a “Lower the Drawbridge and Mingle Event.” At least Troy was duped into opening the doors. Trump supporters threw the doors open for the Foreign Invader, and danced till the sun came up.
America sits now occupied by a dimwitted tool of a Foreign Power, and we still have people clinging to their ego’s for fear of looking bad, and watching the methodical pilfering molestation of Democracy. They sit airing their grievances, while they watch the Board of Directors they would air them to, be fleeced and dismantled. If you succeed on this path, you will have plenty of grievance, but there will be no American Board left to air them to.
We get it. Your Religious views were so much more important than protecting American Democracy that you would open the doors for the invaders. Your feeling of being disrespected was so egregious that we should turn the keys over to Putin’s propaganda brigade. The grievance you felt that a woman would dare to lead was so great that you might as well turn the car over to the carjacking ring. Your Party loyalty so fervent you had to make sure the burglars had a night light so they could see.
We watch this man now wreak havoc on the world with his stupidity allowing a dangerous recklessness only to feed his own ego, and all these supporters can do is triple down in order to vindicate themselves. They watch the embarrassment, the theft, the corruption, the incompetence, yet continue to gyrate to double-speak, principle-less drum beats. The gyrations getting more drastic as the clarity of the mistake made is in their faces every day.
Very few of them will peel off. Very few will step in and show the honor they once had. Most will continue to pretend. Most will continue to come up with avoidance techniques rather than own the epic, life defining mistake or worse the vast cowardice it took to usher these invaders in.
These same people now fear being Trump. Fear his actions, his betrayals, his disdain for people, his bigotry and sexism, and outright racist xenophobia is them. There is no escaping that. You will need to own that. You have created an America in the image of the invader. This is with you forever.
We were always on your team. We always believed in you. We wish you believed in yourselves. It is not too late to show character. It is not too late to show courage. It is not too late to throw out the invader. It is not too late to be American.
“But doctor…” he says “I am Pagliacci.” Good joke.
Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.
V.M. Smith