Donald Trump and the Age of Ideology
Over the course of the past decade, the state of political affairs in America has become increasingly polarized, with the growth of social media helping to fuel even more extreme political viewpoints and drawing the public farther away from centrist views. Between liberalism and conservatism, the nation has become dominated by the unwavering devotion to one’s political ideology.
Instead of rational discourse between two opposing viewpoints, the public (or at least the part of the public most active on social/news media) have become more outlandish in their rhetoric. This culminated in the election of Donald Trump as president, a man with no previous political experience, who rode a wave of deep resentment and dissatisfaction with the social and economic policies of Barrack Obama.
In this presidential victory we saw the power of unfettered ideology, of unwavering support for the conservative ideal, drive Republican voters out to the polls (it should be noted that Republican turnout was not all that different from the 2012 election) and launched the former reality TV star into the oval office. Trump became a vehicle for the Republican party to take back the white house, so no matter how terrible of a person he was, his ideology overrode any shortcomings. In fact, many conservatives began to openly applaud Trump’s approach to politics specifically because it made the opposition so mad and upset.
This notion of unwavering devotion to ideology is now widespread thanks to the internet and social media, allowing one to shut out all viewpoints they disagree with. This creates an echo chamber wherein the more extreme views are amplified and given more power. Thus, we have seen a wave of traditionalism sweep through the country and an army of internet trolls intent on causing mayhem and disrupting society as much as possible.
What is ideology?
For this article, we can define ideology as “a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.”
In our search for our own communal identity we latch on to ideology and “pick a team” to be on. Yes, this is a simplistic view of the political discourse in America, but in a society so hyper-focused on sports teams and satiating one’s own ego, it is a fitting way to describe what has happened. In the world of Twitter, Facebook, and FoxNews, only the most outlandish and outrageous things make it through the filter, gradually changing the Overton window.
By shifting the window, extreme views are normalized for the sake of ideology. One only has to look at the infamous Trump recording released during the election cycle in which Trump brags about sexually assaulting women. To the ideologue, this moral reprehensibility is shrugged off because Trump represents conservative values and will overturn the negative aspects of the Obama administration, so his moral character is no longer important. To the right, everything that Trump does is great and that kicking out illegal immigrants, ripping up trade agreements, lowering taxes, and protecting Christians, is the best course of action. Instead of considering other options, these supporters dismiss outright any other claims, using a series of maneuvers to discredit the opposition because their side has to win. Leftists also employ similar approaches when it comes to judging art and culture.
Ideology also leads to confirmation bias, where we only see things the way we want to see them, selectively sorting out culture and politics. All it takes is a charismatic public figure to come in and confirm our bias, whether that is in the form of a politician, news personality, or writer. An example of this would be the runaway success of political satirists such as Stephen Colbert and John Stewart. While both would most likely hate being tied to such dangerous ideology, the success of their comedy and particularly their satirical take on conservative politics has contributed to this: people with right-wing politics are crazy and are to be made fun of, reducing them to rabid sociopaths. Thus, those left-wing people eat it up and stay in their cozy echo chambers, while those right-wing people do the same.
The win at all costs mentality permeates much of American society, with flashy taglines such as “the grind” and “growth mindset” being thrown out there to promote over-dedication to “win” at life. In order to win, someone else must “lose” turning American political and social life into a series of ideological competitions where one side aims to emerge victoriously and horde it over the loser.
Thus, people are encouraged to draw lines and take sides, demeaning the other “side” as if there is a clear-cut boundary: you’re either with us or against us.
Instead of promoting actual discussion between opposing sides, the world of ideology reduces everything to us vs. them type sports mentality, where there are only two sides, two conflicting ideologies, out there. Unfortunately, this polarization generates headlines, and due to that fact, fringe media outlets have become increasingly popular.
One has only to take a look at the rapid growth of the extreme white nationalist movement (also known as the alt-right) that has sprung up around Donald Trump to see how virulent this type of ideology is.
A few clicks on the notorious imageboard 4chan is enough to demonstrate this. Users openly criticize and demean people they do not agree with, and instead post fringe theories about the current state of political affairs, drawing a clear distinction between themselves and everyone else.
On the opposing side we see those leftists, who are pejoratively termed Social Justice Warriors, analyzing every bit of culture and determining whether or not it meets certain criteria of diversity and proper representation. If the piece of culture does not they immediately demean it as sexist and racist, in order to knock it out social existence. While many of these people would find it abhorrent to be compared to the alt-right, their devotion to ideology is the same as it sucks out rational thought which prevents any rational discourse from occurring.
Where does all of this leave us? And what should we do?
We should start by having honest conversations and understanding that it is perfectly alright for others to hold different views than us. Instead of shutting people out and reducing them to a catchphrase of some internet meme, we should focus on having honest genuine discussions with our peers. We should think first before posting some rant on social media and above all else, we should try our best to imagine what the opposition is thinking and feeling, and how that dictates what their actions will be. Without understanding and the ability to come together and form a consensus that takes into account many different perspectives, we are doomed to continue this cycle of Ideology.
