America’s Worst Enemy
Washington’s fear come true
In his farewell address, Washington warned his fellow citizens of perceived threats to their country’s future. Chief among which was loyalty to party over nation. He even went as far as saying that such behavior would enable the rise of “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men,” a description eerily fitting of the man in power today, who would “usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” The attack on the capitol this past week seemed to be a poor attempt at completing the second half of that prophecy, as our current president desperately tried to impede the very process that put him in power.
However, the effects of factionalism run much further than the events of January 6th, 2020. It is no secret to any American how polarized our country has become. Deep-rooted prejudice exists on both sides. Any position that differs from our own is “stupid” and not even worth hearing out. These attitudes make it impossible to have productive dialogue and find common ground. In turn, without that cornerstone of democracy, it becomes increasingly challenging to run our nation properly. So, from where do these attitudes stem? How can a country whose name is practically synonymous with patriotism hate itself so much?
It is clear that neither side sees the other as American, or at least not representative of their America. The problem has a cyclical nature. The less a person genuinely listens to views that are not their own, the less likely they are to understand the people who hold those differing views, and the less they understand, the less likely they are to want to listen. This problem is exacerbated by politicians who would rather play to people’s anger and frustration than offer genuine solutions to their concerns. Much easier to preach to the choir and cast the blame on others than to find actual answers and communicate them to those who will not blindly follow.
Trump’s cult-like following is an example. Listen to every speech, and one would be hard-pressed to find any discernible position or well thought out proposal to solve the issues of those who follow him so fervently. However, listen to any speech, and one will not have to listen long at all to hear childish taunts directed at those who oppose him, accompanied by roaring applause and cheers. His words and actions against every disenfranchised group from women to members of the LGBTQ+, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Muslim communities not only empower those of his supporters whose beliefs fall in line with his own but also force those who may support him for unrelated reasons to defend this ignorance in an attempt to avoid cognitive dissonance, furthering the divide. Unfortunately, this behavior is not exclusive to the right. Since the outcome of the 2016 election, it has felt like Democratic leaders have spent all of their energy attacking Trump and his followers instead of addressing the issues that contributed to his rise.
Fringe extremists do indeed comprise a sect of Trump supporters, bigots from a multitude of hate groups all across the country. There is no reasoning with these sorts of people. Nevertheless, a larger sect of Trump supporters is ordinary Americans who feel left behind in today’s climate. Trump does not offer any solutions to their problems, merely an alternative to the course from which they feel alienated. Rather than listen to their concerns and try to accommodate their needs, the same way they accommodate the needs of the disenfranchised, the Democratic party antagonizes them and lumps them in with the bigots. Every attack on Trump becomes a personal attack to these supporters, creating a defensive reflex that only pushes them closer to him. They defend him to defend their own choices and characters. They may even become more radicalized and develop into bigots by leaning into the labels cast onto them. So in attempting to win praise from those who already agree with them, the Democrats unwittingly strengthen Trump’s support and increase the divide between us.
The same sort of effect can be seen in Republican politicians, who all opposed Trump before he was elected, defended him throughout his presidency to garner support from his following, and now, after confirming his dismissal from the White House, are trying to distance themselves from him. Decisions are being made solely based on party loyalty, to the detriment of the nation. Progress cannot be made; problems cannot be solved, while all of our efforts are put into tearing each other down. A house divided cannot stand, and just as Washington feared, we live in a Nation where our leadership seems intent on keeping us divided for their own gain.
