I can’t tell if this is populism or fake populism, but it feels almost real.
As everyone over the age of three knows, American politics is in one of its weirdest places ever. Trump’s popular vote victory means that, unlike in 2016, he really does have a mandate to do what he said he’d do…and he’s doing it. On the one hand, this is basically how the system is supposed to work. The candidate says what he’s going to do, and so does the other one, and then we decide and he does it. But the level of distrust for politicians has been running so high for so long, and with good reason, that it feels odd that he’s doing anything, especially anything for us, the people.
I’m currently cautiously optimistic, but only to a point. Putting the bizarre sadistic glee that MAGA folks feel when illegal aliens get deported, it was something he said he’d do and he’s doing it, rather quickly. Promises kept are good, even if that one comes with a generous helping of sadism.
Restoring national sovereignty –- also good. Getting us as far away from the maniacal plans of the international three letter organizations — also good. The WHO, the international climate hustlers who can’t see the forest (people’s livelihoods) for the trees (the actual trees), NATO, and the Wokie Brigade who want to outlaw humor and control every aspect of our lives, these are not institutions which were doing us much good.
I worry about the AI push. The potential for our losing what little is left of our privacy seems like an inevitable part of expanding this lunacy. No offense to Elon Musk, who in many ways is a beautiful dreamer, but people don’t actually want AI. Even the creators of AI have been warning us about how easily it can be misused.
The real question for the second Trump administration is whether or not this is actual populism or pretend populism. Lord knows, all of my liberal friends think it’s fake. They might be right, but it’s hard to tell since their hatred for him has been bordering on psychotic rage for nearly a decade.
His superfans are equally as blind.
If you break it down, this means that about 2/3 of the American electorate is too emotionally invested to notice what’s actually happening. His fans think he can do no wrong, his haters think he can do no right. I’m in the other 1/3. As an independent, I can see both sides. I remain cautiously optimistic.
My optimism springs, weirdly enough, from his narcissism. No one who has ever sat behind the Resolute Desk is egoless…OK, maybe Jimmy Carter. But Trump’s ego is big, Mount Rushmore big. This might seem like a bad thing on the surface, but if he is mainly interested in securing his legacy, then it could be great. He could be open to suggestion, willing to hear detractors out, all in the service of history. Since other than tax cuts for rich people, he doesn’t truly seem to have a personal agenda for his term, he may just do what the people want. It’s new, but it’s democracy. It’s populism without a moral foundation, but it’s still populism.
Unless it’s fake. Unless it’s all a gigantic smoke screen.
So far, it looks like actual populism, but we all need to pay attention.
Maybe if we just tell him how much we don’t want AI, he might listen. There are other ways to pay back his rich friends. We could give them all Arby’s gift cards. They want to take over the world, but maybe they’ll settle for roast beef sandwiches.
