Under Trump things are different and will continue to be
different. How this is good remains to be seen. It takes time to build history,
good bad or otherwise. It also takes time to build trust. Reliance is similar
to trust; it takes time to build up a feeling that what you are hearing
from any one person or news source is believable. This goes for politicians
both large and small.
Trump is a large politician. So are Paul Ryan and Mitch
McConnell. They are huge on the political landscape. That does not
give them automatic credibility. On the contrary, it raises questions about
their reliability, credibility and honesty. What is in their words that serves
their purposes? Their wealth, power and reward system? That is a crucial
question and a critical one as well.
Discerning the truth, the facts; that is the issue at hand
and it is not easy.
We have observed recent behavior and ‘transactions’ from Trump and
his team that are reliable indicators of his credibility. We also have reports
from other sources that indicate what news items are based on fact and which
are based on their propaganda value. The latter is a shading of the facts and
circumstances of news events so that they seem positive to a person’s
reputation or believability.
In America
propaganda has not been an historical fact. Political discourse and ‘debate’ of
course, borders on propaganda and always has. But bald, historically based
propaganda has not been an American fixture. Nazi Germany was heavily
influenced by propaganda. So too any national government prone to central
control of the governance of its people, economy and culture. China is a
major player on this stage. So too Russia
and the past USSR .
The entire Cold War of the 1950’s to 1980’s were propaganda driven; we think
mainly on the communist side, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that America
participated in misinformation and propaganda during those years as well.
In recent times it can be argued that propaganda has surged
to the forefront in politics. The entire era of Bill Clinton’s presidency was
riddled with attacks and legal skirmishes by Bill Clinton’s enemies. Shameless
interference with due process was a daily occurrence. The Bush/Cheney years
were better, but that’s because the republicans were in ‘charge’ and they
didn’t need to deal propaganda so readily. They did, however, in the entire
matter of the Iraq War. That was a
made-up chapter of history and I feel certain historians in time will show this to be the
case. The evidence is too much available to suggest otherwise at this point. Of
course the outcome of the Iraqi Debacle was the subject of still more
propaganda. Once engaged it is hard to relinquish the need for propaganda. It
is like lying – once the lie has been made, it must be kept alive or else the
lie is bared to public view. Eight years was a long time to maintain the lies
and in time the make believe crashes to ground.
The Obama years was another era of intense clashing of
political wills – not necessarily republicans versus Democrats, but rather
conservatives versus whatever people feel is the opposite of that point of
view. Nonetheless propaganda was leveled against all things Obama and led to 8
years of gridlock. We see the same thing in Illinois politics. Gridlock in legislative
circles; nothing gets done; harm and decline mock otherwise purposeful human
institutions. Shameful.
And then the 2016 Presidential Election cycle was
countenanced by the political managers. Propaganda and make believe figured
largely throughout the republican campaigns. Both the primary and later
campaigns both were employed heavily. Look at all the candidates who vied for
the party’s nomination. In time each played their simple game of untruth and
misrepresentation to gain a few points among the voters. One by one they fell
by the wayside.
Until only one was left and he was the king of the
propaganda mill. Yes sir, the Trump organization trumped all other campaigns in
managing the news, the events, the points of view and the news reports.
Seemingly playing the odd man out and the blasphemously absurd, Trump
controlled the airways for most of the election cycle. The news media ate it up
because it was great for ratings and ad revenue. Of course consumers of news
who do not discern well fact from fiction were predictably misled. Just as the
trumpets had wished.
With the president-elect now Trump, the behavior has not yet
been altered. He is still strutting the stage claiming rigged conversations,
intelligence reports, and media handling of current events. Near as I can tell
the only manipulator of the news is the Donald himself. In time this will be
made more evident. Incontrovertible. The truth will out.
Then it will be up to all of us to figure out what happens
next. I think Trump will be found to be an emperor without clothes. It will
then be up to all of us to rescue what we believe is the real America .
The only problem is the misery we will need to survive until
that eventuality is realized.
Facts are facts. Opinion is opinion. History is history.
Which is it we are witnessing? Time will hold the answer. Stay tuned for
details.
January 19, 2017
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