Over the past week I have witnessed many of my American friends wrestling with the demand for loyalty to the president of the United States. I recall this sentiment being very alive in the weeks after 9/11 as well; no matter how you feel about his politics, it is your patriotic duty to support the president.
This sentiment was absent during the Obama years for the most part, with the exception of Democrats trying to hold Republicans to account. But partisanship is free from consistency. What is good for the goose is not at all what is to be expected for the gander.
Trump is in the midst of signing executive orders, creating legislation and designing policy that violates ethics and crosses the boundaries of diplomacy, public interest and human decency. It has barely been a week but to continue to “give him a chance” seems to invite a oneself into a slew of sins of omission.
I have often wondered about what happened to the formal capacity for dissent within American government. I recall listening to a joint press conference between Tony Blair and George Bush in which the President was shocked by the cavalier questions the British press were asking him. They were confrontational and oppositional. In contrast the American media were being their 2002-era sycophantic selves, giving him a pass, throwing up softballs, not questioning the lies that were being spread to support the wars that were about to be unleashed.
I remember at the time being struck by the fact that in the Parliamentary system in both Canada and the UK dissent and opposition is built into governance. The Official Opposition – Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition – is deputized by the head of state to actively oppose the work of the government. We may feel that it is largely ineffective most of the time, but it does have the effect of both holding the government to account and creating a culture in which dissent is considered a loyal duty of a citizen. I have cannot ever recall being told that I had to unwaveringly support a prime minister. Nor has it ever made sense to me to ask others to do so.
For a country born in revolution, it surprises me sometimes that dissent isn’t built in to American governance in quite the same way, although many revolutionary movements devolve into dictatorships. In Congress you are simply that House or Senate Minority Leader, which is an emasculating and disempowering job title. In Parliament you are the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. There’s a job description for you. You are loyal to the state, and the people, and not at all subject to demands of loyalty to the government.
The American system of government does not structurally support dissent, and American culture in the midst of right wing governments tends to demand loyalty. The United States is heading down a path of fascist authoritarianism. Government is about to be gutted. The wealthy and the heavily capitalized corporation will soon have a regulatory free environment for their operations. Social institutions such as education systems are to be gutted and privatized. Muslims are in the process of being treated differently. Women specifically are being restricted in their health choices. All of this in a week or so
Donald Trump must not be given a chance. Oppose him. With all your might.
(I am back posting on my blog more than on facebook, especially for these longer posts. These posts will be republished on facebook and twitter, but I invite the conversation to happen here.)
It’s interesting to hear that you know people ‘giving him a chance’. Other than those who voted for him, I’ve personally heard no one taking that position in my US circles.
From the women’s march to the many petitions circulating, millions are speaking loudly against everything he’s done to date and organizing to do more. The ACLU is filing law suits and the petitions are gaining signatures by the second. The phone lines at the White House and congressional offices are jammed daily, even shut down in some instances for lack of capacity to take in all the opposition. This may only be my ‘bubble’ of experience as I spend the majority of every day calling & signing & shouting, but I wanted to offer a counterweight to the “wait and see” you’re hearing — we’re saying “impeach him now”!! There’s a challenge with impeachment though, given that our new Vice President is just as toxic in his beliefs, but at least he’s not certifiably mentally ill. Seems to me a Presidential candidate should have to meet some basic qualifications around mental stability, conflicts of interest, financial integrity, no pending criminal investigations or convictions, a history of compliance & agreement with the constitution – is that asking too much? I’ll stop my rant there 🙂
I am struggling with fulfilling the repsonsibilty I feel to reas, listen, pay attention to Trump’s actions, with tending my own state of being, which has felt compromised. I have marched, weitten my Senators and Representative, sadly, conservatives and friends of thr Narcicist, and I have donates money to support the causes and freedoms and peoples that are threatened. Now what? Self care, suppoertive conversation, music, fun, nature. A delivate balance of vigilence, attentiveness and tender loving care.
Greatly resonate with the value of dissent, Chris. Sulak Sivaraksa, Thai activist and buddhist monk, titled his autobiography “Loyalty Demands Dissent”, which states it most succintly…
Also resonate with Tracy’s comments, that so many people here are becoming active… though I imagine some may be “waiting”, that’s not what I am seeing — then again I do tend to run in activist circles. I do think some people are still in shock, and a great many who were not active before, are newly figuring out how to develop that part of themselves. And, I feel that it’s an opportunity for all of us, to “take it to the next level”… and yes, I too am concerned about a larger picture that is much bigger than any one person in a key position, no matter how extreme that one person may be. There’s a whole larger situation that needs to be addressed…
Chris, I’m curious if you’ve read Wilbur’s take on all this, on “Trump and a Post-Truth World”, and what your perspective on it is?
I haven’t read Wilber on it. He doesn’t excite me much but I’ll have a look for it.
If I was in the States I’d probably be super active with something. A million efforts are needed to reclaim your country for decency. A million efforts will fail. But the few that succeed will make the rest worth it. This is definitely not the time for waiting though. Not with a fascist about to eviscerate the public institutions and inflict a vast amount of suffering on the people.
Somehow, I feel that women, in particular, will be the ultimate downfall of trump & company. Angry, fed up and determined women.
I certainly hope so 😉