American Individualism
Individualism leads the way when it comes to the American character. 348 million individuals hell bent on achieving their unique goals and aspirations. Late 20C leaders like Ronald Reagan espousing the freedoms of the rugged individual in contrast to the perils of totalitarianism. Our leaders tell us stories and create narratives which idealise the thrust of their economic policies. American individualism came at a cost. Reagan paved the path for the emergence of Donald J Trump via the narrative emphasis on the responsibilities of the individual over that of the state.
“In Reagan, the cult of rugged individualism overtook the Republican Party and remade American politics.”
Individuality vs Community Identity
On a deeper timeline, we have seen a contrast between East and West on this score. The Western world has long sung the song celebrating individuality. Perhaps, this emerged during the time of Ancient Greece when great heroes were honoured and not just kings. Prior to this, patriarchal extended families, tribes and clans, were the cultural focus of the day. These still existed well into Ancient Roman society but the written records ogled the individual achievements of great characters like Julius Caesar and Augustus. The evolutionary movement was toward the individual and away from communal identity. In the East, this individuation was not following the same timeline. Communal identity and the people as subjects rather than lone star citizens stands out in places like China and much of Asia.
The Question Of Identity
Identity is an interesting thing. If we ask ourselves who we are and what answers we give to this question. Who am I? Of course, like an onion this has many layers and may even provoke a tear or two in some. The different emphasis that each person may put upon their stated identity tells us a lot about who they are and who we are. There are folk who wrap themselves in their national flag by flying it on a pole in their yard at home. This concern for nationality is not shared by all and there are many different levels of professed patriotism to the national identity. American individualism may thrive, even within this nationalistic fervour, as the various layers of identity coexist within the whole. Of course, this then springs up different ideas about what it means to be an American. How broad is the church that defines this stated set of beliefs and attitudes?
Race Defines America
Race plays a major role in American identity, due in no small part to the historical underpinnings of the United States. Slavery can never be underestimated because the descendants of it still populate the country. No amount of denial and underplaying of it by political parties will see this indelible stain lifted. Nor should it, as open acknowledgement of such profound wrongs is the only way forward to a better future. Racial identity has split the nation for centuries on this basis. Right wing hypersensitivities are no valid excuse for not dealing with history in a responsibly factual way. Burying stuff in the past and hiding your head in the sand is foolishness, beyond words. Wrong doing is an opportunity to open your heart via repentance and compassion is the progressive way forward.
Young Men Voting For Trump
How does the rugged cowboy deal with such stuff? Does he bury it and pretend it never happened? Does he rewrite history and whitewash the bad stuff away? It seems the Republican Party is hell bent on this approach in the 21C. Young men, according to the pundits, are voting for Trump and the GOP. Traditionally young folk are not much interested in history. However, combine political disengagement with a shallow appreciation of how we got here and it makes for an easy demographic to manipulate with disinformation and distraction. Joe Biden did a good job economically during his presidency but he was too old and frail to put on a good show of it. Americans love style over substance and plenty of it. By the time Kamala Harris got the gig it was too late for many Americans. Plus, when you analyse the facts that Donald Trump has beaten a female candidate for the presidency twice there has to be a fair amount of unwillingness on the part of Americans to elect a woman president.
Trump & His Authoritarian Regime
Donald Trump has swung the election results in both Canada and Australia away from the conservative candidates. It is interesting to note that Western democracies elsewhere view Trump with such disdain and dislike for his policies and politics. It seems that the rest of the world can see through him whereas many Americans cannot. Indeed, the United States is now seen as a failing democracy with a bent for authoritarianism. The awful immigration crackdown currently underway in the US, where green carded individuals are being detained despite their status and held illegally with next to no due process is a clear example of this. The Trump regime is regularly breaking the law and being sued by hundreds of aggrieved parties. This behaviour has all the hallmarks of a fascist state. The numerous bogus states of emergency declared by the Trump regime has allowed them to engage in behaviours not normally sanctioned in the US. The taking of denizens of the nation and transporting them to a gulag like prison in El Salvador with no due process is illegal. The Supreme Court SCOTUS has declared this to be so in the case of one such individual and called for his immediate return. The Trump regime has so far not complied with this instruction.
“ICE grabbing people off the street in America and transporting them to El Salvador, where they are imprisoned, is completely illegal. The Trump regime have made up laws to facilitate this gross malfeasance. Everything about Trump’s El Salvador solution is illegal. There is no due process occurring, no presumption of innocence and no trials. Basically, if you have a tattoo and look like you are from Central or South America you are in trouble. The Trump regime has declared a Venezuelan gang to be a terrorist organisation associated with the Madura government. Neither of these claims are true. It is more BS and lies coming from a known compulsive liar and his team of yes men and women.”
Trump Regime Removing Opposition & Dissent
Individualism allows for this kind of stuff to go on because people are primarily concerned with their own realities rather than the community. If there are no strong communities with broad ties to all their members it is easy to isolate individuals and pick them off one by one. Oh the bad things are not happening to me or mine! It is happening to someone else. The Trump regime will put out lies saying that all these targeted individuals are bad people, violent gangsters and such like. No real proof is ever provided to the public just blanket statements. These kinds of thing happened in Hitler’s Germany and in Chile in the latter part of the 20C. Removing political opponents and unwanted voices of dissent.
“Judicial decisions calling for the administration to reverse or pause some of these policies have been greeted by Trump and some of his senior colleagues (including Musk and the vice-president J.D.Vance), with noisy complaints at judicial interference in government. Even, in some cases, calls for the impeachment of judges who rule against the government.
Not only did the administration ignore the court’s ruling that suspended the forced expulsion of Venezuelans to El Salvador, some of whom were in the US legally, but Trump attacked the judge on social media calling him a corrupt “radical left lunatic” and called for his impeachment.”
ICE Agents & Human Agency
Many people have stopped travelling to the United States on the basis of reports about individuals being arrested and held at borders and airports. A variety of people have been detained for weeks and months with little basis and despite having documentation. Trump’s America has become a police state with ICE agents running amok. I always wonder about the kind of individual who dons the ICE badge and goes about doing such ghastly work on behalf of the state. In my book, we all ultimately have responsibility for what we do no matter our circumstances. Nazi guards did not get off with the excuse – that I needed the money for my family. In the end, you will be held responsible and liable for your actions.
Again, this is individuals not recognising that we are all a part of a larger whole – a community. Demonising others, as other than us, is how we, the people, are weakened and controlled by bad actors and fascist regimes like Trump’s. Individuality is not a super power it is the kryptonite that damages community.
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump.
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