By Michael
The denial of reality
NY Times columnist Farhad Manjoo, a fierce Trump critic, describes the Russiagate media coverage alleging collusion for the past two years as “a seductive delusion.” Manjoo believes this delusion was driven by the fact that “For many Americans, the simple truth that Mr. Trump really had won was too terrible to bear.”
One of the most damaging aspects of the Russiagate obsession is that the Democratic Party and their irresponsible media allies have escaped scrutiny and accountability. No one has seriously examined the corrupt 2016 nominating process and presidential campaign, not to mention a systemic inability to govern effectively. Neither soul searching nor meaningful change will be tolerated by America’s entrenched political and media classes.
Journalist Walker Bragman observes that “Our elected leaders aren’t really either of those things. By and large, they’re employees of the politically-involved donor class, selected based on willingness to protect power and privilege. There’s a whole industry dedicated to rebranding that as leadership.”
The Russiagate chimera has helped both sides escape accountability for two years, and now the 2020 election is underway, propelled by the same empty political consumerism that dragged the nation into this mess.
Restoring civil adulthood
French psychologist Robert Ebguy describes the emergence of a “consolation society” in which adults accept the endless self-indulgences of modern consumer culture as consolation for a loss of real political agency. A regression into adolescent consumerism avoids having to grapple head on with this loss of meaningful political power in the face of a destructive globalized political and economic order that citizens believe they are powerless to change. Ebguy expresses hope that this regression is a temporary coping mechanism to buy time. I am less certain.
Either way, the great irony of this retreat from genuine civil engagement is that our potential power as civic actors has never been greater. I have seen transformative civic innovation everywhere I have traveled since 2016. This citizen-driven creativity provides a roadmap for a mature, optimistic and future-oriented politics of community.
Seeing and being real change
My mission with Reimagining Politics is to relentlessly find and share knowledge of these powerful new citizen-driven political models that can be scaled and duplicated across borders.
I am doing this through book and article publishing, university seminars and Civic Innovation Tours. I cannot continue without your help! Supporting my efforts through 2020 allows me to continue showcasing bold new alternatives to the current politics of adolescent consumer spectacle.