Trump isn't the person to get America and the rest of the world out of morass

Christopher Lasch, the author of, among other books, The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations, could have been talking of today’s America when in 1979 he wrote: “Hardly more than a quarter-century after Henry Luce proclaimed ‘the American century’, American confidence has fallen to a low ebb … Defeat in Vietnam, economic stagnation, and the impending exhaustion of natural resources have produced a mood of pessimism in higher circles, which spreads through the rest of society as people lose faith in their leaders”.

Lasch argued that the malaise afflicting American society reflected a general crisis in Western culture, which equates liberalism (a belief in individual freedoms and rights) and capitalism (a system that maximises profits through the exploitation of labour or natural resources) with freedom and happiness, but which has failed to deliver both.

He said that liberalism had become both politically and intellectually bankrupt and because no ideology had replaced it, American society had become increasingly narcissistic; people were living for the moment and for themselves, not for their predecessors or for posterity.

Politics had thus degenerated into spectacle and elections had become sporting events where contenders tried to out-do one another. And because under capitalism, it became more important to “have” than to “be”, wealth acquisition became the reason for being. The liberalism and capitalism of the 1980s also reduced women to mere commodities whose bodies became instruments of men’s pleasure. It was the start of what is known as the “post-feminist era”.

NOT SURPRISED

If Lasch were alive today (he died in 1994), he might not be surprised to see that not much has changed since he published his book more than 30 years ago; in fact, things might have become worse. Race relations in the United States are deteriorating. The country has incurred huge debts and is waging or supporting expensive wars in Syria and other places.

American actions in places such as Iraq and Pakistan have sprouted new international terror networks. And the upcoming elections do not promise to make America or the world a better place. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump appear to be supporting the status quo in terms of the country’s foreign policy and military actions abroad.

What is worse, the elections have taken on the character of a badly scripted reality show, where both contenders appear to be play-acting rather than making convincing arguments about policies.

Lasch would also not have been surprised by the fact that nearly half of American voters actually believe that Donald Trump has what it takes to be president of the United States. Trump could be described as the Kim Kardashian West of American politics – an exhibitionist and narcissist who knows no limits on how far he can go to make money or to gain publicity. Like her, he was once the star of his own reality TV show called The Apprentice, where he relished intimidating and embarrassing the show’s participants, most of whom were young men and women looking to be entrepreneurs.

BEING PROPAGATED

He is a product of the neoliberalism and capitalism that are now being propagated throughout the world as the only religion. It is a world where greed and instant gratification are considered virtues and where consumption has replaced spirituality. (This spiritual void is, unfortunately, being filled by Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and other types of extremism.)

Trump has also proved to be a misogynist; he has called women various names, including stupid, bimbos, pigs, and disgusting. A voice recording of Trump making lewd comments about women’s private parts, which was released by TheWashington Post, underscores his lack of respect for women.

How can such a person be allowed to run the most powerful country on Earth? More importantly, what kind of future can American women expect under such a leader?

Trump’s lack of respect for women, minorities, Muslims, and anyone he considers to be inferior to the white Anglo-Saxon male should not surprise us. He epitomises white male privilege.

But then, America was built through the subordination, exploitation, or annihilation of blacks, women, and Native Americans and through the exploitation or domination of other countries. That is how America became “great”.

While I am not entirely convinced that Hillary Clinton will be the leader who will get America and the world out of the current morass, I am absolutely certain that Trump is not the man to do it.

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