Back to the New America
by James Albright
Populism is on the rise in the United States and abroad. Isolationist movements have given rise to Donald Trump, Marine LaPen, and Brexit. As we careen into 2017, resentment towards Washington elites, the highly educated and the financial sector is palpable. What is not established is how, indeed if, we can move forward and work together as one country, not individuals or states or political parties. Yet in order to experience unity, we must all take stock of our personal view, then go a step further and engage with someone who doesn’t agree with us. Perhaps we have been on auto-pilot for too long, taking our sacrosanct institutions for granted. The 2016 presidential circus is a wake-up call to all Americans, regardless of race religion, class or education level. Maybe we are not the democratic tent pole we thought we were. It could be that our collective action has rotted the floorboards under our feet. Now is the time to talk, and strengthen our civil society from the inside out; we cannot count on tried and true systems or elected officials. If we want to survive as a liberal democracy, we have to relax our wagging fingers and invest in dialogue. I decided to take my high-minded liberal ideals for a spin recently. Here’s what happened.
The “other” is everybody
At a meeting of concerned citizens that oppose a so-called “sanctuary cities” ordinance in an affluent liberal suburb of Boston, I observed civil society first hand. At the meeting, “liberals” were spoken of with disdain and contempt. Trump pins adorned the hats of more than a few participants. Someone had a “proud to be deplorable” T-shirt on. Trump phrases were invoked; his name and his slogans were repeated with such reverence, it was as if The Donald himself were in the room with them. If he had, he would have been proud.
The tone of the meeting was decidedly hostile. Three “facts” were stated, the first being Donald Trump will take away our federal funding if we become a sanctuary city and we cannot afford to lose out on the money. The second, elaborated on by the majority of participants that spoke, was we must keep our city safe for its residents; if we become a sanctuary city, we will no longer be safe. The third was the primacy of law and order. Embedded in the sentiment was a consensus that our police have to be respected, and the sanctuary city ordinance will supersede their authority. In other words, the police know what they are doing, let them handle it. At one point a woman, there to observe, stood up and expressed her regret at the rhetoric and tone of the meeting.
“At one point I heard someone say they wanted to lock them all up, this is troubling to me.” She said
“No madame, no one said that tonight.” Answered the chairwoman.
Another man chimed in from behind her, “I did, I said that!”
Everyone broke into applause and the woman left soon after.
The hate and disdain for the dreaded “other” was on full display. This is America’s time, not the immigrants, not the asylum seekers, now we take care of our own. Somehow, though, it has gone beyond alien “other.” Now it’s elite other, it’s progressive other, it’s ethnic other. The narrow demographic represented in the room (white, 35 to 65) is an American myth. The know-nothings of the 1850’s would have agreed completely with the newest populist revolt, right up until they inquired about their ethnicity. Irish-Catholic? German? The know-nothings would have raised their fists in disgust at a third generation Irish-Catholic fighting against immigration, after all, it was those traveling through Ellis Island that was about the destroy the American dream.
The angry right isn't the only ones that are, well...angry. The populists on the left, lead by the thoroughly fed up with everything Bernie Sanders were guilty of generalizing the right and anti-establishment fervor. The promise of free education, free healthcare, free everything was the newest incarnation of the populist revolution in the late 1800’s. Farmers were fed up with the weak prices their cotton was fetching at market, and the less than ideal rates big banks were offering for loans. However, in both cases, historically, the energy of populism fizzled out, and the two parties resumed work, for better of worse in governing the country. It seems these days, that very few are interested in resuming any work with anyone who doesn’t share the same opinion.
Death of Discourse
Common ground, like a beach at high tide, is disappearing. Cooler heads did not prevail, the energy of the populist right has not been absorbed and tempered by the larger, stronger, more moderate elements of the party. The fear and hatred of the other are about to be legitimized in the white house, uploaded into every US embassy across the globe. For the citizens at that meeting, the phrase “enemies foreign and domestic” takes on a dark paranoid meaning. If we must protect ourselves against immigrants, anyone who is sympathetic to immigrants is also an enemy. If we don’t agree with someone’s politics, they must be an enemy of the state. This is the trouble with absolutism; there is absolutely no room for any other ideas or views.
After the meeting broke up I decided to engage in some debate with a participant at the meeting. The man I spoke with was 60-something, he had a mercurial grin on his face as we spoke. From his accent, it was clear he was an immigrant himself, perhaps from the former Soviet Union, I wasn’t sure.
“I waited in line, I filled out all the papers, and I waited. Why should these people just come anytime they feel like it?” He asked me.
I tried to say something about liberal democracy and how “these people” are embedded in our society, in our economic structure, there is no real deportation option. Neither of us was communicating. We went round and round for a while until another man, also an immigrant joined the conversation.
“What is the purpose of a border?” He asked
“I’m not sure where you are going with this, what’s your point?” I asked the second man.
“A border is created to delineate a group of people, so what’s the difference between a wall and a border?” He raised his eyebrows at me as if he had made a profound point.
“Are you saying we should be building more walls?” I asked.
“Yes! Of course! We must build walls to keep our people safe!” He maintained eye contact with me the whole time, without a shred of irony. Perhaps forgetting he arrived here not long ago looking for a new life.
I was dumbfounded. We may as well have been speaking different languages, I think we were.
“We live, globally, in an open society, with open borders. That’s not...” I hesitated, I didn’t know where to begin or end with this man. “It’s not how our world order is, people are free to come as they please. Also, walls don’t work!” I admit, it was a weak rebuttal. He accused me of not even listening to him or his friend.
The walls promised by Mr. Trump, in many ways, have already been built. In the minds of populists on both sides, we have constructed walls reinforced with memes and catch phrases and special interest.
What’s Next for US(A)
Many liberals are left wondering what happened. Some, it seems are questioning the fundamental structural viability of our democratic system. I confess, in the weeks preceding November 8th I too wondered if our systems have become stale, brittle, too weak to carry us into the uncertainty of the 21st century. There is no sense in pretending we are a unified country. According to a Pew Research Poll that asked participants to rank issues on their seriousness, Illegal immigration presented the widest percentage gap between the two parties. Gun violence and climate change were a close second and third respectively.
Walking out of City Hall after the sanctuary city meeting I watched my breath freeze ahead of me and my fingers began to burn from the cold. “Look at this city,” I thought. “This place is so clean, so safe, so privileged...how can these people be so worried about a fictional onslaught of dangerous foreigners coming to destroy their way of life?” Fear might be the easiest, most primal of all emotions. It protected us from wild animals when we hunted and gathered. Fear also leaves little room for anything else; not least reason, compassion, and pragmatism.
by James Albright
Populism is on the rise in the United States and abroad. Isolationist movements have given rise to Donald Trump, Marine LaPen, and Brexit. As we careen into 2017, resentment towards Washington elites, the highly educated and the financial sector is palpable. What is not established is how, indeed if, we can move forward and work together as one country, not individuals or states or political parties. Yet in order to experience unity, we must all take stock of our personal view, then go a step further and engage with someone who doesn’t agree with us. Perhaps we have been on auto-pilot for too long, taking our sacrosanct institutions for granted. The 2016 presidential circus is a wake-up call to all Americans, regardless of race religion, class or education level. Maybe we are not the democratic tent pole we thought we were. It could be that our collective action has rotted the floorboards under our feet. Now is the time to talk, and strengthen our civil society from the inside out; we cannot count on tried and true systems or elected officials. If we want to survive as a liberal democracy, we have to relax our wagging fingers and invest in dialogue. I decided to take my high-minded liberal ideals for a spin recently. Here’s what happened.
The “other” is everybody
At a meeting of concerned citizens that oppose a so-called “sanctuary cities” ordinance in an affluent liberal suburb of Boston, I observed civil society first hand. At the meeting, “liberals” were spoken of with disdain and contempt. Trump pins adorned the hats of more than a few participants. Someone had a “proud to be deplorable” T-shirt on. Trump phrases were invoked; his name and his slogans were repeated with such reverence, it was as if The Donald himself were in the room with them. If he had, he would have been proud.
The tone of the meeting was decidedly hostile. Three “facts” were stated, the first being Donald Trump will take away our federal funding if we become a sanctuary city and we cannot afford to lose out on the money. The second, elaborated on by the majority of participants that spoke, was we must keep our city safe for its residents; if we become a sanctuary city, we will no longer be safe. The third was the primacy of law and order. Embedded in the sentiment was a consensus that our police have to be respected, and the sanctuary city ordinance will supersede their authority. In other words, the police know what they are doing, let them handle it. At one point a woman, there to observe, stood up and expressed her regret at the rhetoric and tone of the meeting.
“At one point I heard someone say they wanted to lock them all up, this is troubling to me.” She said
“No madame, no one said that tonight.” Answered the chairwoman.
Another man chimed in from behind her, “I did, I said that!”
Everyone broke into applause and the woman left soon after.
The hate and disdain for the dreaded “other” was on full display. This is America’s time, not the immigrants, not the asylum seekers, now we take care of our own. Somehow, though, it has gone beyond alien “other.” Now it’s elite other, it’s progressive other, it’s ethnic other. The narrow demographic represented in the room (white, 35 to 65) is an American myth. The know-nothings of the 1850’s would have agreed completely with the newest populist revolt, right up until they inquired about their ethnicity. Irish-Catholic? German? The know-nothings would have raised their fists in disgust at a third generation Irish-Catholic fighting against immigration, after all, it was those traveling through Ellis Island that was about the destroy the American dream.
The angry right isn't the only ones that are, well...angry. The populists on the left, lead by the thoroughly fed up with everything Bernie Sanders were guilty of generalizing the right and anti-establishment fervor. The promise of free education, free healthcare, free everything was the newest incarnation of the populist revolution in the late 1800’s. Farmers were fed up with the weak prices their cotton was fetching at market, and the less than ideal rates big banks were offering for loans. However, in both cases, historically, the energy of populism fizzled out, and the two parties resumed work, for better of worse in governing the country. It seems these days, that very few are interested in resuming any work with anyone who doesn’t share the same opinion.
Death of Discourse
Common ground, like a beach at high tide, is disappearing. Cooler heads did not prevail, the energy of the populist right has not been absorbed and tempered by the larger, stronger, more moderate elements of the party. The fear and hatred of the other are about to be legitimized in the white house, uploaded into every US embassy across the globe. For the citizens at that meeting, the phrase “enemies foreign and domestic” takes on a dark paranoid meaning. If we must protect ourselves against immigrants, anyone who is sympathetic to immigrants is also an enemy. If we don’t agree with someone’s politics, they must be an enemy of the state. This is the trouble with absolutism; there is absolutely no room for any other ideas or views.
After the meeting broke up I decided to engage in some debate with a participant at the meeting. The man I spoke with was 60-something, he had a mercurial grin on his face as we spoke. From his accent, it was clear he was an immigrant himself, perhaps from the former Soviet Union, I wasn’t sure.
“I waited in line, I filled out all the papers, and I waited. Why should these people just come anytime they feel like it?” He asked me.
I tried to say something about liberal democracy and how “these people” are embedded in our society, in our economic structure, there is no real deportation option. Neither of us was communicating. We went round and round for a while until another man, also an immigrant joined the conversation.
“What is the purpose of a border?” He asked
“I’m not sure where you are going with this, what’s your point?” I asked the second man.
“A border is created to delineate a group of people, so what’s the difference between a wall and a border?” He raised his eyebrows at me as if he had made a profound point.
“Are you saying we should be building more walls?” I asked.
“Yes! Of course! We must build walls to keep our people safe!” He maintained eye contact with me the whole time, without a shred of irony. Perhaps forgetting he arrived here not long ago looking for a new life.
I was dumbfounded. We may as well have been speaking different languages, I think we were.
“We live, globally, in an open society, with open borders. That’s not...” I hesitated, I didn’t know where to begin or end with this man. “It’s not how our world order is, people are free to come as they please. Also, walls don’t work!” I admit, it was a weak rebuttal. He accused me of not even listening to him or his friend.
The walls promised by Mr. Trump, in many ways, have already been built. In the minds of populists on both sides, we have constructed walls reinforced with memes and catch phrases and special interest.
What’s Next for US(A)
Many liberals are left wondering what happened. Some, it seems are questioning the fundamental structural viability of our democratic system. I confess, in the weeks preceding November 8th I too wondered if our systems have become stale, brittle, too weak to carry us into the uncertainty of the 21st century. There is no sense in pretending we are a unified country. According to a Pew Research Poll that asked participants to rank issues on their seriousness, Illegal immigration presented the widest percentage gap between the two parties. Gun violence and climate change were a close second and third respectively.
Walking out of City Hall after the sanctuary city meeting I watched my breath freeze ahead of me and my fingers began to burn from the cold. “Look at this city,” I thought. “This place is so clean, so safe, so privileged...how can these people be so worried about a fictional onslaught of dangerous foreigners coming to destroy their way of life?” Fear might be the easiest, most primal of all emotions. It protected us from wild animals when we hunted and gathered. Fear also leaves little room for anything else; not least reason, compassion, and pragmatism.
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