-- John Bowman, "Sixteen no-Trump", The New Criterion.
September 30, 2015.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Quote of the Day
Such utter self-assurance produces the irony-deafness of those who
identify themselves with the slogan: "I get my news from Comedy Central
and my comedy from Fox News." ... Of course, none of this is news —
even Fox news. Nor do I mean to suggest that there is any shortage of
offensive cocksureness on the right — not least among the supporters of
Mr Trump. But then that’s really the point. Donald Trump is the product
of the Jon Stewarts and the Garry Trudeaux, who dominate the media
culture, and their mirror image. He speaks to an audience accustomed to
their contempt, and he answers it, to their applause, with contempt of
his own, joining, too, in their cheerful willingness to write off anyone
who doesn’t share it.
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But then that’s really the point. Donald Trump is the product of the Jon Stewarts and the Garry Trudeaux, who dominate the media culture, and their mirror image.
ReplyDeleteThis is warped reasoning of a particular sort. I'm not sure what to call it - maybe the 50-50 Gambit.
Bowman gives a cursory nod towards the Jon Stewarts and the 'Garry Trudeaux' repeatedly demonizing, mocking, and belittling everyone on the right, only to turn around and say that Trump is the exact same thing - and thus precisely equal in deserving contempt and chastisement. The fact that the Jon Stewarts are all over the place in media - dominant throughout, in just about every genre - and Trump is a singular and very recent figure, doesn't figure into the equation. Shame, shame on everyone for acting so self-assured, equally so! It's a bit like being told that World War II was everyone's fault - sure, the Axis invaded and attacked, but the Allies *fought back*, and thus they were just as much to blame.
It's complete bull. But it's an easy card to play, so out it comes.
I'm not surprised many conservatives dislike Trump. What does surprise me is how thorough the dislike of Trump and Trump's supporters is. There is no sympathy that's extended to them from other conservatives, no understanding, except whatever can be wrapped up in passive-aggressive condemnation - faux pity, normally a favorite tool of the left. It's Obama's bitter clingers all over again, except this time they're clinging to nationalism and populism instead of guns and religion.
I'll skip speculating why this is the case right now. But I will say this: Trump rose to prominence precisely because he refuses to reflexively and wrongly surrender when the world, "conservatives" included, demanded he do so. The world forecast his self-destruction for daring to say something true but politically incorrect, and the world was wrong. For whatever reason, instead of seeing something in Trump to admire or learn from, a subset of conservatives are just horrified that anyone could ever behave in such a manner.
May their horror last and multiply.
So it's your contention that Stalinist Russia and its allies were the good guys?
DeleteSo it's your contention that Stalinist Russia and its allies were the good guys?
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