The election of Trump has made clear one thing, or rather, confirmed absolutely one thing that became increasingly apparent as the awful Obama presidency moved along: namely, that the left has gone insane - lefties were already at odds with rational debate unsullied by emotionalism and ideological bias run rampant, but the neo-bolsheviks of the progressive elite and the empty headed, selfie snapping minions swept along in its addled wake seem now to have completely come unmoored from anything remotely resembling reasonable pragmatism, objective analysis or thoughtful, measured interest in anything that does not immediately confirm what they believe or very much want to believe - they’ve fully revived Marxist historicism and accordingly act as if without question they alone are on the right side of history [an ‘idea’ Obama loves to give voice to] and therefore are free to ignore, abuse, delegitimize, scorn and figuratively [for now] put up against a wall and shoot anyone who doesn't share in that belief. Question the ‘settled science’ of climate change? Up against the wall. Argue that radical Islamism is a predictable consequence of Koranic law and not a mere corruption of it? Up against the wall. Support the second amendment? Up against the wall. Call debating the merits of transgender rights a ridiculous and trivial waste of time that just indulges the very worst of progressivism’s delusions? Up against the wall. Dare suggest that support for gay marriage amounts to nothing more than sentimental cant sprung from deeply illogical arguments? Up against the wall. Have the gall to contend that the rise of the despotic bureaucratic state and its agenda to stifle capitalism and roll back individual freedoms is decidedly not a universal good that will finally usher in that long promised socialist nirvana? Up against the wall. Fancy that ‘white privilege’ is not the root of all evil but rather a made up ill manufactured by the left to justify the untenable idiocies of their ideology? Up against the wall. Reject their choice for President? Up against the wall.
I’m not gonna defend Trump - I opined that he was a disastrous choice for the GOP, couldn’t t win the presidency even against someone as flawed as Hillary, but that even if he somehow did manage to win would not be a good fit for the job [in my defense I didn’t think Hillary a good fit either and back in 2006 predicted Obama would be the next president and be an awful Commander in Chief, worse than Bush - nailed that one] - but Trump proved me wrong on one of those claims and may prove me wrong on all - so I’m an agnostic on his coming ascension, wanting him to succeed of course but mostly at the moment just curious as to how all this will play out and what it will mean once it does. Clearly since being elected he’s made some good moves, some bad moves, and some marginally brilliant moves - in other words, has given me no cause to abandon my agnosticism but some cause to lean ever so slightly towards the positive - so we’ll see.
But gotta hand it to the man - if his victory produces no other good the hysteria and embarrassing histrionics his looming presidency has elicited from the left is value enough - no small achievement that he has pulled back the veil and revealed just what an absurd yet dangerous beast the progressive hivemind is. Which raises an interesting problem: Obama was the worst president the country’s ever had and I doubt Trump can exceed that awfulness - but if Trump’s presidency is viewed as a failure, that progressive beast will see its hysterics as having been justified which will make the beast ever more dangerous and increase likelihood of them nominating an extremist like Warren in 2020 - a very bad outcome. On the other hand, if Trump’s presidency is viewed more or less as a success, the current hysteria that grips the left will look even more absurd than it already does - but resulting in what? One would like to hope some sober self reflection and a reexamining of their core principles - but that’s not the way these people think - they’re ideological absolutists, politics is a zero sum game for them and such people cannot abide the thought of having been wrong about something - doubt is poison to absolutists, that is why they put so much effort into shutting down open debate and free speech. Just look at Obama’s last press conference - that’s a man utterly incapable of seeing himself as having been wrong about something - for people like him, as long as an action promotes a progressive world view it by definition must be good regardless of whether or not it actually is. This is why he still defends his Syria policy as the best choice available or the Iran deal as the best option available even though neither of those things is even remotely true - this is why in that press conference he said most countries now view America as being stronger after eight years of him - that’s not just an absurd statement, that’s downright, flatout delusional - and so even if Trump proves a wildly successful POTUS I’m not sure anything can unwind the delusions the left has swaddled themselves in - likely they’ll just burrow further and further into their safe spaces, relying on the hope that changing demographics will come to their rescue - certainly, it’s that attitude that led to the Clinton coronation and eventually the arrogance that doomed, thankfully, her campaign.
