Trying To Understand The American Mind

 

Sometimes when watching my daily half-hour allotment of American network news, I find my curiosity turning philosophical. One of the questions that recur repeatedly is why the American people chose the moronic Trump to lead their country not once, but twice.

In writing about the acolytes of both Trump and Pierre Poilievre, Stephen Maher offers his thoughts, but I am not sure they are the entire answer.

As support for both Trump and Poilievre has diminished — they both have approval ratings of 32 per cent — I am starting to think that their remaining supporters are — how to put it? — not as intellectually inclined as other voters. 

He considers the commonalities of the Conservatives and Trump, and observes that because Carney has definitely moved the Liberals to the right, 

Poilievre is left with the cognitively impaired, the anti-vaxxers, the social conservatives and permanently outraged. 

Those characteristics could also be applied to Trump's supporters, of course, if we add in their innate racism and strong belief in American exceptionalism, two touchstones the President has regularly exploited.

Again, however, I am left with a sense of incompleteness, leading me to speculate in what ways Trump might be a manifestation of the national character. Certainly, we know part of that character embraces rugged individualism and unbridled capitalism, and one thinks of a quote, attributed to various people:  

Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires. 

I wonder if there might be a corollary to this. Is it possible that lurking within the American breast is a dark, hidden, grudging admiration for people who employ 'sharp' practices? In other words, do many of Trump's fanbase admire conmen that both profit from their cons and offer an 'easy way' to riches for themselves, even at the expense of others?

The evidence for my thesis is, at best, circumstantial.

Consider, for example, the long list of evangelical conmen who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. 

Few will remember him, but the progenitor of the prosperity gospel was a man known as Reverend Ike. His catchphrase, "You can't lose with the stuff I use," promised abundance to those who followed his formula. Essentially this entailed congregants offering up their scarce dollars in the expectation of monetary blessings in return. When he took up the offerings at his services, I remember him saying he didn't want to hear the clang of coins but the rustle of bills. He was also famous for saying that money is not the root of all evil, but the lack of money is.

If you want to see more of Ike's 'philosophy', just look up his sermons on YouTube, but he was essentially an early proponent of 'manifesting' one's reality rather than working hard for success.

And, of course, variations of that message became mainstays of the 'theology' of frauds like Jimmy Lee Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and Benny Hinn, all who profited immensely from their cons. And even when they encountered scandal, they were able to reinvent themselves with some success.

The Jim Bakker Show Launch

Central to the resurrection of his ministry was the return to the airwaves. The Jim Bakker Show began broadcasting with a significantly different tone than the PTL Club. While still utilizing the medium of television, the production moved away from the variety-show format of the past. Instead, it focused on daily discussions regarding Biblical prophecy and current world events. This new platform allowed Bakker to speak directly to a niche audience that remained loyal despite his previous controversies.

Now, instead of hawking salvation, Bakker pushes survivalist paraphernalia in anticipation of the Apocalypse.

Have I proven my thesis? Of course not. Everything from the above could simply and clearly demonstrate Stephen Maher's observations, expressed another way via the ignorance, credulity and rudimentary thinking skills. of the marks faithful and the cultists. 

But that these conmen can flourish in America surely suggests that there is something within their culture nurturing this kind of exploitation. It would seem the American psyche has many dark corridors.