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DividedQuantum
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The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline 2
#24014307 - 01/16/17 10:51 AM (7 years, 14 days ago) |
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Found this short essay by Morris Berman particularly accurate and succinct. Thought I'd share it for anyone interested in a brief synopsis of our times.
Quote:
The Final Act
For those of us who were around at the time, it seemed beyond belief that Richard Nixon, little more than a two-bit hood and a red-baiter, could actually become president of the United States. And the damage he did to the country was immense: Kent State, Chile, Southeast Asia, Watergate, and so on. With Nixon, we became a different country, and hardly a better one.
And then there was Reagan. Who could have imagined that this knucklehead, as Philip Roth has called him, this B-movie actor, could accede to the presidency? But there he was, with a simplistic economic theory that dramatically widened the gap between rich and poor, and a budget that tripled the national debt and poured wasted billions into the military. As in the case of Nixon, he was another downturn from which we have never really recovered. His destructive legacy is with us to this day.
But with Trump: well, this is really our last gasp. The final years of the Roman Empire produced, as emperors, folks who were little more than bad jokes, including imbeciles and children. And this is where we too have arrived. Sitting now in the Oval Office is a cartoon character: a man who has no political experience or qualifications to be president; who touts an absurd haircut; who is a vulgar boor; and who is, nevertheless, the logical culmination of 400 years of hustling—what America is finally and nakedly all about. As the comedian George Carlin used to say, our leaders are representative; they don’t just descend from Mars.
In retrospect, it is clear that Nixon and Reagan were dress rehearsals for The Final Act. They too were unfit for the presidency, and the havoc they wreaked on America and the rest of the world is proof of this. But Trump is somehow in a different category, because he comes across as surreal, an error of a different magnitude than Nixon or Reagan, as grotesque as they were. This is Reality TV on steroids, and I think we can expect that as huge as was the damage inflicted on the nation by Tricky Dick and “the Gipper” (read: clown), the damage that Trump is going to inflict on it will be that much greater. The US will end, not with a bang or a whimper, but on a bad joke.
And it’s just as well. No civilization lasts forever, and our time is clearly up. What are we, really? A genocidal war machine run by a plutocracy and cheered on by a citizenry that has the political sophistication of a five-year old. A nation so cruel that in some states, it is a crime to feed the homeless, and where the police routinely gun down unarmed civilians. A place where torture is now legal, and where the government has the right to arbitrarily rub out anyone it dislikes—including American citizens on American soil. A country almost completely lacking in community and friendship, where no one trusts anyone else, and where daily relationships are of the dog-eat-dog variety. And where the focus of the left is not on the relations of class and power, as it had traditionally been, but on politically correct language, and the legalities of who has the right to use transgender bathrooms. What, indeed, remains of the US today, where “democracy” is but a façade, a hollow shell?
To put it another way, then, Trump is karma writ large, the perfect agent for our Final Act. He is clearly what Hegel referred to as a “world historical individual,” a lightning rod for the major trends of our time. It could well be the case that by the time he finishes with the US, there won’t be very much left to finish.
In the meantime, us Wafers just watch the drama and shake our heads. Who could have guessed that God, or History, or the Zeitgeist, would turn out to have such a perverse sense of humor?
©Morris Berman, 2017 https://morrisberman.blogspot.com/
-------------------- Vi Veri Universum Vivus Vici
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Morel Guy
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24014383 - 01/16/17 11:18 AM (7 years, 14 days ago) |
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America lives in a fantasy world. TV effects fantasy for the viewer. Lot's of young boys fantasies about Trump's lifestyle. Higher character does not matter to them.
-------------------- "in sterquiliniis invenitur in stercore invenitur" In filth it will be found in dung it will be found
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Penelope_Tree
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum] 4
#24014413 - 01/16/17 11:31 AM (7 years, 14 days ago) |
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Bob Dylan was recently awarded the Nobel prize in Literature. I believe his song Patti Smith performed at the ceremony is as relevant as ever.
"And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son? And what'll you do now, my darling young one? I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin' I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest Where the people are many and their hands are all empty Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison And the executioner's face is always well hidden Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten Where black is the color, where none is the number And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin' But I'll know my song well before I start singin' And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall"
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full blown human
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LunarEclipse
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24015442 - 01/16/17 06:06 PM (7 years, 14 days ago) |
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I don't think Trump has a "bad haircut". Besides, why should that matter to the author. Granted, Nixon was "bad" and Reagan wasn't all that great either, but can we really the last eight years? Obama has done more to hurt this country than Nixon ever dreamed of. Far more. The worst thing Nixon ever did in the final analysis was to sell out to communist China who now basically owns us. Has that relationship been good for the US? Sure killed our manufacturing and made a fortune for Wal Mart...
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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Kurt
Thinker, blinker, writer, typer.

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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24017277 - 01/17/17 12:33 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Thanks for posting this, DQ. I have noticed a signpost in my awareness of these socio-political events too. We mark it and see what we head to.
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redgreenvines
irregular verb


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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24017457 - 01/17/17 01:51 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Agree about everything including the haircut
The fall of the American Empire
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DividedQuantum
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: Kurt]
#24017573 - 01/17/17 02:28 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Quote:
Kurt said: Thanks for posting this, DQ. I have noticed a signpost in my awareness of these socio-political events too. We mark it and see what we head to.
My pleasure. I'd like to, but I don't know how much I'll be able to laugh and be entertained during the next four years, considering how tragic it's probably going to be. But it will definitely hold our attention. That's probably all that can be said for it.
-------------------- Vi Veri Universum Vivus Vici
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DividedQuantum
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: redgreenvines]
#24017574 - 01/17/17 02:29 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Quote:
redgreenvines said: Agree about everything including the haircut
The fall of the American Empire
yup
-------------------- Vi Veri Universum Vivus Vici
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LunarEclipse
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24017930 - 01/17/17 05:01 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Quote:
DividedQuantum said:
Quote:
redgreenvines said: Agree about everything including the haircut
The fall of the American Empire
yup
When the going gets tough...
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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falcon



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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: LunarEclipse]
#24017969 - 01/17/17 05:19 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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No Nixon via Butz through corn subsidies, fucked this country up more than any other president, beside all the despicable things this was the worst that Nixon did, this was socialism for corporate fucks who gamed the system and sucked the soul out or farming. Archer Daniels Midlands if there was any justice in the U.S. would be picking up the tab for a single payer system for the next 50 years.
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LunarEclipse
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: falcon]
#24018036 - 01/17/17 05:58 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Quote:
falcon said: No Nixon via Butz through corn subsidies, fucked this country up more than any other president, beside all the despicable things this was the worst that Nixon did, this was socialism for corporate fucks who gamed the system and sucked the soul out or farming. Archer Daniels Midlands if there was any justice in the U.S. would be picking up the tab for a single payer system for the next 50 years.
Whose idea was it to use corn to make ethanol to burn in cars? This has to be almost as stupid as thinking nuclear power is clean and efficient. How much energy did it take to grow the corn, for the fertilizer, to process it into ethanol, versus the energy gain. Likewise, now much energy did it take to mine and refine uranium, to keep the reactors cool, to keep the spent fuel pools cool, etc. Nuclear takes up more energy than it produces, and now speaking of final acts.
Fukushima, regardless of the media blackout, is THE worst bar none disaster in the history of the modern world. We are starting to really see the effects of this radiation in the food chain in the pacific, in the dead trees, and in the dead insects and birds. Nothing else really explains it, certainly global warming doesn't. Nobody for the most part really cares or thinks it's a big problem. It is.
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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falcon



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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: LunarEclipse]
#24018053 - 01/17/17 06:08 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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ADM picks up the tab cause they made most of the US fat, with their HFCS.
Yeah the ethanol from corn is surreal.
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viktor
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24018401 - 01/17/17 08:06 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Meh, it's just a repeat of what everyone was saying about Dubya 16 years ago
-------------------- "They consider me insane but I know that I am a hero living under the eyes of the gods."
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WScott
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum]
#24018437 - 01/17/17 08:17 PM (7 years, 13 days ago) |
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Quote:
Who could have guessed that God, or History, or the Zeitgeist, would turn out to have such a perverse sense of humor?
What a fucking pea-brained moron. Fuck this essay.
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LunarEclipse
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: WScott]
#24019171 - 01/18/17 05:45 AM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Quote:
WScott said:
Quote:
Who could have guessed that God, or History, or the Zeitgeist, would turn out to have such a perverse sense of humor?
What a fucking pea-brained moron. Fuck this essay.
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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Penelope_Tree
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: WScott]
#24019666 - 01/18/17 11:08 AM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Quote:
WScott said:
Quote:
Who could have guessed that God, or History, or the Zeitgeist, would turn out to have such a perverse sense of humor?
What a fucking pea-brained moron. Fuck this essay.
Would you care to expand on your opinion and provide evidence as to how you reached your conclusion, instead of just mindlessly bashing the topic presented? This is a debate forum, not the fucking pub.
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full blown human
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liquidlounge

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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: Penelope_Tree]
#24019871 - 01/18/17 12:44 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Feisty. But I like it.
-------------------- As far as I assume to know...
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laughingdog
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: liquidlounge]
#24020006 - 01/18/17 01:33 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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as regards the bigger picture
most likely its already fucked up as regards the quality of life, middle class humans in the 1st world ( europe & north america) are used to, its just that all the dominoes haven't fallen yet.
the , so called, third world ( africa, india etc.) is already full of misery
and the animals are undergoing extinction
never the less Trump & co. will probably increase the suffering of many quite rapidly
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WScott
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: Penelope_Tree]
#24020305 - 01/18/17 03:00 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Quote:
The final years of the Roman Empire produced, as emperors, folks who were little more than bad jokes, including imbeciles and children.
Quote:
or [no] qualifications to be president
I would love to see you win the electoral college, seeing as any imbecile could do it.
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Penelope_Tree
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: WScott]
#24020666 - 01/18/17 04:57 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Quoting random text bits and then using them as basis to insult me doesn't help your argument (an ad hominem is a logical fallacy - in case you weren't aware). But maybe that's a good example of the quality of debate of populist politics - emotional rhetoric and mudslinging is king, at least it seems to have won this time.
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WScott
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: Penelope_Tree]
#24021057 - 01/18/17 07:10 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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They aren't random and it doesn't need to be interpreted as an insult; there is no direct implication that you yourself are an imbecile. I can't help it if that is how you choose to take it though.
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Rahz
Alive Again



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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: DividedQuantum] 1
#24021148 - 01/18/17 07:37 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Many of the things people suggest (perhaps mistakenly) Trump will revert are also things that were in full effect when America was supposedly great.
All indicators I've read suggest Trump will be a fairly liberal president on the social and domestic front.
But he's a nationalist and isn't going to help fulfill the liberal dream of a global socialist utopia, one which is seen by me to be premature, of dubious intent and destined to fail anyway. Let's not crucify the guy trying to prevent the cart from tipping off the cliff.
Not that any of that really matters to the majority of liberals who are crying and moaning. Trump isn't going to just ruin their dream of one world government, he's going to ruin everything. It's preemptive crying and moaning because it's their only defense against a multitude of problems that aren't going to be Hillary's to fail at solving. To be fair Mr. Berman doesn't take the same direct low road that is typical and rampant in social media, but he somehow seems to come to the same conclusions. Trump is going to ruin everything, but maybe not because trump is Hitler.
But the surety of liberal democrats has proven to be somewhat inaccurate recently. Perhaps they should take a step back and hold their breath a bit? If the citizenry has the political sophistication of a five-year old, my mind can't help but conjure images of young liberals throwing temper tantrums and bawling their eyes out because everyone can't just get along and do things their way.
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
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DividedQuantum
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Re: The Final Act: An essay on Trump and America's decline [Re: Rahz]
#24021283 - 01/18/17 08:18 PM (7 years, 12 days ago) |
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Rahz, I actually shared your view after the election. Let's not crucify the guy before he's even inaugurated. But then I saw his cabinet picks and I lost a lot of hope. Now he's fucking with China, and I'm losing even more hope. Say what you want about the Chinese, the U.S.'s fucking with them is not a good idea for anyone in the world. It just doesn't look good to me at this point. So my sympathies lie with the perspective of Dr. Berman, for the most part.
-------------------- Vi Veri Universum Vivus Vici
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