The Myth of American Exceptionalism

The illusion of American exceptionalism vanished with the election of Donald J. Trump. It is perhaps ironic that someone who campaigned on that exceptionalism would be the cause for its demise. The reason for this is of course that, while his “Make America Great Again” chants stirred feelings of renewed pride in many, this was merely campaign rhetoric used to disguise the true motivation of this reality TV star.  He is a conjurer of great renown.

The Conjurer, 1475–1480, by Hieronymus Bosch

Yes, at his core, DJT is a reality TV star before he is a businessman. His need for Affection, Adulation, and Attention so consumes his psyche, that he is incapable of any action that would deprive him of that triple-A feedback. The man needs his strokes. As a reality TV star, he knows how to generate ratings. He uses conflict, confusion, fear, deceit, white-pride, racism, xenophobia, false patriotism, false religiosity, false hope, greed, anger, and contempt to further his ideals.

Like most wealthy individuals I have known, he keeps score with money and material things. Whatever he has needs to be the best; certainly better than anything anyone else has. If you have ever had the opportunity to be around the very wealthy, you undoubtedly will hear of their latest incident surrounding whatever expensive automobile they are driving, or the exotic vacation just ended or upon which they are about to embark, or of the ivy league college that their kids are attending. Donald Trump, to that end, is lining his own pockets and using the presidency as a means of gathering more wealth. His followers ignore his shenanigans and perhaps envy his station in life because he provides them with the hope that they can live vicariously through him.

To his “credit,” DJT followed through, at least in rhetoric and several failed attempts, to fulfill his campaign promises. He did start to build his wall. He lowered taxes, albeit mostly for himself and other wealthy individuals and corporations. He tried to abolish the ACA, aka Obamacare. He did begin a massive lockup of Spanish-speaking individuals crossing our southern border. His maneuvering and false claims of success were placing him on a path toward reelection.

Demands Credit, Denies Responsibility

Then, “up-jumped-the-devil,” in the form of Covid-19. Yes, in January of 2020, our reality TV star was called on to actually manage something important. He was called on to make hard choices that would not make him popular. He would have to set aside his cherished triple-A cravings and actually manage a tough situation. A smart charismatic leader would have risen to the occasion and would have managed our American epidemic. Hell, even a leader who knew enough to listen to experts in the field of pandemics, would have sufficed and we would have been the beneficiaries.

Alas, this would not happen. The myth of American exceptionalism would be found to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. We had allowed our democracy over these many years, to crumble under the weight of personal and corporate greed. We had elected an icon of corporate greed and corruption to the highest position in the land. We had been conned. At least enough people in a few key swing states had been conned to allow this to happen.

The America that was headed down a faux path of nationalism and pride was now on the no-fly lists of our former allies. The American handling of this pandemic has been a beacon of shame, fully illuminating our embarrassment with the Trump presidency. His reelection no longer assured, he is now turning to treachery.  He has appointed another individual bent on destroying the department or agency that they now head.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”  So goes the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service (USPS), adapted in 1912 from The Persian Wars by Herodotus and inscribed in the stone atop the main USPS building in New York City. So, in a time when the Post Office is under pressure to deliver medications, checks, bills, ballots, and other essentials, to a nation suffering the worst pandemic in a century, it will further suffer the demands of laissez-faire capitalism at the hands of its newly appointed leader, Louis De (kill) Joy. So, even though the USPS has a constitutional mandate to provide equal service to even the most remote areas of our nation, it is now to be run like a business.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night..., but watch out for Kill-Joy.

The first nail in the coffin of the USPS was driven by George W. Bush in 2006, with the draconian demand that it pre-fund 75 years-worth of retiree benefits. Trump calls this most loved government agency “a total joke.” Calling on a public service agency to show a profit even when saddled with a burden that no private corporation could handle, is nothing more than another attempt to privatize for profit. Now, Trump attacks the USPS with a leadership change designed to slow the service and perhaps improve his chances for reelection by restricting mail-in ballots.

The President of the United States is no longer the leader of the free world.  Donald J. Trump has abandoned that role.  Either Donald J. Trump will win in November, or he will leave behind a “scorched-earth” mess for the Democrats to clean up.  This will assure the “dems” won’t benefit in the first term of a Biden presidency.  These are not the actions of a true leader or true patriot worthy of national respect.  This world no longer turns to America as a shining example of democracy.  It is now an example of how a country with great resources, founded by immigrants and built on a revulsion of authoritarianism, has fallen prey to the greed and corruption of the powerful.

In December of 2019, Donald J. Trump stood a good chance at reelection. However, in January of 2020, a global pandemic loomed and that was followed by racial unrest.  Both were placed in front of a man unfit to manage either.  Mr. Trump’s campaign was now reeling from a one-two punch.

Welcome to our New America, founded on hate and division.  Welcome to a nation where its own citizens take a back seat to politics, greed, and ambition.  Welcome to the sadistic world left us by Donald J. Trump.

Like the phoenix, we too can rise from the ashes left us by the King of Con.  Remember in November.