We should all step back and understand what is going on in our most important expression of self-governance. A democracy gives us the right to select our most important leader. The leader who will have directly or indirectly effect or influence every instrument of government and who has the power to subordinate the institutions that protect us.
Courts decide who wins or loses disputes. Our legislature (Congress) can act by majority rule unless the President vetoes their actions. The President, as well, has broad executive authority and enjoys what President Theodore Roosevelt called the “bully pulpit”.
These powers need to be used cautiously. And, more often than not, my preference has been to act at the State level—distributed power. These principles, at least in normal times, brand me as a conservative. But now a movement called populism has overtaken the conservative party. But I would call it by a different name: Selfism.
In the last 30 days Donald J Trump has displayed Selfism in ways that leave no doubt. He has called Courts corrupt. He urged the Republicans to shut down the government if they don’t get everything they want. He has called prosecutors lunatics and President Biden the worst President in history. In short, disagreements with him result from corruption (the courts), treason (General Milley) or severe mental illness (lunatic prosecutors).
The Wall Street Journal on the matter of General Milley noted: “Here was part of Mr. Trump’s send-off for Mr. Milley, who’s finishing his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs: “This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States. This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!”
The message is clear—if I don’t like the outcome then the institutions of government are corrupt. Not just wrong, treasonous.
Selfism is a radical version of sanctimony. We have all experienced it. It is that worst of all dinner conversations when somebody must always be right. Morally superior as the definition goes. It is I, I, I.
I can’t think of a more toxic combination: power and Selfism. Laughingly Trump calls Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, DeSanctimonious.
Presumptively we all have some measure of sanctimony. I suspect there are very few who don’t think one or more of their opinions are morally superior. Paradoxically, those who insist that all principles are relative are the most sanctimonious.
One feature of The Spy is that the reader can tell the writer to “take a hike” or worse. I have been asked why I don’t respond to criticism. I welcome criticism. Afterall, I have been given the privilege of expressing my view first.
In a much, much larger context we rely on our court processes to settle disputes and know there are several layers of appeal from the initial decision. Yet, Donald Trump has reserved some of his harshest criticisms for the Courts and its procedures.
And let’s not forget that for over four years he was the appointing authority for the federal court judges. While perfect balance in the judiciary is elusive, alternating political authority is about as close as we humans can get. And when a candidate who wants that power is the candidate of the Selfism Party, we should look elsewhere.
Now before laying down the pen, I would offer that Selfism’s convergence with Populism is when a candidate exploits populist views to achieve his ultimate ambition. Getting elected must be a first step.
Donald Trump betrayed his true intoxication when he said: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” This was a revealing moment when he essentially said he could depart from civility and conservative thought without losing voters.
The final test for the Republican Party will occur after Trump is no longer its head. Will Populists with much less electoral weight than Trump, like Senators JD Vance and Josh Hawley, prevail over Governors and Senators whose views and actions are more representative of, say, Former President Ronald Reagan? I, of course, hope the test will come sooner.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Bob Brell says
Al. Thanks for your commitment to public discourse. We need many more to get off their backsides and get involved. Your distaste for former president Donald Trump is obvious, to quote, “I can’t think of a more toxic combination: power and selfism. Well, I can. Your criticism of Trump is deserved but when are you going to point out with clarity that the choice at the time was Hillary Clinton and then Joe Biden and given the choice, Trump was the better choice. What we’re faced with is a broken system which has been created by our elected representatives. Why else are we faced with such despicable choices? The deep state is real and toxic.
Eric Ploeg says
Good points Bob. Mr. Sikes along with active political commentators Mr. From and Mr. Fuller make no secret of their strong dislike of Trump. But then they’ve been immersed in Washington for years.
Mr Sikes implies unconventionality as “(Trump) has called Courts corrupt. He urged the Republicans to shut down the government if they don’t get everything they want. He has called prosecutors lunatics and President Biden the worst President in history.” Well?
Millions have been spent to secure seats on SCOTUS in order to influence political leanings not to mention seats on lower courts nationwide. The crime wave that continues to intensify across America seems to be some sort of social leniency experiment brought to us by political influences. Judges and prosecutors are not meeting their responsibility to protect the American society.
Republican demand budget constraints as we’re facing the largest deficit in the history of the world. Although Republicans certainly aren’t otherwise frugal at times, they hear the public’s loud outcries about sending massive amounts of ADDITIONAL funding to the most corrupt regime in Europe….supporting a foreign. More funding for Ukraine above the billions already provided, is the focus here.
Biden the worst president is hard to gauge since none of us have first hand experience with Zach Taylor, Andrew Johnson or Buchanan, etc. However, no one can argue that his physical and mental agility and competency are questionable. Biden’s easily reversible policy is entirely responsible for the tragedy and human disaster underway at our borders. And boasting about “Bidenomics” only makes people more aware of how more difficult their finances have become over the past few years.
Sure Trump is easy to dislike but it comes out that he’s right more often than many would like. Anyone that’s really paying attention and ins’t mindlessly devoted to a party or politician must realize that our system is failing the public. Something needs to change.
Reed fawell 3 says
AMEN..