The most heard answer to the question, “why is the nation so divided” is, “it’s President Trump’s fault, he is dividing us.” The mainstream media has picked up on this answer and it gets repeated over and over, day after day. If President Trump is to blame, then by extension, those who support him are also partly to blame. The “divide” is real. The “divide” is potentially very dangerous. Is the simple answer, “it’s all Trump’s fault” good enough? I don’t believe so. Let’s take another shot a defining why the “divide” exists before we jump on that bandwagon.
“Trump is a racist.” We hear it every day. Being called a racist is a very ugly thing. Members of the KKK are racist; people who proclaim to be White Supremacists are racist. Now we are led to believe President Trump is a racist because Maxine Waters says so, therefore it must be true and all the mass media have picked up on it? But, what do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have to say about Trump and his association with African Americans? Google up, Trump receives honor from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and you will find headlines like this; “Jesse Jackson praises and thanks Donald Trump for a lifetime of service to African Americans.” Hmmm, interesting.
“Trump is Islamophobic.” He must be because he is defeating ISIS. He must be because he does not want to allow immigrants from nations who are state sponsors of terrorism; from states that openly seek the destruction of America; from nations where those wanting to immigrate cannot be vetted because there is insufficient data to check their backgrounds. Hmmm, also interesting.
“Trump hates women.” His qualification for that statement seems to be that he had an alleged extramarital affair 15 years ago.. Hmmm, no one in his huge business has said that?
“Trump hates Latinos.” That must be true because he wants to seal the border to keep out illegal immigrants who are terrorists, criminals, drug traffickers, sex slave traders, and others who just want to disappear from view and live off US government assistance. Or possibly it is because he is opposed to cities and states that willfully defy federal law and openly give sanctuary to Latin criminals. OK, so that all makes good sense?
By engaging multiple media sources and in private conversations, it is difficult to get through a day without hearing a comment about how divided the nation has become. Maybe, just maybe, the issue deserves a more thorough look from what I pointed out in the opening paragraphs. .
Begin by thinking about two parallel lines drawn about one-half inch apart. The top line we will call the Republican line and the bottom one the Democrat line. While recognizing there are Independents and unaffiliates, the majority of Americans feel attached to the two major parties. So, I will use just the two to explain the divide.
There has always been a divide between what the Republicans and Democrats stand for; their platforms, vision of the future, etc.
Let’s say that in the fall of 2016, the divide between the two parallel lines was one half inch. The Republicans were asking for a stronger military, a fully engaged foreign policy (North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, the Middle East, the European Union, NATO), trade deals that are more advantageous to the US and will reduce $500 + billion annual trade deficits, defeat ISIS, cut taxes, reduce regulations, reduce the size of the federal government, immigration reform and border security to include building a wall and finally, do away with Obamacare.
The democrats were less specific about their vision for America, but their rhetoric led us to believe they advocated for open borders, military readiness status quo, maintain current trade deals plus a new one in Asia, maintain the level of military action against ISIS, essentially no change in foreign policy, raise taxes on the rich, increased government regulations, advocate against big business, and retain the tax-and-spend programs to stimulate the economy.
Now fast forward 24 months to the fall of 2018. What we see on the Republican parallel line is a nearly identical list from 2016. However, instead of being 2016 campaign promises, they are now completed or being worked as major policy initiatives. With the exception of eliminating Obamacare, promises made, promises kept.
While the Democrats have been unable to move forward with their proposed campaign agenda, they have moved their vision further to the left. Many mid-term Democratic candidates, are actively advocating for the US to become a socialist state in spite of the fact that socialism has never been successful anywhere in the world. And those who are not openly using the “socialism” tag, are advocating to nationalize big corporations, provide free college tuition, single-payer government-run health care, and the elimination of ICE, a major US law enforcement element charged with security for the nation’s citizens.
Based on the comparison of what the two political parties stood for in 2016 and where they are today, I have concluded that the divide should be widened from ½ inch to ¾ inch apart. But, while party comparisons are highlighted in the news every day, they still do not get at the crux of the “nation divided” issue.
Go back and look at the two parallel lines. For all practical purposes, the Republicans on the top line are happy. Yes, there are those who wish President Trump would stop tweeting and wish he was a little more articulate, but from a policy standpoint they are ecstatic. He made campaign promises and, for the most part he is working all of them; most, successfully. President Trump is not a politician in the truest sense of the word, he is a pragmatist who sees a problem and says, “this needs to be fixed, here is what we are going to do.” The tens of millions of Americans on the top line are happy. The Republican line remains stationary, it has not moved upward to increase the divide.
A large percentage of Democrats literally HATE President Trump. They are very vocal and openly demonstrative about it. This hate talk is not just taking place around the family dinner table, it is daily headline news by the majority of mainstream media.
“Hate” is an ugly word and an ugly concept. Widespread hatred is becoming a culture. Culture is a powerful and pervasive force that, if negative, can paralyze an organization (the US) causing it to be unable to move forward. For more on “hate”, see my blog; A LOOMING CRISIS IN AMERICA.
Bottom line, the United States is under the grip of a culture of hate. It has spread rapidly and is growing. The normal separation between the two party’s’ ideologies is not what is “dividing the nation.” The “divide” is, in fact, the additional separation caused by the culture of hate. The culture of hate has moved the Democrats’ parallel line down at least another ½ inch. The divide is getting so wide, it has negated civil discourse across the nation.
The irony is that in the media and personal conversations about the divide, the blame is placed on President Trump for “dividing this nation.” Quite the opposite.
I’m not asking Democrats to support the Republicans; I am asking that Democrats support America. Democrats have a powerful and pervasive force on their side; the culture of hate. If not abated, it can destroy this great country.
Lieutenant General, US Army retired, Marvin L. Covault is the author of, VISION TO EXECUTION, a book for leaders.
Thank you for taking the time to put “pen to paper” and express your political views. We need more thinking AND open communication in today’s political environment.