What The Hell America!

Ten years ago I would have spent time this week writing about Pete Rose, the Hall of Fame, and the decline of American culture.

But that’s not the world we live in anymore. Being upset about Pete Rose going to Cooperstown is like being at dinner on the Titanic and complaining that your soufflé collapsed. I mean, sure: Not ideal. But you have seen the iceberg, right?

We haven’t gone dark around here in a while, but I’m in a pretty dark place this week. So walk me with into the mountains of madness.

On Monday Sarah and I talked about Trump’s Qatari air palace and I asked if she thought this $400 million gift might “break through” with voters.

I hated myself the minute the words were out of my mouth.

When we talk about news “breaking through” with voters, we assume that information takes action and makes choices, but people themselves have no agency.

To talk this way is to believe that it’s the story that has to maneuver around and penetrate some shield which prevents voters from perceiving the outside world. The story acts; the people are inert and acted upon. The language of stories “breaking through” becomes a crutch; an excuse. If people don’t react properly to grotesque corruption from their president, it isn’t because they are moral degenerates. It’s because they never had the chance to reach the correct judgment.

When we talk about stories “breaking through,” we do so out of optimism. The phrase assumes that people are virtuous and that the only reason they do not recoil from Trump’s corruption is that they did not see it or understand it.

And maybe that optimistic view is right.

But also: Maybe it’s not.

That’s what I want to talk about today. Because what if the optimistic view isn’t right? What if the truth is terrible? What if The People are rotten and no longer capable of liberal self-government?

Let’s go to the bad place.