Beginning to See the Light

The classic Velvet Underground song entitled "Beginning to see the Light" captures brilliantly the results from the 2016 presidential election, which will certainly establish a precedent in American political history. Currently, many sore losers and winners have emerged to voice their respective opinions about their favorite candidates on this platform, as if they are yelling for their favorite baseball team. American politics is oddly very similar to a European football game, where the opposing fans yell, scream, and riot over their respective teams. Accordingly, American politics is not about issues, but entertainment. Whoever can entertain the most people by either saying something stupid or doing something stupid, wins the grand prize of the presidency of United States. Under these current circumstances, the Marx brothers and three stooges could have formed opposing political parties in the Depression.

The contest between Trump and Hillary over the presidency moves like a roller coaster ride and is ambiguously concluded by the former winning, but the latter having more than 2 million of the popular vote. So who is the better entertainer? Trump! Although many liberals regard Trump as an idiot, "man baby," racist, etc, they have only themselves to blame for his victory over Hillary, not because of some ideological reason, but they underestimated his ability as a Sophist. Just as Andy Warhol reduces art to advertising, so Trump reduces politics to marketing and entertainment. The Hillary show is just not as entertaining as the Trump show.

Trump brilliantly changes the game from one of politics (which he has no experience) to entertainment (which he has immense experience), so he has the high ground, though not moral, in the election. Just as Karl Marx turns Hegel's idealism on top of his head with historical materialism, so Trump turns American politics from issues to entertainment. Let us call this "Trump's reality TV show reduction," which has absolutely no philosophical merit, but immense value to a clever Sophist.

Trump's perpetual flip flopping over political issues is meant to deflect from the fact that he has no political position, which he brilliantly manipulates as purporting himself not as a career politician, but an outsider, who has to be more acquainted with the respective issues. Next, he moves onto the nebulous position that he will hire the best professionals to work out these details and "make America great again," who happen to be so far a Puritan, Bigots, and another Billionaire. Diversity! Political favors and expediency are probably the true motivation behind these appointments. It certainly cannot be motivated by an effort to unify the country. By judging at his appointments so far, he is either insane (with the black lives movement), or he is pushing the "Trump show" to its most outrageous limits in order to be more like that car accident, which no one can turn away.

Many contend that "the Trump show" is the end or goal of his presidency, but those who contend that are again dangerously naive. Trump is a winner, who can change the game and beat his competitors more cheaply and effectively. This is a fact, not an opinion. The clown, "Pumpkin head," boiled ham with a wig, or whatever belittling term applied to him only reveals the cleverness of his sophistry. Perhaps a review of a classic Sophist, such as Thrasymachus, may be helpful in demonstrating Trump's real position. 

In the Republic, Thrasymachus says that "justice is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger" (Plato, 14). Who are the stronger? "Those who make laws to their advantage" (Plato, 15). Compare Thrasymachus' remarks to Trump's reduction, maneuvering, and political appointments. Trump's true political philosophy is that America is the strongest, so she will write trade deals, negotiate political policies, etc which are in the interest of stronger (US) and, more specifically, American plutocrats. America is no longer going to be the global cop, or export democracy. No more ideals. Trump will sell out our traditional allies in order to win, or make a good deal, because that is in the interest of the stronger. Trump is probably America's greatest Sophist, comparable to any Ancient Greek Sophists.

The Republican party has come along away from Lincoln to Trump. Marx says that "never has the New World scored a greater victory than in the demonstration that with its political and social organizations, average men (Lincoln) of good will suffice to do that which in the Old World would have required heroes to do" (Marx, 222). Trump, on the other hand, is a brilliant billionaire, who is comparable to Ancient Greek Sophists, who cannot achieve anything else but making the weaker argument the stronger, motivated by a political philosophy so repulsive to the founder of the Republican party (Lincoln). Although purely speculative, I do not think Marx would have any complementary remarks concerning Trump, but this fact should make his supporters happy.