One of my grandson’s favorite expressions when he gets angry is, “What The!” At nine years old, he probably knows how to complete the exclamation, but he’s not crass enough or bold enough to do it. So let me do it for him. WHAT THE FUCK!!!
Last week, I wrote about how Dumbledore’s Army, led by Harry Potter, fought Voldemort’s forces of evil. (https://rickbellingham.com/2021/01/05/harry-potter-the-enneagram-and-2020/). Yesterday, the world witnessed Trump’s Army assaulting the Capitol in an attempt to destroy a beacon of goodness, i.e. freedom, democracy, equal rights.
No, I don’t believe in American exceptionalism, and I fully acknowledge its history of genocide, racism, sexism, and materialism. The principles on which America was founded, however, have served as an inspiration for people throughout the world who risked everything for the opportunities that America provided.
As a reader of this blog, you know I prefer to discuss generic and timeless issues instead of simply fueling the fires of contemporary commentary. Storming of the capitol, however, seems exception-worthy. Still, instead of adding to the list of ignominious adjectives describing Trump’s psychopathic personality and criminal behavior, I want to focus on the timeless story of what happens when people are righteous and wrong and who fiercely cling to their alternate realities. We just watched on TV domestic terrorists crash the capitol. In their fantasies, they thought they would pull off a coup. It was clearly an act of sedition and insurrection. They were not peaceful protesters. They were violent rioters. Fortunately, after the disruption, Congress reconvened and finished the job. Three Cheers for them.
One would think on the day after this inglorious event that the entire country would stand together in outrage to condemn this heinous assault on democracy. But here’s the real problem: according to one poll immediately after the event, 45 percent of republicans approved of the mob action. And today, several state capitol buildings are under assault. These self-righteous terrorists truly believe they are right. WHAT THE!!
Before I started writing this post to clarify my thoughts and capture my feelings at this momentous moment for my grandkids, I searched for the word righteousness in my blog. As it turns out, 4 of the 245 posts contained discussions of righteousness.
In 2016, I wrote Reckless and Righteous (https://rickbellingham.com/2016/05/29/reckless-and-righteous/) in which I pleaded with my fellow liberals not to be too reckless in our righteous indignation by suggesting that Trump was a fascist. Ironically, I was righteous and wrong. As we know now, that language wasn’t reckless at all. It may have been too restrained.
Just recently, I wrote Intuitive Individualism (https://rickbellingham.com/2020/10/15/intuitive-individualism/) in which I reviewed Jonathon Haidt’s book, The Righteous Mind – Why Good People are divided by politics and religion. In his book, Haidt sets out to destroy the modern faith in reason. He suggests, from an evolutionary perspective, we were never designed to listen to reason. When people are asked moral questions, they decide quickly from their guts and generate reasons later to justify their decisions in their heads. I’m sure the thugs who breached the Capitol Security perimeter could righteously rationalize their decisions as absolutely right. Haidt concludes that feelings trump facts any day. He suggests we are more inclined to be driven by selfish, individual needs than by national norms and values. In short, people limit their reasoning to justify their judgments independent of the weight of evidence demolishing their arguments.
In this case, against the overwhelming evidence of no fraud, the rioters still believed the election was stolen and it was their righteous duty to overturn it.
In January, 2017, I wrote Bubbles, Beliefs and Behaviors (https://rickbellingham.com/2017/01/17/bubbles-beliefs-and-behaviors/
In which I shared what I learned as a Vietnam Vet – Presidents lie and friends die to support our values. I learned that generals drink in the comfort of their friendly quarters, while grunts stink in the midst of enemy mortars. After the war, I learned that people clap with self-righteousness for military personnel, but then do nothing to support those who volunteer to serve. I suggested that bubbles disorient us and make it difficult to determine what is real and true. I concluded that people retreat into their information bubbles that reinforce their beliefs. It’s easy to find a bubble that reinforces your beliefs, and you don’t have to do the hard work of destroying your illusions. These bubbles have become echo chambers of righteousness that block out any information contrary to ideological beliefs contained within.
The problem we have in this country now is the same problem civilizations have faced since the beginning of history. When too many people are overly righteous and horrendously wrong, it results in ugly retribution at best and violent revolution at worst. In America today, 25% of our country is certifiably crack crazy. (50% of the country identifies as Republican and 45% of Republicans approve of this instance of mob violence) They not only feel righteous in their anger and alienation, they are also certain they are right. And their social media bubbles repeatedly reinforce that belief. WHAT THE!!!
So where do we go from here. How do we take into account 25% of the population who are “Righteously Wrong” who refuse to puncture Trump’s bubble or exit their own bubbles?
As much as I would like to see the Cabinet exercise the 25th amendment or Congress impeach Trump, I don’t see either happening in practical or political terms. As of today, Trump has 12 days left in office. I can’t imagine either of those options happening that quickly. Plus, the danger is that Pence would pardon Trump, and the Righteously Wrong would riot.
To me, the best option is to ride out the next 12 days and hope the SDNY files criminal charges against Trump and federal prosecutors indict him on insurrection, inciting violence or any one of several other legitimate charges. A jail term would come as close to justice as anything I can imagine. As for the foolish people who have supported him, it’s a little sad that they drank the Trump Kool Aide, and they are the ones who will suffer the consequences. Now that the curtain has been drawn back, Mr. Oz will not lift one finger to help and defend the suckers who saw him as their savior and who will only compound their feelings of being used and discarded. Once again, history repeated.
On a more timeless note, the issue of people being righteous and wrong wont’ go away. It’s been a problem from the beginning of human history on this planet and will continue to be so.
Hey, I own my inclination to righteousness and my over-confidence in being right. My posts are riddled with righteousness, and I am clearly guilty of being wrong – more often than I would like to admit. What I have learned, however, is that humility is the antidote to righteousness; and the chances of being right are greatly increased by rigorous discipline, being able to suspend judgment, and being open to multiple and diverse sources of information vs. single-source conspiracy theories.
I’m hoping this shock to our system may motivate us to be more humble, disciplined, rigorous, and open to moving forward. May it be so.
Also published on Medium.
Man, you are right on (as usual!)-I am overwrought in my feelings of righteous indignation and appreciate your urging to replace that with the humility that is the cornerstone of my AA program. Thank you my friend.