A recurring complaint echoing across America’s political landscape is the growing perception that politicians are disconnected from ordinary citizens, if not outright disdainful toward them. Rather than aligning policies with the public’s desires, politicians seem more focused on upholding elite ideologies and self-interests. This disconnect is glaringly evident in two significant issues: the reluctance of urban governments to prosecute violent criminals, leading to a surge in crime, and the White House’s leniency toward mass immigration, posing threats to jobs, security, and the rule of law.
Examining today’s political and intellectual climate, there’s a striking resemblance to the arrogance and condescension of 18th-century French revolutionaries toward those they deemed incapable of rational thought and moral conduct. To grasp this context, it’s crucial to revisit historical distinctions highlighted by scholars like Gertrude Himmelfarb, who delineated the contrasting approaches of French philosophes, American Founding Fathers, and British moral philosophers. While British and American thinkers emphasized human nature, liberty, and compassion for all classes, French intellectuals viewed the common people as ignorant and irrational, necessitating guidance from the enlightened elite to adopt the “general will.”
Drawing parallels to contemporary times, there’s a troubling trend of demonizing and vilifying supporters of certain political figures, such as Donald Trump. This vilification extends beyond policy disagreements to personal attacks and character assassinations against those who align with Trump’s ideologies. The dismissive treatment of Reagan and Bush supporters in the past has evolved into a sanctimonious profiling of Trump supporters as authoritarian, narcissistic white supremacists, fostering division and intolerance in political discourse.
Contrary to progressive philosophies of the past that acknowledged the struggles of the working class, today’s woke ideologies exhibit contempt toward blue-collar workers, reducing them to stereotypes and dismissing their concerns. This shift mirrors the historical disdain of the French philosophes toward the common people, depicting them as ignorant and unworthy of genuine compassion or understanding.
The irony lies in the abandonment of reason by modern progressives, replacing it with anti-scientific ideologies like transgenderism and rejecting natural law. This departure from reason and logic undermines claims of intellectual superiority, as it’s rooted more in ideological dogma than rational discourse. Trump’s appeal among working men and women stems from his defense of traditional values and acknowledgment of their joys, woes, and aspirations often ignored by the political establishment.
Trump’s rhetoric, though criticized for its caustic tone, resonates with many as a necessary challenge to the elite’s contemptuous attitudes toward ordinary citizens. In the film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the protagonist George Bailey symbolizes this defiance against elitist disregard for the common people’s dignity and aspirations. Trump, in a similar vein, champions those who feel marginalized and disrespected by societal elites, offering a voice for their concerns and a counterbalance to the prevailing disdain toward them.
