Explanations for the Trump catastrophe are sprouting like weeds, all over the internet, in the newspapers I read (Guardian, Times, Washington Post, Hamilton Spectator), on MsNBC, CNN, and random posts on YouTube. I haven’t seen anything convincing. And I think I know why. The real reasons are not speakable among decent liberal people.
Here’s what nobody talks about, that I think happened.
- LGBTQ+ fear. Schools are talking openly to children about sexual alternatives. I personally think this is a good thing. However, I think we underestimate the reaction against it. Parents are afraid that one day their child will walk in and say “the teacher says I’m a girl/boy.” They’re even more afraid that they won’t be told. Reassurances don’t matter. The fear is visceral. It has led to a widespread increase in home schooling, and in rejection of federal support for education. All this is amplified by the issues of participation in sports, and in who gets to use which washroom.
- White privilege. The trend lately has been to insist that White people are all guilty, whether they think it or not, of racism, simply by virtue of their “whiteness”. It is a very bad idea to make someone feel guilty, because they will inevitably close up and become hostile. It is a super bad idea to do this to an entire group of people. Especially if they are privileged. Do it at your peril.
- Save the middle class. This has to be