45 & The Rule of Law

We live in a time in which America is changing before our eyes. I am 'typically' a conservative at heart. But as I write this, a sitting U.S. President (#45) acts as much an adolescent as my seventeen year old and offers obnoxious rhetoric daily - and many of my friends and family love him.   

The President is Donald Trump and the time is 2019. Contrary to the belief of many pundits, I believe Trump is not the reason for the change. He is the result of what has not changed.

Those that gravitate to this man’s inept behavior are not ignorant backwoods yokels or inbred losers. They make up 50% of voting Americans. They are lawmakers, first responders, doctors, lawyers, CEOs, professionals, retirees,....

Within my family Trump supporters are ninety percent college graduates. Several are millionaires a few times over. All are religious - or at least profess to be. They send their children to religious colleges and preach their philosophy to them. Their discourse cloaked in abstracts, they swear (on a bible of course) that they are not bigots or racist “...In any way”. "Not a racist bone in my body..." - a sure testament to bigotry.

They used to live in a social closet where they consorted with only like-minded ‘friends’. They ‘understand’ why Nazi’s and white nationalists exist. Welfare is a four letter word. All taxes are liberal waste. Climate change is natural. They are Trump zealots. To them Trump is the white right’s counter to Obama and everything he stood for. The closet is open.

At this writing, Trump is becoming so bold as to think he is a dictator of sorts. So deep and aggressive is his support within the alt-right he appears to be trying to invite impeachment.  Through not so subtle references and innuendo - if he is impeached or voted out of office - he is sowing seeds of discontent and even possible armed conflict. And he just might be able to pull it off, if my family and friends are any indication.

So how did a country of progressives (the entire American system of government was very progressive for its time 250 years ago) enter into an era teetering on the edge of chaos? The answer is as simple as its rise is complex: Social media.

Social media did not create anti-progressive leanings or bigotry or bias. It simply enables what was once marginalized to enter the mainstream. Social media has all but replaced legacy progressive media. 

During its rise, the secret to getting attention in this new medium was to be anti-progressive and anti-establishment. This trend was very evident to several traditional media outlets that realized the time was right to make lots of money from, and obtain a position of power with, those on the fringe. A leader among these was Fox News. They were certainly not alone. There were many purveyors of white right bias and nationalism long before Fox News found the pliable Mr. Trump.

Fox News’ opposition to Obama due to his race and namesake was obvious and palpable during his presidency. That made them stand out. Exactly what they wanted. Apparently, the thought process was that progressive government was going to kill the America that was built by, well, former progressives.  While the rationale seems a bit sketchy - the results were not. 

The popularity of releasing the pent up self-importance of the white right went viral. Numerous conspiracy and alt-right social media outlets prevailed and they fed off each other. The outbreak became a feeding frenzy of self interest - and popularity. Facts be damned. It was making many people powerful and popular - people that would never have been heard of otherwise. Under pressure from friends and family many whites that were on the moderate fence fell to the right.

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Many believe the cornerstone of the American system of democracy is the right to vote. While the most visible right we enjoy, it is not the cornerstone. The cornerstone of our unique America is, and shall always be, our Rule of Law.  

The phrase ‘Rule of Law’ is steeped in mystery to many. It has not always lived up to its promise. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are the mouthpiece for the Rule of Law. The Constitution is supposed to guarantee a balance of power, free press, no religious bias, equality under the law, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  All of which was as progressive as you could get back in 1776 - as it still is in much of today’s world.

When conservatives cite what the founding fathers intended, they often pervert the truth. What they intended was a progressive nation that could move forward through any obstacle, threat or injustice. The promise of the Rule of Law was not a guarantee; it’s simply a tool kit. How we use it is up to us.

The alt-right led by Trump is threatening the Rule of Law in a manner which has not been seen since the days of Joe McCarthy.  It would not have been possible without social media.

Nothing about our unique and progressive constitution or the Rule of Law stands in the way of social media. Lies, fabrications, fake conspiracies and otherwise ‘fake news’ abounds.  Enemies of the Rule of Law and our progressive form of government (both foreign and domestic) have learned to use this new tool effectively. They call truth lies, and lies truth. Where the thoughtful and reasonable person reads an obviously fabricated story and laughs, half of America finds a call to arms - their bias reinforced.  It’s scary.

So what to do?  How do we keep one of the most popular, important social inventions of our time healthy?  How can we insure reality and truth are protected in social media discourse - while protecting freedom of speech, opinion and dissent?

The 2020 presidential campaign may end up being the biggest test yet for the progressive experiment that is America. If it goes the way it might – it could put our nation’s vulnerable social fabric on life support.

The solution does not - and cannot - rely on government.  A complete solution does not exist. However a big step may lie with the press itself. It's my belief we need an independent better business bureau of news publishers. A place where any story or theory can be tested; verified; Given a weighted score of accuracy and fact:  Clearly marked fact, fiction or opinion. And it needs to be paid for by - and staffed from - leading media outlets - printed and electronic. All of them. If a ‘source of truth’ is not a member of the bureau, you need to take the information with a grain of salt. This needs to be advertised and marketed aggressively..

There are online ‘Fact Checking’ resources available today. But most of them are aligned with legacy progressive media or publications. That makes many call into question the facts presented.  More to the point - fact checking sources are not as accessible as the social media trolls. Real facts are not often advertised as 'news'. So if you are like 80% of America that gets information pushed to them - they never see the facts unless they pull them from another source. 

The key to making an independent fact bureau work is for all major media outlets to subscribe and give carte blanche to the bureau to review any story or article published regardless of sources, copywrites, etc.. Members must provide support for, and links to, the bureau website in all their publications and broadcasts.

Would an independent fact bureau be difficult to establish? Oh yes. Competitive? Combative? Controversial? Hell yes. But - a poison and false social media will slowly crumble our society and its institutions. And the first to fall will be the fifth estate. They need to be the first to fight in this conflict.

Have a better idea? Let me know.

JWB

And yes, I have a seventeen year old. Don’t ask.