Let me begin by making something very clear: Donald Trump would be a terrible president. This, however, does not mean that only terrible people support him, or that his supporters are uniquely stupid, or abnormally prejudiced. While I myself support Bernie, I have no doubt that many of my fellow Bernie supporters are ignorant of the nuances of democratic socialism or universal healthcare, and many Trump supporters are highly intelligent people who understand his platforms and truly believe they will help the country. American politics has been steadily reduced into a small spectrum of issues, where the individual voter is trapped between several limited choices. Abortion. Gun control. Gay marriage. Climate change. Terrorism. Politicians simply need to find an issue where roughly half of Americans will take one side and then exploit this division to their advantage. Donald Trump has routinely found his flock by harping upon one of the most contentious issues of our times — political correctness.
Which are the stones that build the foundation of Trump nation? A simmering resentment against the elitist know-it-alls who time and time again attempt to lay down edicts over what is and isn't acceptable to say or think. A feeling that the age old adage of sticks and stones has been replaced by "your rights end where my feelings begin." Anger at college activists who blame working class people's vocabularies for the nation's problems. The enlightened anti-Trump crowd may take pride in being on the right side of history- but we should not forget that we have laid these stones. Trump Nation exists because the elites and leftists have ignored the problems of middle class and the working poor in favor of symbolic battles against hate and prejudice for far too long.
Such symbolic battles are not meaningless or entirely worthless. They stem from a place of good-heartedness- as does Trumpism. Both sides seek to make America a better place than it currently is. Trump nation seeks to restore a golden age of America; one where hard work earned led to a happy family in a pleasant neighborhood. The PC movement's end goal is very similar- they want such opportunity for everyone — not just the white middle class who enjoyed such lives in the past. In its zeal, the movement ends up focusing on groups of people rather than individuals and excludes a great number of people who struggle to survive, such as formerly middle-class whites who lack college degrees or 21st-century job market skills. This creates a group of people whom Trump can appeal to through anger and resentment- people yearning for a past greatness. When so much attention is paid to minorities, the majority begins to feel left out and looks for someone- Trump- who has (or claims to) have their interests at heart.
The marginalized populations who are ignored by PC rhetoric are hyper aware of its failures. They find themselves on the outside, and thus, are in the best position to point out its flaws. The response of "All Lives Matter" awkwardly points to the forgotten goal of humanism which once guided progressivism. Calls for color-blindness remind us that at the end of the day, character- not skin color- is what truly matters. The push to build a border wall may largely stem from xenophobia, but a kernel of truth exists in the notion that people crossing a border illegally may not always have the best intentions at heart. Backlash against Islam ignores the true problem as much as uncritical academic apologetics for terrorism.
Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and many more forms of prejudice still exist in America and the world, and they are not going to evaporate solely through the passage of time. Political correctness, on the other hand, generally confronts these issues on a symbolic level, and fails to address the harshness and cruelty of the world outside of liberal arts campuses. Consider the issues of microaggressions. Small, often unintentional behaviors which contribute to larger systems of oppression. These small slights were once ignored and looked over in order to concentrate on more prescient issues.At a time when many white middle and lower class workers are falling behind their parents and grandparents, and even living shorter lives, increased focus on invisible and minute insults and behaviors feels like a slap in the face. Another example is the claim that all white people are inherently racist, or all men are inherently sexist. To a person who has tried their entire life to not only tolerate, but to accept the "other," this is infuriating. If they accept it as true, why even try to change?
Wars between nations are no longer a viable option in the nuclear age. While Trump Nation is not sovereign, the analogy serves well to highlight the unity his supporters have forged. Diplomacy remains the best option- which means the left must be willing negotiate, not simply make demands. Political correctness should be on the chopping block; not because prejudice is over, but because it fails to address the actual problem. George Carlin hit upon this nuanced flaw in political correctness with his line, "Changing the name of the condition does not change the condition." Let's change the conditions of poverty and inequality instead of hiding behind symbolic movements. Maybe then Trump Nation will find itself a little bit less defensive, and a little more open to left-wing ideas- which also seek to make America great.
