Fan Interference
A concern I have about the viability of our system is that even the politicians don’t seem particularly invested in it.
Woke up to see a rather disturbing campaign advertisement released by Eric Greitens, former Navy SEAL and former Governor of Missouri, who resigned from office in disgrace back in 2018. He’s now a candidate for the Senate in the 2022 mid-term elections:
I don’t understand the logic of this kind of campaigning. Maybe I’m just not imaginative enough, but doing and saying the very things that fuel the narratives put forth by your political opponents isn’t a smart strategy.
Or is it?
I came across this thread written in response to Greitans’ ad and I have to say, it’s an interesting take, though it’s implications are unsettling:
The argument is that Greitens’ ad is a sign that the American Right is increasingly willing to match the American Left in violence. I recently cited a study by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) showing a large percentage of younger Americans on both sides view political violence as an acceptable means of settling differences:
It’d seem then, that Greitens’ ad is a logical byproduct of this sentiment. The message appeals to his supporters, which is why he produced it with apparently no concern for the very obvious backlash it’d garner. The question is, will it resonate with people on the fence or Americans who don’t spend a lot of time delving into politics like you or I do?
A concern I have about the viability of our system is that even the politicians don’t seem particularly invested in it. When Greitens puts out an ad like this, he’s not only appealing to his base, but only his base. Politics used to be about trying to win over as many supporters as possible, but the incentive structure seems to have changed to where candidates seem to think there’s no use in trying to win the hearts and minds of the undecided. This is especially bizarre for the Right, since they’re trying to win elections in a country where the electorate is oriented center-left. At a time when President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are placing their political dominance in jeopardy, the last thing the Right should be doing is turning off potential voters, but creating ads where politicians talk about “hunting” bad Republicans does exactly that.
I wrote in my last post about how politics has become pro wrestling. I think the Greitens ad is a manifestation of that - I don’t think he’s literally calling for violence against anyone. But that’s just it - he’s sending a message of a violence, while expecting the audience to exercise the better sense not to literally hunt anyone down. In pro wrestling, the audience knows it’s all kayfabe - most of the time - but politics is a higher-stakes game. Worse, even in pro wrestling, fans who either forget that it’s all a work or genuinely think its real (known as a being a “mark”) have often involved themselves in the action and paid the price for it:
When the equivalent of a fan entering the ring at a wrestling show happens in politics, are people like Eric Greitens willing to take responsibility? Or will they pretend like everyone should’ve known it was just a “worked shoot” on their part?
I don’t buy into the lunacy that “speech is literally violence” as so many on the Left claim. Except, of course, when you’re literally suggesting violence. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer was recently criticized for comments he made back in 2018:
Two weeks ago, this happened:
At a time when calm, level-headed leadership is needed more than ever, I feel leaders on both sides are engaging in dangerous rhetorical one-upsmanship. Like in pro wrestling, figures on both sides are cutting increasingly fiery “promos” to get over with their respective audiences and antagonize the other side. None of this accomplishes anything, other than raise the temperature and increase the likelihood of an outbreak of violence.
Which begs the question: are they just playing their prescribed role in the pro wrestling promotion that is politics? Or are they really trying to encourage the marks to storm the ring? It’s hard to tell if it’s kayfabe or legit and that should worry us all.
Max Remington writes about armed conflict and prepping. Follow him on Twitter at @AgentMax90.
If you liked this post from We're Not At the End, But You Can See It From Here, why not share? If you’re a first-time visitor, please consider subscribing!