Commentary: America’s Propaganda Fever & Modern Perceptions of the Presidency

Biden’s test in his first term has been his policy wins. But Trumpism is still gaining ground, consuming our news cycles, covering up progress with grievance, and destabilizing institutions.

Today is July 1st, and I haven’t watched the presidential debate yet. I’ve seen some coverage and I read a few articles. And only a few things stood out to me:

• President Joe Biden did not have a good night,

• Former president Donald Trump is a serial liar,

• Modern perceptions of statesmanship and leadership have changed,

• And CNN continues to pollute the media ecosystem with reckless and poorly moderated town halls and presidential debates.

The Mark

After the debate, Biden said, “It’s hard to debate a liar.” He should have said, “It’s not a fair debate if one candidate uses lies to hijack the forum.” 

There’s also something larger at play in how (we) humans perceive the world we dominate.

For whatever reason, we are the apex predator on Earth, and it’s hardwired in our DNA to recognize weakness and opportunity. 

Humans are hardwired for many things, but we’re not hardwired to identify con artists on the internet. Recent headlines have mainly focused on Biden’s poor performance.

Over the years, when I chat with people at home in the U.S. Virgin Islands about Trump (always men), there are a few things I notice in conversation: 

• Most of them don’t know much about Trump’s policies or his record of abuse and contemptuous treatment of U.S. territories,

• They like that he speaks his mind,

• And they feel an immense amount of sympathy for him since the Mueller probe.

I’m never truly sure if I can reach someone who holds deep sympathy for a con artist. By the end of the exchange, I usually say, “If you find yourself defending Trump even though you don’t follow his news, you’re the mark.” 

The Test

If you’ve ever given a really, really bad speech or presentation in front of your classmates (and the entire world), you probably can relate to how Biden felt walking off the debate stage.

I recognize it has been over half a century since Biden went to school, but every decision he makes on the job has been a test. 

Earlier, I mentioned our place as the apex species on the planet. We’re also a social species, and Biden has used that to his advantage. Throughout his presidency, he consolidated power in the Democratic Party when the walls appeared to be closing in. He’s grown NATO and strengthened the alliance. And he’s signed a handful of bipartisan bills and infrastructure packages with the help of the 118th Congress, a body that agrees on little.

The man is old, and he’s admitted it. And he’s at an inflection point in his career where his administration must choose between (or balance) unchecked genocide and World War III. 

The White House is walking a tightrope on domestic issues, foreign policy, and military deterrence. Despite our ability to be a murderous and greedy species, we work together sometimes. 

Biden might have had a really bad debate performance, but I still agree with Senator Bernie Sanders, who said Biden could be “the most progressive president since FDR.”

Biden has had a more progressive presidency than former President Barack Obama in just one term, and it’s being buried with endless stories about Trump.

Stop feeling embarrassed for Biden. He has some of the most qualified people serving in his administration. Trump has polluted voter expectations with strongman politics.

Trump thinks he won, but the viewing public lost confidence in the American government, and many of us lost a few marbles trying to process what this means for our lives. 

Biden’s test in his first term has been his policy wins. But Trumpism is still gaining ground, consuming our news cycles, covering up progress with grievance, and destabilizing any institution that gets in its way.

Summary: Trump is really good at selling lies on television, and Biden’s policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict sucks ass. 

I might watch the debate this weekend and try to delete the memory file before a midday nap permanently stores it.