An Essential Learning Opportunity

As Trump continues to flood the zone with executive orders and brainless pronouncements designed to commandeer our attention while he attempts to install autocracy as our operating system, I’m reminded of the typology of trauma response. When pursued by a sabre-toothed tiger, we are told, our ancient ancestors experienced the same three impulses that beset us today: fight, flight, or freeze. The shrewd people driving the new President’s onslaught know this. They are banking on the likelihood that when truly overwhelmed, a large number of us will race through door number three, freezing into a state of fear and impotence, and thus be unable to fight back.

But it isn’t all about what we do. How we feel and think matter greatly. The people who work with trauma talk about a “window of tolerance,” the degree of emotional arousal that allows you think and act consciously despite whatever is stressing you. We have an earthshakingly important task before us right now, and that is to remain in the window of tolerance and bring thoughtful presence to our experience. To the extent we can do that, we have an essential, unparalleled opportunity to learn a truly precious lesson. It’s also an equal opportunity lesson, just as applicable on the political left as on the right.

Here’s the question:

Do you know how and why you swallowed so many lies?

I’m asking people to take some time with themselves, scrutinize their memories, look deeply into the thoughts and feelings that drew them to allow Trump’s election either by voting for him or withholding their votes, and tell themselves the unvarnished truth about what happened. The only way to inoculate ourselves against being victimized by liars is to learn how to discern truth.

I am not going to inventory the lies that expressed Trump’s belief in his own glorious inevitable ascendency and allowed him to treat you, me, and everyone but his cronies as acceptable collateral damage. But please, do look into it. I recommend you read Thomas B. Edsall’s column in the New York Times entitled “So Much for Not Taking Trump Literally,” which features observations from a raft of people who study government. Edsall is a mainline liberal, judicious in tone, and easy to read.

I recommend you read Robert Reich’s post (another centrist commentator), “Deadly Bigotry,” which details how Trump and his minions framed Wednesday’s deadly crash of an airplane and a helicopter over the Potomac in straight-up racist terms. He said that former Presidents “…actually came out with a directive — ‘too white’, but we want the people that are competent,” suggesting that air traffic controllers of color were to blame. Air traffic controllers were among the two million plus federal employees who received buyout letters from the new administration (another lie), despite being in short supply. Do you suppose the rising number of Black and Latino voters who cast their ballots for Trump expected that, endorse that?

Why were outright lies dismissed as scaremongering and simplistic falsifications of political reality allowed to override reasoned judgment? I am asking the people who experienced this to look deeply within. I have one vital reason for doing so. If we survive the consequences of this massive mistake we had better be sure that we don’t make the same one further down the road. Knowing how sleight-of-hand persuaded so many to fool themselves despite ample evidence pointing toward truth will help voters to learn from experience and avoid another helping of the same terrible punishment for believing lies.

I love the 2007 album of covers by Patti Smith. “Pastime Paradise,” written by Stevie Wonder, seems especially apt today.