A bizarre self identified political scientist with no college degree, but manifesting a most aggressive attitude displayed on television is one named Charlie Kirk. Recently this MAGA “star” went on a tirade disparaging Doctor Claudine Gay, the resigning President of Harvard University. He kept repeating that she had no business being the President of Harvard except for the fact that she was black and a woman. Here, according to Kirk, was affirmative action at its worst.
I wrote an email to MAGA Charlie (freedom@charliekirk.com) pointing out that his diatribe against Doctor Gay was misplaced and certainly beyond his intellectual level. Doctor Gay had studied at Princeton, Stanford, with a Ph. D from Harvard. I pointed out, that he (Charlie Kirk) does not even possess a college diploma. Mr. Kirk replied that education means nothing.
I was reminded of a comment by Presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016, “I love the uneducated.” Charlie is not an aberration. Republican guru Karl Rove does not have a college degree. The biggest MAGA loudmouth Tucker Carlson doe not have a college degree. There is an educational epidemic among Conservative Republicans.
I recall former Republican presidential candidate and governor of the state of Texas Rick Perry when asked during his ill-fated campaign what he would do first as President, he replied that he would eliminate the Department of Education. Current Governor of Florida and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has been criticised heavily for denigrating the role of teachers in Florida and removing books from school libraries. He does have a law degree, but what is it with Republicans and education? Republicans today talk about eliminating the Department of Education.
President Biden talks about abolishing student debt. Frankly, less education makes the electorate more malleable.
America is the leading political, economic and military power in the world. However, America is far behind in the area of literacy. In fact by some rankings the United States does not crack the top fifty. Why should we not be surprised?
Republican former president and current leader among primary presidential aspirants, Donald Trump is the quintessence of a populist poorly educated leader. He does have a college degree, but in real estate. He leans towards being a dictator. America survived his first term because American democracy proved to be strong.
The true meaning of democracy as rule by the people needs to be examined. Every human being has the right to improve himself, to become a citizen and thus part of the political electoral process. However, the underlying variable is qualification to make an informed decision and choice. The basic requirement is literacy. But there is so much more which enables an individual to make a choice. The liberal intellectual may be detested by those who have and know less, but that elite is never a danger to democracy. In this regard who is in a better position to choose the president of the United States, Dr. Claudine Gay with a predilection to use her intellectual capacity to better the lives of a people who had been considered subhuman because of their skin color or Charlie who has attained a partial bully pulpit enabling him to spew populist propaganda and disparage those who intellectually are so far ahead of him.
Not too long ago current candidate for president Trump mixed up two world leaders President Erdogan of Turkey and Prime Minister Orban of Hungary. This was not his first such mistake as to international politics. Frankly the two are practically indistinguishable for Trump. They are both strongmen and leaders of some foreign country. For Trump that is sufficient knowledge.
So is Vladimir Putin.
And so Ukraine is a very difficult issue for Trump or Charlie or Tucker for that matter. Supporters of Ukraine have to be either morally sensitive or relatively sophisticated in world history. Trump is neither. A strongman like Putin who additionally carries the power of enabling a Trump Tower in the City of Moscow is appealing. Morality is of no concern. Trump is not immoral. He is amoral and essentially illiterate so that the history of Russian oppression over its neighbours, and in particular Ukraine, is entirely irrelevant both because for him history as well as who is the aggressor are only known superficially and, even if known, not compelling because personal aggrandisement always carries the day.
Americans are basically good people guided by some measure of what is good or bad either through upbringing or religion. There are many however who simply do not care about that measure because irrespective under certain circumstances they can prosper. That and ignorance are what guides them. Many are simply hypocrites, particularly those showcasing a Bible. Equally important is the ignorance of those they attempt to influence. Hence people like Donald Trump, Charlie and Tucker prosper to a certain extent. No amount of persuading or lobbying will change them.
The rule of law may be an option. Trump because of arrogance may fall upon that sword. In a democracy that is a viable remedy through the judicial system, 2024 may prove to be a big test for America’s democracy one way or another.
January 6, 2024 Askold S. Lozynskyj