What We Can Learn from Aldous Huxley
It’s the birthday of Aldous Huxley, best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World. According to the Writer’s Almanac, “(This) was one of the first novels to predict the future existence of genetic engineering, test-tube babies, anti-depression medication, and virtual reality. When George Orwell’s 1984 came out a few years later, many critics compared the two novels, trying to decide which one was more likely to come true. Huxley argued that his imagined future was more likely, because it would be easier to control people by keeping them happy than it would be by threatening them with violence.”
Clearly, there is a lot of truth here, as evidenced in modern-day U.S. politics. The electorate was blissfully happy 15 years ago when economic times were good and the common American was optimistic that he would one day be able to afford a nicer car, a bigger house, and perhaps an apartment for his mistress. Think of how unlikely the Donald Trump phenomenon (“hey–let’s elect a sociopath to occupy the most important position on Earth”) would have been at that time.
Now, as we begin to experience the decline and fall of the American empire and the standard of living for the 99% has ceased to improve, we’re not at all happy, and we’re willing to go to incredible measures to turn this around.
I use the term “incredible” advisedly. Trump promises to get rid of terrorism and crime, while creating record levels of employment–but all this and more without the vaguest suggestion as to how he’ll accomplish any of it. While there are those who believe him, we’re fortunate that there are even more who find this “incredible,” i.e., not believable.
In any case, it’s clearly true that a happy population is a manageable population–an important lesson from Mr. Huxley.
Craig,
As I’ve said previously, I feel very sorry for the US, a nation who could produce remarkable leaders like Martin Luther King and RFK, and even flawed men of greatness such as Ronald Reagan and LBJ, now more than ever needs an inspirational leader who can unify the nation, and restore American confidence.
Instead US voters are offered a choice between a ‘preachy’ old guy with the wrong solutions, a populist with lot’s of loud questions, but no solutions, and a woman who wants to keep all question and solutions out of the public domain !
I don’t think Donald Trump is a ‘sociopath’, he maybe a deluded opportunist, but he’s as much a product of US society as any of his fellow citizens. Trump hails from a long heritage of showy, ‘stump’ political operators.
Trump has broken all the rules of modern politics, he’s a maverick at a time when a maverick appeals. Unlike Saunders, he’s not bound by ideology, and unlike Hilary Clinton he’s not trying to explain complexities and difficulties involved in managing huge changes in the world and American social, economic and environmental dynamics.
Like a throwback to an earlier, simpler time, Donald Trump manipulates the media by continually keeping the spotlight on himself. He doesn’t care if the media is unfavorable, he knows that vast swathes of the American people no longer trust believe or even read the media.
Trump instinctively understands whats in the minds of a huge section of the US demographic, because he’s one of them (or what they want to be). He articulates what they’ve been wanting to say, but were afraid of being sneered at, made to feel stupid, or politically incorrect.
It seems impossible for the liberal establishment in the US to accept any degree of introspection, or grasp the fact that the US is lucky it’s only Donald Trump. A more cunning, polished populist would sweep to victory and be unmanageable in the White House.
As it is, in the unlikely event of a Trump victory, he would find himself constrained by the congress, constitution and his own inadequacies.
In the meantime, the liberal establishment still haven’t got the message. While they are busy tearing themselves, and their most acceptable candidate apart in petty internecine warfare the voters are turning away from their party.
Some older working class Democrats will vote for Trump, enough to compensate for disaffected Republicans who, like many disaffected Democrats just won’t vote.
It’s scary, but that might just be enough to see Donald Tramp across the line !