Politics, my coach Andrew Breitbart reportedly stated, is river of tradition. By doing that, Andrew meant that we vote based on our society’s values, which are shaped and embodied by society. From religion to song, from movies to tv, we are affected by the things we see and hear– and we then uphold our society in the instruments of state.
Advertisement
In reality, however, there is another area to the penny: Culture is downstream of politicians, but politics shapes tradition as well. The connection between politics and culture is more continuous than straight: it affects who we vote for, who shapes our culture, who shapes our culture, and so on.
President Donald Trump and his team are naturally aware of this. And it is one of the biggest causes of the Democrats ‘ fear.
For years, Democrats understood the pattern. For instance, a society of racial tolerance led to Barack Obama’s election. Obama next used his public support to advance contentious issues like gay marriage using the means of the government, and society accepted the mission from the government. Obama was both a historical figure and a social one. There is a purpose why Obama ended up with a Netflix offer after taking office as president as opposed to simply starting a nonprofit think tank.
Democrats, by contrast, have always seen culture and politics as independent. They are correct in their assessment of the danger that exists between culture and politics: they think that the intermediaries between our world, the unofficial ties that connect us, from churches to schools to businesses, should serve as the foundation for politics, with defined boundaries and delegated authority.
Advertisement
But no matter how Republicans wish the earth were, it isn’t that approach.
This is a really Trumpian discovery.
Trump, like Obama, is a historical figure. In reality, he is perhaps the most recognizable historical figure in the United States over the past 50 years. He used his fame and notoriety to gain the president, but he is now using the power of pictures to influence American lifestyle. Trump was previously mocked for his usage of television as a enrollment device– but just as television shapes culture, but, also, do members of the government. Due to his efforts to foster a culture of legend power, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has boosted selection charges to the martial. From working out with the army to declaring DEI dying in the military, the picture of the government has changed. Vice President JD Vance has been traveling abroad with his relatives, thereby promoting child normalization in public places. With the aid of beautiful young technologists, Elon Musk has been breaking through authorities barriers, resurrecting nerdiness and democracy.
Indeed, as it turns out, picture matters. Additionally, administrative actors can influence the images that we elicit. Trump attended the Super Bowl, he signed an executive order protecting children’s sports, and he was flanked by young women and girls who were cheering the new determine. Team Trump makes itself almost pervasive in the internet. Aiming to occupy historical area is a successful way to reimagine culture. And Trump isn’t really remaking state. He’s showing that politics can get inland of society, too.
Advertisement