Remember "Likability"? Morf Morford   © Copyright 2024 by Morf Morford

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Not “likable” enough to be elected apparently.

In the 2020s as you may have noticed, “likability” has lost its popular appeal.

Political candidates, at all levels, at least in some areas, prefer “American carnage”.

Even with record levels of employment, most Americans have a dire view of the economy.

Some, many in fact, nurture, even cultivate, thoughts (and prayers?) toward a new civil war.

War, chaos and upheaval are the goal, not of America’s traditional enemies but of those who proclaim their faith and patriotism.

Donald Trump, his supporters proclaim, “took a bullet” for America.

As proof, they show close-ups of the bullet wound on his ear.

Fun fact: there is, and was, no bullet wound. Or perhaps it was miraculously healed. Either way, it is not visible.

But no matter what happened, or will happen, we are a million miles from “likability”.

“Likability” is not what appeals to American voters in 2024 – and maybe beyond.

We’ll take outright lies, distortions, misinformation and conspiracy theories over truth, compassion and basic decency any time.

The list of our enemies is long, and ever expanding – and many of us are, or certainly will be, on it.

Some are long time scapegoats and easy “targets”; immigrants, Black people, Latinos, “coastal elites,” government bureaucrats, pedophiles, women, secularists, Muslims, liberals, Democrats, and, of course demonic, spiritual and cosmic forces and powers.

In short, anyone and anything can be an enemy.

But who are we when anyone of us can be an “enemy”?

We are a long way from “likable”.

Fear, suspicion and open hostility are the (sometimes gleefully) operating and dominating forces of our culture, economy and, of course, our political system.

What is called “patriotism” is distrust of everyone and everything.

The irony (one of many) is that this near comprehensive, deeply held cynicism and distrust is “baptized” in religious jargon and proclaimed as “faith”.

“Likability” may be passe, but the common strands and expressions of faith, from compassion and generosity to community contributions, “winsomeness” and kindness are portrayed as threats to our well-being.

Threats, harassment and worse are the tools of choice for this new “faith”.

And, as if according to a larger agenda, not only is no one trusted, but no one is safe.

No school, public event or gathering is, or can be fully safe and secure.

Not everyone wants civil war of course, but many do; and they have forums, equipment, resources, motivation and financial support from unexpected sources. Or perhaps obvious and expected sources.

There is money to be made in chaos and upheaval, and the opportunists are many.

A stable economy and society is to everyone’s advantage. Almost everyone.

To construct a stable, enduring, fair and productive economy and society takes time, and many hands working in a common cause.

To destroy or undermine a stable economy and society only takes a few willing hands. And a horrifyingly short time.

And many, for their own reasons, are determined to break what so many of us have worked to build.

In other words, chaos and destruction are easy and immediate; cooperation, trust and construction are difficult. And take time. Often more than an individual life span.

Yet another irony is that the guiding force leading this upheaval (or re-set) Donald Trump, is the ultimate child of privilege and elitism.

Raised in luxury and private schools and protected from life’s challenges, he portrays himself as the savior of those who struggle economically.

Few would portray Mr. Trump as “likable”. From former business partners to employees and former wives, they all know his character, his behavior and his life philosophy.

His lawsuits and criminal charges are too many to count.

And yet people of faith embrace him and consider him one of their own.

“Likability” is a weakness for him. Why be “likable” when force and implied threats are far more effective?

And if force and real (or implied) threats don’t work, grievance and resentment can be very effective.

Donald Trump was born into the ultimate financially rarified atmosphere of the “coastal elites” he loves to hate.

For a variety of reasons, he felt that he was never fully accepted there. His resentment from that rejection has fueled his life trajectory.

Resentment is a powerful, near infinite motivator – and highly contagious.

It is, however, ultimately, if not immediately, destructive.

That only adds to its power and sense of intoxication.

Complaining about one’s lot in life, no matter how privileged, is a peculiar common passion for those poor and wealthy, comfortable and struggling to survive. But allegiance to a common cause, no matter how strained, is invigorating.

Resentment and revenge, especially shared, are empowering like few other forces.

Their fury has been known to burn civilizations to the ground.

The final (perhaps literal) irony is that this distrust, suspicion, destruction and thirst for vengeance has been embraced by those who claim a faith that calls them to a life of compassion, generosity, forgiveness, humility and sacrifice.

One has to wonder what pulled so many so far from what they spent their lives believing.

This might be a clue; during World War II, the U.S. Office of Strategic Services analyzed Adolph Hitler’s stunningly near-total effective manipulation of his followers by a close look at his psychological profile and belief system.

Their conclusions were as profound as they were simple; “His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

I’ll leave it to you to decide whether we are in a time of historic resonance or not.

“Likability” may be naive, and a sign of a simpler time, but it certainly sounds good to me.