Civilization doesn't always move forward, or in an uninterrupted line. Retrogression is always a possibility.

Over the past few decades, there's been a coarsening of American society. The barbaric histrionics of World Wrestling Entertainment would not have succeeded 50-60 years ago. Nor would cage-match fighting been accepted.  Elsewhere in entertainment, Americans have developed a taste for watching others get abused; from Howard Stern to Judge Judy to Ann Coulter, people love it. Abuse others, but heaven help the person who triggers their extremely touchy sensibilities.

Given a society that's become less considerate and more barbaric, it shouldn't be a surprise that this should be reflected in our politics. Today we see a campaign waged by a vulgarian, based on appeal to the worst in us, a campaign full of bluster, braggadocio, insult and obscenity, on the verge of capturing the nomination of a once-proud party. (These are all good things, apparently.)

The Party of Lincoln died with Abe. But at least it maintained a semblance of decency.  No more. There is apparently no depth below which we could sink, no point below which Republicans would say, "That's enough. Just stop it, already!"

I am acutely disappointed in the American people, for giving in to negative emotion and wallowing in it.  You have no justification to be so sour, so toxic.  I still believe that there aren't enough to actually win a general election, but there are far too many who have abdicated responsibility and just want to destroy it all. And even when the Magic Pompadour goes down to the massive defeat he so richly deserves, the level of success he's been handed by the Trumpenproletariat only sets a dread precedent. Future campaigns will, following his noxious example, be contests of hate, negativity, and boorishness. May the worst man win! A Lincoln would be derided as a squishy wimp, an Eisenhower as a feeble Establishment hack, even a Reagan as just too damn liberal. What red-blooded blue collar whites want is not a thoughtful statesman but a demagogue to make the whole country go down in a blaze of ignominy. If everything cannot be slanted to favor them, then nobody can have anything.

Sincerely,

Stephen Van Eck

Rushville, PA