As I worked through the hangover from the US election surprise outcome, I was struck by how powerful the American culture machine has become. I and those around me were feeling many intense emotions as the dust settled as the election was called – and in subsequent days. I had more than a few students in tears in my university classroom the next day.
And yet, all of this was happening in another country. Why were we so affected?
Yes, the USA is our largest trading partner, but Canada now has a major percentage of its trade with other countries besides the USA – with a concerted policy effort nationally to further diversify. More importantly, we spend a lot of time in Canada talking about how different Canadian and American culture is. And yet, here we are feeling all this impact from an election that isn’t ours.
The American culture and media machine has been successful in turning so much of the world into a cultural colony of the USA, and more importantly to this discussion, in spreading the belief that they are the “leaders of the free world.” Their success at this celebrity game has positioned the American President in a way that his/her moral compass is seen to be of disproportionate importance to all of us. In comparison to many other countries however, it is doubtable that this moral superior position would stand up to scrutiny in a comparison with many other countries, including Canada, Scandinavia, Europe, New Zealand and others – based on the past 30 years of American policy and actions.
This American moral leadership myth created the basis for the strong reaction that we see in the response to Trumps’ perceived moral failings. The response within the USA is of course understandable as he is now “their” president – but in reality, Trump is nobody else’s leader and as such, our reactions as Canadians need rethinking.
Most sociologists would agree that if we consider history, people want and need leaders. Otherwise, we personally have to step up to the weight of leadership – which today in the face of a fast-moving global complexity, vicious political polarization and social media blizzard is unthinkable for most. In this context, the American President, venerated by the American celebrity cultural machine can easily fill this gap when our own leaders are so much less “visible” every day for many good reasons.
The particular character of the American leadership paradigm today is also media based – “the sherif that rides into town and dispatches all the bad guys within one simple movie plot.” If we stop and think about our own visions of leadership in Canada, there is no John Wayne visible, now or in history. Our paradigms of leadership are significantly different, multi-cultural, organization-based and more collaborative. If we agree to not buy into this American celebrity moral leadership myth of the “world’s sherif” and instead refocus on our culture, country and community and our own issues and leadership, this whole American election experience looks quite different.
America has not been the leader of the free world for a long time and their president is almost neutralized by their never ending internal political deadlock and civil war between the Democrats and Republicans – a war neither party is interested in giving up as it energizes the donations that drive that multi-billion dollar-per-year sector of their economy. Trump, as an outsider to both parties, their power structures, their bureaucracies and financial bases, is likely to have little deep impact on Washington long term when it’s all said and done. And what impact he has, will fade rapidly when his legendary narcissistic dominance is no longer present.
Regardless of Trump’s energetic faux-truth-telling bombast, Washington is not a swamp that can be drained, its trade deals cannot be easily torn up, it’s borders are far too vast and complicated to be walled, nearly 1/3 of the worlds population (Muslims) cannot be kept out, the 1 in 6 Americans that are black cannot be frisked every time they walk out of their homes, the low income workers who form the basis of the current American labour cost advantages cannot easily be found and sent back to Mexico, the rights of 50% of the American population (women) cannot be eliminated or abused easily without major implications, ISIS cannot be obliterated quickly and a half century of human rights enshrined in laws in every organization cannot be erased easily with one supreme court justice position. Trump could have an impact for sure – but let’s not be naïve about the strength of America’s institutions’ and their significant ability to withstand the rhetoric of one poorly informed, ill-tempered new kid on the block.
Yes, Trump’s campaign pushed the ugly side of human nature into the media and there will undoubtedly be implications from this perceived permission to be uncivilized. We are not animals, we should be civilized human beings and as such, the misogynist and bigoted attitudes he gave voice to are unacceptable. In context, his bombast was voiced in a political campaign aimed at getting votes and not governing, and more importantly, a campaign in another country with different values than Canada, and a country whose influence in all ways but cultural production is overestimated and waning and will wane further if its protectionist and bigoted attitudes grow.
As spectacularly disturbing as it was, I encourage all of us to stop staring at America and being distracted by the reality TV show that was the election. Instead, remember who our Prime Minister is and refocus on ourselves, our communities and our work. We have our own social, environmental and economic problems that need our attention. We have global citizenship responsibilities to the rest of the world, entirely independent of anything that happens south of the border. Let’s focus on the important social, economic and environmental agendas of our own organizations and communities. If we look for leadership, let’s look to those who are the actual leaders of the free world (not the Americans) and celebrate them.
And if we can’t help ourselves but to continue to pay attention to the circus that is American politics and our feelings about Trump’s values, then let’s do so with a clear understanding of how it illuminates in contrast, the values that we hold – and celebrate that. Let’s remember that that the Americans are not us and their leaders are not our leaders. And then let’s refocus on our country and communities in a constructive way by keeping moving our cultures and economies forward creatively – if for no other reason than to be examples for the Americans of other options that are possible, equitable, progressive and profitable when they revisit their most current leadership choice a half decade from now.