Trump is a symptom, not the disease
We have a very deeply divided country that seems to be getting further apart.
People are angry for a variety of reasons. And during periods of anger is when radical elements have the ability to make inroads and become the mainstream. And that is what I think is starting to happen. And it isn't just here in America, it's in Europe too. The radical right movements are gaining influence and support all over that continent, especially since the migrant crisis started.
In America, there has been a recent increase in hate groups. And you starting to see some of that hate rhetoric seep its way into political campaigns. But Trump isn't the problem. He's not the reason this is seeping in. If our society was progressive, tolerant, united, and stable.....a guy like Trump would have been laughed off the stage last summer just like the idiots with white hoods get laughed at on the Jerry Springer show. But a candidate like Trump, who wants to build walls and "Make America Great Again" is instead being taken seriously, very seriously.
I think it is important to make this clear....even if Hillary beats Trump in November, the movement behind him doesn't vanish. It will still be there and may even get more angry. Hillary would have an incredible task of trying to find a way to unite what seems to be a fracturing social-political landscape. And what makes it even more difficult is the number of people who despise her. I am by no means saying we are going to have a Civil War. But I think the social clashes we see are going to increase and become more intense. The racism is going to increase. The economic inequalities are going to increase. People won't be tolerant of others anymore. There is already a revolt underway against political correctness. Stagnation in Washington will continue. Radical right groups will grow and further organize. And the GOP will continue to gain a stronghold in the states and the south as people become more and more afraid.
This is a dangerous situation, because it lays the foundation for the type of environment that fascist regimes ultimately use to gain power. All you will eventually need is a catalyst to set the bomb off. An economic depression, for example. If people start losing their jobs and wealth begins to evaporate, people will start gaining even more anger and fear. It's how the Nazis came to power.
What will the political and social climate be in America 20 years from now......I honestly don't know. But the establishment on both sides is being overthrown. Many have already pointed out that big changes one way or another are inevitable. The current path America is on is unsustainable. The status quo cannot remain for much longer. Unfortunately, we don't right now have any competent leadership to bring us out of this spiral and unite us again. Trump will accelerate the divide. And Hillary is so despised no one will even respect her. So the disease is going to get much worse before it gets better.
It's not just perception....we truly are getting worse. In the 1970s, Republicans and Democrats voted along party lines only 65% of the time. In other words, there was actually quite a lot of compromise going on. In the 1980s it was 80% of the time. Today, that number is in the 90% range. So since the 70s, this country has been pulling further and further apart politically. Not only that, but a study done not long ago showed we don't even like to associate with the other side. We are far more likely today to only want to associate with friends, family, and co-workers who share our political views. So as a society, we are starting to polarize ourselves even among our friends and relatives. Just imagine this effect with the general public.
Here are a few articles about this that is a few years old, but still relevant....
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/15/is-america-dangerously-divided/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/gergen-broken-government/index.html
http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/
