The problem is America, not Trump
Monday, November 23, 2015 by Dave Winer

People are saying that the Trump campaign is turning Nazi.

I'd like to offer another theory. 

It's turning American.

We in America paint the past as a Norman Rockwell painting. White, suburban, not too rich, but not poor either. Everyone dresses well. Grandpa smokes a pipe and grandma makes  great apple pie. The kids play musical instruments and baseball.

But that is not our past. 

We brought Africans to America to be our slaves. They didn't need yellow stars because their skin color was enough of a label. We beat them, chained them, murdered them, all the things Nazis did to Jews, over a much longer period of time. 

We took our land from Native Americans and killed them too.

We victimize people because of where they come from, how they dress, what books they read, the god they worship, for being too liberal or loving the wrong person. We have done some terrible things here. So you don't have to go to Germany for prior art. There's plenty of it right here in the U.S. of A.

The problem isn't Trump. He's an opportunist. If people voted on issues, he would be a fountain of issues. But they don't. They vote for people who make them feel good and powerful and deserving of love.

The problem isn't Trump, it's America.

  • One thing startup culture got right is that you have to be constantly evaluating your work, and considering the possibility that you're going in the wrong direction. The US, since 9/11 has had a very different attitude. Sweep everything under the rug. We're perfect. And even if we are imperfect, it's defeatist to talk about our mistakes. So guess what happens. The mistakes get worse!! Oy. Trump might be the wakeup call some of us need. Kick your crazy uncle in the ass and your crazy aunt too.