Americans are dumb … it’s something I’ve heard a million times in recent months.
Every time a political discussion about the current state of United States affairs starts, someone has to toss in – Americans are dumb, that’s the reason things are the way they are.
American politics has become something of a parlour show in recent years, missing only sparklers to become a complete roadside attraction.
But can one actually surmise that the current state of American politics is because of lack of intelligence, or is there more to the story?
The election of now President, Donald Trump, came as a shock to many. Whether that is a good shock, varies widely depending on whom you speak to, but a shock nonetheless.
As someone who spent a large portion of their childhood in the United States, I feel I have somewhat of an insight into the minds of those that are so often forgotten in large political conversations like these, the typical “average Joe.”
I moved to the U.S. when I was only in the second grade, which happened to be at a time when the country was still under the George W. Bush administration.
As a young person from Canada, the culture shock of living in largely Republican Kentucky, in the middle of one of the most controversial presidencies in recent time, was very vast.
For example, I had grown up with the belief that homosexuality was a personal choice; people should be free to love whoever their heart chooses. This was not the average consensus from those I met in Kentucky.
I couldn’t help but feel the people I was talking with were just uneducated. Perhaps they didn’t know enough about the situation, or where the world was headed on views like these.
It took me some time to realize views like these are largely the minority in the modern U.S., and just as in every country, you can find the bad apples mixed in with the good if you really look hard enough.
Fast-forward 16 years and the U.S has another controversial president, although this time for his own particular set of reasons.
The argument has been made, that those who support Donald Trump and his presidency are just uneducated, or aren’t fully aware of what they are doing, but as someone who has first-hand experience of the different mindsets found throughout the U.S., I have to wonder if that’s the case.
Donald Trump represents the people – or at least certain people, and that is exactly what I believe he sought to do throughout his campaign and into his now presidency.
Perhaps it’s feasible to imagine that not all Americans are idiots, and those who voted for the now president, did so with their own justification in their actions.
President Trump appeals to the emotions of those who feel neglected by their political system.
The argument could be made that for years, certain groups of people in the U.S. have been told things such as “Americans are dumb” or “You can’t have an opinion on this matter because you are so and so gender or ethnicity,” and they have come to resent it.
This isn’t to say I support the now president. I have trouble agreeing fully with either side of the political spectrum whether it’s in regard to American, Canadian or global politics.
I distrust anyone who can whole-heartedly say to me that one side is better than the other, because the truth is that they all have their faults and they always will.
I will say; however, that President Trump has done, and will continue to do, exactly what he has always done, appeal to his audience in a glorious manner, and bash any who would oppose him.
I don’t believe that the argument can be made that Americans are just dumb, and that’s the reason that they have their now president. I think we have to look at the situation much more closely.
The U.S. political system is much too focused on dividing lines, separating political parties and those who support them, and never addressing any issues because it may or may not be an idea that the opposing political parties agree or disagree with.
The American people must look and realize that the division they now face in their country isn’t because of one president or another, or because Americans are just “dumb,” but because they have slipped into a political system that much more closely focuses on beating the opposition, than ever addressing the real issues facing the country.
