“Vulgar” is too polite a word for the current U.S. administration. Beyond the chaos in the world, beyond the purposeful strangulation of Cuba and its citizens, beyond the dire economic effect its actions have had on the rest of the world, beyond all that is the vulgarization of the United States society.
Why Canadians Should Care
Why should Canadians worry about our neighbour’s internal workings? Because it has a direct effect on the mouth-breathers and malcontents here, especially in Alberta, who are clamouring to be “free” of Ottawa, Canada and — I add — polite civilization itself. This isn’t just some snooty-nosed comment about elites versus plebes. It’s a comment about the effect of letting loose the worst possible mannerisms to foment in public. It seems most of the civil barriers to hatred and public misbehaviour have been crushed, exterminated. The finger of blame points directly at the U.S. president and his administration of lackeys, sycophants and bootlickers.
The Vulgarization of Society
In the U.S., beyond the bastardization of the Kennedy Center (challenged successfully by an American court that ordered the current president’s name be removed), the insulting changes to the portraits of former presidents and the obsession with covering everything with gold, there is the fetish with the president’s portrait — on, over, in and displayed everywhere except maybe on the Stars and Stripes. Even a deranged narcissist wouldn’t try that trick. But there is still one more insult to polite company — the installation of an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage on the White House grounds. It doesn’t take much imagination to link the personality of Donald Trump to the popularity of UFC and its violence. This isn’t the wrestling matches of my childhood — this is brutality, and don’t get me started on women participating in it.
Bread and Circuses
Clearly, this is entertaining to some. Count me out. Bread and circuses may have pleased the Romans, but we are centuries beyond that. I challenge the overseers of the Oxford Dictionary to come up with a word to describe the desecration of politeness and good manners exemplified by this installation. Because this doesn’t just affect the U.S. administration, it is a sickness in the soul of society. It doesn’t take much to link the ongoing violence in our countries to this glorification of violence.
The “cage” is being erected to stage seven matches, including two championships and one on Trump’s 80th birthday next Sunday. No tickets are being sold, but thousands of tickets will be distributed and, according to the BBC, “high roller” packages costing US$1.5 million will provide special access for VIP guests. I know nobody should be surprised at whatever grandiose self-gratification scheme with which Trump seeks to plant his name and face on whatever public billboard is available. The BBC said it best: The “latest example by Trump and his allies to put his face, name and likeness on national institutions and symbols” knows no bounds.
