My world has changed.
I’m somehow more resolute. This is the first time I’ve managed to blog every day for a consistent amount of time. I think I might actually make my 365 day goal, even if some of the posts have been less than stellar. It’s not about perfection, it’s about putting in the work.
But I’ve been thinking a great deal about the first 100 days of the Trump Presidency, because this has been– teaching-wise– the worst semester I’ve ever had. I’ve had students just give up. I’ve had students just walk out of class (on the regular). I’ve had students attempt to dominate class. Everyone–even my very best students– is behind.
Meanwhile I’ve been working with student groups and teams that are doing well, but at the same time they’ve had the sort of issues with communication and collaboration that I’ve just never seen in this volume before.
In one of my classes– the most advanced thing I teach right now– three different groups imploded.
And I think I know why. I think we are in the grip of four competing forces:
- Those who are entitled feel a new form of super-entitled status, to the point that they presume it is a foregone conclusion that if they don’t like what they are told they can just talk until the position changes.
- Those who feel downtrodden gave up.
- Those who care about pretty much anything other than huge slices of chocolate cake, war machines and the 1% are hopeless
- EVERY FUCKING AMERICAN is spoiling for a fight. Like really. People are fighting with me regularly about things that shouldn’t be fights. I had a guy give me the fierce side eye out of his car for cutting my grass the other day. That’s not a fight, people. I can mow my lawn. You don’t get to stop me.
The result is that American society is quite literally eating itself, as we tear apart the fabric of what makes everything work and consume the flesh of the social contract. People are done with decorum. “Alternative facts” are Baudrillarding their way into power over actual truths. Speculation is rewarded if the person speculating is from the dominant group. And for some reason the idea has taken root that talking louder and faster than the other person is actually going to win.
I think it’s because the “leader” of America is a loud, somewhat bumbling man who admitted today that he liked his old life better than that of President and that this job is harder than he thought.
It turns out being a rich real estate *coughslumlord* mogul and reality TV star isn’t the best preparation for running the country. But enough people are following just like Lemmings off the cliff.
Who would have ever thought?
Or perhaps I should ask “who will ever think?”
I hope this 100 day hangover ends soon. I swear I didn’t drink that much.