However, as it was, those who harbored simmering prejudices, restless anachronistic traditions, and a fear of losing privileges in an ever more diverse society, almost immediately came together to support Donald Trump when he appeared on the political scene. And the rest of us were caught unaware.
Part IV -- Conclusion
The fact is that most people do not think about what it means to be civilized, often assuming that this status is synonymous with having an i-phone and a twitter account. Among those who do think about it, some may identify the term with those who are snobbish and think they are better than others. Or, perhaps they see civilization as a class thing to be identified with wealth. Those who think in these terms may develop resentment toward the concept of civilization. They may come to see it as a threat to their local culture and ways of life.
Finally, who knows how many macho males there are out there who might see too much civilization as a subversive factor -- something that would make the nation effete. Too much enlightenment could undermine that "muscular" foreign policy (perhaps reviving, in the case of the United States, the dreaded Vietnam Syndrome) that has always been a mark of nation-state greatness.
Of course, this is not just an American problem. The deplorables are to be found in all populations -- more in some and less in others -- but never absent. In the U.S. Donald Trump is their leader. No doubt he also serves as a symbol of leadership for deplorables worldwide. As such President Trump and his following subvert our future -- luring us in the direction of barbarism. Remember Arnold Toynbee observation: "civilizations die from suicide and not by murder."
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