When in doubt about some social event I have told myself ‘turn to Brecht’ then again when in doubt about a bizarre social-political event a dictionary or a word smith needs be called to service. Raymond Williams spent much time collecting definitions in Keywords, so I thought Williams would use his “structure of feeling “ to sift through this particular phenomenal claim: “The Election was a fraud”. Trump lost because the “election was stolen.”
The way to approach this was not the usual journalistic way of laying out the facts, noting 21 court cases had rejected the fraud assertion, yet the Wall Street Journal, (Nov 24) no partner to fraud– only distortions– spent a full page on describing the use of fraud we might call lying , a full-fledged broken truth. It is used by Trump in remaking the Republic party in his image, by repeating “election fraud” as the password to gain his support.
Most importantly many of the candidates, old or new, found it beneficial to side with Trump fraud -lie. Those that decided to make their way around the lie do not mention it in their campaigns, there by accepting the myth as possible, or as the WSJ provided another argument by citing a number of election challenges such as Al Gore’s effort that went to the Supreme court and lost. Remember the Supreme voted to elect George Bush. The WSJ added a few other challenges to local and national elections thereby offering a balanced -middle of the road –policy of Democrats and Republicans. After all the middle of the road is the way to be hit by cars coming from either direction.
As I thumbed through Williams I fortunately came upon the term myth – it was much better than moral rage or haircut satire. Williams: “Myth came into English as late as C19 though it was somewhat preceded by the form mythos (C18) from mythos, IL., mythos Gk- a fable or story or tale, later contrasted with logos and historia to give the sense of ‘what could not really exist or have happened.’”
This helped revealing the structure of the trop “election fraud’ in the face of the evidence or so-called truth within the US judicial system, the journalistic reporting in corporate media, even when on its face is an irrational refusal nevertheless, because he was ripe to win, he should have won, the Trump loss therefore was due to a fraud. The logic is a Goebbels hoop dance, however if it is delivered from a position of power and the falsehood or distorted reading of a public event enough times it can be adopted by those who need to assert power over the events they don’t like and insist upon those they do like, then the establishment of repetitive lies turns into myth. (Gotcha) This transformation (transcendence?) relies upon the Hegelian observation quantity turns into quality. The more people use it …. the more it’s a fact… of more people using it. However when does it turn into a truth? Here’s my tentative revelation: It doesn’t have to.
Williams explains: “Myth has been held to be truer (deeper) version of reality than (secular) history or realistic description or scientific explanation. This view ranges from simple irrationalism and (often post Christian) supernaturalism to more sophisticated accounts in which myths are held to be fundamental expressions of certain properties of the human mind, and even of basic mental or psychological human organization. These expressions are ‘timeless’ (permanent) or fundamental to particular periods or cultures. “ (176-177 Keywords, Oxford. 1976)
Trump and Trumpeters have devised a myth that supersedes journalistic facts, court cases lost, and the thread bear phrase “common sense”: In this case rather it is common sense for the myth to replace facts and judicial evidence.
Who can believe in the courts anymore? Who dare assert that the truth is self-evident? Who accepts “all the news that’s fit to print “as anything but Empyreal propaganda? While the penultimate flag waving American creed, will squelch all: free speech, public opinion and the right to bear arms!
This process of mental acuity reappears in the few Holocaust deniers who deny the Nazi death camps however it is also used by Holocaust user-abusers (The Holocaust Industry) who proceed to claim the right of Israel to destroy the Palestinian people–nation, land, culture, & olive trees.
In sum it is far better to support a liar who repeats the lie because if elected such a strong man can be relied upon not to change his position. Unlike liberals who say one thing in their campaigns yet when elected double cross or simply add billions to the Empires military budget. In the era of slippery realities, a bold liar offers a staunch stand on firm ground.