Understanding the Switch in Trump Supporter’s Morality

Key Takeaways:

– David French, former GOP and editor at NYT, discusses the shift in Trump supporters’ ethos.
– He highlights the use of ‘friend-enemy’ political concept as seen by German political theorist, Carl Schmitt.
– French urges the need for ethics education to combat political cruelty.

David French, a former Republican and current New York Times columnist, recently discussed a peculiar transformation. He noticed a shift in the behavior of many Trump supporters. This shift transcended simple political support. It became a revelry in spite of the hostility that seems to surround Trump’s political aura.

Off to the Roots of Transformation

To put this into perspective, French delved deep into the subject matter. He did not opt for surface level analysis. Instead, he hiked back in time to Germany for a theoretical perspective. It is there where he drew a connection between current Trump supporters and a theory from German political theorist, Carl Schmitt.

Friend-Enemy Distinction

Back in 1932, Carl Schmitt was a participant of the Nazi party in Germany. He developed a salient theory known as the ‘friend-enemy distinction.’ This doctrine distinguishes the political realm as separate from the personal. It categorizes actions and motives into friend or enemy.

Now, it merits emphasis here that French does not claim Trump supporters to be Schmittians – followers of Carl Schmitt. Nonetheless, he pinpoints the eerie resemblance of their behavior to Schmitt’s friend-enemy concept.

Liberal’s Deficiency: Friend-Enemy Distinction

French explains how Schmitt saw liberalism’s deficiency as an inability to differentiate between friend and enemy. He conveyed that any political community aspiring longevity needs this distinction. Without it, the community would be lacking in unity and ultimate purpose. The contrast created by differentiation is crucial to a community’s identity.

Ethics and Civics Go Hand-in-Hand

The real concern here, as per French, is the lack of ethics education in conjunction with civics. He believes that civics and ethics should go hand in hand. As they are connected, we are failing to properly train our future generations by neglecting them.

French laments our current political climate, where cruelty seems rewarded and kindness perceived as weakness. He warns against calling evil actions ‘good’ solely for the sake of political achievements. Referring to biblical wisdom, he reminds that those who call evil ‘good’ and good ‘evil’ are indeed walking a destructive path.

In conclusion, the morality shift French highlights in Trump supporters is indeed alarming. His reference to Carl Schmitt’s ‘friend-enemy distinction’ provides stellar insight into the current situation. It allows an in-depth understanding of the transformation happening in the political sphere. Therefore, education in ethics, alongside civics, appears to be more pertinent now than ever in tackling this crisis. Future generations will need to navigate these murky political waters while keeping their moral compass intact.

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