The Wall: Belief "Trumps" Reason

Since Donald Trump did not attempt to get Congress to fund "The Wall" when his party controlled both houses of Congress, it seems likely he doesn't give a damn about the wall.* His problem is that his GOP base does. He promised them a wall that would be paid for by Mexico and they believed him. Obviously, Mexico is not interested in wasting money for a wall, so now Trump has waited until the Democrats control the House of Representatives to ask Americans to pay for his glorious wall. Of course, he knows the Democrats, just like Mexico, are not interested in wasting money on a third-century concept. But he can now tell his base that it's the Democrats' fault the wall will not be constructed.

But the problem is the GOP base still believes that a glorious wall is a solution to all of our problems. This past week, amid all the noise about Jeff Bezos, the National Enquirer, and Virginia politicians who wore blackface 30 years ago,  the House of Representatives was holding a hearing on gun violence. During a discussion about easily accessible guns, ammo and automatic weapons, a GOP member from Florida, Matt Gaetz, dismissed considerations like background checks and suggested "...a wall, barrier on the southern border may have..." prevented gun-related murders.  Really? Americans are being killed by guns every day because we lack a wall? Clearly, Mr. Gaetz has been drinking the NRA kool-aid as well as taking their money.

The problem is that a large segment of Trump's base/cult has convinced themselves that not only is the "Wall" of great importance, but also look upon it as the solution to many of our problems. The fact that this line of thought makes no sense is not important. We are not talking about reason, we are talking about belief. If one believes, one is not concerned about facts, science or rational arguments. Belief does not require proof.

Therefore, our country has reached a point where a president can repeatedly lie and one of his assistants can refer to his lies as "alternative facts." He can characterize whatever is happening on our southern border any way he chooses and his followers will believe him. If he suggests that the lack of a big, beautiful wall is a threat to our security, they will believe him. In fact, like Mr. Gaetz, they will see the wall as a solution to gun violence, the opioid crisis, the scarcity of meaningful, middle-class jobs, the recent measles outbreak, and perhaps even the recent Polar Vortex.

The fact that illegal border crossings are at an all-time low should, therefore, mean that gun violence, the opioid crisis, the lack middle-class jobs, and the measles outbreak, should be at an all-time low. That they are not would seem to be one indication that the wall is not the solution, right? Wrong.  Such reasoning means nothing to the Trump cultists. Belief "trumps" reason in their world-view.

Why? Why do people choose belief over facts? There may be many psychological reasons, but I presume the main reason is fear. They see the asylum seekers, not as human being fleeing violence and seeking a chance to raise their families in peace and security, but as an army of desperados intent upon destroying American society. The President has gone to great lengths to fuel his followers' fears. He continually refers to asylum seekers as criminals and rapists. His propaganda network, Fox, refers to them as "dirty." The message is simple: be fearful of these brown people trying to become Americans, they are a danger to you, the true Americans. And, one who is fearful will believe almost anything that they perceive as eliminating their fear.

Democracies like ours are susceptible to demagogues like Donald Trump, but the hope in the United States has always been that an educated electorate will recognize absurdity when it sees it. The fallacy of that is that it does not acknowledge people's fears and their willingness to believe rather than think logically. (It's worth noting that demagogues fear an educated electorate and tend to attack educational and journalism institutions.)

The "wall" is about so much more than the wall, and thus the debate has closed down the US Government for the longest period of time in our history.

*Of course, the idea of having his name on the wall is irresistible to Donnie. Ask any junior-high kid about that.