File photo of Vice President Kamala Harris. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
As the presidential race reaches its climax, familiar tactics are resurfacing, aimed at convincing voters that this election is different. At last week’s Democratic National Convention, idealism took center stage, accompanied by traditional critiques of cynicism.
Historically, idealism in Washington has a track record as dismal as that of any corrupt politician. President Woodrow Wilson, post-World War I, championed the notion that “idealism is going to save the world,” despite the war leaving Europe devastated and paving the way for both communist and Nazi regimes. H.L. Mencken’s critique of such idealism was harsh, stating that Americans were weary of “a steady diet of white protestations and black acts,” lamenting an idealism that was “oblique, confusing, dishonest, and ferocious.”
Today’s political landscape is no different. During the convention’s final night, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promised a “better politics” that would elevate our better selves. Yet, the measure of this idealism remains questionable, often requiring citizens to accept uncritically whatever is presented by Washington officials.
Kamala Harris is currently being celebrated as a revival of idealism after the Trump administration’s perceived debasement. However, similar claims were made about Barack Obama. Obama asserted in his first inaugural address that America’s “ideals still light the world,” yet his presidency was marred by actions that starkly contradicted these ideals. He claimed the right to order the death of U.S. citizens without trial, increased drone strikes tenfold, and maintained secrecy around the criteria for targeting individuals. His administration’s policies on surveillance, transparency, and foreign alliances often betrayed the very principles he espoused.
The media’s portrayal of Joe Biden as a rebirth of idealism after Trump’s presidency has similarly faltered. Biden’s tenure has been marked by a harshness toward dissent and an embrace of power rather than a transformative idealism. The media’s efforts to cast Kamala Harris in a saintly light are undermined by her past prosecutorial record, which includes wrongful prosecutions and harsh treatment of those in the justice system.
Idealism, once a noble refuge, has now become a facade for the exploitation of power. It has been employed by past presidents to justify controversial and often harmful policies, from the Vietnam War to the invasion of Iraq. The mainstream media often assists in obscuring these actions with lofty rhetoric.
In contemporary politics, idealism frequently serves as a tool for justifying increased government control and intervention. Americans cannot afford to revere leaders who, under the guise of idealism, seek to expand their power or launch new conflicts. History shows that idealism, when used to glorify government, often leads to a form of subjugation rather than liberation. The world has suffered too much from such idealism; it is time to demand accountability and sincerity from those who seek to lead.