THE BANALITY OF EVIL: TRUMP'S FOLLOWERS AND THE DANGERS OF BLIND OBEDIENCE
As we reflect on the events of January 6th, it's easy to label Trump's followers as red-eyed monsters, blindly following their leader into a violent insurrection. But the truth is much more banal and disturbing. These were ordinary Americans, blinded by their own prejudices and empowered by Trump's violent rhetoric.
The concept of the banality of evil, coined by philosopher Hannah Arendt (*see below), helps us understand how ordinary people can commit extraordinary acts of evil. Arendt witnessed this firsthand during the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi official responsible for organizing the deportation of millions of Jews to concentration camps. Eichmann was not a sadistic monster, but rather a "bureaucrat" who was more concerned with following orders than with the consequences of his actions.
Similarly, many of Trump's followers were not inherently evil, but rather ordinary people who were swept up in his dangerous rhetoric. They were told to "take action" and "stop the steal," and they obeyed without question. The Milgram experiment(*see below) showed us that ordinary people are capable of committing great evil if they are ordered to do so by an authority figure. Trump became that authority figure for his followers.
But we must not excuse their actions. Blind obedience is dangerous and can lead to horrific consequences. We must be willing to think critically about our actions and challenge authority when necessary. We must also be vigilant in defending our individual conscience and moral values.
President Joe Biden has warned that Trump is a threat to American democracy, and he is right. Trump's false message that the election was stolen and his efforts to pressure Congress and Vice President Pence to overturn the result led to the violent insurrection at the Capitol. Legal experts are split on whether Trump could face criminal liability for his role in these events, but testimony from rioters who felt directed to take part in illegal acts by his speech could inform a decision by prosecutors about whether to attempt to build a case.
The banality of evil is a reminder that we are all capable of doing terrible things, especially when we are placed in difficult or dangerous situations. It is important to be aware of this and to take steps to prevent ourselves from becoming perpetrators of evil. We must challenge authority when necessary, and we must stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
As we move forward as a nation, we must remember the lessons of the banality of evil. We must resist blind obedience and challenge authority when necessary. We must defend our individual conscience and moral values. And we must never forget the dangers of following a leader who seeks to divide us and incite violence.
Biden warns Trump, 'MAGA' movement threaten American democracy | Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-warn-threat-democracy-trump-honor-mccain-2023-09-28/
The Trump world’s assault on the people who administer U.S. elections https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/campaign-of-fear/
Trump Attacks on Prosecutors and Judges Raise Safety Concerns | TIME https://time.com/6303523/trump-prosecutors-violent-threats/
'No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults. - ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889
Trump targeted prosecutors in D.C. election case with threats, harassment, according to district judge | PBS NewsHour https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-targeted-prosecutors-in-d-c-election-case-with-threats-harassment-according-to-district-judge
Trump Wants His Enemies to Fear for Their Lives https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/trump-milley-death-fbi-threats.html
Trump’s threats to Milley fuel fears he’ll seek vengeance in second term | The Hill https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4224405-trumps-threats-to-milley-fuel-fears-hell-seek-vengeance-in-second-term/
‘Trump said to do so’: Accounts of rioters who say the president spurred them to rush the Capitol could be pivotal testimony - The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-rioters-testimony/2021/01/16/01b3d5c6-575b-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html
Trump is explaining exactly how wild and extreme his second term would be | CNN Politics https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/politics/trump-wild-rhetoric-2024/index.html
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BARD AI
The banality of evil is a term coined by the German-born American philosopher Hannah Arendt in her 1963 book *Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil*. Arendt used the term to describe the disturbing phenomenon of ordinary people committing extraordinary acts of evil.
Arendt's book is a report on the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a high-ranking Nazi official who was responsible for organizing the deportation of millions of Jews to concentration camps. Eichmann was captured in Argentina in 1960 and put on trial in Jerusalem in 1961. He was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was executed in 1962.
Arendt attended the Eichmann trial and was struck by how ordinary Eichmann seemed. She described him as a "bureaucrat" who was more concerned with following orders and advancing his career than with the consequences of his actions. Eichmann was not a sadistic monster or a rabid anti-Semite, Arendt argued. Instead, he was a "banal person" who was capable of committing great evil because he was unable to think critically about his actions.
Arendt's concept of the banality of evil has been controversial, but it has also been influential. It has helped us to understand how ordinary people can become involved in atrocities, and it has challenged the idea that evil is always perpetrated by monsters.
The banality of evil is a reminder that we are all capable of evil, and that we must constantly be on guard against it. We must be willing to think critically about our actions and to challenge authority when necessary. We must also be willing to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
Here are some examples of the banality of evil in the real world:
- * Nazi soldiers who carried out the Holocaust were not all sadistic monsters. Many of them were ordinary people who were simply following orders.
- * American soldiers who committed atrocities in the Vietnam War were often ordinary young men who had been drafted into the army and were trying to do their job.
- * Police officers who use excessive force against civilians are often not bad people. They are simply making bad decisions in the heat of the moment.
The banality of evil is a reminder that we are all capable of doing terrible things, especially when we are placed in difficult or dangerous situations. It is important to be aware of this and to take steps to prevent ourselves from becoming perpetrators of evil.
Here are some things we can do to prevent the banality of evil:
- * Think critically about our actions and the consequences of our choices.
- * Challenge authority when necessary.
- * Stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
- * Be aware of the dangers of groupthink and conformity.
- * Speak out against injustice and discrimination.
- * Promote education and critical thinking skills.
The banality of evil is a serious problem, but it is one that we can overcome if we are vigilant and committed to doing what is right.
*The Milgram experiment was a series of psychology experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram at Yale University in the early 1960s. The experiment examined the willingness of ordinary people to obey the orders of an authority figure, even when those orders contradicted their own moral sense.
In the experiment, participants were told that they were participating in a study of learning and memory. They were instructed to administer a series of electric shocks to a learner (who was actually an actor) each time the learner made a mistake. The shocks were fake, but the participants believed that they were real.
As the experiment progressed, the shocks became increasingly severe. The learner screamed in pain and begged to be stopped. However, the experimenter (who was actually Milgram himself) continued to order the participants to administer the shocks.
Despite the obvious distress of the learner, a surprisingly large number of participants continued to obey the experimenter's orders. In fact, two-thirds of the participants went all the way to the end of the experiment and administered the maximum shock.
The Milgram experiment has been widely criticized for its ethical implications. However, it remains one of the most important and influential psychology experiments ever conducted. It has helped us to understand the power of obedience and the dangers of groupthink.
The Milgram experiment has had a number of important implications. It has shown that ordinary people are capable of committing great evil if they are ordered to do so by an authority figure. It has also shown that we are all susceptible to the power of groupthink and the desire to conform to the expectations of others.
The Milgram experiment is a reminder that we must always be on guard against the dangers of obedience and conformity. We must also be willing to think critically about our actions and to challenge authority when necessary.
Here are some of the lessons we can learn from the Milgram experiment:
- * Ordinary people are capable of committing great evil if they are ordered to do so by an authority figure.
- * We are all susceptible to the power of groupthink and the desire to conform to the expectations of others.
- * We must be willing to think critically about our actions and to challenge authority when necessary.
- * We must be vigilant in defending our individual conscience and our moral values.
The Milgram experiment is a powerful and disturbing reminder of the human capacity for evil. However, it is also a reminder that we have the power to resist evil and to choose the right thing to do, even when it is difficult.
