The Opioid of all Opioids
A stunningly accurate description of “the presumptive Republican nominee”
Ken Burns, the American filmmaker and historian gave the commencement address at Brandeis University on May 19, 2024.
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His description of the “presumptive Republican nominee” is, without a doubt, the most penetrating I have ever seen or read.
Burns bluntly called him “the opioid of all opioids, an easy cure for what some believe is the solution to our myriad pains and problems. When in fact with him, you end up re-enslaved with an even bigger problem, a worse affliction and addiction.”
Quoting both James Baldwin and Abraham Lincoln, Burns warns of "a bigger delusion” and “our national suicide.” He said, “We are at an existential crossroads in our political and civic lives. This is a choice that could not be clearer.”
The opioid crisis is a nearly perfect analogy for the seemingly addictive behavior of Trump supporters. In general, people get addicted to opioids not only because they relieve pain, but also because they crave the feeling of euphoria that the drugs can produce.
The “presumptive Republican nominee” holds out the promise to his supporters of not only relieving the pain of all their problems, but also the exultation at crushing their perceived “enemies.” Getting them off this addiction is proving to be remarkably difficult.
This insight is profoundly troubling to me. If you have ever lived with or closely known an addict, as I have, you know that it is nearly impossible to argue them out of it. The only thing that ever has a chance of working is for the addict to want to change. But the lure of drug is always there, in the background, even when people have given up using. That’s why AA members introduce themselves in meetings by saying, “Hello, I’m Jane Doe and I’m an addict.”
Still, I am a strong advocate of engaging across differences as a way toward a more peaceful and just society. As encampments have grown on college and university campuses around the country, I have advocated for engagement by administrators with those demonstrating. The educational institutions that did that had better outcomes than those who called the police or national guard.
This is so counter to our rising polarization that it seems insurmountable.
Burns was also brilliant in describing how “as individuals and as a nation we are dialectically preoccupied. Everything is either right or wrong, red state or blue state, young or old, gay or straight, rich or poor, Palestinian or Israeli, my way or the highway. Everywhere we are trapped by these old, tired, binary reactions, assumptions, and certainties.”
Personally, I blame the ancient Greeks, but that is a different Substack.
Burns recommended many actions individuals can take, but he did not mention “organize.”
I believe organizing at local, state and national levels to give voice and pursue actions that are counter to the opioid of hatred of those who disagree with you is a powerful tool in these times.
Beware though. The drug of “I’m right, you’re wrong and furthermore you’re an idiot” is very strong. It’s the “blue pill” of the Matrix that would keep Neo in the illusion.
Don’t take it.