Trump and Giuliani may be rambling and close to incoherent, but they are not void of strategy. They are telling their true believers what they want to hear. But what is their ultimate political quest? It’s to keep the rest of us confused.
Is there a “Deep State” — i.e. US agencies — plotting Trump’s overthrow, or is that a concoction to quash scrutiny of the President?
Are terrorist migrants overrunning Europe, or is this a dog whistle to justify “zero tolerance” at home?
The reality is, it doesn’t matter what is true. And, frankly, they don’t care in Trump Land. If Trump and his team can blow enough smoke and throw enough mud, we throw up our hands and give up on establishing what we do and don’t know.
That gives them the space to tear down their obstacles: be it those concerned about the environment, assessing the real state of the US economy or carrying out an investigation into a likely conspiracy between Trump’s inner circle and Russian officials.
This isn’t novel. The Russian state has been pursuing this strategy for years — and doing it quite effectively. A Russian-made nerve agent is released in southern England, but the Russians keep asking for more and more evidence while providing their own implausible counter-narratives. How do you really know that it was us? It’s a play we’ve seen time again, from the Russian actors involved in the illegal annexation of Crimea to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Election meddling? What election meddling?
Trump and Co. are far more chaotic and sometimes bumbling in their efforts. But if they are loud enough, the cacophony covers their own misdeeds and ineptitude.
This isn’t quite the work of George Orwell. In 1984, the state still dealt in certainties, even if they were the certainties of deception. Believe in our Peace while we conduct War. Believe in our Freedom while we enslave you.
In Trump Land, there are no such certainties. There is confusion and contradiction. Each day, new lines — angry, absurd, lying — are put out. Each day we chase to establish the “truth.” And the next day, while we are chasing, the next wave hits us.
Two plus two may equal five. Two plus two may equal 12. Two plus two may equal fish. Doesn’t really matter, as long as we are never sure that two plus two equals four.
Truth is Not Truth.
And Ignorance? What’s that got to do with anything?