Deflecting the Second Arrow

Equanimity in the Era of Trumpism

The courage of one’s convictions

The Death of Socrates, painting by Jacques-Louise David in 1787, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Socrates was offerred the chance to renounce his beliefs and live in exile, but he refused, and chose the cup of poison.

Socrates, considered the founder of Western philosophy, lived in ancient Greece around 400 B.C.E. He wandered the streets of Athens, urging citizens to question their own opinions so as to achieve greater wisdom. He annoyed people so much that the authorities put him on trial for corrupting the youth of their city.

In the 16th century, Sir Thomas More was an English lawyer and scholar who served King Henry VIII. When More, a devout Catholic, refused to accept Henry as head of the newly created Church of England, he was put on trial for denying the King’s supremacy.

In 2020, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was traversing his country speaking out against the corruption of Vladimir Putin. He was poisoned by agents of the Kremlin, nearly died, and spent months recovering in a German hospital. Although offerred asylum, he chose to return to Russia and was immediately imprisoned and put on trial.

All three knew they would be killed for their beliefs. Throughout history, many have suffered harsh consequences for expressing unpopular viewpoints, when simply saying “yes” to a principle they did not support would have spared their life or their freedom. We admire their fortitude.

A few brave souls in Congress

Now let’s consider political courage in our modern Western democracy. In 2021, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Mr. Trump for inciting insurrection in the January 6 uprising. But in the Senate, only ten Republicans voted for conviction (which would have barred Mr. Trump from ever again seeking office). Forty senators were too afraid of Mr. Trump’s supporters to cast the “yes” vote that most knew he deserved. Subsequently, of several hundred House Republicans, only Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney were willing to join the January 6 Congressional hearings, to uncover the truth about Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

And the modest price they pay

Now there are new tests of character, new chances to live up to the moment. For example, Senators must vote on the confirmation of Robert Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Most understand that Mr. Kennedy inhabits a fantasy world antithetical to the successful administration of the government agencies he would lead. Will they push back? Some may risk the ire of their President by taking seriously their “advise and consent” duty laid out in the US Constitution. For this decision will they have to sacrifice their lives? Their freedom? No. Only, possibly, their next election victory. By historical standards, the price paid for independent thinking in the era of Trump is small. The reward would be the psychological and spiritual benefit of rediscovering one’s own integrity.

What do you think?

I don’t know why courage is in such short supply in those elected to be our leaders. If you have any explanation, leave a comment. If you do not want your comment posted on the website, state this in the your comment and I will respond to it privately without adding it to the post.

3 responses to “The courage of one’s convictions”

  1. Ahmad Avatar
    Ahmad

    In an ideal world, those representatives are there to protect the interests of their constituents. But a large portion of them care about staying in power and protecting their self interests rather than about making a principled stand.

    Reply
    1. philip Avatar
      philip

      Thank you for your comments!Certainly many politicians put self-interest paramount. But some do run for office to be leaders. The Trump era has been revealing – there are fewer persons in Congress with a leadership mindset, than i expected. Thankfully there are some – just not enough right now. The Republican party used to be the party for grown-ups, but no longer. Those who stand up for what is right – such as Cheney and Kinzinger – not only preserve their integrity, but are well positioned for a future where demagoguery has lost its luster and character traits are again valued.

      Reply
  2. Olivia Avatar
    Olivia

    Courage is in short supply amongst the GOP because the party is no longer Lincoln, Nixon, or even Bush’s Republican party, it’s a MAGA cult now. Some are MAGA loyalists who will never waver no matter how awful the result might be, they’ll just look to blame whoever they can find as a good scapegoat. Then there are members of the GOP who would secretly like to speak up but strongly fear losing their political career. With these two factors the GOP will not change unless their supporters start voting them out, which is why they are trying to test if they can get away with throwing out legal ballots. Sadly, with America giving the GOP control of the White House, Senate, and House, during the 2024 election they will remain on the MAGA cult road until Americans vote them out for their horrible agendas.

    The Dems need to take a MasterClass in communication with strong speakers like Pete Buttigieg, who is able to get the message through conservatives and other groups that usually align red, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is very popular with independents since she is a Bernie Sanders 2.0. These are the groups that united with the Dems in 2020 and who the Dems lost in 2024. Also, they need to focus on the next generation of voters since they were clearly out of touch with Gen Z. In addition, they have to balance their agendas of being fair and progressive while avoiding triggering labels like “radical, extreme, etc.” that right-wing media likes to push as a threat to the country.

    I think SNL said it best during the 1st administration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXzjxVYPjys

    Reply

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