American students are taught in their mandated high school government classes that checks and balances protect the American people from a governmental usurpation of power and tyranny. We are taught to rely on our government system to function in a deliberative and evaluative order to protect our rights.
But after the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), it has become apparent that our teachers were wrong.
The passage of the OBBBA is a mark of America’s new and rapidly developing iconoclastic political culture. The OBBBA, in short, increases federal spending for the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, introduces tax cuts that will decrease federal revenue and lays out plans for increasing oil, gas and coal by leasing public lands.
Meanwhile, the bill revokes funding for environmental programs that collect climate data, address pollution and enforce energy source emission standards, as well as terminates clean energy credits for American families. It also makes eligibility for financial assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid and the Pell Grant less accessible
While the bill itself is abominable, the discussion amongst elected officials in the House and Senate in early July, amidst the passage of the bill, showcased unprofessional and offensive behavior towards financially vulnerable populations across the country. Their conversations signify that the legislative branch is straying from its mission to protect the American people. Promises made in the foundation of our country are being read as propaganda, lies and a false sense of security.
In the House hearing, Democratic representatives cited data presented by economists and told anecdotes about their interactions with vulnerable constituents. However, these data-substantiated claims were ignored and uncontested.
Meanwhile, Republican arguments presented during the House hearing lacked statistical sources to back their claims. They essentially presented subjective claims that America will be a “stronger, safer and more prosperous” nation, accompanied by witty comebacks that held no political relevance. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., issued some of the most notably irrelevant nationalist commentary.
The most basic introductory philosophy class would scrutinize the arguments brought by the Republicans to the House floor. The rampancy of invalid arguments presented is indicative of our nation’s bad case of attention economy blues: The American electorate easily falls victim to what grasps their attention — we’ve shown Republicans that nationalist rhetoric excites us, causing Americans to forgo our political literacy and critical thinking skills.
In their arguments, Republicans cast the biggest spotlight on the idea that national security, as well as farmer and veteran populations, would be uplifted by sections of the megabill. Speakers advertised a blurry and indefinite concept of “American prosperity” while glossing over the fact that the bill would increase the federal deficit. Nor did they acknowledge that the largest expenditure coming from the bill is tax cuts.
It is disappointing that elected officials neglect to recognize opposition; employing this anti-democratic tactic is symptomatic of our nation’s march towards authoritarianism. Republicans are using propagandized falsities of greatness to distract people from having questions and concerns. Because if you don’t engage with the opposition or admit that there is a problem, is it even there?
The actual conduct of Republicans in the House was astonishing — countless minutes that could have been used to deliberate and discuss logistics were sacrificed to chanting and clapping by Republican representatives. As voting time came nearer, the House chamber increasingly resembled a sports stadium, as the representatives began treating House Speaker Mike Johnson like he’s a fucking Laker.
Prefacing the voting period, Speaker Johnson issued a statement recognizing “God” as the person who endows us with rights, a cheap renunciation of blame which let the majority-Republican representatives vote feeling innocent in the act of threatening financial security for working people in favor of tax cuts and militaristic nationalism.
The way in which the bill was discussed is indicative of a disconnect between the interests of the current gerontocratic makeup of America’s elected officials and the actual American citizenry. It has become clear that American politics is now devastatingly focused on marketing a concept of a new-age golden era America that is not based in reality.
We are the fat men on the couch succumbing to the sexually charged burger ads on TV. We are gluttons to what sounds like it will make us feel good, overlooking the nuance to policies that will make us feel bad. Nationalism is being weaponized in order to sell us this developing state that we didn’t actually have to buy into in the first place. I am upset with all of these politicians for weaponizing empty information that holds no political merit.
Why have Americans chosen to dive right back into a post-truth political era, after having gotten a taste of unrestrained misinformation in Trump’s first term and firmly saying “No, thank you” in the 2020 election? We have too quickly forgotten that the short-term gratification provided by delusion doesn’t last. We have traded the security of our futures for unsubstantial but immediate gratification.
How, then, do Democrats make themselves a better match to fight the Republican party in this post-truth political era? Turning to post-truth marketing, fighting fire with fire, would be stooping down to the level of the Republicans. To meet Republicans in the middle would be a hypocritical acceptance of propagandized politics and widespread misinformation — and I believe we can do better than that.
The fact that we have attributed recent Democratic failures to marketing weaknesses reminds me that we live in a sad reality where marketed eye-grabs are more important to the electorate than the substantial side of politics that actually affects how we, Americans, are able to navigate our lives.
Facts must become important again, otherwise we will continue to live in a worse reality that sounds “strong” and “American” but doesn’t actually serve us. Americans need to develop mental fortitude and stop falling for political elites who have learned to act as salesmen. We are being supplied with feel-good nationalism because there is a demand for it — we must stop demanding this bullshit from our elected officials.
Of course, I wish that politicians wouldn’t play these games with us in the first place. America is beginning to feel like a dystopian Hunger Games simulation wherein humanity has been cast away by elites for the purpose of self-preservation.
I am disappointed with the conduct of the current government, and I am disappointed with Americans for enabling the political elites. But what defense can be put up that is even more appealing than the dopamine farming being served by the Republican party? Would you resist if I told you that political literacy tastes even better than what’s being fed to you by the media?
Celeste Cariker PZ ’28 wishes she could go back to Brat Summer, where the democratic electoral propaganda was based on an ounce of reality at the very least.
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