The Ugly American

In the early 1960’s, about the time that the Viet Nam War was heating up, Americans were troubled by their national image.  The media were gripped by an orgy of self-recrimination.  People began to fear that around the world we were regarded as “the ugly Americans.”

Rich, brash, and vulgar, wherever we went we elicited disdain.  Instead of trying to understand others, as tourists we exuded a sense of entitlement that expressed itself in boorish behavior.  We were loud, ignorant, and offensive—but did not seem to care.

Back then, most Americans were repelled by this impression.  They regarded themselves as civilized, compassionate, and enlightened.  How could others perceive them so differently?  Surely it was time to clear up this mistake.

Today many Republican voters do not seem to care.  Raucous in their admiration of the most ill-mannered candidate ever to solicit their support, they don’t mind his torrent of insults and witlessness.  For them, Donald Trump can do no wrong.  He is not ugly!

Trump’s patented stump speech boasts about how he will make America great again.  He will fix every problem, although he never says how.  But then he immediately launches into an attack on anyone faintly critical of him.  They are weak, stupid fools, whereas he is unbelievably brilliant.

Not only is this Trump’s message, but he delivers it with an endless stream of juvenile invective.  After this, he broadly mimics his opponents.  I have not witnessed such a display since Junior High School.  Nonetheless, my teenage colleagues were cleverer.  At least they sought to be original.

The question is why are so many people buying this rubbish?  Why does so obvious a charlatan transfix them?  Is this the man they want to be the face of their nation?  Is this how they see themselves and the way they want others to see them?  More importantly: Is this presidential?

Many answers have been suggested to this enigma, but they do not appear to explain what continues to mystify observers.  Yes, Trump is a media star.  His reality programs have made him known to viewers in every corner of the country.  But why is he, as opposed to other reality personalities, so magnetic?

  I finally think I have an answer.  For many voters Trump is “the Boss.”  He is the man in charge, the person who judges rather than is judged.  As a result, he does not have to explain himself.  It is simply assumed that he can do whatever he says—because he says so.

Chester Barnard, a vice president of New Jersey Bell, long ago wrote a book called The Functions of the Executive.  In it he explained that leaders often get their power because their subordinates project it on them.  These leaders are regarded as smarter and more powerful than they are because this provides their followers a sense of security.

Barnard called this “the myth of supreme authority.”  The idea is that the boss must know what he is doing; otherwise his underlings would be in jeopardy.  As a consequence, they turn their brains off and do as they are told.  This seems to be happening with regard to Trump.

Time and again The Donald insists that he will do the impossible.  Given that he is so talented and has achieved so many “incredible” things, it will be easy for him deport eleven million illegals.  Indeed, no other living human could.

Under ordinary circumstances such extreme boasts would be subject to close examination.  But not for Trump.  He is the boss!  He will save us.  And so it is his detractors who are dismissed as incompetent and mean-spirited.  Trump gets a pass no matter how lame or unrefined his verbal ejaculations.

Will Americans come to their senses?  Will they decide that they are better than the coarse narcissist who has become their hero?  The situation looks dicey.  We may, in fact, be in for far more trouble than Obama ever caused.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University