We All Lose

Here is a bold prediction concerning the impeachment “trial” of Donald Trump – The results of the “trial” will be virtually inconsequential in changing anyone’s mind, including those with front row seats, about his guilt or innocence. Those who hate Trump have already decided that he is guilty. A 30-second CNN promo is really all they need to reach that conclusion. Even if there is a mountain of evidence suggesting that there was no impeachable wrongdoing, they will remain fully convinced that he is guilty of everything suggested and even more. There is no measure of evidence that will convince them otherwise.

The same is true for fans of Trump. They have already made up their minds that he is innocent, or that it doesn’t matter because the ends justify the means. There is no amount of evidence that will convince them otherwise and they will continue to deflect to issues about the democrats and the corruption of Washington, while singing the praises of Trump. The noise from the polarized extremes will be so deafening that that objective truth will be drowned out. Those desperately trying to listen for unbiased information will only be disappointed at the lack.

Such is the world we live in. Truth is in the eye of the beholder. Truth is relative, based on your ideology. Facts are only facts when they support your narrative. Guilt and innocence are subjective truths that hinge on the side you have chosen to defend. The middle ground has virtually disappeared into a deep chasm that separates sides. Everything is seen through the lens of one’s own side and anyone using a different lens is clearly wrong.

The impeachment trial is a mockery, not because I believe Trump is innocent. It is a mockery because I believe it isn’t about truth, or protecting the constitution, or fighting for the American people, or whatever rhetoric the politicians want to use. This is about pure partisanship, choosing sides and vying for power. If I am honest, I’m not even sure where the lines of illegality are drawn. I am no lawyer and the idea of parsing the fine lines between inappropriate behavior and truly illegal behavior, seems exhausting, whether it is applied to the president or his hypocritical accusers.

What I am fully convinced of, however, is that there is no true appetite for objective truth in Washington D.C., in our major media outlets, or in the public at large. We have become so polarized that we no longer care about looking at truth from an unbiased perspective. We are consumed with defending our side and attacking the other. The validity of sources, the presentation of facts without inflamed commentary, and the language used to report political events are only scrutinized to the extent to which they agree or disagree with our ideology. Someone who is a Trump hater sees no problem with the inflamed language of CNN when reporting the “facts” of political activity, nor do Trump supporters when it is done on Fox News. What passes for a reliable “news source” in our current environment I would consider comical if it were not so tragic. The only credentials you need to be considered reliable are a keyboard, an internet connection, and a side.

The basics of how the impeachment of Donald Trump will end are not difficult to figure out. The “trial” may be short or long – ultimately it doesn’t matter. The final results will be split along party lines. If Trump is not removed from office, the Republicans will claim a great victory for the constitution and the United States while the Democrats will claim that the constitution has been trampled. If The democrats manage to get a handful of Republicans to join them, the narrative will be reversed. In the end, both sides of the aisle will look the public in the eye and lie. They will puff themselves up and extol their own righteousness while vilifying the other side. The public will choose their news source and listen to what they want to hear, choosing their side and mimicking our “leaders” in their self-righteousness. Instead of mourning, there will be anger. Instead of humility, there will be full displays of arrogance and the lust for power. Instead of healing, there will be fresh wounds upon wounds. Instead of a quest for truth, there will be a widening of the chasm between the sides.

When all is said and done, the only result that will matter is that we will be even more polarized than before. It is the only possible outcome based on where we have started and where we are going. 

When this is finished, we all lose and we all share the blame.