Many people know about Dietrich Boenhoffer’s seminal book the “Cost of Discipleship.” What is less known is his “Letters and Notes from Prison” which he wrote to several friends during his time in prison as a result of his participation in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. One of those letters was his theory on stupidity.
Bonhoeffer said “Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and if need be prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed- in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.”
America is in a precarious position as it confronts a significant segment of the population that continues to believe and spread the big lie whether it’s about who won the election, Covid vaccine, critical race theory, or climate change. The problem is that those who believe the big lie are not subject to rational thinking. They are who Dr. Bonhoeffer would define as stupid. Many in America thought the election of 2020 was the end of the fever manifested through the election of the previous president yet here we are because the stupid never disappear. They don’t go quietly in the night they simply wait on another opportunity.
It is important to differentiate between those who promote the big lie to gain or maintain their power and position with those who believe the lie because of their stupidity. Some who express statements of stupidity have obvious intellectual acuity. One example is former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, white conservative’s favorite female version of Django Unchained’s Stephen. Rice an intelligent, well educated and talented woman recently made comments about critical race theory during her appearance on the View that were stupid but nonetheless reflected the need to protect her position at the Heritage Foundation a right wing think tank.
The Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo who refused to wear a face covering during his meeting with State Senator Tina Polsky who is immunocompromised due to breast cancer may indeed be stupid but more likely his refusal was his desire to appease the Governor who appointed him.
At a recent rally held by Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point, the question was asked by a participant “How many elections are they going to steal before we kill these people?” While Kirk disowned these comments these are the kind of lunatics who have been radicalized, attend these rallies and have every intention of engaging in violent action. Add this to Hungary’s President Viktor Orban meeting with Trump at his Florida residence.
All of the aforementioned examples reflect what Boenhoeffer said in his letter “the power of the one needs the stupidity of the other.” The stupid are easily conned. They are told that immigrants are being brought in to replace them and they believe it. Get a black Lt. Governor namely Mark Robinson who quotes Hitler and have Trump call him Martin Luther King on steroids and they love him. The problem is that the person running for president couldn’t care less about the issues. Think of the fact that as important as people have made immigration the GOP nominee made his party kill the bill that addressed the issue.
Stupidity is an abundant commodity in the United States and it is not solely among the uneducated that it is found. Stupidity affects all levels of society from rappers who talk about how Covid vaccine caused their cousin’s friend’s testicles to enlarge to people taking medicines meant for horses. It obviously encompasses the participants of the January 6th insurrection.
Bonhoeffer is correct in his assertion that time and energy should not be wasted on trying to enlighten people who have exhibited a level of stupidity that surpasses all understanding and have proven that no amount of rationality will affect them.
America is not finished dumbing down nor is the strategy to radicalize young white males in particular going to disappear. The GOP with their acolytes such as Rupert Murdoch’s creation Tucker Carlson will be recruiting and appealing to the dumbest in the nation to run for school boards, state houses and the halls of Congress. They will continue to create legislation that will enable them to control election outcomes. It must be remembered that Hitler came to power through the use of Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution. By preying upon the stupidity of the masses and passing laws that will be used to disqualify voters, the GOP will bring to pass what the late William F. Buckley Jr. envisioned in his article “Why The South Must Win.”
Bonhoeffer was right when he said stupid people are dangerous. January 6th is an example of how dangerous they are. The goal of the majority of the American electorate must be to keep them away from any political office. The issue is not to convert the stupid. It will not happen. The action must be against those who use the stupid to garner their own personal power
A quote attributed to Plato says “If You Don’t Vote, You Will Be Governed by Idiots.” What the actual quote says is “one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” If those who recognize the present plight of the nation don’t vote, America will find itself in the same situation the Washington Post reported in 2018, “….by 1930, the KKK, while its “membership remained semi-secret, claimed 11 governors, 16 senators and as many as 75 congressman roughly split between Republicans and Democrats.” Imagine a US Congress where over twenty percent of legislators are from QAnon, Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys. Imagine a GOP where the most prominent caucus is the Marjorie Taylor Greene wing. America is in danger of being ruled by those of inferior intellect as well as inferior morality. Those who complain about things not getting done or the present president being too old should think about the fact that as their laziness overcame their civic duty in 2016, the nation has turned back a women’s right to choose, 1965 Voting Rights Act was gutted, an insurrection has occurred on American soil, Justice Clarence Thomas wants to reverse marriage equality and access to contraception.
Given the precarious nature of American politics the question is where does the nation go from here. Unfortunately, the answer may be a tragic one. America is not a nation ordained by God. It is a great though flawed nation that will inevitably fall from its perch of power as Great Britain did after World War Two.
When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government was decided on he said “a republic if you can keep it.” He recognized the fragility of a system in which a large segment of the populace were intellectually ill equipped to make rational decisions. America has been lucky over the centuries in that it had mediating institutions that were able to push people to act on their better angels.
If there is an opprtunity for America to survive it will come when the majority of the country says enough is enough. Enough of threatening school board or election board members. Enough of voter laws intended to enable a corrupt GOP to overturn elections they lose.
America may survive if enough people realize that voting for today’s Republican Party is like smoking after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
It may survive if voter turnout amongst young people which increased in 2020 continues to increase at record levels.
It may survive when the mainline church reclaims the title of evangelical and calls out Roman Catholic leaders like Cardinal Timothy Dolan who in his embrace of Trump reveals their love of empire.
It may happen if mainline denominations cease issuing milquetoast generic denunciations because they might offend members of their flock.
It may happen if President Biden stops acting as though he is still a member of the senate of the 1970’s.
It may happen if mainstream media begins to focus on the good work being done by the majority of the nation.
It may happen if strategic organizing efforts begin to take place. What would happen if poor people from Appalachia began to meet with urban leaders on issues of mutual concern as well as agreeing to support each other on issues that is germane to their specific community.
It may happen if the violent insurrectionists pay a high cost of incarceration instead of the coddling and slap on the wrists they have been receiving thus far as a result of Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice.
America has the electoral numbers to prevent stupid people from controlling the levers of power. This may be a time when strange bedfellows can provide a mitigating solution to the present political crisis. While heated debate about issues is a healthy sign of democracy, aligning with people of different political perspectives for the purpose of strengthening democracy is a step in the right direction. While the views of people such as Peggy Noonan and George Will can be anathema to many people they have a honest respect for democratic institutions which makes them worthy allies for this time.
The majority of the nation seems to be doing the right thing. Most of the nation has been vaccinated, eighty one million people voted against a narcissistic and corrupt president. Nonetheless, the stupid within the nation seem to have momentum and enthusiasm on their side.
If America maintains a “this too shall pass” mentality, it will only prolong and exacerbate a pathology that if left unchecked will inevitably become terminal.