Welcome to the New Dark Ages

[marmar]

Welcome to the New Dark Ages
If Trump has his way, the next four years will be far worse than even the Gilded Age

By Austin Sarat
Published December 7, 2024 6:18AM (EST)


(Salon) Donald Trump has moved at warp speed to nominate people to serve in his Cabinet and other important government posts who have chosen loyalty to him as their most important virtue, making a mockery of merit even as the nominees claim to uphold meritocracy.

Moreover, like Trump himself, his nominees denigrate science and scientific expertise, subscribe to conspiracy theories, are eager to impose litmus tests in the arts and education, and seem hostile to the world beyond America’s borders.

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While much of the post-election commentary has focused on its implications for American democracy, there is another side to what will unfold starting on Jan. 20. When he takes office, Trump, who promised to Make America Great Again, seems determined to lead America into a period of scientific, cultural, educational, and global retrenchment, which collectively might be called the new “Dark Ages.”

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On education, the incoming Trump Administration hopes to give free rein to “an army of far-right Christians” and attack “the very foundations of free, secular education.” Last week, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, called for “an ‘educational insurgency’ where ‘you build your army underground" of children, so they can grow up to be the next generation of fundamentalist culture warriors.’” ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/07/welcome-to-the-new-dark-ages/

[Lonestarblue]

1. Since I was born after WWII, all my life has been lived with the US as the global leader.

Given Trump’s focus on vengeance against perceived enemies who have committed no crimes, enacting tariffs to punish other countries, and allying himself with dictators instead of traditional allies, I do not see the US remaining a global power for long. Already, the EU leaders have taken steps to reduce military reliance on the US. And with Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence, the willingness of allies to share sensitive intelligence may disappear.

Trump will try to force Ukraine to give up Crimea and all Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, but I’m not sure the EU is ready to stop supporting Ukraine because they know it would only be a matter of time before Putin would attack again to take the rest of Ukraine and Poland would suddenly find Russian troops at its border.

The Middle East is a powder keg that Trump will most likely make worse. The US has already lost a lot of respect for its arming of Israel’s destruction of Gaza and the murders of thousands of civilians. Encouraging Netanyahu to finish eliminating all of Gaza’s population so settlers can move there would not go down well in most Arab nations, nor here in the US. What is happening in Syria just now has the potential to change the power structure in the Middle East, and I doubt anyone in Trump’s orbit has a clue how to react. I’ve never thought Rubio to be particularly bright, but perhaps he will be effective. Heaven knows he has to be better than Kushner, whose sole objective was building luxury condos and golf courses.