I did not vote for Trump, but my reaction is very different from those of so many Princetonians. I ascribe his victory to the decadence of the American political system, the failure of our educational system to educate the youth in American history and values, the decline of culture in the age of electronics and social media: In other words, it is not the fault of any particular candidate, but the fault of Americans who have increasingly become mere rednecks, no matter whether they live in the South or not. Trump’s victory is the victory of the redneck, and Mencken would not have been surprised in the least.
I did not vote for Trump, but my reaction is very different from those of so many Princetonians. I ascribe his victory to the decadence of the American political system, the failure of our educational system to educate the youth in American history and values, the decline of culture in the age of electronics and social media: In other words, it is not the fault of any particular candidate, but the fault of Americans who have increasingly become mere rednecks, no matter whether they live in the South or not. Trump’s victory is the victory of the redneck, and Mencken would not have been surprised in the least.