I have just
been diagnosed with an illness, TFS. It is injurious to long-term health but perhaps
too early to say whether it is fatal.
TFS stand for
Trump Fatigue Syndrome. It is caused by overexposure to coverage of President
Donald Trump. Its symptoms include a depressing sense of watching the same
drama over and over again. And just like being stuck in a movie theater
watching a badly scripted and poorly produced B movie, it begins with feelings
of exhaustion then panic with the realization that it may never end.
All diseases
have vectors; the carriers of this disease are the mass media of both left and
right political persuasion. They cover Trump endlessly became it generates more
viewers and listeners. The presentations are suitably tailored to appeal to
their respective audiences. Trump the hero of the forgotten Americans on Fox
News; Trump the political incompetent on CNN. Trump generates money for
the networks whatever their position. He makes news and attracts viewers
through constant controversies. The President provides all the tweets, images,
talking points, controversies and mayhem: all the media have to do is to roll
the camera and queue the talking head panels. For the mass media Trump is the
equivalent of easy money; for the audience the equivalent of empty sugar
calories that produce a buzz but not much substance. In an age of Trump
Fascination no need to send reporters on overseas missions, or deep reporting
about what ails the Republic and its peoples. The cheap and easy coverage of
Trump allows us to imagine that we are engaged in political debate or critical
analysis while in reality we are party to a flim flam show masquerading as the
US presidency.
All diseases
have symptoms. For those on the left there is a rising sense of exasperation
about what the President does and says. A sense of outrage is continually
aroused leading to exhaustion. For those more to the right there is a feeling
of resentment against the antipathy to their President in the deep state,
Democrats and fake news. Again, a sense of outrage is continually aroused
leading to exhaustion.
Most
diseases have cures. We should begin our diagnosis with the realization that we
no longer inhabit a Republic of political debate but a squalid banality of
neo-reality television. This fever of constant outrage will have to be purged
or it may kill us all.
