Recent allegations of sexual misconduct by Donald Trump have produced a flurry of moral outrage. Yet, things actually are not as they seem, and certainly not as the media portrays them.
I am not writing in support of any candidate. Rather it is crucial that you understand how you are being played politically.
The accusations against Mr. Trump are not about morality. They are about politics. Here’s how.
Nearly all Democrats, the national media, and many establishment Republicans are progressives. What are they making progress toward?
They envision a better world where problems like inequality and injustice are gone and everyone lives in peace and harmony with each other. Progressives see an ideal human and an ideal human society in their minds. Humans have flaws and faults, but progressives believe that those defects can be fixed. If we all work together guided by the visionaries, we can improve humans and make them more virtuous. As we continually advance toward this ideal, humans may even one day become perfect.
What does this have to do with morality or politics? Everything!
You see, if you believe ideals are real and that they can be achieved, this changes what is moral. The cultural consensus that created America declared that good is who God is. Psalm 119:68, referring to God’s character says, “You are good and do good.” Who God is and what He does is the very definition of the word “good.” Since God Himself is the meaning of good, there is an objective standard of good for everyone. When our behavior reflects who God is we are doing good. When our actions do not reflect who God is that is evil.
For progressives, though, it is progress toward ideal humans and ideal society that is paramount. For them “good” is whatever achieves that ideal. If sexual anarchy will help reach the ideal, then they will do it.
This is why progressives support the LGBT agenda, including man-made “gay marriage,” adultery, pre-marital sex, or any other sexual activity outside God-made marriage. At the same time, if being a moralist will help achieve the ideal, they will do that, too.
Do you get it? It is not that Donald Trump’s alleged actions are evil. No, the evil is because Donald Trump is not an idealist. Trump is a pragmatist, so his policies and politics will not help achieve the ideal that progressives envision. He must be stopped at all costs.
Progressives feign moral outrage, but it is really about politics. If a progressive did what Donald Trump is accused of, their actions would be dismissed and even defended because they have the right ideology. Progressives turn a blind eye to Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd’s “waitress sandwich.” They give a wink and a nod to Anthony Weiner. And they cover up, dismiss, and explain away the decades of actual, real, documented sexual misconduct by Bill Clinton because he is a fellow progressive.
The allegations — which at this point is all they are -— against Donald Trump are not about morality. The same thing happened in 2012 to then Republican frontrunner, Herman Cain. Once he gained traction in the primaries, suddenly a woman, Ginger White, came out of the woodwork to accuse Mr. Cain of a sexual affair. Cain denied the charges and continued his campaign. So another woman appeared to accuse him of sexual harassment. Then another and another until Cain buckled and got out of the race. Then the women disappeared.
Years later it turned out the allegations were baseless, some of the women were paid to accuse Cain, and Ginger White was convicted in court of libel. The charges of sexual misconduct were false and were fabricated for political reasons. And they worked.
Cain actually did nothing. For progressives bent on achieving their ideal, what actually happened does not matter. What matters is the story or narrative they tell about what happened. They have no trouble lying because whatever achieves the utopia in their minds is good.
It is true that Mr. Trump has said some disgraceful things which I dislike, but what evidence is there that he has actually done anything? There’s just unsubstantiated allegations at the eleventh hour of the election.
If you are not a progressive, the media and other progressive operatives will create any story that will destroy those who will not conform to the dreamland they believe can be built.
Vote your conscience, but know that your conscience is being manipulated with morality by people who don’t care about you. They care about their ideal.
[David Richardson of Peachtree City is the president of the Assumptions Institute (www.assumptionsinstitute.org) and the author of the groundbreaking book “Transparent: How to See Through the Powerful Assumptions That Control You.” He has a master’s degree from Oxford University, and is a leading expert on the basic assumptions we all make which influence everything in our daily lives. He, his wife and children have lived in Fayette County for over 25 years.]
