Before I begin, I’d like to state that my intention is not to push any political agenda. I respect the views of all so long as they do no harm, nor infringe on the rights of others.

Additionally, I would like to state that I support neither Clinton nor Trump for differing justifications. While I may list some possible factors for the current situation which could fill essays, I’m not trying to come to a definitive answer, merely writing about what I witnessed firsthand. This piece isn’t an attack. It’s an autopsy.

The question on millions of people’s lips at this point in time is, “how?”. How did someone like Donald J. Trump win the necessary votes to helm what is arguably the largest modern world empire, one that many speculate is in a decline. The finger has been pointed towards several factors. The US being misogynistic and xenophobic. Intelligence being on a bell curve. The corrupt dealings of Clinton which really puts her at no better position relative to Trump. The list goes on. But beyond the flawed electoral system, beyond the inner workings of the Democratic and Republican party that offered these choices, there’s something else.

In the 1990s, a term arose characterising the conflict between the left and right wing in the US. The culture war. A polarisation between the conservative traditionalists and the liberal progressives which has since dictated the course of every major national debate: immigration, religion, gun control, abortion rights, same sex marriage – you name it. In recent times, this has become increasingly evident with new waves of feminism with counterparts like media personality Milo Yiannopoulos. In an age of excess where restraint is nothing more than a two-syllable noun in the dictionary, the volume has been kicked up several decibels, and the feedback is starting to feel deafening. No one wants to take a breath. They just want to be heard.

Now there’s no denying it, a real stigma exists attached to being conservative and right winged. You’ve probably heard of vocal minorities before, but what if that vocal minority happened to own news networks that have a direct feed into you 24/7. You never seem to hear about the moderates. It’s always the extremists. That’s probably why when you read conservative and right winged, images of the abortion clinic bombing Christians came to mind, and old, white men affirming that homosexuals should have no marriage rights for fear that the sound of two dudes hooking up would lead the youth into moral decay. But just as the left has said time, and time again, “not all (insert minority here)”, I’m here to say not all conservatives. While the clichés and caricatures that gave Trump power to exist, understand this does not preclude the right from humanity or reason.

On the same note, not all liberals are exactly free of sin. Lately, this startling new trend of almost militant correctness to the point of hostility has dominated tertiary education campuses and sure, privilege is a thing, but why do we need to target the straight, the white, and the males with such anger? The extreme left has championed this new age outrage culture that feeds on catching people out, and policing their language. What was demonstrated in this last presidential campaign was the left demonising, bullying, and belittling the common right on a supposed moral high ground with an abundance of condescension. They sought out the right’s lowest common denominators, plastered them on all forums of media, and ridiculed their opinion. And so they banded together. How else do you expect them to react when you rally so violently and aggressively against them, not to mention reduce them to nothing but a punchline? To completely deconstruct the ideology of someone and stomp on it instead of opening a meaningful dialogue. In a sense, the left pushed the right into Trump’s arms, and by extension, are equally responsible for the next four years.

At some point, we have to admit that the culture war was lost before it even started. In political science, there is a theory that posits the spectrum of political stances is a horseshoe, and the extremes of both ends have more in common than the moderates of each side. I have never had more of a reason to believe this is true until now. Democracy isn’t a perfect system, but it’s the best one we’ve got. Until people learn that they can’t reap it’s benefits and then turn around to deny someone else’s opinion so vehemently, we’ll keep facing the same issues of division, and give rise to more radical figures who can tap into the dissatisfaction of the targeted. That’s the plain truth of it. And if we can’t even try to do that, maybe we deserve every bit of what’s coming to us; maybe we deserve a Trump. To quote former US president, Abraham Lincoln, “… a house divided cannot stand…”. To quote noted herbalists, Bill and Ted, “… be excellent to one another…”. And to quote me, part-time adult, “… don’t be a dick…”. This is the reality now, make the best of it.

by Garry Lu