Ben Shapiro uses a National Review Online column to take aim at poor excuses for political argument on both sides of the American political divide.
On the left, all major issues can be ignored by pointing to the evils of Trumpism. Are Americans concerned about the rise of radical Islam? Well, it’s Trumpian Islamophobia that poses the real threat. Are Americans worried about college-campus free-speech crackdowns? Well, Trump is a threat to the First Amendment! We’re about to bring about The Handmaid’s Tale! Resist!
On the right, all scandals can be excused by “whataboutism” — what about Obama? Or Clinton? Where were you when the Democrats did X? And hey, if you’re worried about that thing President Trump did, what about that far more horrific thing some leftist did?
It’s all dumb.
And it’s making us all dumber. …
… When both sides play the distraction game, all we have are distractions. There are no facts, merely alternative facts. There can be no crystallizing events from which we emerge more unified — there can only be dueling narratives. There can be no common facts for us to agree on — there can only be a series of faux scandals, building on one another like a game of Jenga, until the entire edifice comes crashing down.
