Fallows: "the most grievous blow that the American idea has suffered in my lifetime"

The Atlantic, Jan/Feb 2017

Despair and Hope in Trump’s America - James Fallows - The Atlantic

… I view Trump’s election as the most grievous blow that the American idea has suffered in my lifetime. The Kennedy and King assassinations and the 9/11 attacks were crimes and tragedies. The wars in Vietnam and Iraq were disastrous mistakes. But the country recovered. For a democratic process to elevate a man expressing total disregard for democratic norms and institutions is worse. The American republic is based on rules but has always depended for its survival on norms—standards of behavior, conduct toward fellow citizens and especially critics and opponents that is decent beyond what the letter of the law dictates. Trump disdains them all.

Fallows seems to think Facebook-empowered Russian led infowar was quite powerful.

TNC has an eulogy for the Obama era in the same issue. Grief.