Compulsive Opposition

Harper Collins labels compulsive those people or their behavior when they cannot stop doing something wrong, harmful, or unnecessary. A recent headline “Compulsive Opposition” caught my eye, leading me to examine this factor in more detail. I consulted the dictionary for synonyms of compulsive, neurotic popped up.  The dictionary suggested that there are no cures for compulsion, it is a chronic disease.

Unprepared for Defeat

Clinton’s defeat at the presidential polls on November 8, 2016 unleashed a number of powerful and unprecedented reactions.  It was in the bag, so to speak, that Hilary would win hands down. No way that Americans would elect someone that Democrats labeled a racist, homophone, misogynist, xenophobe, chauvinist, and worse. No way voters would turn their back on making history by electing the first woman president. No way that voters would be so stupid to elect someone who in their eyes was an imbecile and a narcissist.

When the votes were tallied, the results were crystal clear. Clinton had lost the election, albeit she had won the popular vote. Supporters were shocked and inconsolable. How could this be happening? Surely, this was too hard to swallow, impossible to accept, or with which to come to grips.  It was a sad spectacle to see a whole slice of our society uncontrollably disconnected, looking for answers to a counter-intuitive outcome.

This huge loss followed shellacking at the polls starting in 2010 that had given Republicans control of the two Chambers of Congress, the presidency, and victories in 32 governorships.

Mass grieving and some hysteria enveloped parts of the electorate. It was a defeat hard to swallow and so unexpected. Scare tactics took over: the newly elected President would undo the safety net, people would die for lack of healthcare coverage, elders and children would be forced to eat dog food, and the poor and the disabled would be at the mercy of a heartless regime.

 Fishing for Answers

Immediately, supporters everywhere began to look for ways to thwart the people’s choice by employing ways to stop the insanity of this unacceptable result.

A long checklist of actions followed: court challenges, recounts, demonstrations, confrontations, attempted bribery of Electoral College representatives to change their vote, calls for secession from the Union, elimination of the Electoral College, gratuitous medical diagnoses of Trump, suspected Russian involvement, leaks, fake news, and so on. In the end, distraught supporters are still grieving and unable to accept reality.

Clinton lost, Trump won!

When Democrats failed to achieve the intended result, the battle cry morphed to resist, resist, resist … followed by the ominous by any means. Repeating the redundant slogan was to emphasize that there would be no stopping, no matter what. The goal became to resist, period. No time or interest in solving mounting problems or looking for better solutions. Anything coming from this election result would be illegitimate, crooked, heartless, or worse.

Resistance has become a compulsive action, unstoppable and vociferous. Compulsion, we are told, is a condition… an irresistible and persistent urge to behave sometime antagonistically. That’s where the by any means scares me. It could encourage some deranged sympathizer to resort to the unthinkable.  Resistors still refuse undemocratically to accept the will of the people. They are willing to resort to fascist ways to continue resisting. Gratification and satisfaction come only from resistance. For some, it has become an obsession.

The Kabuki Dance

Wikipedia tells that Kabuki is a “term used by American political pundits as synonym for political posturing. It is a drama carried out in a predictable and stylized fashion.” It is designed to give the appearance of an uncertain outcome, when in fact key players know the outcome beforehand.

Allegations of collusion by the Trump campaign with the Russians to defeat Clinton explain why the election was lost. Inference that if the election had been held on October 27^th, or prior to Comey’s revelation of more emails, Clinton would have won the election. A special counsel to investigate the Russian connection and Trump’s team surely would uncover illegal acts and doom Trump’s nescient presidency. Calls for a select commission would be necessary in the end for people to know the details behind what if anything is discovered by the special counsel. Suggestions that Trump be impeached make many left-wingers lick their chops, even though there is little or no chance that it would come to that.

Examining the Paradox

As an organization development specialist, I learned many years ago to follow Chris Argyris model of evaluation. Chris taught us that one way to assess an organization’s, a movement’s, or a political party’s performance is to examine the theory and philosophy they espouse versus their theory and philosophy in action. Gaps between the two would show the degree to which some talk is just that as well as the degree to which the subject is out of sync with its own philosophy and theory.

The left has espoused for years tolerance, bonhomie, compassion, inclusiveness, and respect for the environment, just to name a few. Examination of this philosophy in action shows a complete reversal of the espoused principles.

Some are not tolerant of ideas and views that differ from their own, and go out of their way to muzzle others’ speech. Bonhomie (affability for those not familiar with the term) applies only to those they like or think alike. Compassion only applies to certain people, those who agree with one’s philosophy, inclusiveness does not mean that you include people who differ from you. Respect for the environment applies only to the masses, rich proponents are excused when driving their guzzler SUVs, fly their private jets, or power their luxurious yachts.

Gaps suggest a malfunction of the moral compass, perhaps a diminished capacity for integrity, or just plain phoniness.

So What’s Next?

Cable News is the big loser as each of the Kabuki acts fails to come up with any smoking gun. With the special counsel in charge, much of the investigation will retreat to the background and secrecy takes over. The usual suspects will appear nightly fueling viewers’ curiosity and conspiracy theories. 

Resistors will run out of gas as their actions prove ineffectual or impotent. They will have had enough time to vent, much time to grieve, and to lash out at anyone who disagrees with them. Anarchists, among the resistors, will continue to look for opportunities to wreck havoc and destroy private property. Ill-advised young leftists will continue to use fascist methods to deny adversaries their right to speak by claiming that whatever they have to say is hateful speech anyway.

Let me emphasize that one size does not fit all. Many Democrats have moved on and have come to grips with reality, however unpleasant that might be. Those suffering from the compulsion of resist, resist, resist will continue to be stuck in its involuntary repetition or neurosis. 

Bill Bridges, in his widely acclaimed work on personal transitions, warns us that you cannot move on to a new beginning unless you are willing to let go of the past. Some folks just cannot let go dooming themselves from experiencing a new start.

This is also a warning to Republicans! Stop gloating! The pendulum will swing the other way, and it will be your turn to experience despair, hysteria, and melt down. None of us is immune from a bad case of compulsion or neurosis. History has a funny way of repeating itself!