The problem with pinning Donald Trump down: Americans' attention spans are too short

The Age of Trump has assaulted and undermined America’s governing institutions and the rule of law, civil society, and shared sense of normalcy. Related The debate was a total debacle for Donald Trump Anton Jäger describes this late capitalist media and political environment with its rejection of substantive mass politics in favor of empty identity politics and performance, with its “brands” and virtue-signaling to get attention on social media and across the digital space as an example of “hyper-politics”: “hyper-politics” is what happens when post-politics ends — something like furiously stepping on the gas with an empty tank. They suggested that the country’s legendary work ethic and go-getter spirit might be a form of mental illness that they called “Americanitis.” The Journal of the American Medical Association acknowledged the condition as early as 1898, linking it in one article to the increased noise level in industrialized America. “Who shall say how far the high-strung, nervous, active temperament of the American people is due to the noise with which they choose to surround their daily lives?” the author asked. They need to continue to sound the alarm about the existential dangers of Trump and the MAGA movement and the larger neofascist tide without creating a sense of mass despair, futility, learned helplessness, and nihilism that fuels the vibe that “nothing really matters anymore.” They must also continue to mine the energy of “joyful warriors” for democracy.