Make America Great Again! Such a catchy slogan. It begs the question, “If you want to make America ‘great again,’ that implies you have some time in mind when America was great and then we entered a period when we lost our greatness, so what point in America’s past is the MAGA reference point for ‘greatness’? It’s a rhetorical question, of course, because there is no definitive, agreed upon answer in MAGA world.
The religious right contingent of MAGA world would probably argue that MAGA really means Make America Godly Again. They are pushing for a government that is more theocratic in nature and look fondly back at a time in America when more people attended church regularly. They want to tear down the wall between church and state and impose Christian values upon the country. That, in itself, is problematical because would that include Catholics and Mormons or just evangelical values? Would other religions be outlawed? Nonetheless, there are those who want to Make America Godly Again – MAGA!
Now that Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and several other billionaires are in positions of power and influence in the government, they (or others ) might argue that MAGA really means Make America Greedy Again with an eye towards the era of the robber barons like Getty, Carnegie, Vanderbilt and Ford. They probably believe that was the Golden Age in America when businesses were allowed to operate unchecked.
MAGA could also stand for Make America Grovel Again as we watch Trump shake down universities and law firms. Trump uses the power of the government as a cudgel against anyone who fails to ‘bend the knee’ in servitude. At times when they grovel enough and ask for forgiveness and promise loyalty, he may restore their funding or job. But it’s the groveling that Trump really likes.
Around the world, MAGA is being known as Make Allies Genuflect Again. Trump continues to try to bully our longtime allies and friends until they bend to his will. He would like nothing more than to have heads of state enter his royal court, genuflect, and pledge their proverbial swords to his service. Think Game of Thrones with DJT sitting on the infamous Iron Throne.
Whichever meaning of MAGA you select, it has nothing to do with actually Making America Great Again (or ever). It is simply a slogan that is amorphous enough to allow different people to attach a meaning to it so as to justify falling in behind Trump to further their respective causes. There is, in reality, no MAGA movement per se. It is a bunch of different tribes, with different agendas, with different goals but all willing to use Donald Trump to achieve their goals. Trump is astute enough to talk to each separate group like they are the true force behind MAGA.
The Democrats need to stop treating MAGA like it’s one monolithic movement and start attacking it piece by piece and tribe by tribe. The Republicans know there are disparate groups within the larger Democratic tent, and they exploit that masterfully. It is time the Democrats learn from their enemies who have become experts at playing the dirty politics of divide and conquer and. art fighting fire with fire. MAGA is not some giant monster rather it is more like the Chinese dragons seen at New Years festivals snaking down the street. Yes, the head of the dragon is large and scary, but it only moves forward because all the separate little sets of feet under the costume keep it moving. Forget about the head. If you want to stop the MAGA dragon, start attacking the feet. Focus less on Trump and his bombastic statements and more on the people who are enabling this mess.
Every dragon can be slain, but unfortunately, the Democrats have yet to find a courageous, articulate knight to rally behind, nor have they been able to define and execute a cohesive battle plan – so the two headed Trump/Musk dragon marches on.
