What Does the Rise of Donald Trump Mean for America?

"I fear the ignorance and power of the United States. And the fact that it has quite suddenly become one of the most decadent societies on the face of the earth. The body of a great, dead, CANDIED CHILD. Yet not dead: full of immense, uncontrolled power. Crazy."

Thomas Merton

Obviously, I don't think this is the whole story. I love America. I treasure its sacred landscapes, its indigenous peoples, its cultural diversity, its innovation, its ability to create new religions and spiritualities, its value of the individual.

But what is the meaning of the current rise in popularity of Donald Trump? Is it a fascination with "reality politics"? An entertainment mentality? A desire for "raw, unfiltered" talk in an era when establishment politicians speak one thing and do another? An overreaction to the fundamentalism of extreme political correctness? Or does it really mean the return of racism, sexism and bigotry?

Can you help me understand?

Photo: Hewlett Burn, Poudre Canyon, CO, February 27, 2016

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