Simon McCarthy-Jones: Trump has weaponised humiliation – why that could have dire consequences
Henry
Kissinger’s explanation of
why the US did not foresee the Yom Kippur war was that “our definition of
rationality did not take seriously the notion of [Egypt and Syria] starting an
unwinnable war to restore self-respect”.
The Second World War
opened the gates to hell. In 1948, the nations of the world tried to bolt them
shut again. They did so with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
recognised the
inherent
dignity of all people and provided the basis on which international
human rights law was built. When this bolt was subsequently loosened in
countries such as Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia, catastrophe ensued.
President Donald Trump
could be viewed as toying with this bolt again through his repeated use of
humiliation – of individuals, groups and nations. Although this tactic may have
benefited him, humiliation is dangerous for both the humiliator and the
humiliated. As Nelson Mandela noted,
there is nobody more dangerous than one who has been humiliated. Indeed,
humiliation has been argued
to be the most underappreciated force in international relations. Not only is
humiliation a violation of human dignity, its consequences are unpredictable.
The “humiliation” of Germany following the First World War arguably led, in part, to the
Second. It makes sense then for President Trump’s use of it should hence be
of concern to both America and the world.
Crucial to Trump’s
victory in the 2016 US presidential election were white,
working-class voters. While it is not yet entirely clear why so many of
these voters supported him, Trump’s appeal to their economic interests and
promise to restore their
social status may both have been important. One
argument is that Trump rode a wave of anger in white working-class
voters, which resulted from their feelings of humiliation. This humiliation is
proposed to have stemmed from a loss
of both financial and cultural status. Trump vowed to halt
the humiliation of this group. He also vowed to end what some of these voters
saw as America’s humiliation. In both cases, Trump turned the tables by
humiliating the perceived humiliators.
The list of those
deemed responsible was long and distinguished. Candidate Trump targeted men and
women, Republicans and Democrats, Americans and non-Americans, individuals and
corporations, the powerful and the vulnerable. President Trump
continued this approach. He stands
accused of running the White House as a reality show, using the same
tactics in pursuit of ratings. Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe described the
“extended humiliation of my family and me that the administration, and the
president personally, have engaged in”.
Trump has also
humiliated his
former attorney general, his
cabinet and other
world leaders. He has even attempted to humiliate entire
countries. Humiliation can lead
to war and conflict. Hitler rose to power on a promise to dispel the
humiliation Germany had suffered. Henry Kissinger’s explanation
of
why the US did not foresee the Yom Kippur war was that “our definition of
rationality did not take seriously the notion of [Egypt and Syria] starting an
unwinnable war to restore self-respect”. Militant Islamists use
feelings of humiliation to promote jihad.
On the face of it,
this is surprising. Humiliation often leads to shame, which is associated with
a desire to withdraw,
hide or submit. But in individualistic cultures – such as the US –
experiencing
shame
often leads to anger... read more:
