I’ve been watching a docudrama called “The American West” on Amazon Prime over the last week. It’s a bit oversimplified and hokey, but the acting is good, and the characters are vivid. I recommend it.
Anyway, while I was watching it, it occurred to me that I was looking at the Republican world view: an America soaked in testosterone, marked by anarchy and violence, in which the most important qualities were strength and self-reliance. It is the opposite of the welfare state.
There are three problems with the use of the analogy in today’s world. First, the old West died quickly, because it outlived its usefulness. Anarchy is bad for business. Second, there is no rugged individual solution to problems like the pandemic and climate change. Finally, Wyatt Earp wasn’t a whiner. Donald Trump is.