“In all chaos there is Cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” – Carl Jung
Of all the inspired genius that went into the founding of the United States, nothing stands above the intuition of mythological realities that went into the democratic vote for a President every four years. While in their own minds, the founders were trying to avoid the kind of theological fascism that they had escaped in coming to America, what they imagined in its place(whether they realized it or not) was a democratic vote for a secular king. Implicit in their notion of a democratically elected President, was the idea that the populace would elect the most powerful, able and worthy person in all the country to its’ most exalted position. This choice recognized that bestowed power was not something that lasted for a lifetime, and that a king past his prime, whether chosen by the illusion of democracy, or by the decree of something seemingly higher, could not lead a country successfully.
Since humans were able to stabilize their civilizations with agriculture they have been ruled by kings and queens. They represent an organizing principle at the center of the city, state, and nation. The center of a square growing out from a beam of light shining down from Heaven(or the Primordial) around which order takes shape. Gold Crowns symbolize this anointment, and implies the presence of a sun bonnet that surrounds only the king or queen. When fate places powerful people in positions of leadership, civilizations thrive. When kings or queens are not up to the task of holding this ultimate power, civilizations wobble. This is not just historical fact, it is mythological fact, and is best expressed in the story of Phaeton in Greek Mythology.
PHAETHON was a youthful son of Helios, who drove the Chariot of the Sun across the sky everyday. Day after day he begged his father let him drive the chariot of the sun. The god reluctantly conceded to the boy’s wishes and handed him the reigns. But his inexperience proved fatal, for Phaethon quickly lost control of the immortal steeds and the sun-chariot veered out of control setting the earth ablaze. The plains of Africa were scorched to desert and men charred black. Zeus, appalled by the destruction, smote the boy with a thunderbolt, hurling his flaming body into the waters of the River Eridanos.
It is my belief, that ages of order create great Kings or great Presidents, not the other way around. Times when order reigns, or order is restored, correspond with the rise of powerful leaders. In the United States, times of great success or achievement have corresponded with the leadership of extraordinary men. When America rose up out of slavery and fought a civil war, Abraham Lincoln had been elected and was able to steady America’s wobbling ship. When America was struggling to get out of the Great Depression, and was needed to help create order in a chaotic Europe, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been elected. John Kennedy’s presidency is remembered as “Camelot”, and implied kingship and despite his short reign being ended by regicide, was provided a vision for the late 20th century. Likewise, Bill Clinton(despite his personal weaknesses) was elected after 12 years of Reagan Bush rule that had revealed their ruling principles to be harmful to the country and stagnating to the economy. Clinton’s reign coincided with the initial internet gold rush, that he could neither have anticipated, nor caused. Recently Barack Obama was elected, after the trauma of 9/11, an unjust war, and an economy that had been devastated by unpoliced greed and corruption. His reign was restorative and stabilizing, no matter what your political beliefs. Examples of these personalities aren’t limited to modern day Democrats, as I’d admit Ronald Reagan appeared in charge and ready to lead after the national humiliation of Watergate, losing the Vietnam War, and the hapless presidency of a very unkinglike Jimmy Carter.
My premise is that chaos or order creates Presidents. Not, the other way around. The rise of a man like Franklin Roosevelt, or Barack Obama, is a harbinger of a larger process taking shape. So, is the election of a man like Donald Trump. A man who has surrounded himself with the superficial trappings of kingship his entire life. A man who has gold leaf covering his garish apartment, and has unconsciously chosen to dye his hair an awful shade of gold to imply a kingship that he has never done anything to be worthy of. I will not go too far into Trump’s history, or character, that has already been done elsewhere. I will however point out that Trumps recipe for success contains one major ingredient, and that is chaos.
Trump’s chaos is evident in everything that he does. He says and does things almost constantly that are disorienting. Whether they are disorienting for their lack of manners, their lack of decorum, or lack of respect for established order, creating chaos puts him at an advantage, not just personally, but in the collective. He creates chaos by disorienting whomever it is that he is wishing to create advantage over. Even a simple handshake, which is an archetypal gesture meant to inspire feelings of camaraderie and equality becomes an opportunity for him to pull a person off their center, and force them to reorient themselves against his assault. When France’s President had demonstrated his resistance to his tactic, Trump responded by commenting on his wife’s appearance. He keeps going till he has the upper hand in the exchange.
His constant tweeting, and suggestion of inappropriate behavior(asking Russia to find Hilary Clinton’s missing e mails, or asking the Senate to change it’s rules, or demeaning his attorney general ) is designed to keep him in the thoughts of all those who use media, knowing his inappropriateness will be reported far and wide. His largely unconscious belief is that if you are thinking about him, he has power over you, even if you are faceless and unknown. This may in fact, presently be true. Luckily, the laws of the country have been designed with checks and balances, and while it’s possible to challenge rules, it isn’t possible to bully them, because the rules are intractable and have no response to behavior.
Chaos has been Trump’s calling card his whole life. His self promotion, ceaseless and fact less, of himself as an incredibly successful real estate developer, ignores his multiple bankruptcies, each softened by the greed of new investors who thought they could enrich themselves through an association with him. His persona is a gold plated shell game. He has never had a reason to be truthful, because it hasn’t been necessary for his past success. However, when he became President he began to grapple with forces that were beyond his control. In Greek Mythology, Chaos grew out of the Primordial, and existed before everything. The first thing born from Chaos was Gaia(Earth) Taturus(The Underworld) and Eros(love), the son of Aphrodite. Also born from Chaos was Erebus(Night) and Nyx(darkness). Trump’s hubris and ignorance of more profound forces than a market economy(despite his claims of extraordinary intelligence) are going to be his undoing. On cue, he attacked Gaia, through his withdrawal from the Paris Accords, and Eros, through his attack on LGBT rights, making transgender people no longer able to serve a military which he cowardly avoided. His own descent into the Underworld fast approaches either through his public humiliation through his removal from office(the same descent taken by his hero Richard Nixon), or quite possibly his own claims of virility and health being made to appear absurd by some sort of personal health crises brought on by the stresses of failure. As Erebus(night) and Nyx(darkness) also come from chaos, don’t be surprised if the coming Solar Eclipse that stretches across the United States on August 21, portends the end of his chaotic reign.
There is order in chaos. It indicates something is forming. Like the first strong gusts of wind that announce a rainstorm is on the way. Trump is an agency of change, a placeholder for something new on its way. His mistake is thinking that the change is him, rather than realizing his backward beliefs about economic reality being the only reality that matters will be swept away by the coming storm. The chaos he has brought and that will continue for awhile is not caused by him, it is caused by the forces of change that placed him into the position of President. His purpose there is not what he thinks. It is to demonstrate a lot of the misunderstandings that the country will be leaving behind
if there is an upside to Trump’s Presidency. It is that chaos he brings is a chasm between two places. Trump is failing to make any real or lasting changes to American Society, and as an association with him becomes threatening to their electability, the Republican politicians will distance themselves from his person and his policies. He has inspired oppositional activism at home and abroad. Made aware that someone like him could actually be elected, the French rejected Marie Le Pen, and elected a much more progressive thinker, much to Trump’s chagrin. Trump more than anything is a placeholder, as a newer, younger, and more progressive generation will take over in the times that follow him. Regressive policies whether they be environmental, social, or financial will be tarred with their association with him for generations to come.
So what is the best form of resistance to the King of Chaos? I think resistance is ignoring his constant pleas for attention through your computer and television screens and through your car radio. Resist him with real activism. Inspire others to do the same. Have faith in the structures put in place by the founders of the country. The structures were put in place to maintain order even in the face of chaotic situations and leaders. Don’t think about him more than necessary. Be realistic about how his actions actually affect you. Starve him off your attention. Keep him out of your house, your relationships, and the time you have with those you love. His goal is fascism. He’d like what he says or does to control what you are thinking about, and how you are thinking. The people who support him have gladly given him this permission. See the deeper mythological underpinnings of what is presently occurring, and have faith that chaos always brings about a new order. When that happens, the kind of chaos created by the antics of a dying school yard bully may very well be worth the pain of the arrival of a new order.