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Watched the final episode of Chernobyl last night. What a great TV production. Definitely belongs in the conversation for greatest miniseries ever. So of course, we have to discuss the modern political implications. I apologize in advance. 1/
I think conservatives who watch the show enjoy the fact that the Soviet communist cult was largely responsible for both the disaster itself and the embarrassingly bad response on the part of the Soviet government. 2/
It is also a fact, which the show does a good job of emphasizing, that this is a specific feature of communism and that it sprang forth as a direct result of the communist belief system which emphasizes the sanctity of the state. All well and good. 3/
I hated the Russian government for what it did to its people and Chernobyl did a great job of showing one piece of it. Let's be honest, the Democratic party of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s DID involve themselves in minimizing that. 4/
So there's a reason a lot of Republicans had some fist pump moments watching the show. But you would have to be a dullard to miss that something like Chernobyl could happen to any society, even a non-communist one, as the result of blind devotion to any cause. 5/
We're digging further into that as a society here in America, or at least it seems that way to me. People are increasingly willing to ignore obviously available facts that are damaging to their preferred political party. 6/
The cult of personality surrounding the sitting president seems like it is getting worse. It seems like, beginning in particular with Clinton (at least in my personal political awareness), there was a sense among Republicans that Democrats stood by him no matter what. 7/
Republicans then perhaps stood by GWB longer than was deserved in response. Then Obama & Trump. The last two presidents in particular I have been absolutely amazed at the willingness of their most devoted followers to believe demonstrably false things because president said so 8/
This isn't the way we keep a free society, folks. Always be skeptical of the government and what they claim, even if you are broadly supportive of the people who are in power. One of the lessons Trump is certainly learning is to only respond to his base. 9/
Probably the next Democrat will copy that and so on. So if the base doesn't hold the president accountable on his bullshit, no one will, and the country WILL suffer for it. 10/
There are real life consequences to treating politics like another form of team sports and Chernobyl is a warning about that. Make no mistake. 11/
