I.don’t think the shock wore off. There is no denial, but the effects Brexit+Trump have on the emotional and political connection to our English-speaking friends are far from internalised.
Also, don’t underestimate the cultural impact. German post-war democracy is build upon a lot of elements borrowed from the UK, plus some of the US. Seeing what happens in both countries during the last year has been a nightmare, and for my part, I know noone whose shock wore off in any way. Further down the rabbit hole, the Jabberwock stirs.
Perhaps I should have said initial shock for clarification. Everything is very unsteady at the moment, and there are still ripples and aftershocks, combined with the traditional German tendency to be a worrywart about everything.
Some pundit (I think it was Kevin Drum) wrote that this is not a new level of lying: it was always there, as it was what Nixon and Gingrich tapped, as well as what tent revivalists were always tapping into, but it is jarring to see it being so openly exploited by a con man. Trump is all show and no agenda other than “winning”. He just wants to be the winner at all costs. Pence is more garden variety corruption, and is most likely already in charge of a lot of things. Donnie doesn’t have the energy or desire to actually work, so let’s just drop the charade.
Well, I wish I could share your somewhat American optimtiam on Trump not having an agenda, and Pence just being garden-variety corrupt. On a more serious note, maybe it would be better Pence is pulling the strings of that particular non-puppet than Bannon, but I have had the impression since the election that Trump actually has an agenda beyond winning. He uses the shock doctrine to push through a strange mixture.of market neoliberalism and nationalism which doesn’t resemble anything I know from any democratic country. It’s very much like what happened after the collapse of the institutions in another “superpower” - but this time, without the push from economic and political players outside of this system, but from within.
Whatever you look, “autocratic” regimes which have risen since the end of the cold war play the same mixture of short and long game. And even what happens right now in German politics bears the danger of the same populism. While Angela Merkel seems to be the one-eyed amongst the blind, and a voice of reason, her party is riddled with some influential figures who want a “lean state”. Which, in a way, is compatible with Trump’s agenda.
Regarding worrywarts, being born and raised one, I WORRY.
On a more serious note, maybe it would be better Pence is pulling the strings of that particular non-puppet than Bannon, but I have had the impression since the election that Trump actually has an agenda beyond winning. He uses the shock doctrine to push through a strange mixture.of market neoliberalism and nationalism which doesn’t resemble anything I know from any democratic country. It’s very much like what happened after the collapse of the institutions in another “superpower” - but this time, without the push from economic and political players outside of this system, but from within.