Q&A recap: Trump still in the making, says Dr Cornel West

An American philosopher and poet has compared Donald Trump’s presidency to the leadership of “Hitler and Mussolini”.

American philosopher Dr Cornel West with Senator Eric Abetz.

An American philosopher and poet has compared Donald Trump’s presidency to the leadership of “Hitler and Mussolini”, arguing figures like a low unemployment rate do not tell the whole story of the “spiritual blackout” the US is experiencing.

Dr Cornel West, a Harvard professor, democratic intellectual and philosopher, said President Trump did not control his inner “gangster” and has inverted society’s push to care for its vulnerable members first.

“Gangster activity is real. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we know when we’re gangsters too. What does that mean? It means you have this fascism in the making of spirit, mind, structure and institution. Big money ruling, big military ruling. And more and more hatred, more and more contempt,” he told the ABC’s Q&A program.

“Hitler and Mussolini had low unemployment rates. They made the train run on time. We’re talking about moral and spiritual issues. Not just the numbers.”

.@SenatorAbetz thinks Trump's supporters are responding to getting jobs. @CornelWest thinks Trump is still in the making #QandA pic.twitter.com/UbsOCIHOGN

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) August 13, 2018

Dr West joined Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz, Labor MP Anne Aly, free speech advocate Lindsay Shepherd and “people’s panellist” Jeremy Bell on Monday night’s program to discuss Energy policy, US politics and free speech.

“I think that’s very negative view of the US,” senator Abetz said to Dr West. “Your black brothers are in fact getting jobs and, they might not bow earning as much as you would like, but given that they’ve got jobs, they’re better off than they were without a job. And surely you have to give a tick to that.”

He said it was a “matter of regret” that Dr West would put President Trump in with a “hideous regime” like that of Hitler.

“I’m trying to make sure Trump doesn’t move into a Hitler-like, Mussolini condition. Not yet, we don’t know,” Dr West replied. “He’s still in the making. I want to make it clear on Australian television, didn’t make that equivalency.”

Dr West said America is experiencing decline where youth have a “poverty within their souls” and are struggling to find a nurturing environment.

“Titillation, stimulation, rather than deep care and nurturing. Too many uncared for, unloved. The market force is shaping then into a culture of superficial spectacle and image rather than character, virtue, concern with the other,” he said.

“Don’t let the statistics hide and conceal the suffering.”

FREE SPEECH

Ms Shepherd, a Canadian woman who was told she had created a “toxic climate” in a university classroom by showing a video including comments from someone who did not want to be forced to use gender-neutral pronouns, said society is too quick to label people.

“Both sides were presented (in the video),” Ms Shepherd said. “The clip I showed was from public television in Canada. Yet I was taken to a disciplinary meeting for showing that clip. And told that I’d created a toxic climate. I targeted trans folks. I’ve had threatened trans folks and had violated the human rights code.”

Ms Shepherd said there are certain topics that “you cannot question”.

“You’re expected to hold a certain position,” she said. “Some of the ones that come to mind would be open borders, anything to do with transgender people. Where there is a correct position you must take.”

The panel was asked about getting rid of gendered pronouns, which senator Abetz described as “political correctness gone mad”.

“Him and her have been around for a long time,” he said. “Boys and girls have been around for a long time. And I suspect they will for a long time.”

One audience member asked about an incident that allegedly happened at the University of Sydney during the same sex marriage plebiscite, where a young male student campaigning against same sex marriage had glitter and condoms thrown at him.

“I think the students who tore the signs down were wrong,” Dr West said.

“We must learn how to disagree and disagree in such a way that we can still have our humanity and friendships are deeper than politics, love is always deeper than politics. If you haven’t discovered that, you don’t know what love is but that’s another show.”

Ms Aly said Labor did not want a plebiscite on the issue of same-sex marriage, and sad she heard of similar incidents from the Yes camp.

“That was a symptom of a very divisive debate,” she said.

Senator Abetz said many in the Yes side of the plebiscite bullied the No side into silence.

“What surprised me throughout that debate was that those that were allegedly asserting tolerance were in fact the most intolerant during the debate,” he said, describing the University of Sydney incident mentioned by the questioner as “completely unacceptable”.

ENERGY

Australia should look to use its own reserves of coal and uranium, Mr Abetz said, adding he has “very real concerns” about the national energy guarantee.

“Australia does have a problem. 20 years ago we had the cheapest energy in the world. 20 years later we are now I think the second most expensive in the world,” he said.

“What I’ve said about the national energy guarantee is it’s a framework. There’s still a lot of flesh to be put on the bones. And we still don’t have all the detail. Until such time as we have all the detail I think it’s premature to say that you fully support it or that you fully oppose it.”

Why does the government think it can or should stop the future of renewables? @SenatorAbetz @CornelWest & Anne Aly respond#QandA pic.twitter.com/66lankSgdN

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) August 13, 2018

Ms Aly responded the biggest obstacle to a national energy policy appears to be the government itself.

“(They) can’t come to an agreement about a national energy policy,” she said. “I think it’s a dire situation… We’d like to see a stronger target. The target at the moment of 26 per cent is very weak.”