Opinion: The Smartness Dilemma in American Culture and the Biden Conundrum

By Shailesh Dass Jhugroo

Let’s get to the facts. There is no real debate in America: smart people are often considered culturally boring. This attitude takes root early, starting in schools where smart kids are labeled as nerds, while the attractive and popular kids get all the attention.

I grew up in Mauritius, heavily influenced by French culture. On one hand, there was the gratuitous display of naked women and sex on mainstream TV; on the other, there were intellectual debates on serious matters. While Mauritius might not embody this fully, the French certainly do, with worldly presidents like François Mitterrand or even Jacques Chirac. To find statesmen of such caliber in the U.S., we have to go back to the days of Abraham Lincoln or the founding fathers.

Last night, millions of Americans tuned in not to hear about policies, but rather to seek the same thrill as they would get from watching "MILF Manor" on TLC or a boxing match on PPV. And boy, were they entertained. The show could have ended there, with both sides of this polarized nation taking stock of whatever they had seen. But then, we witnessed an unexpected twist: a well-planned coup from the Democratic mainstream media to oust President Biden.

Allow me to clarify. Within 24 hours of the debate, the Biden campaign raised $11 million from small donors, while Trump’s campaign pulled in $7 million. This indicates that voters were not significantly swayed by Biden's underperformance. For the most part, his followers remained loyal. However, the left-leaning mainstream media has decided otherwise.

Judging by the panel of political analysts that CNN lined up, it seems they had already received their marching orders to take down Biden. The New York Times published over a dozen articles against Biden in the past 24 hours, reminiscent of eight years ago when they sought to paint Bernie Sanders as a gun-loving socialist to discredit him in favor of Hillary Clinton. They even brought out their big gun, Tom Friedman, who wrote within hours of the debate that while he likes Biden, the man needs to step down.

This begs the question: if regular Democratic voters were still on the fence about Biden and were, in fact, donating more to him, why does the mainstream media want to take him down so desperately? The answer lies in the cartoon above. This was not a debate, but a televised job interview for AIPAC. Unfortunately, for Biden, the zionist millionaires and billionaires that control America have already decided otherwise.  They want him out for his slow-rolling assistance to Israel, and in doing so they are sending a clear message to the rest of the political establishment - AIPAC owns them.

As we navigate these turbulent times, it is crucial to reflect on what qualities we value in our leaders and how we, as a society, choose to engage with important issues. The current situation reveals deeper issues within American culture and politics, highlighting a disconnect between morals and the spectacle-driven nature of our discourse. As for me, come November, my choice is clear, I will not vote for any candidate that actively supports genocide in Gaza.