In the most recent season (possibly series) finale of Doctor Who, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) makes a magical wish that her far-right conspiracy theorist crazy ex-boyfriend Conrad (Jonah Hauer-King) will be “happy” in a restored timeline. The result is that he’s a normal guy living a productive, decidedly non-incel life. That struck me as naive on the part of both Ruby and episode writer Russell T Davies. It’s perhaps liberal arrogance to assume that our definition of “happiness” is the same as our MAGA opponents. Happiness is not an objective concept. As Morticia Addams might say, “What is [happiness] for the spider is chaos for the fly.” Wishing happiness for a radicalized person should have had Monkey’s Paw results.
I think the second season of HBO’s Peacemaker handles this better. Antihero Chris Smith (John Cena) discovers an alternate reality. In his “normal” universe, Chris’s late father (Robert Patrick) was an abusive monster, a supervillain known as the White Dragon, who was leader of the Aryan Empire, which I should clarify is a white supremacist organization for those who might think its name was taken “out of context.” On this alternate Earth, his father is alive and a superhero. So is his brother Keith, played by David Denman (the demon Skip from Angel).
There are other seemingly pleasant upsides for Chris. This reality seems simpler. “Best universe ever!” he declares. However, it’s also blindingly white.
When Chris’s friends search for him on the alternate Earth in the episode “Ignorance Is Chris,” Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) notices pretty quickly that there are no people of color visible. “You don’t notice anything weird here,” she asks? He even scoffs at the idea that she’s only seen white people: “No way!” That’s a familiar response for any minority who’s pointed out to a white friend or colleague the lack of diversity at a social event, work function, or political gathering. There’s instant denial at first and then rationalization. Of course, nothing in this country is ever entirely white by accident. There’s usually a story, a red line that goes back to restrictive covenants and enforced segregation.
Chris’s titular ignorance is not overtly racist. He just feels comfortable in this reality, which should challenge a lot of white viewers whose own personal realities are not particularly diverse. Harcout points out the lack of diversity when they’re inside a government facility. Our current government actively attacks “D.E.I.” initiatives, and even private companies that once embraced “diversity, equity, and inclusion” have retreated to a supposed “merit-based” system where race and gender aren’t acknowledged.
A few months ago, a Seattle resident was describing to my wife and me a trip he’d taken to New Orleans and it soon became clear that he’d conflated majority Black areas with “danger” or potential crime. He’s not overtly racist, either, and would probably resent the implication, just like Chris.
Meanwhile, Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) discovers the truth about this reality the hard way. She wanders freely around a suburban neighborhood, which she immediately learns is not normal, as Keith spots her and shouts, “One got out! A Black!”
Soon, the entire neighborhood is pursuing her, as Chris and Harcourt find an American flag with a swastika in place of the stars and stripes. That is still an alternate reality flag for now. Chris’s “best universe ever” is Earth-X, one where the Nazis won World War II. “This is your perfect world, huh?” Harcourt tells Chris, who can only whisper “Fuck me.”
Turns out this Nazi Earth is only dystopian for the marginalized. Everyone else seems to have adjusted. The Handmaid’s Tale looks like a terrible place to live no matter who you are, and the weird outfits broadcast fascist intent. On this Earth, evil is more than just banal. It’s seemingly peaceful.
You can’t help thinking about Earth-X when you see supposed “liberals” like Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias define victory against MAGA as the slow, tacit surrender of the vulnerable. If only trans people and what James Carville called “preachy females” would stop making so much noise about their rights, enlightened liberals could peacefully debate policy with their well-dressed MAGA counterparts. They confuse “peace” with “quiet.”
These reasonable men argue that we must “compromise” with MAGA in defense of democracy. Apparently, if we sacrifice enough people’s freedom and dignity, we’ll preserve democracy. That’s the premise of a Grimm’s fairy tale or a Twilight Zone episode, only they skipped the ending. Still, when there’s so much chaos and rancor in our world, it’s tempting to seek peace at any cost, especially when you’re not the one paying.
Chris Smith doesn’t fall in love with this reality because it’s overtly a white supremacist state. He doesn’t get off on seeing minorities persecuted. He’s just delighted that his father and brother are alive, and more importantly, his father is kind to him. He never interrogates the reason his father is happier than he was on his own Earth. If “whiteness” is the rule, without the constant “threat” of civil rights advancement, maybe there is no Fox News or right-wing media to stoke people’s rage. More liberals would make this trade for the sake of family harmony than you might wish. It’s truly a devil’s bargain, as I personally think such tranquility is unsustainable. If you resent and fear anything different or outside your frame of reference, you’ll eventually find something to resent and fear, no matter how similar everyone else appears.
Perhaps that’s why Black people still exist on Earth-X, decades after World War II. The Nazi’s final solution wasn’t racial extinction but instead enduring oppression. This is probably what separates Chris from MAGA. He might genuinely crave simplicity, the comfort of a happy family he never knew, but it’s become clear that people like Stephen Miller, JD Vance, even Megyn Kelly can’t truly experience what they consider “happiness” unless they know that people who aren’t like them are “unhappy.” This is why I’d never foolishly wish that Donald Trump was “happy.”
I don’t think the likes of Kelly, Miller et al would even be happy in a world where their enemies are oppressed. All they can do is endless grievance because they’re so empty inside. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Look how even now with stormtroopers prowling the streets they’re still finding something to be pissed about—Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl (I’m old enough to remember when no one gave a crap about who played halftime as that was bathroom break time).
No need to compromise with them, as it wouldn’t even work anyway—they’ll always demand more. If you’re losing, then find a way to sell your side better.
The idea of confusing peace with quiet resonates with me. And then there is a corollary -- confusing disagreement with conflict.