By Dave Soto
On the 27th of September, Kanye West arrived at the offices of The FADER donning a Colin Kaepernick sweatshirt and MAGA hat. This juxtaposition of such stark opposites may seem like an attempt to mend the modern political divide, but in reality, Kanye’s antics do more to intensify tensions than they quell them.
What Kanye West presents through his SNL rant and White House appearance is an unclear sense of understanding of the causes behind many issues. Kanye’s simplistic approach to matters such as the 13th Amendment and mental health fail to acknowledge the historical and institutional factors behind them. What we end up with is a naive man trying to preach an unattainable goal. As a result, Kanye’s peddling of misinformation has gained him the approval of a president whose campaign was built on making people believe falsehoods.
To clinch to both depths of ideological sides and say they are ethically equal is foolish. The Trump administration has separated undocumented families and demonized minority groups. The power struggle between the working class and richest 1 percent of Americans cannot be amended through love, but through progressive legislative action. It’s incredibly frustrating that even with all his influence, Kanye chooses to perceive the issues at hand so blindly. There is no greater threat to democracy than when the public buys into ideas just because they sound good. We as a society that values truth and honesty must broaden our knowledge of the causes of injustice.
Featured image is from Footwear News.
The Spread 