Cultural Revolution: 2016 Election Postmortem

By Dan Butterfield

Cultural Revolution dissects the 2016 Presidential election--trying to understand what really took place.

Why did two outsiders (Sanders and Trump) garner so much support, with one of them going on to win the election?

CR explored this phenomena in depth--opening up the door to an explanation few in the media have contemplated--2016 was an election of crisis.

The question: Where does the country go from here?

Occam's Razor is predicated on a single guiding principle--relief.

By utilizing the principles of plausibility attributed to William of Ockham, OR is focused on addressing the frustration and anxiety that has led to so much anger regarding the Hot Button issues of the day.

OR seeks to accomplish this goal by using critical reasoning (not opinion) to create objective insights and context that permits the reader to reach their own informed conclusions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Sep 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781619847934

Book preview

About Occam’s Razor

Occam’s Razor is predicated on a single guiding principle—relief.

More to the point, Occam’s Razor is focused on addressing the frustration and anxiety, that has led to so much anger regarding the pressing issues of the day, by working to develop the context and insights necessary to create an informed consumer base.

It must be emphasized: There is no desire on the part of Occam’s Razor to influence the reader with opinion. There is already more than enough such material, mostly unfounded, in the market. Furthermore, it is the feeling of the author that opinion, founded or otherwise, does not lead to lasting relief and therefore has limited value.

This has led to a different kind of product, one where topics are explored in an a-political, non-biased manner using the principles of plausibility attributed to William of Ockham (1287-1347).

Occam’s razor: Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions is likely the right one. In other words: In the American Southwest, if one hears hoof beats—think horses, not zebras.

It is worth stating: There is rarely any certitude when dealing with current events or any issue for that matter.

In addition, there is no claim of deity like abilities on the part of Occam’s Razor.

The author is well aware he does not possess every possible fact or infinite wisdom.

Still, by applying the principles of plausibility to known (public) facts, rather than, relying on mere conjecture and opinion a far more robust picture can be developed. It is this more robust, non-biased, picture that leads to the creation of an informed consumer.

Note: Introducing political or emotional bias into any issue/situation does not lead to good judgment, rather they create barriers to good judgment.

And, only through giving the consumer the necessary tools to make informed decisions can relief be provided.

Preface

The 2016 U.S. Presidential election can be described in two words—Cultural Revolution.

Two political outsiders, given little chance of winning, stunned pundits—with one of those outsiders going on to eventually the Presidency. How was that possible?

There was no apparent overt crisis in the country. Hillary Clinton, the preeminent choice to be elected as the 45th U.S., was supposed to win in a landslide—she failed.

Cultural Revolution explores why—what was supposed to happen—didn’t. Why the American political landscape was turned upside down.

Unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, what she thought would be her coronation as America’s first female President turned out to any but that as the country elected billionaire political neophyte Donald Trump.

As it turned out there was a crisis after all—a crisis of confidence in the political establishment. This crisis would eventually lead to a historic election.

Introduction

Donald Trump’s victory should never have happened—the odds were stacked against him. But