by Evelyn San Miguel ‘26

On February 5, Donald Trump proposed an outrageous, shocking, and absolutely ridiculous prospect — that the United States “take over” and “develop” the Gaza Strip. Surprising even his most senior staff, the press, and Democrats, Trump’s plan to turn Gaza into prime real estate is just one of many bombardments of chaotic static, a staple of the Trump Administration and a part of a cultivated plan. Named “shock and awe” for its effects on the public, this plan entails what the administration calls a “flood the zone” strategy.

Trump’s former Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, commented that the strategy is used to paralyze the press and the public, overloading with so much information that the news cycle can only pick up and focus on a few matters at a time, allowing everything else to be swept under the rug. There are far more examples to choose from in the past weeks in which Trump has employed the ‘shock and awe’ tactic. The point is to create apathy, to stun, to freeze. It is vital, especially as the news becomes increasingly chaotic and flooded with outlandish statements, that one does not allow themselves to be shocked or awed. Don’t panic. Comb through the jargon, find what is actually happening beneath the mountain of absurdities, and do something about it.