Trump Derangement Syndrome
Well it was all fun and games for a while, but now it’s getting serious. Trump has leapt onto the top 10 list of dangers facing the world placing just slightly ahead of terrorism but still below a hard landing for China’s economy. As competitive as Donald is, he will be annoyed that he isn’t rated the top risk facing the world. Global warming didn’t make it to the list which is odd since so much political rhetoric and taxpayer money has been spent ‘addressing’ the issue. So if you think about it, Donald Trump is more of a danger than even global warming…which is saying something.
Trump’s rhetoric has been mostly about making America great again; so it’s implied that other nations are on their own. This is in contrast to the claims of the present Whitehouse incumbent who was to preside over the settling of the rising oceans, the healing of the earth and a new harmony in the world’s peoples replete with joyful singing. Well the singing was implied. So in that respect, Trump’s ambitions are rather modest and provincial compared to the expansive ambitions of the last guy.
Hysterical pundits worldwide are warning that Trump’s rise is a parallel to the ascension of a famous German dictator from the 1930’s. This tired comparison has lost its significance since the “N” word has been invoked to smear almost anyone that terrorizes people from policemen, to IRS agents, to soup chefs.
The article claims that Trump is pushing for ‘radical’ policies. I’m not so sure that Trump’s main ‘radical’ platforms, those concerning the securing of the borders are any more radical than people insisting on locks on their homes. That this is considered radical while one of the opposing Presidential candidates pitches free college, free health care and a 90% tax rate is amusing. Re-assessing trade relations with other nations as he’s threatened is entirely logical as it would be in any business if the cost/benefits are out of balance.
If there’s anything to fear from Trump, it’s the possibility that rudeness and coarseness become admirable traits. The political tradition of skewering, civil discourse is at stake, but no one is sounding the alarm on that. Far from the colorful, rapier-like rhetoric of Winston Churchill or John Kennedy, Trump’s verbal barbs consists of: fatso, ugly, short and of course, liar. Wharton must have not had a strong English program back in the day. On the other hand, it’s a change from most politicians who typically spew out 135 words of babble when 10 would do. At least Trump keeps his babble brief.
It’s quite telling that so many disparate factions worldwide, in addition to the usual leftist groups, are marshalling their efforts to stop Trump’s rise to power. It tells us that their status quo is at risk. It may be hard to be a fan of Trump’s, but when you look at the reputation of groups lined up to oppose him, it reminds us of the old middle eastern proverb: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.