Initially I thought it would be wise to wait until it was closer to the November 2016 election to write this piece, but given the current level of Trump-mania (or hysteria depending on your perspective) and the fact that he has somehow increased his lead amongst Republican voters after more insane rhetoric I could wait no longer.
I will begin with a simple question for Americans: How could you let this happen?
Or maybe the question should be: Why is this happening?
In 2008 when Barack Obama was elected President under the promise of change it was supposed to usher in a new era of hope. To be clear this hope was not just for America, but the whole world, and especially for visible minorities in Western countries who could breathe a collective sigh of relief in thinking that this new future ushered in with the election of the first black president would finally help heal the scars of historic discrimination by demonstrating that the majority of people in one of the most advanced nations on earth would finally allow themselves to be led and represented by a man of color.
Did Barak do his part? Despite bi-partisan challenges and xenophobic probes (including his place of birth) the answer is absolutely yes, and the evidence to support this is clear: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CYkPASOUQAAj_Af.jpg:large. President Obama not only led the United States out of the worst economy since the depression but backed social reforms that ameliorated the lives of millions of disenfranchised and marginalized Americans.
In light of Obama’s performance, the question again is why is this happening? Why does it appear that Western society appears to have collectively taken a giant leap backward? If Obama had failed at his job the answer would have been understandable, or at least predictable: Despite the fact that many world leaders have failed at their jobs, conservatives and Obama’s critics who have their own agenda would pound the table with Obama’s failure, directly state that we can never let this happen again with the indirect agenda of never allowing a person of color even get a whiff of the White House again. But in light of his success another path to intolerance had to be found and it is perhaps this reason why we are seeing what we are seeing out of American Politics.
Still unable to accept the fact that there was a black president and now infuriated by the fact that he was successful, society as a whole must now understand that intolerant forces that many had hoped were extinguished, were instead merely in hostile dormancy. Not foolish enough to competitively challenge a sitting president who was shining at his job, these intolerant forces waited until the first black president could not run for re-election to finally unleash themselves upon the world. The manifestation of these forces is Donald Trump.
Once dismissed as an obvious affront to common sense, in 2016 humanity is once again under siege by an afterthought being propelled to relevance by misguided people poisoned by hate. Although many of these people call themselves Republican and Donald Trump himself is running under the Republican banner it would be an insult to actual Republicans to equate the two. Simply because someone calls themselves something or represents themselves in a certain light does not make it true and it is the responsibility of the populous to question and validate dubious declarations. Unfortunately however, when people en masse choose to ignore facts and do not meet their responsibilities, lies have a way of becoming the truth when the people instead actually believe and blindly take to heart what they hear. And that is where we are now.
Radical conservatives and hate fuelled intolerance have found a symbol to attach themselves to and their collective action has now brought the world to the precipice of socially dystopian existence. When questioned about their allegiance to man who has openly made bigoted statements and conceived racist policies that would make pre-1960 America blush, they state that their support for Donald Trump as president is built on one or more of the following:
1) He says what’s on his mind and he is honest;
2) He is confident and brave;
3) He is a successful businessman;
4) He is self-funded;
5) Ted Cruz is THE insidious cheater;
6) He is what we need to make America great again.
However, even a superficial investigation of these claims leads demonstrates either their (at best) misguided falsity or (at worst) their espoused collective racial hatred. Examining each claim closely demonstrates not only what a farce Donald Trump is, but what a mockery is made of civilized society.
1) He is what’s on his mind and he is honest; Let us be clear, there is a difference between these two things. While Donald Trump might say outlandish things that either pop into his mind or he deliberately says to provoke attention that does not mean that this statements are true or that he himself is honest. Obviously Donald Trump is both outspoken and brash and while that can be a good thing when done for a cause or the betterment of society, when done for one’s own selfish interests and personal prejudices, this lack of decorum not only renders you far from a capable diplomat or effective leader but makes the entire populous you claim to represent look like a joke on the world stage. In regards to Donald Trump’s honesty, this is simply another joke. Although books could be written on the man’s dishonest and nefarious practices pre-2015, but post-2015 not only does Politifact confirmation that over 75% of what he says is bullshit http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015-12-21/fact-checking-website-donald-trump-lies-76-percent-of-the-time , but his feigning ignorance when questioned about David Duke and the White Supremacist vote is all the confirmation even the most mentally infirm would need to properly rate his honesty.
2) He is confident and brave; I can understand how some people can get this impression. There is little question that Trump talks with a lot of gusto and power. Unfortunately, this tough talk is built only on hot air and exceptionally thin skin. Have you ever noticed what happens to Trump when he is challenged on a point or called on an inaccurate and/or malicious statement he has made? If you have not just visit your local school ground and observe a petulant child who does not get their way or is scolded by parent for misbehavior as it is essentially the same thing. The only real difference is that children usually do not use the kind of vitriol or personal attacks that comes out of Trump’s mouth nor do they have the imagination to make up some of the nonsensical garble or evade the subject the way he does. Other than that everything is pretty much the same; Get Red (check) Get Loud (check) Get Mad (check) Try and Change the Subject (check) Rant and Rave (check) Claim Someone Else is Responsible or Started it First (check). It is all there and as such someone with this sort of paper thin confidence level or flippant temperament can hardly be considered brave or confident.
3) He is a successful businessman; This is actually the easiest claim to disprove since subjectivity is removed from the equation as countless Trump products have been spectacular failures. From Trump steaks to Trump University the flops and borderline scams renders the line of his failed brand extensions to stretch around the block. With respect to his core business, while his gorilla math somehow equates him to having a net-worth in the billions, even if this were true it is more of a testament to the failed state of corporate America and America’s bankruptcy laws than anything else. How someone can repeatedly declare business bankruptcy and have been on the brink of personal bankruptcy highlights all you know need to know about the need for reform in this area of the law. To his credit he has made his father’s business more prominent, but when you do so in manner where bankruptcy is the norm and your financing strategy involves no intention of paying back investors at agreed upon terms and subsequently threaten bankruptcy to “get a better deal” your degree does not read from the Wharton School of Business but rather it reads like it is from the Don King’s Institute of Ripping People Off. How Trump has not been indicted for fraud based on his practices and public statements which prove his has no interest in abiding by contracted terms is beyond comprehension.
4) He is self-funded; Another great deception perpetrated on the American public by Trump is that his campaign is completely self-funded. Although one could say that this is technically accurate as the money is derived from him, the money appears to be nothing more than a loan advance from Donald Trump the dubious businessman to Donald Trump Presidential Campaign where one can assume that just like any other normal loan, the lender will be paid the full amount plus interest (every loan except when Donald Trump is the recipient). And given that the majority of funds Donald Trump Presidential Campaign will be derived from donations made by members of the American public, the claim that his campaign is self-funded is at best misleading and at worst fraudulent. To be fair, Donald Trump has recently come out and stated that he will be forgiving a large portion of the funds he has lent his campaign, however, given Trump’s propensity to lie http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015-12-21/fact-checking-website-donald-trump-lies-76-percent-of-the-time this should be taken with a silo of salt until he actually does so.
5) Ted Cruz is THE insidious cheater; Although Ted Cruz might turn out to be an insidious cheater who repeatedly cheats on his wife, that presumption is only just that, as there is currently no evidence produced confirming his alleged adultery. However, what is not up for debate and what is matter of public record is that Donald Trump IS a notorious philanderer who has repeatedly cheated on his spouse(s). Although I was hesitant to include this item on this list and one could argue that one’s personal life has little impact on one’s professional abilities, the fact that there are people out there (and as noted by Ted Cruz, likely cronies of Donald Trump) who can somehow peddle the notion that someone other than Donald Trump is the nefarious adulterous without highlighting the Donald’s own doings is an injustice I just could not tolerate. If Donald Trump interest in the Miss Universe and Miss America pageants is anything other than him trying to establish a high end harem of women to fawn over I would be utterly shocked.
6) He is what we need to make America great again; Finally we have the biggest misconception of all. Many have rallied around Trump and his catchphrase with the genuine belief that he is what America needs to be great again. But in what rational world can this be true? Leaving aside President Obama’s accomplishments and the fact that he took America out of the economic toilet it was in back in 2008, how can having a man with the (stated) convictions of Trump be a benefit to America or the rest of the world by extension? If Trump genuinely advocates for the removal and/or ban of immigrants which does nothing more than divide Americans and pit them against each other, pursues isolationist policies in an era of globalization, continues to be a stooge for the NRA when the streets are paved with the blood of over 10,000 Americans a year, continues to demonize women with his misogynistic vitriol, and basically continue to be the babbling hate-filled liar that he is, then again I must ask how this can be a positive for any rational person? The answer is simple, he cannot.
After examine each aspect of Trump’s appeal one thing is clear, it is all one big deception. This November America will find itself at the precipice of sanity and good government. Beyond that though, and more importantly, it will also find itself at the precipice of hope, kindness, and love. Is Hillary Clinton a perfect embodiment of the latter? If one is being completely honest the answer is unknown, but probably not. That being the case, what even her most ardent critics would have to agree upon is that she is not the death of those sentiments. Donald Trump President however would be without question the death of the sentiments (along with being a death knell for American politics, both foreign and domestic).
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008 the fact that he was the first black President was not what was truly amazing, it was the fact that a country with as deep a history of discrimination had finally appeared to put its darkest racist and intolerant days behind it as the majority of its people had finally signified to the world that a person’s skin color was no longer of consequence. The significance of this was multi-dimensional but at the most basic level it meant that despite its misguided and devastating deviations, the United States was finally ready to fulfill the promises made during its declaration. In deciding whether to cast their vote for an ugly hate filled man intent on ruining the nation with divisive politics, the question Americans must ask themselves is: despite one’s political affiliations and personal biases, are we truly willing to let the social progress our beautiful country has finally achieved be dissolved? Do we even want to?
When it comes time to cast to vote all I will ask when even debating to vote for the most overt demagogue seen mid-twentieth century Germany is to trust your instinct and consider the spirit embodied in the following words: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
If Gandhi is right and hope and love always triumphs over evil, Americans working together can ensure that they will surely trump Trump.
