The Rest of the World Stands Aghast at Donald Trump
In a follow-up to my recent post on Donald Trump, Larry Lemmert comments:
Craig, many of your talking points against Trump are taken from his ill- conceived words that indicate a lack of polish and a lack of political savvy.
He cites specific instances of problems but uses generalities which get him into trouble big time. He apologizes but the original comments get baked into the cake. I don’t think he hates Latinos but some of his words could be construed that way if taken out of context.
Thanks, Larry. It’s true that he uses “ill-conceived words,” and it’s possible that he doesn’t mean any of them; it’s impossible to say. He certainly can’t mean all of them, since so many of them contradict what he has said elsewhere.
It’s also true that the president doesn’t have the power to do a great many of the things he says he’ll do. All in all, he’s probably not as big a threat as many people (like me) take him to be.
Something else to be considered, however, is that the entire rest of the world has lost respect for our country because of this guy and his patently un-American positions. Because of my role here at 2GreenEnergy, I’m constantly speaking with people all over the globe who are stunned that we’ve fallen this far. A colleague asked me a few months ago, “What happened to your country? You were the envy of the world, and now you may elect a mean-spirited, loud-mouthed con man as your president?”
I really don’t know what to say, other than to assure people that we’ll get over this and put it behind us.
Craig,
Er, this may come as a bit of a shock to you, and I suspect many Americans, but the ‘world’ isn’t ‘aghast’, by the idea of Donald Trump, nor is US politics the “envy of the world” !
What with Monica Lewinsky, GW Bush, Richard Nixon etc, the prestige of US politics was never considered to be much more than an over-hyped charade among nations with a more level headed, albeit cynical, political attitude.
Donald Trump is by no means the most bizarre US politician over the years, and a good deal more entertaining than say, Wallace or McCarthy. The rest of the world has always considered US politics pretty crazy.
Trump has his faults, but he’s at least open, candid and pragmatic. Most other nations are used to dealing with flawed, eccentric even mad politicians, so for non-Americans, Trump’s flaws may not be as catastrophic as his US opponents believe them to be.
Your perception of “foreigners'” viewpoint of Trump doesn’t align with the facts. Please see: https://thinkprogress.org/what-newspapers-in-13-countries-are-saying-about-donald-trump-819e632616d2#.yi6azj0d7.
And your description of Trump as “candid” is even more ludicrous. Please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhAaBMgat70, or Google thousands of similar treatments on the subject.
Craig,
Good grief, with all due respect Craig, get a grip ! A handful of journalists writing a few articles doesn’t constitute “The World standing aghast” !
I’d bet that more has been written about the antics of the Kardashians, in the same publications than Donald Trump !
Nor are comments on social media indicative of anything except the internet phenomenon. Most of the world just doesn’t care that much about the US Presidency. (the US itself doesn’t care that much since less than 40% even bother to vote.
When I say ‘candid’, I’m not using the term a a synonym for truthful, or honest, but candid in the sense that he remains true to his character and behaves accordingly. It doesn’t matter if his character is ‘deplorable, if he seems contradictory, or liable to change his opinion, even confusing, it’s hailed as being unrehearsed and human. His millions of supporters,think this to be a positive trait, reflecting his lack of being a manufactured, polished, professional politician. He is what he is ! In that sense he’s candid.
I would really like to know which of the Presidents except possibly Lincoln, you would say was an example of enviable “moral Decency” ?
Jackson, McKinley, Buchanan, Grant, Coolidge, Harding,…..each US President, even great ones like FDR, Truman, JFK, LBJ etc, had moral weaknesses.
I’ll grant you politicians like RFK and Reagan did try to restore much of the prestige to high office, (RFK would have had a profound impact), but I don’t think anyone outside the US regards US politicians as possessing any great measure of “moral decency”.
As for being the US being envied by the rest of world for “Moral Decency” that really is self delusion on a grand scale!
Could you please provide an example where the US provided an example of morally decent leadership? How about slavery, the treatment of US native peoples, Klu Klux Klan, Jim Crow,United Fruit Company, Death Penalty, Gun Control, US Maine, the list goes on and on..
It may be asked, what “Moral Decency ” ?
I like America and Americans, but some times you guys just take yourselves too seriously !
Here’s a comment from my colleague Gary Tulie from Buckinghamshire, England. This is EXACTLY the way I look at it. The fact that you feel OK about an extremely potent threat to the US and the world has me baffled. You’re viewpoint is rare, to say the least.
“It is starting to look to me as if there are parallels between Donald Trump and Adolph Hitler in their attitudes to “The Big Lie” I.e. tell whoppers frequently, forcefully, and consistently, and people begin to believe you. This is a very dangerous propaganda tool in the hands of those with totalitarian tendencies, and could cause no end of trouble.
“I am not saying he is as bad as Alolph Hitler, there is no plan for a final solution to the Mexican problem, or any such horror, but just the willingness to constantly lie – even in the face or readily available contradictory evidence is bad enough.”
Also, I didn’t say that US politics was the envy of the world; I said that the US generally (in terms of things like moral decency) used to be the envy of the world. That’s true, btw.
Craig,
Oh dear Craig,you must be very idealistic if you imagine Donald Trump is the first US politician to lie !
Actually, most of his ‘lies’, are not really so much lies as stuff he prefers to believe is true, despite evidence to the contrary.
That’s not exactly like Hitler, who knew the truth, but carefully constructed lies people believed. What Trump believes may erroneous, irrational, even delusional, but it isn’t exactly lying, simply the very human tendency to claim what he thinks should be true, rather than what is true.
Comparing those who espouse political opinions you dislike with Adolf Hitler on only dubiously tenuous connections is sensationalist, and committing the exactly the same sin as you accuse Trump of committing.
No doubt around the world there may be some “outraged ” folk who are deeply concerned by the prospect of a Trump presidency, but the other 99% just accept the Trump phenomenon as the usual madness involved in US politics.
Outside small leftist circles, and the usual hysterics of the media, most folks don’t really care about US politics. They’re too busy getting on with their own lives to obsess over events in another nation over which they have no control.
Donald Trump may not be a great candidate,( in fact he’s very unsuitable), but he’s certainly not Hitler! Wild exaggerations about the level of his unsuitability is actually increasing, not decreasing, his popularity !
Americans should be more concerned as to the wisdom of electing a politician who fails to consider, and further alienate the concerns and aspirations of Trumps supporters.
Craig, I’m sorry if it offends you, but isn’t your continuing repetition of claiming the US possessed “moral decency” envied by the world, despite the total absence of any supporting evidence, and continuing to ignore all evidence to the contrary, just doing exactly what you find so deplorable in Trump ?
The US has never possessed any “moral decency envied by the rest of the world”.
Most of the morally decent events occurring in the US, occurred long after many other nations. In fact it’s very hard to find a single socially progressive concept that originated in the US !
But, I’m open minded and look forward to your justification and evidence to support your assertion, (that’s true BTW).
Craig you are fighting on to many fronts which is diluting your focus on the most critical issue at hand “the development of enduring global clean energy generation technologies that will ensure for pertpetuity the reduction of greenhouse gasses from energy generation to insignificant levels whilst providing abundant clean and safe low cost power availability for the use of all people and businesses to power the new energy intensive technological era we are in urgent need of commencing”.
Lawrence Coomber
@ Craig Your comment that the moral decency of the US used to be the envy of the World . It no longer is , so glad you said USED To Be!
We lost our compass decades ago beginning in the 1950’s going forward to the present. “The Sorrows of Empire” & The Shock Doctrine” lays bare many things one who is of decent lineage finds rather disgusting and disillusioning about our entire Modus OPERANDI SINCE END OF W W 2
Marco you keep pointing out these truths no matter how bittersweet they may be Cheers Mate !
We have become what we rebelled against if one takes a clinical analytical dissection of our last 65 years or so.
Marco makes some Inconvenient Truth points – and just like most Americans are too busy trying to make ends meet or to go consume things they want but dont need most of the World is also caught up in their own struggle as well.
Yes I think this latest election Follies have made us look worse. But we been on this declining trend for many election cycles now. As I said in the other Post the foreigners I talk to here say and ask what happened but that is more a reaction to the folly of trumpster.
Could be cultural sensitivity to his long term espoused racial bigoted positions.
In any case we need to restructure our election process and reduce the entire election cycle to a year or less. Take the big money out of it also. But that is asking for too much most likely.
Seems like Lawrence wants More focus on Sustainability Issues and related
Onwards to the Rubicon River and beyond
Donald Trump’s most recent political advertisement is clearly anti-Semitic. Although people not familiar with anti-Semitic language might not realize it, it is actually quite clear when he refers to a global conspiracy. Here is a link to it:
http://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-closing-campaign-ad-seen-as-striking-anti-semitic-tones/
Being anti-Semitic is not the only problem with Trump, although even if it were the only problem it would be sufficient to reject him. He also sees no point in clean energy and supports increasing the use of coal. His impetuousness, lack of self-discipline, arrogance, lack of fairness, robbing the poor, and narcissism are also alarming. Probably he is a psychopath.
It’s impossible to predict what would happen if Trump were elected. Fortunately, the power of the president is not unlimited; he is not a dictator. It may be that Congress and others could exercise sufficient control to prevent a disaster.
Mrs. Clinton would be a mediocre president; we’ve had far worse.
Frank,
Give a dog a bad name and,….
Of all the accusations leveled at Donald Trump, racism and especially antisemitism, are the most unfair, and unfortunate.
Perhaps it’s his incautious phrasing, or people desire to pounce on any hint of prejudice, real or imaginary, that’s at fault.
The desire to be fair to minorities can be admirable, especially when those minorities have a history of persecution. However, it’s a sort of inverse prejudice to treat these minorities as sacred cows, and tip toe ’round any criticism of their behavior, or groups identified with the interests of any minority.
Nothing in Donald Trump’s history shows any prejudice toward those of the Jewish faith, indeed to the contrary.
Nor is he alluding to any connotation regarding to the Protocols of Zion etc. He’s alluding, albeit clumsily, to a group or groupings, of international Jewish interests who involve themselves in US politics for the betterment of Israel.
These groups tend to favour the Democrats being based in New York and other large US cities and have long been associated with heavy financial support for Obama/Clinton.
Naturally, a great many leftist writers (many also Jewish) are eager to play the race card against a candidate who can be easily taited with this slur, which as no real basis, but then again, give a dog a bad name ,and any libel against dcan be believed.