May Trump allay fears of doubters
Today is Donald J. Trump first full day as America’s 45th president. There will be many challenges ahead. But we choose to be optimistic.
Before we continue, a word about his predecessor, Barack Obama. We disagreed with much of his agenda, and many of his decisions. But we never questioned his personal character or dedication to his country. Obama served honourably during challenging times. We wish him and his family well.
As we wish all Americans well. There can be no denying that President Trump enters office a hugely controversial figure. Much of the controversy is warranted, and there is clearly cause for concern about some of his campaign pledges and possible conflicts of interest.
But President Trump won the U.S. election fairly. It may soothe the battered egos of his political opponents to write off Trump voters as bigots and simpletons, but that all- too- convenient narrative obscures an ugly truth — America’s political class has left millions to struggle in a rapidly changing world while chastising them for their failure to keep up. Economic anxiety isn’t the only reason Trump won, but the fact that so many millions have good reason for that anxiety is a huge indictment of America’s political system. It has failed.
Those repeating ad nauseam that this “isn’t normal” need to accept that this is precisely what the voters who pulled the lever for Trump intended. “Normal,” in U. S. politics, has come to mean spending trillions on inconclusive wars, a collapse of traditional employment sectors across much of the country with too few new jobs to replace what’s lost, dysfunctional health- care and education systems, and America’s business, cultural and political elites evermore isolated from tens of millions of normal citizens whom t hey i ncreasingly overtly disdain.
Hillary Clinton embodied a continuation of that status quo, and lost. Much of the Republican establishment also aligned against Trump. They too were defeated. If President Trump is successful, the break from years of disappointing results for voters will be vindicated. If he himself fails, the crisis of America’s democracy will deepen. The stakes, to say the least, are high.
And the road ahead will be challenging. Trump’s lack of previous experience in government, while a feature for the electorate, may prove a bug as he seeks to convert campaign promises i nto policies that can be passed by Congress and make material differences in the lives of the people. But there are plenty of areas where President Trump can have a positive impact that are reachable enough with mere determination, and will not require brilliant feats of legislative legerdemain.
America’s education system has been failing for decades. Trump can help there. Despite a modest economic recovery, America’s private sector remains bogged down by burdensome regulation and an inefficient corporate tax system. Trump can help there. America’s armed forces are stretched and are in need of some modernization. Trump can help there.
A properly crafted healthcare reform plan would also be welcome, even if that’s admittedly a more difficult goal to achieve. If he is able to stay focused on the job of governing, Trump has a real chance to leave his mark on America — and leave even his detractors pleasantly surprised.
We are realists. These are uncertain times, and there’s always risk in uncertainty. But America is a resilient country, with a proud democratic tradition. And even the opposition that Trump has engendered is a welcome cause for optimism. Trump should be supported where appropriate, opposed when warranted, and, most of all, given a chance to succeed. All those who claim to believe in America owe him the time to grow into the job.
President Trump, after all, is not the first man to lead his country in turbulent times despite lacking executive experience. The day after being elevated to the presidency by the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, having suddenly found himself president of a nation embroiled in a world war, Harry S. Truman told reporters “I felt the moon, the stars and all the planets had landed on me.” He was humbled and overwhelmed by the burden and responsibility of the presidency. But he rose to the challenge and served two full terms as one of America’s finest chief executives.
Donald Trump is not Harry Truman. But he is the president of the United States, which remains the most important — the greatest, if you will — country in the world. We hope he takes to the role, and does the best he can for his country and free peoples everywhere. Good luck, Mr. President.
MOST OF ALL, (TRUMP) SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO SUCCEED.