Trump As Man of the Year 2017
It may have been the African year of The Crocodile, but nothing prepared the world for hurricane Trump. The America First chanter loves himself so much that all through 2017, his single dream was to bring the world to its teeters. Not only was he putting America First, Donald Trump would like to go down in history as the second American president to use nuclear arms to prove America’s superpower status. Thus far, he has talked tough; there are no indications that given the opportunity, he wouldn’t walk the talk. America’s 45th president is clearly a walking and present danger; a delusional devil-maycare bully with fingers constantly caressing the trigger of nuclear catastrophe.
Nowhere else is this conjecture plausible as in the on-and-off rhetoric between Trump and Kim Jung-un of North Korea. Several times in the past year, the world was forced to its knees praying that both rulers would appeal to reason and spare the world of avoidable catastrophe. The megalomaniac Kim has tested more missiles in the few months of the Trump presidency than some of his predecessors in their lifetime. Gone with a puff was the characteristic decency and decorum that global leaders use in addressing themselves. With Trump describing Kim as the Rocket Man, and fat, Kim responded calling him a dotard.
If Trump understands the elements of diplomacy, he does not care to use it either in exchanges with North Korea, or teasing London’s mayor or the UK’s Prime Minister. Love him or hate him, Trump is a phenom who stokes the embers of war and hatred around the globe. Just when it looked like a pyrrhic peace encircles the Middle East, Trump gave notice then unilaterally declared Jerusalem the undisputed capital of Israel absolutely unfazed about the consequences to peace in the region. Challenged by the UN, he vetoed their ruling while starving them of needed funds thus calling the bluff of the group and undermining its importance, something no American leader has done since the end of the World War II. The Jerusalem saga comes after banning citizens of several Muslim countries from America.
Trump has an unusual reverence for Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin. He admires Putin as a strong leader and derides the notion that the Russians rigged him into the White House. Under Trump, diplomacy becomes – tweeplomacy, where, the most serious issues are reduced to 140 characters. Either on domestic or foreign affairs, the Trump strategy is to tweet first then rationalise later. Truth is how Trump sees anything, any shades of grey is fake news.
While the rest of the world sees the face of a bully, Trump’s popularity among his harebrained supporters continues to rise. Canadian radio talk-show host, Rob Snow put a timeline to Trump’s support on Twitter towards yearend. It revealed that Trump gets an average of 35,000 likes within a minute of a tweet.
Nothing has threatened global peace and entente like the Trump phenomenon. It has exacerbated racial frictions in America and emboldened extremism across the globe. On domestic or international matters, Trump is on the side of the extreme right either the rump of the Ku Klux Klan at home or the National Front in Britain. His spat with leaders of Pueto Rico in the midst of a disaster contrasts with his visit to other parts of America battered by similar floods. With Trump in the White House, extreme right groups are emboldened everywhere with a possible catchphrase - haters of the world, unite!
It’s not all negativity for Trump. Bullying China in his campaign rhetoric and praising Russia has won him the support needed to increase sanctions against North Korea. On a visit to the Middle East, Trump’s wife ignored the usual head covering diplomatese by visiting spouses visiting Saudi Arabia but mildly veiled while in Israel. It did not prevent him from coasting home with a $300 billion arms deal by the Saudis. This is needed fillip for the American economy and a boost to the arms race.
In spite of obsessive criticism of the Trump style, the American economy has benefited with record GDP growth and employment records showing that the economy is doing well.
Trump is undoubtedly the Man of the Year. His survival instinct and uncanny strategy is very likely to make him the Man of the Moment for the better part of his presidency. Love him or hate him, Trumpism would likely keep its dominance of global affairs for the better part of his presidency. What that means for the American abroad is a different story. Domestically, in spite of the significant loss in Alabama that narrowed the gap between democrats and republicans at the senate, and conflicting poll results, it remains pure wishful thinking to imagine a Trump impeachment.
From all indications, this abrasive style of leadership would likely see Trump through his first term. It follows that if he survives the domestic storm and the economy continues to grow, he may yet appeal to his delusional supporters who worship him to get a second term. In essence, global politics and diplomacy would have to adapt to the concept of doing business with a well-armed bully for a long time to come.