Write wrong

We are supposed to emulate our leaders, especially world leaders. But if that’s the rule of thumb we apply to Trump, the unfortunately current president of the United States, that emulation would lead us down a very perilous path towards - I can’t even describe it. Shall we say, a “rude, discourteous world”, and leave it like that for the moment?

Take for example, his letter to another nation, another president. In this instance, we speak of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey. Just this October 9, in an effort to do some damage control because of his rash decision to pull out American troops from Syria, Trump decides to send off a missive to Turkey.

In essence, Trump is asking Turkey not to attack the Kurds in Syria, because if it does, everyone will not just criticize his action in pulling out the protective layer shielding the Kurds from Turkish reprisal, but they will also put the blame on the thousands of deaths of American allies on his orange head.

Now, we all know Trump is a businessman through and through, and that’s how he begins his letter. After the nicety of addressing Erdogan (rightly) as Mr. President, he begins by pitching. His very first words, I kid you not, says: “let’s work out a good deal”.

Which is maybe all fine and dandy because that’s the businessman in him, and we can probably forgive him for not starting with a flowery, complimentary address (which is really how we should start when approaching someone to beg.)

But that’s just the beginning of it. Trump’s very first paragraph tells (not merely suggests) Erdogan that he “doesn’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people” (effectively shifting the blame from Trump to Erdogan) and continues with “I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy - and I will”.

A threat! In the very first paragraph! Not even a veiled one, but an outright “I will destroy you if you don’t do what I want” kind of threat!

Trump has it in his head, perhaps, that he’s talking to an inferior instead of a co-equal. The tone of the letter is someone talking down from a lofty position, like an idiot that must be spoken to plainly and brutally, rather than one that must be persuaded with finesse and accommodation.

But no, Trump is not done with just (a) offering a deal and (b) delivering a threat. He ends with a barrage of insults. His third (and thankfully last) paragraph states: “History will look upon you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don’t happen. Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool”.

“Good things don’t happen”? Not exactly the most polished and elegant of sentences. “Tough guy”? Not exactly rich with adjectives and evocative of favorable connotations. And “devil” and “fool”? My lord. Any English composition instructor would faint at the sheer elegance of the American president’s literary achievement right here.

Compare this alternative. Why not offer something like “History will look upon us favorably if it judges our actions as right and humane.” (Rather than put the emphasis on Erdogan, spread the looking lens upon a collective, diffuse subject that won’t necessarily trigger a defensive reaction).

“It will look upon us forever as misguided, or worse, failures, if the optimal outcome isn’t achieved.” (So no devil-invocation, just a hopefully neutral conclusion of failure.)

“We trust neither of us will stick to rigid beliefs, but instead, work out a credible, well-measured and principled solution”. (Much better than calling the other a tough fool, right?)

Erdogan’s reaction upon receiving Trump’s letter was, reportedly, to throw it in the bin. As any school teacher might probably do when presented with a sucky assignment. Oops. I mean “deficiency achievement”.