Courage

Submitted by Lindsay
Melbourne Australia!

"But screw your courage to the sticking place, an we’ll not fail." -
 Lady Macbeth, in act 1, Macbeth

(1/2019) With the birds eye view of American politics that is afforded me from Melbourne, Australia, it is easy to spot the reason President Trump is so popular. For quite a while I could not understand it – how could anyone with his reputation of immorality, lies and chicanery pull such an adoring (or at least tolerant) crowd of supporters to his presidency?

On consideration, I realised that there is one only thing that has brought this about. He has done what his predecessors were unable or unwilling to do, and that is to take the fight to the Chinese. Both republicans and democrats have, until now, followed the rules, played a long game with behind-the-scene diplomacy and many conferences to ensure trade, and not hostilities were the outcome. They certainly did not trust them, were both appalled and accepting of their shocking human rights violations, outwardly ignoring their military build up, and taking unprecedented action to limit their cyber warfare that they had built up to rival their own.

But they were, and still are, hampered by being ‘The Establishment’. They had their eyes on the one thing that has always ruled American commerce: Profit. They seemed not to have had ordinary folk in mind, were too isolated at the top of the tree. Many Americans, just like most Australians, don’t really care about international affairs, they just want a decent job, some respect, and to believe they are heard in Washington or Canberra. They’re reasonable people who have accepted what they were told, and when that is seen as part of the dynasty, self serving, good for the rich and probably corrupt, they become more and more disillusioned, and revolt against the establishment in any way they can.

So, when a well known flamboyant spruiker comes on the scene, promising change, to redress the wrongs, and using that meaningless but catchy slogan of greatness again, they lift him up to hero status. It doesn’t matter what he does or says, he is their messiah, and that’s the end of it.

If they took time to listen, they would hear the reality of his rhetoric. It reveals his overweening egoism, his disdain for the law, and his belief that he can manipulate things so he will never be brought to book. There have been couple of shonky presidents – Nixon being one - but this one takes the cake.

The fact that congress is now decidedly Democrat proves that thinking citizens have seen through his game and kicked him where it hurts. The rust belt and rural supporters apparently might still believe in him, but when major Republican figures scheme to get rid of him, those citizens should at least take their lead. It is unbelievable that they can accept messages such as today’s "I’d sooner shut down the government than give up on the wall." He is treating the office of president like a totalitarian clown, a fiefdom for his arbitrary whims where he becomes impossible to work with unless you agree to maintain the cover-ups and collusions.

While attention is focused on domestic matters, foreign policy and relations are used as a platform for his ego. Grand statements –He (Kim Jon Un) is good. No more missiles. He guaranteed that. After I talked to him. He’s a good guy. Vladimir is ok, he knows how to run a country. Who needs Europe? They’re so out of touch. Saudi’s are the good guys. They spend big. I mean, real big. Trade wars are good. I can win them.

And something that makes my skin crawl: Australia has the right idea about asylum seekers. Keep em offshore, like we should do the the Mexicans. They’re evil people, and their kids? I mean… And then the latest: Australia is the only country to enact new rules on the telcos to make them open up all those emails and posts. Keep the bad guys in check. Gees those guys are good.

Yes? It only shows how far right our current government is. There is an enormous backlash here, and come next May our labor opposition will be in government to undo some of the most extreme measures they have taken.

Trumps grandiose statements are fantasy, his mentor and strategist Bannon giving him his ultra right ideas that are straight out of the oligarch’s handbook. In Trumps hands they are guaranteed to make headlines. Headlines are, of course, his bread and butter. Like all egomaniacs, notoriety is compulsive. Being top dog, he can and does piss on anyone who refuses to grovel. Therein lies the greatest danger: diminishing the office of president, making the business of government of little worth, with all other leaders – yes, all of them - becoming wary, mistrustful and barely tolerant of the United States. This because he believes he IS the US, the figurehead that, as the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, sets the tone and the parameters of relationships.

To him, foreign affairs are just that, affairs. Not to be taken seriously. He forgets that no country is able to operate alone, that international relationships are the key to the future. He might believe that making America great again will get him reelected, but he has to depend of the stupidity of the people for this to happen. And you are not stupid. Disgusted, frustrated, dismayed, but aware of the importance of having a sane leader who sees the wide picture, who acts with probity and fairness.

It may be that no one comes near this at present, but with your enormous resources someone will appear. It’s happened before, and in a democracy the people have a voice that no leader can silence for long.

The problems we all face now are so great that the world needs a rational, clear headed and vibrant America as never before. That will give the rest of the free world the courage to repel the tyrants at the gate, the power to find a way through the quagmire of China, climate change, water loss and refugees.

You can be the ones to say Happy New Year and mean it.