I cannot resist pondering the question of why the harsh criticism, bashing, and unfavorable views of Donald Trump are so unceasingly prevalent, even though the U.S. economy has been performing robustly. Most of its vital signs are improving since his election and he is taking credit for this. However, some people give credit for this improvement to former President Obama who left the office more than a year ago.
We tend to tolerate those we have an economic stake in and expect benefits from. In the case of Trump, however, even this tradition is not observed simply because our judgment about him is obscured by his self-absorbed and arrogant personality, his politically incorrect attitudes, and the way he conducts himself in public. He is too opinionated, rude to others, and makes a mockery of every situation or every individual whether deserving of ridicule or not. To me, Trump is acting like the ferocious bear in an illuminating Persian tale who almost killed his friend by smashing a big piece of rock into his face just to get rid of an insect he thought was bothering his friend. In his twisted mind, the bear thought he was helping his friend. In reality, however, he was harming and almost killed him by doing what he did. Likewise, Trump may mean to do good deeds, but he cannot, however, express his intentions considerately and cordially. This is what makes people reactionary and suspicious about his genuineness. Trump has continued to exhibit this kind of off-putting behavior that was first in evidence during the election campaign.
I am one of those tens of millions of people who were disappointed and taken by surprise by the outcome of the presidential election. I believe, however, that democracy is like a competitive market; it works best if it is left to its own devices. Occasionally, of course, it may produce an outcome that may not be acceptable to many who become disappointed or even outraged. We should, however, hold on to our faith in the system. Analogous to the competitive system, democracy has its own built-in, self-regulating mechanisms that kick in and amends itself, thus restoring its normal balance. This corrective action may not happen quickly, but all we need to do is wait.
For many of us, there is no acceptable excuse for what the Trump voters did, electing a person to an office he is deemed to be utterly unfit for. However, we cannot reject the whole thing and declare it to be a manifestation of hate, racism, and bigotry, especially against minorities and Muslims. Doing so gives us a false sense of self-satisfaction. As rational individuals, we have to explore ways to come to term with what happened almost a year ago and think about it critically. Succumbing to emotion, while understandable, may not be productive.
The bottom line is that Trump is not a qualified politician to assume the U.S. presidency. He has neither political experience nor a record of public service. Those who voted for him did so heedlessly, based on selfish expectations that Trump may be able to fulfill for them. However, If Trump happens to not be the person his base voters expected him to be, they, like the rest of us, have no choice but to wait for four years. Trump's election reminds me of the very apropos expression: Who died and left you in charge? Let's hope that in the upcoming primaries and next presidential elections, the answer will not be right-minded voters who used to have high standards for their political leaders.
1
1
1
