I have never in my life experienced a political figure who would actively, publicly, vehemently, seek retribution of political foes purely out of visceral hate. That was until Donald J. Trump appeared on the political horizon.
Not only has Trump brought an ugliness to politics never before experienced by a President of the United States, he has stoked the fires of hate with the bellows of his rhetoric and has provided oxygen into the fuel source in such a way as to set free a level of meanness and ugliness never yet seen.
Extremists, radicals, political misanthropes, all hail Trump. Almost none who support Trump can be seen to be reasonable, rational, contemplative or empathic. Instead, Trump exudes animosity and an almost inhuman contempt for those who would use intelligence, logic, reason or knowledge in their decision making.
The art of the deal or steal, is what Trump characterizes. He has no innate ability to plan or use strategic thinking. Every decision seems to come to him like a lightning bolt from the dark recesses of his mind. It creates a vision of a confused, irrational, reactive and often, irascible man, unwilling to listen, reason or act with logic and purpose.
Worse, he has set in motion those within the fringes of American society. People without ability, except for populist beliefs designed to simply antagonize, enrage and provide a call to action against whatever they see as their personal target of ‘hate’.
Retribution, animus, and a willingness to target any and all who are either intelligent, educated, scientific, reasoned or responsible. Have Americans become so insecure, so irrational that the only way to interact with others is either through manipulation, subjugation or retribution?
Where did the vision go? When did science and societal achievement, to ‘reach for the stars’ both metaphorically and factually become simple greed and pure animus towards anyone who contests their irresponsible or irrational acts? Trump and his followers have been drenched in skepticism, lies and conspiracy theories, all designed to extract and abuse the ‘goodness and decency’ from every rational act or situation, every avenue of endeavour, simply to continue in the pursuit of greed, ambition and ignorance. It is now ‘do unto others, before they do unto you.’
Today in America there is a palpable unkindness. ‘Either you are with me, or against me, is the mantra. So which is it?’, is clearly equivocated through angry, jaundiced eyes. That is the pervasive feeling that I as a recent visitor to the United States felt effusively coming from people. It made me uncomfortable, as if the wrong answer would result in an attack, either verbal or physical.
America has now become an ugly place. One which I shall not return to in my lifetime unless somehow Americans work through their collective psychosis.
It’s time to put America on the shelf as it endangers world order with its ignorance and arrogance, coming from a man devoid of intelligent thought and reasonable discourse.
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