The Indignification of America
We seem to have a president more publicly preoccupied with his own genitals than with the well being of the American people. Looking from the outside in, this could be said of America generally regarding our perceived values as mirrored by our news media, entertainment industry, and our cake & circuses lifestyle ...and now, by our American president.
The president is supposed to be our leader, he’s supposed to set the tone for the decency, ethics and respectability of the America I know. He’s the protector of the people, and a universal world model for integrity. But Trump is more interested in protecting his own ego and business interests, and the interests of his own family rather than protecting the security and wellbeing of our collective country.
This is the way it looks to me. If he’s interested at all in his legacy, he better shape up. We can’t carry this guy much longer while he learns, or doesn’t learn, how to be President of the United States.
Yes, the media is “piling on”, but why is that? Trump has made himself a target either unwittingly, or worse, by design. Hs is quoted as saying, “I love to fight.” Well, have you ever experienced the dread of concern because the loudmouth jerk next to you “loved to fight”?
The media loves to focus on things like Stormy Daniels, Russian prostitutes and the “pee tape”, extramarital affairs and hush money, palace intrigue and disarray in the White House, firings & hirings, treachery, lies, excess and deceit. Well, the truth is, we all do. We love it. It makes for good television and great entertainment ...and we love our entertainment.
We are a nation of consumers of entertainment. We are America’s GNP.
But looking past our own shadowy personal and collective vices regarding extracurricular activities and entertainment, there are the tangible realities of this presidency which anchor the extreme worldwide indignities America is currently suffering. There has always been treachery, greed and deceit tagged onto America. Our involvement, meddling, in the Middle East is historical non-fiction. Read Hugh Wilford’s “America’s Great Game” for an eye-opener as to why we are in the mess we're in right now with Syria, Iran, Iraq ...Saudi Arabia. Islam. Russia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/books/review/americas-great-game-by-hugh-wilford.html
Is it any wonder why they hate us?
Donald J. Trump is the icing on that cake ...that’s been left out in the rain ...the cherry on top of a dreadfully over-baked history of semi-imperialistic greed and arrogance.
I was both mesmerized and actively appalled watching Trump, Tillerson and the contingent of White House officials awkwardly doing the male-only ceremonial saber dance with the Saudis last year at Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz’s Murabba Palace in Riyadh, with Melania and Ivanka in the wings. The girls, as a side note, did not wear head scarves which “insulted” many of the Saudis ...welcome to American insensitivity.
Somehow, knowing what I know about the history of 9/11 and the suspected Saudi complicity, I was ashamed at this spectacle. Not to mention that the party was about the $110 billion arms package the U.S. gave to Saudi Arabia. Where and how are they using that money? I can’t see it being applied anywhere where it’s needed now.
There’s diplomacy, imagery, and reality ...and “never the twain (or cleave of three) shall meet”, at least not in Trump’s world ...but when they do there is always an explosion, domestic or international. And that’s my point. Our president does not seem in control of himself ...of his values, ethics, his personal life, his businesses ...our country. “Our” country, not “His” country.
He’s not in control of our country. I am convince of this, and out of respect for the office of the presidency I have given him every benefit of the doubt. Donald Trump is too self-obsessed, too paranoid, too narcissistic to be even capable of tending to the needs and concerns of other Americans not to mention other world citizens. His recent "bomb ballet" in Syria was just that, a nice show, a commercial break. Mission not accomplished. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming ...
Other presidents would blow off the negative press and “fake news” keeping their privates parts where they belong ...private! Trump thrives on it. He should be thriving on representing America in its best light with its best foot forward ...leader of the free world, not wallower in lies and deceit. He likes to fight, he likes being the “bad boy”, he likes center stage 24/7.
Trump must like the indignity and humiliation that has hallmarked his presidency. It’s a psychological fact that people in power use humiliation as a form of social control. It’s a common form of oppression. You can read more about “Emotional Competency” at http://www.emotionalcompetency.com/humiliation.htm
Whatever Trump’s trip is or his psychological case may be, and yes, his “trip” has definitely, clinically, turned into a “case”, he is embarrassing America.
He can humiliate himself as much as he wants, it may be the only thing he has going for him, but Donald Trump is an indignity that we Americans should not have to suffer.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
