Donald Trump. Everyone knows the name, the
face and most definitely the hair. When Trump first announced he was running
for president, the public laughed, they made fun of his efforts to be taken
seriously. Now that Trump has progressed to be the front runner for the
republican candidacy, once hearty laughter is quickly turning into that awkward
laugh you do when you can’t tell if it’s a joke or not.
Let’s first start by understanding how
Trump got this far without being shut down promptly by those with at least a
small gathering of brain cells. Trump is a household name that has flourished through
clever publicity, established business foundations and ‘a small loan
of a million dollars.’ The name itself
connotes stability, power and legacy. Everything that the Trump name has become
screams success at surface value. However, just because you can execute
business with success, does not mean you have what it takes to be a president. People
are looking at Trump as a business brand, not as the man himself.
Trump’s increasing presidential victories
are dangerous. He embodies Stuart Hall’s theories of power discourses between
the west and the rest. The finely tuned knack for racism he has which if put
into power, could be detrimental not only to the people of America but everyone
as a result of the country’s economic superiority. Trump superficially brushes
over racist topics such as border walls between America and Mexico, not letting
anyone who is Muslim into the country and consequently is creating a concrete
binary between what he believes constitutes an American or not. These standpoints
breed overt discrimination; he glamourises racism by naturalising ignorant
opinion and in turn gives credence to those with the loudest shout. Racial
stereotypes are constantly enforced by Trump and promoted willingly for
entertainment value. Mexicans as gang members, blacks as a lower class and Muslims
as terrorists. As a political figure
people assume they can entrust these racist viewpoints with validity. The most
terrifying aspect of all of this is the fact that Trump’s supporters are
growing in numbers. His blunt, confronting and laddish nature draws those in who
believe he speaks the cold hard truth and nothing else.
Donald Trump is
the textbook definition of a fascist. No seriously, Google the key attributes
and he meets the requirements like he was born for the job.[1]
His xenophobia in regards to registering Muslims echo that of Hitler’s views
and drive away any movement towards socio-cultural progression.
His lack of consistency,
empty promises and his inability to differentiate between personal opinion and
public opinion are attributes that should not be given rise to power in any
political situation let alone be those of someone who is to run an entire
country. American’s ideology and the basis of their constitution is ‘Truth,
Justice and the American way.’ Trump’s approaches to minorities are tarnished
with ignorance and have little to do with truth and justice. Trumps version of
the ‘American way’ espouses Gordon Gekko’s philosophy of ‘greed is good.’ Let’s
hope for the sake of not only America, but for everything the civilised world
has worked towards in the past 100 years, that their nation can shout loud
enough to drown him out.
This was really intetesting and relevant! Also an easy read because of the added humour. You also raise good points that support what we have discussed in tutorials regarding binaries etc.
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