Alarm and uncertainty of the Trump era

President Donald Trump’s vision, ‘favourite mantra’ made explicit in his inaugural speech, to place ‘America first’ and ‘Make America great again’ and his ultra nationalist rhetoric and isolationist policy reflected in his threat to upend long standing alliances, trade deals and many other tenets of liberal democratic order is a cause for deep apprehension and uncertainty. It raises domestic and global alarm bells of ‘it is time to buckle your seat belts and to keep your fingers crossed’.

Yet, his mandate was not massive but highly skewed. He was sworn in with the lowest approval rating of 40 percent compared to that of 82 percent obtained by Barrack Obama. Trump won the presidential election by a majority of Electoral College votes and was short of 3 million popular votes raising the question of legitimacy of his election. Over sixty US congressmen abstained from attending his inauguration as a mark of anguish, disapproval and protest.  Unprecedented mass demonstrations of protest about his policy and programmes by millions people across America and around the globe were held in the wake of his inauguration.

Donald Trump has been derided as a racist, xenophobic hate monger, preaching ban of entry of Muslims into America and closing all mosques and denouncing rights of religious minorities, and preaching deportation of illegal immigrants. He insulted Mexicans by threatening to raise a wall in the Mexican border to be built at Mexican cost. His contempt for Hispanics, Latinos and black Afro Americans was loud and clear. He has been despised as a sexist and misogynist who boasted of grabbing and groping women and who humiliated women by calling them ‘pigs, dog and a disgusting animal’. He has been detested as a megalomaniac fascist demagogue given to calling dissenting reporters as ‘dishonest disgusting scum’. What future does this disruptive presidency hold for the Americans and the world outside?

His usual combative, belligerent and impulsive attitude and utterances towards many domestic and foreign policy issues is a matter of deep concern. Both in his campaign speeches and in his inaugural speech he seemed to champion the interest of the poor underprivileged people when he said that he will ‘drain the swamp of Washington elites and that far too long a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of the government the people have bourn the cost.’ He said ‘While they celebrated in nations capital there was little to celebrate for struggling families left behind across our land’. These were carefully-crafted populist messages, which are out of touch with reality as was evident when Soon after his inauguration he signed an executive order to cancel Obamacare, the landmark affordable health care insurance programme which provided health insurance coverage to more than 22 million under privileged people and 3 million children.  To please anti abortion lobby Trump ordered ban on foreign aid for abortion counselling hindering the ability of women of poor countries to access family planning health service.

He was angry with US Intelligence community for their briefing of US Congress men about Russian hacking of Democratic Party information to influence election results in favour of Trump. He was furious about an unsubstantiated intelligence report leaked by US intelligence agencies about a Russian dossier of Trump’s alleged compromising material regarding inappropriate sex escapades in a Russian hotel during Miss Universe competition. Trump comparing US intelligence with Nazi propaganda dismissed the report as fake, phoney and witch hunt. The controversy exacerbated deep bitterness in intelligence community.

He said he will walk away from the Paris climate change agreement.  He said he will dismantle nuclear deal with Iran. He has passed an order to withdraw from the 12 nation transpacific partnership trade pact(TPP), the main economic pillar of Obama administrations pivot to the Asia Pacific region to confront China.  This is one more calculated step to undo Obama legacy.  This action will be followed by a review to renegotiate North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which was signed with America, Canada and Mexico. He said he will review relation with Nato which he considers obsolete.  His remarks about demanding from allies to pay more for their security sparked worries among NATO members.   He dismissed EU as a poodle of Germany. His comparison of German chancellor Angela Markel with Putin was repulsive and certainly raised eye brows of disapproval in Germany and Europe.

He infuriated China by dismissing One China policy. Trump has criticised China’s trade practices and its expanding influence and activities in South China Sea. A Chinese newspaper has warned of potential retaliation in such trade war and territorial dispute. His decision to shift the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to East Jerusalem makes a mockery of a 2 state solution of festering Palestinian question.  These are highly incendiary and disturbing comments and actions and do not bode well for the future.

The choice of his cabinet of swamp of billionaires, bankers and generals does not offer much hope and comfort either. Certainly they will not serve the avowed interest of poor working class Americans who largely voted Trump to power. The character and composition of the cabinet confirm the suspicion that they will only implement and strengthen the populist, far right, illiberal, reactionary and intolerant views of president Trump without healing the fractured American society. There is no doubting that America and the world are thrown in the vortex of a long running litany of shocks and shudders.

The former chief executive of EXON MOBIL has become the new Secretary of the Department of State happens to be the biggest oil mogul on the planet. The new energy secretary Rick Perry is an oil man and an oil change sceptic. Scott Pruitt, the new head of environment protection agency (EPA) a body he would like to shut down. All three of them are pro carbon and anti climate change. The new treasury secretary Steven Munchin is a former Goldman Sachs investment banker whose stated policy is to cut corporate tax by half. He will join former Goldman Sachs banker Stefen Bannon, an ultra right as chief strategist. Gary Cohn Goldman chief economist will be the chief economic adviser.

Tom Price at the health department is an arch critic of Obama care. The controversial Betsy Davis, heir to a huge family wealth, a champion of private sector, will be in charge of Public School Policy in the education department. There is apprehension that Senator Jeff Sessions as the Attorney general with his past background will roll back voting rights for African Americans. In all probability president Trump will Choose an anti choice Justice on the Supreme Court vacancy.

Generals will occupy key roles in his cabinet.  James Mattis known as mad dog Mattis for his ruthless performance in Iraq and Afghanistan is the defence secretary. The temperamental Islamophobe Michel Flyn is the national security Advisr.  John Kelly will be in charge of homeland security and Mike pampeo will be the new CIA director.  Trump’s new administration of oligarchs and generals thus raises the dark spectre of concentration of wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of many and escalating drum beats of war in the Middle East conflict and against potential adversaries. So this may be the beginning of display of arrogance of power and parochialism, deception and exclusion and hatred of atavistic tribalism and end of decency and grace, human dignity and fairness, kindness and compassion in American politics.

Readers at home and abroad and in America in particular, hold your breath and pray.

Abdul Hannan is a former diplomat. His contact: hannanabd@gmail.com

Source: weekly holiday