The real USA! A Full Circle!
This write-up is about how the current 45th U.S. President and his presidency trigger some happy and some sad repercussions in the society we we live in.
The whole of 2016 and the beginning of 2017 has been nothing but 13 months of sheer surprises, both positive and abysmally negative. Nevertheless, human nature is such that it gives us the ability to take everything by our strides’.
But the question is: Will there be a gradual end to apathy, misery and sadness encompassing us, the Entire World? Will we turn our backs to events and happenings around us until they don’t come to bite us?
If you look back at the events of what happened in 2016 in our world, the overwhelming event has to be the emergence of Mr. Donald Trump as a Presidential Candidate and his winning the U.S. Elections!
Its barely been a couple of weeks, since Mr. Trump was sworn in the 45th U.S. President. In this brief tenure, he has shown his fellow citizens and indeed the world that he meant what he said and Indeed, he will do what he means. There is no mincing of words. There is no political correctness. There is only an intent. An intent born out of empathy for the condition of millions of Americans pushed into the sidelines by various laws and legislation.
Believe you me, where I come from in India, justice and social service are served/come to us at very hefty premiums. The uber wealthy in developing nations like ours have all the incentives, hell, they are even bailed out by our governments. (If you Google Mr. Mallya, you’ll know what i mean). Whilst we, the middle class our required to be tax-compliant, environment-friendly, secular and the list goes on.
I don’t know why, but i have seen the same things happening in the States since the last 5 to 7 years. Ever since the financial crises, the vast majority of Americans suffered huge financial blows directly and indirectly. The largest middle class of the world suffered tremendously at the hands of the select few (in the financial sector) wherein their jobs were gone, their social security was under immediate threat, their incomes dropped precipitously etc. Whilst this was taking place, the select bankers along with the bureaucrats milked the stock markets. This is evident that America is still reeling with massive unemployment because millions have just dropped themselves from the Job-Seeking payrolls. So whatever figures and statistics are shown are mere numbers to keep the Wall-Streeters busy.
Is this the real world? Is this now the stark reality that faces us? Will we and all our future generations have to live with this kind of mis-information? If the answer is No, then why is it that we the people, are now, more than ever, being taken for granted? Will we ever see the light at the end of this tunnel which seems to be getting longer and darker with every passing hour and day.
This scenario now gets me to issue at hand. Mr. Trump and his decisions.
If you observe closely, what Trump has started is nothing less than monumental. He is not a politician (not till now), not a bureaucrat, not a lobbyist. What he is, inside and out, a True American protecting his own civil liberties which were given to him and every citizen through the Declaration of Independence. It says and I quote an excerpt, “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
I refer to this part because, this is where my point lies. Is it not possible that up until 2014, Mr. Trump along with millions of Americans were just bystanders as they saw their standards of lives diminish whilst the rich got richer? Is it that, like a true marksmen, he saw the opportunity and grabbed it, knowing well enough that, to make a change, he needed to be inside the ‘system’ and not outside it! No wonder, most Americans were surprised when he decided to contest. The entire world was surprised as well. Although, he has a lot of critics, inside America and outside as well (including me)……. till…… till he showed what his thoughts are about certain subjects like national security, home-grown growth etc.
Let’s put the last point into perspective- Home Grown Growth: China became an economic superpower through billions of dollars worth of export because America shut down its non-core industries and through policy decided to shift these manufacturing activities to China. This led to exodus of jobs, technology, dollars etc. Example: Imagine if Apple was from the beginning, manufacturing its Iphones, Ipads and Macs in America, instead of the Foxconn facility in Shenzhen. Yes, Apple would charge a few hundred dollars more, Yes, Apple wouldn’t be having these high margins, but so what? Wouldn’t it be just fantastic to have a path breaking product like the Iphone, actually be made in the USA? And not just read “Designed in California”. I know this because, even for a mass produced product like bobbypins, the “MADE IN USA” tag still goes a long way. Imagine the impact it would have had on Apple and America. This is one example to quote the creativity of this young nation that has some of the most creative minds.
So, in all fairness, is Mr. Trump really doing something that much out of the ordinary when he says that, he wants to ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN’? I mean wouldn’t you want your country to be a great nation?
I close with this thought and I certainly hope that this article will have some opinions and comments that enliven the creative minds in us. Otherwise, what the hell are we fighting for?
