Tim Walker’s Trumpet II

Twelve months have passed since Donald J Trump’s controversial rise to presidential glory and, in a hugely unexpected turn of events, the world has not fallen to nuclear oblivion.

That obstreperous fraternity of murderous Trump-haters who have been so vociferous across the USA – indeed across the entire world – must now be genuinely astonished to see that, while they might have stood in disbelief as Trump’s presidential inauguration played out and, yes, while they naturally assumed that the election of such a man into the world’s highest ranked position of power would plainly result in the ruination of basic civilisation, the world is actually still standing and furthermore, the United States of America is, as always, thriving…

Trump’s entry to the position of 45th US President was heralded by a tempest of propaganda, a gale of hype and ultimately a whole lot more hot air; thus any rational person could surely see that – election promises aside – much of what the man was saying – and continues to say – were/are deliberately inflammatory statements intended to do nothing more than elicit a rise from world media and by implication, from the world as a whole.

…Of course the kinds of people who are naturally given to hysteria became simply fanatical about Trump’s rise to power, ranting feverishly about the ‘lack of democracy’ displayed by this democratic election result; even speculating wildly as to the ‘World War’ this would inevitably precipitate with the likes of North Korea…

I was in Vietnam shortly after the world had witnessed the US election result swing in favour of Donald J Trump and subsequently, as the address of ‘45th President of the United States of America’ was bestowed upon him. I recall enduring a three hour bus trip from Ho Chi Minh City down to Mekong Delta, having my ears bashed by a horde of incensed young Australian travellers trying to convince me that having Donald Trump as Leader of the Free World was the most dangerous thing to happen to this apparent ‘Free World’ since World War Two and how the way he treated other world leaders – particularly Kim Jong Un – was undoubtedly going to result in a nuclear shit-storm hence World War Three; I recall trying to remain calm as, from all around me, came these shrill, nasally tones of indignation, spitting words at me as though I was ignorant, as though I was the stupid one for not realising the volatile plight that had suddenly stricken the planet.

…The truth is Donald J Trump is no more of a warmonger than 43rd US President, George W Bush, the only difference is that, courtesy of a horrendous reality television series – in which, for the record, he coined his first famous quote – Trump makes himself so much easier to hate than Bush; he makes it so very easy to be hated, too, with his outrageous statements and his ridiculous, his juvenile tweets – yet ponder the query, which president was it who threatened Russia, who constantly riled China, who ridiculed the North Koreans, then beset war upon a few smaller Middle-Eastern nations (officially to punish and capture, unofficially to plunder their oil reserves), while pushing battalion after battalion of troops into Iraq – a war that he essentially started – for no tangible gain?…

On that bus ride to Mekong, joined by only one other Kiwi (who, like this team of wannabe-politically-insightful, outspoken, ear-bashing Aussie millennial, was rather younger than I was and turned out to have zero political focus anyway), it soon became clear that it was my duty to school these whippersnappers. I calmly awaited my moment then, speaking loudly and articulately, I essentially recited them the above paragraph. I then paused – still on the bus – before going on.

…You see, when George Bush Junior came to power in, I believe 2000, much of the US were in disbelief; this man, their new president was a lunatic Neanderthal; he did, and my God, he said some funky shit in his first term as President, too, and there was a massive sense of relief when his four year term came to a close – ‘whew’, they would’ve been thinking, ‘we survived that redneck Republican onslaught, now we can go get ourselves a decent bloody president’ – so that next US election came and went, the results come in and, shock horror, who would’ve guessed it, they’ve voted back into power that same bloody redneck!

George W Bush, loathed by many as he was, completed a full two terms in the US presidency, so clearly, he had supporters; Trump has supporters too, and they are the most impassioned, ardent and dedicated group of followers one could imagine.

Republican Donald J Trump is very much the same leader the USA experienced a few Presidents ago in George W Bush; the difference here is that – probably due to a lack of personal knowledge of the man – where Bush haters weren’t all that outwardly vocal – thanks to most every person in the world feeling as though they know him personally – Donald Trump haters are downright vociferous.

Realistically the man has, as yet, caused no genuine harm and, providing this Fake News (second famous quote) story doesn’t get out I wouldn’t surprised if Trump, like his buddy Bush, did serve a full two terms at the US helm.

 

 

Article by Tim Walker

Edited by Lane A Tuck

Photography by Holmes Mann

 

 

 

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