America Deserves Trump!

Trump is taking over when the US economy is in deep structural mess. A part of the reason  why Americans have voted him in is to see if a “magician” can save them  from imminent disaster when “seasoned  politicians” completely failed them over the past several decades

DR MANSOOR DURRANI | Caravan Daily

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ever interrupt your enemy, when he is making a mistake. – Napoleon Bonaparte

Although, I had planned to write this article about 4 months back – right after the nomination of Trump  as  a  Republican  candidate, I  managed  to convince myself that  this  is only a “Republican verdict” and I should wait for the “American verdict”.

Americans have now given their verdict!

Let’s remember: American “greatness”  stands  on two pillars (1) Military Might and (2) Economic Prowess.

Global  media  and  folks in  power make us believe that the  world  is  divided  between bad guys (Muslims) and good guys (everybody else). I agree that the world is split into two camps,  but I  have a  long held view that the  two  groups are: rich+powerful  and  poor+oppressed. And both categories are all-faith.

So, we have a small minority in the  world that  is rich and powerful  (Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews etc.). They are one cohesive group and their only true religion is to acquire power  and wealth  at any cost. Whereas,  a huge majority is poor and oppressed – consists of all faiths. It is at the mercy of the rich and powerful group. Always!

For instance,  research shows  that the  socio-economic  conditions  of  Blacks and  Latinos (largely Christians) is worse than others in the US. Similarly, the socio-economic condition of Dalits and Tribals (mainly Hindus) in many parts of India is as bad as a vast majority of Indian Muslims.

According to American Psychological Association, African American children are three  times more likely to live in poverty than White/Caucasian children. Poor and oppressed  are more likely to  receive  high-cost  mortgages:   African  Americans  (53  percent)   and  Latinos  (43 percent),  in comparison to White/Caucasians (18 percent). Unemployment  rates for African Americans are typically double those of White/ Caucasian Americans.

African  American  men  working  full  time  earn  72 percent   of  the  average  earnings  of comparable   Caucasian   men   and   85  percent of the earnings   of  White/Caucasian women. African Americans and Latinos in low-poverty areas were more likely to be referred for commitment  by a law enforcement official than any other racial group.

However,  it  is largely poor and oppressed  Muslims who  are  standing up  firmly (on  the bedrock of their faith) all over the world against the high and mighty. Hence, the open-ended and global war on “terror”!

But let me step back to exactly an 8-years back lunch-table conversation with the former CEO of my bank. That was the day after first of the two Obama victories. For some strange reasons (or for no reason) oppressed communities across the world, among them black and Muslims, were elated with that  outcome.  They naively thought  that under Obama their lives will be more safe, secured and more dignified.

My reaction was: US Presidents  are only “actors”! They are not directors or producers.  The real movers and shakers sit at the Capitol Hill. Nothing has changed  there  and nothing will ever change there. So, absolutely no need  to get overly optimistic by seeing the first black man in the White House!

History proved it right: Former US President George W Bush started the drone attacks outside declared war zones. During his tenure,  58 drone strikes killed over 300 innocent men, women and children in a couple of Muslim countries.

Then came “our own” President  Obama! Since assuming the  most powerful office on the planet in 2009, he significantly extended the use of drones.  After years of denial, on 1 July 2016, the US government finally admitted that it has conducted 473 “counter-terrorism” strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya from 2009 to 2015. Adding drone strikes in Afghanistan and Iraq takes this number  to over 800, resulting in the deaths  of over 5000 Muslims. This figure alone is more than double the number of Americans killed in the 9/11 attacks!

This, obviously, excludes the deaths and permanent crippling of over one million people and unprecedented destruction  resulting from America’s “declared wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 15 years! Nor does it account for the half-hearted US intervention  in Libya and strongly tacit support to Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and Egypt’s General Sissi – which together have cost hundreds of thousands  of innocent lives!

After having fought (and literally lost) the longest war in US history in Afghanistan, the morale of its security establishment is at an all-time low – and so it should be. If a 900-pound gorilla fights with a 700, 800 or 900-pound opponent and loses, then it is OK. However, if he is not able to tame a minion even after struggling for 15 long years then that is not fathomable  by any stretch of imagination!

Consequently,  about 20% US army  personnel  who served in Iraq  are suffering from Post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This situation leads, very often, to suicides.

In a Leadership Program at Harvard Business School last month, I met an ex US Army officer who  is  now  the founder  and  CEO  of  a  New  York-based NGO “Stop  Soldiers  Suicide”! Frequent conversations with him made me realize that when an organization run by an insider is exclusively dedicated  to saving soldiers from committing suicides, nothing more needs to be said about the morale and future of the US military might!

Now, at the  fag end of Obama Presidency, “pessimism about  race relations  in America is higher than it has been in nearly a generation, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. In the aftermath of the mass shooting of police officers in Dallas and the high-profile police shooting deaths of two black men, in Baton Rouge and suburban St. Paul, Minn., more than 6 in 10 adults say race relations are generally bad, and a majority say they are getting worse” (Washington Post 16 July 2016).

But all this is past – and under a black President. Trump is all about our future.

The man is entering White House when the US economy is in deep structural mess. A part of the reason  why Americans have voted him in is to see if a “magician” can save them  from imminent disaster when “seasoned  politicians” completely failed them over the past several decades. The passengers of sinking ships do not conduct extensive screening or interviews of a new captain. They simply put on the wheel whoever makes the loudest promises of saving them — regardless of his track record or qualifications! We saw similar sentiments in the last Indian general elections — and a part of the reason large number of Indian- Americans supported Trump!

Source: US National Debt Clock (GMT 12.32 10th November 2016) www.usdebtclock.org

*These numbers do not include non-funded liabilities like Social Security and Medicare totaling up to US$ 33 trillion!

New jobs are being added  over the past few quarters.  This is presented as an indication of “improved” US economy.   But  a  former   US Federal  Reserve   adviser   confirmed   to me (this information is already in public domain) at a conference  in Barcelona last week that the real indicator of economic recovery is capital investments, which remains flat. This essentially means  that  the  US corporates that  once made  America  “great”  have themselves  stopped investments in the US economy and losing interest in its future!

Before the “most  powerful” and  “most prosperous” nation  in the  world  goes  bust,  did Americans have any option other than bringing in a “magician”?

The magic has started  working within minutes. America’s own currency dropped significantly against a basket of global currencies. Even its largest southern neighbor Mexico’s currency witnessed the biggest drop in 20 years! That is a true magic! And a lot more to come.

So, those who “have been intimidated by Trump over the last few months and therefore” view the US as their detractor and are concerned about the election outcome need  not worry – just keep the above advice of French General and politician Napoleon in mind.

Because this world belongs to the One-and-Only God. He loves the poor and oppressed, if they are deliberately wronged. Surely, He has a plan for them; He is the best of planners!