After 17 days as POTUS, one cannot hardly turn one’s eyes away even for a second from Donald Trump. He continues to expouse garbage and gives shocking comments every single day and the first month is still halfway from over. As what a comedian on Tik Tok commented recently, we knew how outrageous the man can be but he has set record levels of how low a US president could really sink to in the world’s eyes if given half a chance.
Threatening sanctions on erstwhile friendly countries like Canada and Mexico, threatening to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, dismantling USAID, pulling out of WHO and other UN bodies, sanctioning the ICJ and finally wanting to take over Gaza, force out the Palestinians there to move elsewhere and build what he termed as the “Riveira of the Middle East” he strikes a mirror image to the character from Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote (both of whom shares the first name starting with Don in case you did not notice).
Today’s Don is a fascinating study in delusion and misguided optimism. Driven by an insatiable thirst for publicity and self-agrandisement, he sets out on journey to lead and make America great again (MAGA) as soon as possible. His unwavering conviction in his leadership greatness, self-righteousness and noble purpose leads him to mistake windmills for giants, inns for castles, and ordinary people for damsels in distress or dastardly foes.
How else can we think otherwise when after 47 000 Palestinians have been brutally killed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and their homes pulverized to dust, instead of punishing Netanyahu and making reparations to the victims of the genocide, he proposed to take over Gaza, drive the Palestinians to exile in Egypt and Jordan as a means of letting them live? What sort of justice is this? Punish the victims twice and reward the oppressors twice. It is totally absurd. Insane or Quixotic logic for sure.
What makes Don (Quixote) Trump such a compelling character is his boundless optimism that he holds the key to the US and world’s problems and the way that he imposes his view of the world upon the rest of the world, all of whom are still trying to digest the incredible ideas he is foisting upon them. His actions and speeches are often comical and far removed from common sense and human decency.
In a 21st century world guided by a universal declaration of human rights, respect for rule of law, and ethics, Donald Trump’s declared intention to take over countries and grabbing land as and when it suits America’s national interest (sic) and turning his back on international rules of law, has cast him and his country back into the Middle Ages where kings and princes fought wars over territories and resources that belonged to others, where might defined what was right (or wrong), where the sword wielded more power than words or diplomacy and where the powerful can enslave those less able to defend themselves.
The previously high international admiration for the US, ditto its carefully choreographed image as the bastion of democracy and human justice continues to diminish with every each outlandish outburst and crass suggestions emanating from this chap.
One can say that Donald Trump V2.0 is the greatest gift, the enemies of the US can possibly get. He is their “Trump” card. He helps to promote and galvanise world opposition and abhorrence to America’s wanton unilateral actions, crass self interest and inverted view of justice and peace. America’s technological, military and economic leadership is continually being eroded by its international competitors with each passing day. With Quixotic Trump’s hand at the steering wheels, one can only wonder what will remain of America’s moral standing once he leaves office in 2030? Not much if the evidence of 17 days rule is any indicator.
Trump is a classic example of an autocrat with sense of superiority and detachment from reality make him a chilling caricature of unchecked arrogance. He is certainly no champion of democracy. His actions are driven by a twisted sense of entitlement and a belief in his own infallibility. His unwavering confidence in his own righteousness leads him into various absurd and comical situations. Don Quixotic Trump is certainly a big embarassment and a liability to the ambition of MAGA. But try telling the average American that.
