This week’s big news was the US elections.
Thankfully that’s now over and we can get back to “normality” (whatever that is) for another two years.
Personally, I don’t care who the American President is, because it doesn’t really affect me (OK I’m parochial, I admit it).
Also, I became totally disillusioned with politics and politicians when Malcolm Fraser defeated Gough Whitlam in the election of 1975 following the dismissal on November 11 (it’s hard to believe that was 41 years ago).
My dislike of politicians was temporarily threatened when Obama was elected President but he has succeeded in confirming my jaded view.
There’s a well known statement (attributed to a number of different people but it has been verified as Joseph de Maistre in 1811): “Every country has the government it deserves (Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle mérite)”.
So, if you don’t like Donald Trump and you’re American, get over it and stop whingeing – you guys elected him – that’s called democracy.
I don’t watch political commentary on TV and so it was interesting and a bit intriguing to catch the post-election reviews.
The media seemed to be universally beating themselves up saying “how could we get it so wrong?”
Hopefully, this will give them a bit of a shake-up.
One thing I’ve noticed, and commented on previously, is the tendency for people to become more strident when stating their opinions the less knowledgeable they are.
So, having declared that I have no idea what I’m talking about here’s my take on what happened.
People are generally disillusioned with politicians.
Consequently, the prospect of electing a non-politician, irrespective of his or her views has great appeal.
In Australia, we elected Malcolm Turnbull.
Like Donald Trump he has a background in business and the finance industry.
Sadly, Malcolm appears to have given up his opinions, views and experience and has turned into a politician ie someone who’s sole objective is to win the next election.
Interestingly, it’s the rhetoric that got Donald elected which the demonstrators are objecting to.
In Australia John Howard and Pauline Hanson clearly proved that xenophobia is a great vote winner.
Donald Trump rode into the White House on a wave of it.
Will he continue with that mindset now he’s the occupant of the Oval Office?
Only time will tell.
But that’s the thing with democracy.
The purer it is the more chance that things like this will happen.
The essence of democracy is that everyone has the right to an opinion and be able to express it.
Unfortunately, all the major democracies are largely two party systems: England, the United States and Australia are good examples.
These days this two party system seems to provide a choice between dumb and dumber. (I did mention that I was rather cynical about politicians didn’t I?)
As I see it, the purest democracy in the world is Israel.
That’s why you have so many small parties – because everyone has an opinion and believe passionately in it.
This leads to situations that the pundits argue are ridiculous where, in order to form a government, the major parties have to make deals with a lot of small ones.
That’s what democracy is really about, where everyone has the right and the ability to be heard irrespective of race, religion, financial position, interests or beliefs.
Intriguingly, it’s this country,with its purest democracy, that the United Nations (among other nations) is constantly working to destroy.
So how will it work out for Donald?
I don’t know.
I just wish him a long life.
Americans are lovers of guns and have demonstrated, a number of times in the past, that their way of responding to presidents they don’t like is to assassinate them.
Given that there are already anti-Trump riots with placards saying “Not my president” I really hope to see him standing again in four years time.