I am a naturalized citizen of the United States who came here legally 21 years ago, to look for, I divine, my American dream. The American dream may mean different things to different people. For me and my family, the order of priority was education, owning our own home, and, most importantly, at the end of the day being able to save something for that rainy day. These were the more immediate and selfish reasons that influenced me to move to the United States and I confess that my family and I have gone a far way towards achieving these objectives (dreams) notwithstanding some pain, a few misgivings, and many a sacrifice.
If my subconscious was the driving force behind these priorities, somewhere in that void was also, a sense of, belief in, and attraction to, the guarantee of freedom of speech, religious and ethnic tolerance, the fairness of the American justice system, American kindness and generosity and equality in the eyes of the law. We immigrants have each had our own personal ghosts that drove us from our country of birth to the US. More importantly, and crucial to me was the political, economic, scientific, social and cultural maturity of the land and a veritable belief that economic development and mankind’s happiness are best achieved from, in, and through a truly democratic environment. Indeed, democracy is not without its flaws or frailties but, by and large, those negatives fade quickly into the background when comparison is drawn, reason prevails, and rationalism takes over. And so, those of us who are students of US history continue to marvel at both the hardships experienced and successes achieved since independence in 1776.
The US democratic system has produced many admirable and inspiring leaders as well as a few who have been tres ordinaire but the one that stands out today in the current political environment is Donald Trump. My own readings, and the sources of those readings are varied and many, have influenced me to conclude that Donald Trump is a consummate fraud and con man who hides his selfishness, narcissism, and self-opportunism behind a veneer of pandering and vacuous self-righteousness. The inevitable conclusion one is, indeed, left with is that he is an uneducated buffoon propped up by falsehoods and an affluence that is questionable at best. Releasing his tax returns will surely put these latter doubts to rest. If the avoidance of paying taxes is a brilliant business tactic and all Americans were similarly blessed with where this country’s generosity, progress and reputation in the world would be today?
American individualism has given rise to a belief in freedom with the inherent right to innovate. This is a factor in the evolution of the American character today, and helped it to the enviable standing it has in the world. Trump’s behavior and actions seem predicated on redefining the very essence of the American character for his own nefarious purposes. Dictators, tyrants, and murderous leaders thrive on the type of societal disruptions Trump is championing and those now dancing to his lyrics of untruths should remember that the Pied Piper did not lead his followers to wealth and health. Yet, his entry into the political arena has forced us to come to grips with flagitious demagoguery, wanton prevarications, obnoxious gestures, sleazy business practices, bigoted deeds, pandering courtship of the deplorable in our society, abject RACISM, puerile gullibility, questionable values, and satellites who are trapped in the cocoon of a false and baseless Trump reality.
America is the greatest country on earth and yet one man’s erratic, misplaced, and misguided logic wants to make it great again when we should all be working to strengthen the very foundations that have made this country so admired and envied throughout the world. The stark reality is that the bastion that is American democracy is now being threatened by rash, thoughtless, selfish and harmful words and deeds bent on creating an alternative path I, and I am sure, many would rather not walk down.
If one is allowed to loosely use a Maherian metaphor, Trump is but the ugly monster that has escaped its swamp like tower seeking to expand and extend its crass opprobrium by deliberately denigrating and stomping on the traits of an American society that has evolved through many a struggle and success to become the shining democratic beacon that it is today. Accompanying him on this journey are the white supremacists, the bigots, the racists, our enemies, and the deplorables of American society who are better left swimming out their days in their watery confines. Yet they are driven by a curious fascination with and admiration for ideas and suggestions that are downright dangerous for this country. They are, thankfully, not in the majority and the rest of us who intend to quietly sit on the sidelines as free riders must rise up, raise our hands, use our voices, and register and demonstrate by our votes that we object to this course for our nation. This will ensure that those who have yet to realize their American dream still have a chance to do so.
The gullible and the disenfranchised lot have latched on to the demagoguery in this election like bees to honey and are now advocating a political art form that is being built on selfishness, lies, shifting sands, and a political spin wallowing in magic realism and wishful thinking. Indeed, the Sartrian existentialists must be chomping at their bits. I posit, therefore, that this movement will not sustain itself in the long run but will cause irreparable damage to our society and, if it does not fall before the next elections, will eventually come crashing down with such a devastating effect and force that we, as a society, may never ever fully recover from it. And there goes our American dream.
It is opportune then to revisit the Bush presidency and recall what it bequeathed us – war, mismanagement, squandering of our wealth, entrenched divisions in society etc. Trump will only extend and further develop that warmongering, bankrupt our nation (remember his business failures) with meaningless and thoughtless policies that will benefit the very few. In such a fiasco, what is left of the Republican establishment will struggle to hang on for its dear life. Instead of moving to reorganize during the Obama presidency, all they did was to try to make him a failure as the idea of a black man being a successful president was anathema to them. The only chance that the Republican Party will have to right itself is a Clinton victory. The Republican establishment is dabbling with the devil while the force for good demands a vibrant and meaningful Republican Party that truly represents good Christian values. Faith and religion are conspicuously absent from the political discourse this season. And, Lo and behold, Cheney is now Pence’s role model! This is becoming a strange American dream.
Some of us proudly marched and danced to the tunes Bush aired during his Presidency but how easily we forget the mess he left from his party for Obama to clean up. It is rather strange and discomfiting to the white establishment that it is a black man who has brought us back from the brink of disaster while his every effort to further advance the cause of America’s greatness was blocked, thwarted, and hampered by the Republicans every step of the way. And Trump has had the gall to aver that he is not a US citizen. Oh, what this country could have achieved with more support and bipartisanship but so will history record. Win, lose, or draw Trump will not go quietly into the night and many will want to know what hit them. Donald Trump is the proverbial bad penny that will never shine nor can he, or will he, ever America make great again? History and justice have shown us that lies do not prevail and quickly fall apart. A Trump presidency will have a very negative impact and detrimental effect on the American way of life as we know it, the progress and advances we have made, and the world in which we live. Trump is the mother of all con artists and why would we ever want him in our American dream?
America is a capitalist country. Economics 101 reminds us that production costs are one of the key drivers in any business enterprise. Just ask Trump about his Chinese made ties. If Trump intends to prohibit these American companies from seeking lower production costs in this global economy, and, as a consequence, restrict international trade and encourage isolationism, where are these jobs he is talking about coming from. The reality that Trump espouses is not my understanding of what and where America should and want to go and is certainly not synonymous with America’s national interests.
Indeed, globalization is real and here to stay and we cannot exist in isolation. Increasing productivity and reducing operating costs now become paramount if one is to be competitive in the global market place. The industrial revolution was ushered in with fears and hopes and misgivings but look how far we have come because of it. The inevitable introduction of robotics will eventually take over our industries and work places leaving many more disenfranchised workers. Let us, therefore, turn our attention to how we are going to cope with these changes and how we will improve the lot of the many more sections of our society who will be left behind and discarded due to the transformations that are coming as technological advances continue to evolve. The pandering being played out in our current political struggle will be a threat to the American dream.
It is for these very reasons that the upcoming elections are of primary and supreme importance. We cannot sit this one out and every one of us must go and vote our consciousness and preferences but as you do so consider carefully the consequences your vote may bring and cause not only to your imagined enemies but to your own self and family, your neighbors, your municipality, your city, your state, your nation, and the world at large. Common sense must, therefore, compel you to choose the less extreme of the two candidates. Unreleased emails and speeches to distinct audiences for which one is paid are less likely to cause us the problems that a Trump Presidency will and isn’t networking an American buzzword to get ahead of the others in line and why are we suddenly distrustful of a foundation encouraging it to boost donations to save lives.
Our democracy has yielded four choices – Clinton, Trump, Johnson, and Stein. A Johnson or a Stein vote as a protest vote will have no effect or influence on the desired consequence and is but a weak voice that will be lost in the turbulent winds, and history will brand those so voting as mere outsiders looking in. Your choice is your choice but before you make it, consider carefully the effect. Trump and Clinton as are we all are not without flaws but who do we really want to win this race given the events and facts that are unfolding. The Republicans have spent the last 30 years and many millions of tax dollars trying to discredit Clinton and have not found one shred of evidence that will withstand serious scrutiny or muster or invoke the intervention of the American justice system. All they have left us with this constant pounding and vilification of her character is a misplaced perception based on false assumptions and disputed claims. On the other hand, what the media are finding out about Trump these last three months are enough to make your eye brows raise if not fall out and the blind to see again? Clinton, at least, may lie truthfully but Trump does so barefacedly and shamelessly. Indeed, we all know the only one of the two in courts defending his indiscretions is Donald Trump. A court is not determining whether Clinton is untrustworthy or not. Clinton has released her taxes but Donald Trump does not want you to see if he really is what he says he is. One year of taxes leaked to the press is enough to confirm lingering doubts. Tradition in our democracy has allowed us to know every last and true detail of our president to be and that has helped us with our choice. Why is this one flouting and scorning this important part of the interview for the job of the American Presidency?
It is imperative that you educate yourself on the issues as there is still time. And if after your research and investigation, your judgment, commonsense, faith and belief conclude that it is alright to imitate and scorn the disabled, denigrate families of our military, espouse and support bigotry, practice racism, perpetrate religious intolerance, despise minorities, build walls, displace 11 million people, laud and encourage our enemies, incite violence, prevaricate barefacedly and shamelessly, show contempt for certain branches of government, disregard civility, then go out and cast your vote for Trump and be prepared to reap, accept, and live with the consequences.
We must all get off our lethargic backsides to go and vote if only to say that we did, indeed, have a hand in this mess that is sure to come our way if Trump is elected. One is reminded now of Martin Carter, the late Guyanese poet, who contended that “All are involved, all are consumed”. This is true of this election and we should all have a say in determining its outcome. And, while my American dream is now, indeed, threatened, I trust, believe, and hope that the majority of Americans will not be seduced by the sweet nothings coming from Trump’s mouth and campaign and will display that judgement of character and discipline and support values that the world has come to admire, enjoy, yearn for, and espouse. This will only become a reality, however, if everyone one of us votes as I sincerely believe that there are simply many more sane and rational human beings residing in these United States.
Obama encouraged and facilitated my American dream and many are beginning to dream again. Trump, however, did declare that the American dream is dead and he wants to ensure that it is not resuscitated. He will definitely ensure we never dream the American dream again if he wins the Presidency and is that what we really and truly desire?
R.N. Sackiwinki
October 2016