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BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

US news under Trump has become reality TV

President Donald Trump (Photograph by Evan Vucci/AP)

The most overused word for today’s times must be the adjective “unprecedented”. I do not recall a time when a President of the United States has generated as much news over controversial actions that defy convention. Equally, I have never seen a leader face as much opposition, including blatant global criticism, so early into his presidency and then meet those critics with indifference.

For starters, you had the controversy over the size of the inauguration attendance, which was followed by a day of protest in Washington that swamped its size and which was repeated by millions all over America. If that protest, supported by simultaneous massive demonstration all over the world was not enough of a message, then what medium will inform the President that a lot of people — in fact, the majority of people — do not like what he is saying?

The inauguration fiasco seemingly was not enough for pause or reflection; he immediately launched the airport catastrophe that followed in the wake of his “ban, no ban” on Muslims, sending foreboding ripples all over the globe. The President responded to the matter in a news interview with: “It’s going nicely.”

The week by then was already toxic, then comes the news of an American soldier dying, with several others wounded, when a military aircraft was lost in Yemen while gathering information which “may” be useful at a later date.

Considering that 23 civilian lives were also lost, including an eight-year-old half-American girl and 14 al-Khidr soldiers, this was a major military initiative. This campaign was not conducted as a rescue or combat mission, but rather to gain information that “may” be useful later. All this off all places in Yemen, which faces a humanitarian crisis where life has slowed down to a camel’s pace because of its war with Saudi, where militants have to plan their strategies under gas-propelled, electric household generators, while sophisticated American drones hover overhead detailing their every move.

The Yemen story that was billed as an amazing success was in fact an amazing spin. Allegedly, viewer numbers are falling on television reality shows, but then who needs reality TV when you can turn on CNN, CBS or just about any news channel and get the most entertaining show on Earth? The only problem is what to call it: is it a comedy, a tragedy or some other form of a Dallas-type soap opera?

There is always some good news out of any situation and something we can all benefit from. The best thing about this is, it’s not BS; it’s real. Before, what we got was all BS; we never knew the truth because it was too inconvenient. We lived instead on conspiracy theories, but this latest stuff does not need a theory; it’s live and in your face. Even when events can be seen with your own eyes, they can lie openly nowadays — it is called alternative facts.

Trump watched the Israelis declare building 5,500 new homes in occupied Palestine lands, and his acquiescence says: “Now go gently, my good buddies.” Russian-backed rebels renewed bombing Ukraine, killing two dozen in a single day. Iran fires a missile, which by the way, does not break the nuclear treaty, yet Iran gets threatened and Russia gets a diplomatic pass.

The good friend Australia gets smeared because it asks America to live up to its promised refugee obligation. Canada, one of the two closest and largest trade partners with the US, is threatened with losing $3 billion on pipe that it had already built because the President wants the pipe, which will be carrying Canadian oil from a Canadian company, to be made in the USA. And Mexico will be made covertly to pay for the wall to block illegal immigrants and illicit drugs flowing to “American consumers” all in one week.

Nevertheless, it is refreshing to see the world through the eyes of a four-year-old. Remembering that it was precisely that vintage that won the election. People were tired of unreal and want authentic leaders to whom they can relate. The only thing wrong with the picture of Trump’s viewing the world naively is the view of the world by the man standing next to him.

Steve Bannon is not a naive four-year-old, was never elected to any office, but enjoys the role as master manipulator — not of a video game, but the strongest military on Earth and with the leader of the free world to guide. Brannon holds a position that Friedrich Engels would envy.

Again, all is not lost because I hope the innocent but misguided mind of President Donald Trump will turn around in his presidency, like Saul on the road to Damascus, and that something truly great for the world will emerge through him.