Cheap Jibes to Perpetuate the Great American Myth

 

I am very definitely not a supporter of jingoistic nationalism, the waving of the flag or my country right or wrong. I am suspicious of all things military and abhor violence of any kind or any mindless worship of battles and "heroes". An old friend said many years ago (she was about 80 at the time) when our TV screens and news broadcasts were filled with one of the many anniversary "celebrations" of the end World War 2: "Why are we still fighting this war 50 years after it ended". Betty was not wrong. When nations choose to go to war it means that reason, humanity and common decency have failed and we should all be ashamed.

However, Trump's latest outburst stating that soldiers from NATO were not in the front line during the campaigns in Afghanistan cannot and must not go unchallenged. I know nothing about the tactics of war or "the front line" that Trump refers to but having been around for 80 years I do know a cheap jibe when I hear it and I can usually spot a dodgy snake oil salesman, a dishonest charlatan, a bullying "wannabe" when I cross their path. As a teacher I've seen lots of them on the school playground - the school bullies, demanding an audience and craving misplaced "respect" from the rest of the children. Trump is just another immature playground bully, craving respect through fear and aggression rather than through any positive, worthwhile or even decent personal qualities and his offensive comments say more about him than they do about brave troops of any nation. Of course, he is, in many ways just regurgitating, spurting out (in Trump's case I think the word vomiting is more appropriate) the usual repetitive and tired Hollywood version of reality, a reality where history, events, people and actions are rewritten to fit the American narrative that America is the shining citadel on the hill and saves the world from itself, again and again and again.

If we are going to engage in cheap jibes in the Trump fashion how about this one? On 9/11 New York was hit by a dreadful terrorist attack and the world held its breath and rightly mourned for America. But I often wonder what America would have done if it had been faced with years of blitz of the kind we in the UK suffered in the last war, or that the Ukraine is suffering now or that the people of Gaza have suffered? To put it bluntly we would never have heard the end of it, the beating of American breasts and the uncontrolled weeping would drown out all else. I wonder where Donald Trump would have hung out in such a scenario? Would he have been alongside John Wayne, Arnie Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise and the rest of the faux American heroes, saving his Trump Tower from obliteration and rescuing the planet yet again - and then spending the rest of eternity retelling the great American myth, blowing the American trumpet? I suspect a more likely scenario is that he would be deep in his bunker, counting his gold, making a pact with the devil and making another deal to make money out of the dead and homeless - and having done his deals he would emerge into the wrecked world and boast that he had stopped another war. If you think that's a bit over the top then remember he proposed buying up ruined Gaza for "real estate", expelling the Palestinians and building a holiday theme park, the "Palestine Riviera"; the man is morally bankrupt and inhuman with absolutely no saving graces . No, there would be no front line for him or any of the other plastic "all American superheroes" - they'd be in their fox holes, cowering, all aggression and false bravery spent. In fact, just like the school bully standing in the Headmaster's Office blubbering, saying "It's not my fault, they told me to do it, I was only joking, please don't tell my mummy.....…"

I would humbly suggest (and going against all my pacifist principles!) that Trump "discusses" his view of NATO's front line involvement and the contribution of troops from the UK, France, Canada, Spain, Poland, Italy etc. with people who know what they're talking about when it comes to Afghanistan, Iraq and other war torn areas. This discussion should be behind locked doors in the White House and involve Trump and a couple of war weary and battle hardened NATO squaddies who were in Afghanistan fighting, putting their lives on the line, sustaining terrible injuries and losing old comrades in what was, after all part of American President George Bush's "War on Terror" following 9/11. I'm sure that the two squaddies could and would, in true Don Corleone fashion, make Trump an offer he couldn't refuse. And, like the school bully when confronted with reality, he would squirm and bellow, sob and scream, have another tantrum but in the end be quite easily convinced when raw power explained it all to him and he would be keen to agree that he had "misspoke". He is essentially a coward, brave only when he is not challenged; he would beg forgiveness as the two squaddies towered over him and be anxious to apologise. And, hopefully, when he emerged from the Oval Office he would have the bruises to prove the depth of the "discussion" with the squaddies! Whether he would learn anything, however, is doubtful - he is beyond learning or redemption.

The man is an offensive and dangerous fool. Shame on America and Americans for giving him the power and the air to breath and vomit out his mindless and offensive ranting in 2016 and then again in 2024. And even more shame on them for not now removing him as unfit for public office. It says much about America and Americans - none of it good. All nations get the politicians and leaders they deserve and those leaders reflect the electorate and its culture. Trump cannot be viewed in isolation, he is what America is and that once great nation should be ashamed of what they have become and what they have spawned.