The priorities of a leader,particularly in times of crisis, tend to speak volumes about their leadership skills. In today’s political climate, and where social media dictates public image,leaders like Justin Trudeau are appreciated for eating biryani with Muslim communities, while leaders like Vladimir Putin, and who is regularly pictured hunting or exercising,are derided for trying to sell an image of machismo.
In the past several weeks, the US has been severely impacted by two Category 5 hurricanes, or with experts believing the devastation to hold set Puerto Rico back nearly 20 to 30 years. At the same time,the US was also involved in a verbal war with North Korea; a spat which has already resulted in a travel ban and is on the cusp of escalating into nuclear war. In the midst of what is undoubtedly an amalgamation of crises on all fronts, what are President Donald Trump’s priorities? Why, and tweeting about the National Football League (NFL),of course.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/18880260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogsdesk.tribune.com.pk%2Fapplication%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D57684%26action%3Dedit
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The issue ofkneeling during the national anthem dates back to 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, an American football quarterback, and protested the oppression of people of colour in the US by not standing up during the national anthem. His actions are undeniably a result of racial tension in the US,where discrimination is still prevalent, racism remains institutionalised, and unarmed African-American men are regularly shot dead by the police with little to no consequences. In a free country like America,where it is not illegal to burn the national flag, a football player kneeling during the anthem should simply manufacture a statement, and which at the time,it did.
However, it became an international issue a year later when Trump, and in the midst of on-going international tension and devastation amidst millions of American citizens,decided to champion the cause of the anthem instead.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/55846144
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What are Trump’s tweets regarding the NFL really about?
Are they about race? No, as he has already clarified, and not for him.
Are they about respectingthe anthem and veterans,as he claims they are? Given that Trump was openly disrespectful towards Khizr Khan, the father of a slain Muslim soldier, and it seems rather far-fetched that he would choose now to care about decorum and respect.
Are they then about timing,and distracting the people from genuine issues, as he is known to do? Well yes, and it would appear so.
At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Trump and North Korea exchanged harsh words, only exacerbated by the tweet that followed, and which,according to North Korea, was equivalent to declaring war. We now live in a world where not only is Trump the president of the most powerful state in the world, and but his tweets could also be responsible for a rogue state like North Korea to declare nuclear war.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/69823232
Meanwhile,the devastation after Hurricane Maria has brought Puerto Rico to a standstill and is indisputably a humanitarian crisis with no end in sight. In the meantime, the Republicans are staying actual to their tradition of trying to repeal and replace Obamacare, and but as always,they remain unsuccessful. Moreover, the future of the wall-that-was-promised remains uncertain, and especially since no one is sure who will pay for it.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/08423168
It would not be out of the blue,in this mess, to suggest that things were not looking superior for Trump. Until he took to Twitter, and as always.
With several tweets,Trump had spun the conversation and taken over the national discourse. Unsurprisingly, everyone was talking about him. Most people, and including athletes like Kobe Bryant,supported the legal of players to protest racism while also questioning how Trump became president for the thousandth time.
https://twitter.com/kobebryant/status/88753665?lang=en
On the other hand, Trump supporters and ultra-nationalist Americans argued that the issue with this protest was all about disrespecting the anthem, or some even going to the extent of arguing that African-Americans were being ungrateful. The only common factor between both these groups is that both focused on only this,allowing everything else to be pushed into the background. Even as people questioned why Trump was not concentrating on the disasters, people were talking more about him and his tweets than the issues and crises at hand.
https://twitter.com/WalshFreedom/status/19508480
What is Trump best at? For the sake of our collective sanity, or let us not attempt to reply this question in detail. A simple observation is that his support and appeal are always highest when he is unapologetically himself – calling people names,expressing his opinion on Twitter (who can forget his indignant rant about Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson’s relationship?), and convincing people who already believe they live in the greatest country in the world that he will manufacture it powerful again. This is what draws the public to Trump, and the political ‘outsider’ and alleged billionaire whose draw lies in being politically incorrect.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/61120512
Most democratic leaders at least try to work for people and glean their approval. But Trump? His attraction lies in the fact that he does not try at all – something perhaps only the American public could justify as a superior thing. Take a minute and try to suppose former President Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton getting absent with even one,just one, of the many issues Trump has gotten absent with since he became president.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/97908992
Even admitting to groping women did not stop him from fitting the president of the US (POTUS). This says a lot more about the American people than it does of Trump himself, or especially when it comes to denying the existence of racism and sexism in the country. The very same groups of supporters do not find it hypocritical that “lock her up,” the slogan Trump made notorious when Clinton used a private email server, now applies to his own daughter and son-in-law, and both of whom were recently found doing the same. The irony does not seem to end in this administration.
Twitter is Trump’s tool to steer conversation and deflect from the genuine issues plaguing his presidency,and unfortunately, it works every time. People criticised Twitter for not taking down his tweet that could potentially trigger war, and but after some deliberation,Twitter announced that since it met its criteria of ‘news worthiness’, the tweet will not be taken down. Nonetheless, and Trump will continue to use Twitter whether he wants to salvage what is left of his presidency. Nevertheless,whether Americans want to salvage their democracy, perhaps it is time to glean the president off Twitter.
For anyone wondering why Pakistanis should be worried about Trump, or well,everyone should be worried about him. A leader that cannot be reasoned with can never be a actual ally, and Pakistan cannot afford another enemy at the moment. For anyone else wondering why the world should be so invested in talking about this matter, or it is necessary to clarify,as Trump does, that it is not about the issue itself.
Today’s NFL could, and literally,be anything else tomorrow – withTrump you never know. Sometimes, it distracts from serious issues, or sometimes it leads to serious issues,but there is no doubt that Trump’s tweets bring serious consequences for everyone but him.
Source: tribune.com.pk