As an expat in Singapore, I find it quite interesting how the locals have reacted to the the Trump presidency. I can tell you they are incredulous. Mind you, most Singaporeans have criticism of their own government. Highest paid prime minister/leader in the world. But, being paid so much means the corruption is low,
Apart from that, Singaporeans are seriously confused by Trump. Most can’t believe Americans would elect someone like that. Overall, I’d say Singaporeans don’t really care, but they are surprised this is who Americans chose.
Lee Kwan Yew was an authoritarian, but there aren’t many other similarities to Trump. For one thing, he wasn’t a buffoon.
In any case, the remark misses the point entirely. Third World countries expect to have leaders like Trump. They don’t expect that a First World country will screw up so badly.
The Obama administration was generally seen as taking measures that were deemed “practically punitive toward Cayman” despite Cayman’s cooperation with Tax Information Exchange Agreements and being on the OECD white list.
The American administration has worked with Cayman authorities to implement pre-clearance for Cayman Immigration in Miami. This is a long sought effort to improve our visitor’s experience. And despite Trump’s machinations about all things immigration this deal (which was likely in the works prior to the election) was cemented under the new Trump administration.
My Danish aunt sent this link yesterday: http://www.everysecondcounts.eu
Late-night comedians in EU countries (and Morocco) are making videos explaining to Trump why their countries should be “second” after America’s First.
(Except the Belgian team, who didn’t seem to give a shit where they were ranked.)
Australia is, I believe, in a state of grief. Even just psychologically, being an American ally meant that we didn’t feel our geographical isolation–now we feel it.
Typical conversations:
[ul]
[li]America is dead to us[/li][li]Can you believe what Trump did today?[/li][li]What do we do now?[/li][/ul]
The PM is insistent that the refugee deal with the U.S. involves no quid-pro-quo, and that may be true on paper, but I’d bet anything that Trump will be expecting us to follow the U.S. into the South China Sea. Australians will have a lot to say about that, too, most of it involving the words “fuck” and “off”. And then what?
I think the tone around here is best summarized by a shop window display. A local glasses shop always put up fairly elaborate dioramas to the various elections. Last election, he had a boxing match between Obama and Romney. No clear bias on display, mind you. Now, all that hangs there is the skeleton of an eagle. Germans are kind of shocked and distraught, along the lines of, “What the fuck is wrong with you people?” I get that a lot, followed by condolences when I explain that my thoughts follow the exact same line.
There’s some repulsion in Britain, and the establishment media is freaking out just as much as their hysterical US counterparts, but people generally are over it. Before the election everyone I know was against Trump, and refused to believe me when I told them he would win, now he is firmly in power fewer care.
Thing is throughout my whole lifetime no American president good or bad has done anything that made my life better — other than negatively not launching nuclear war — and how can Trump be different that way ? Since America never installs the Edwards, or the Sanders, or the Bill Bradleys, who could make life better, and never will, preferring right-wing loons like Reagan or Hillary, or establishment hacks like Obama or any Bush, one just gets on with one’s life resigned.
[ American administrations have done incidental harm by providing models our demented dawning politicians follow. Their wars less so since that’s just business as usual: America lives on War. ]
Everyone from America to Peru to North Korea is certain they are the centre of existence, and what they decide changes the future. Not so much.
The one glorious thing about the Triumph of the Trump is that by concentrating the crazy into the US, it has probably innoculated Europe from the expected Right-Wing wave this coming year. The nutters will hopefully not get in. For that we thank you.
*But did not Chance at length her error mend ?
Did no subverted empire mark his end ?
Did rival monarchs give the fatal wound ?
Or hostile millions press him to the ground ?
His fall was destined to a barren strand,
A petty fortress, and a dubious hand;
He left the name, at which the world grew pale,
To point a moral or adorn a tale.
*
I absolutely agree, this is happening with folks I associate with/have conversations with.
But there is much of Australia who thinks and feels otherwise…the Hanson supporters for starters. How on earth do we neutralise them whilst keeping Australia a robust democracy?
Did you see the recent Fairfax piece on the seven types of Australian voters? The real hardcore Trump/Hanson types only make up 6% of the population. The real worry is the 12% who are disaffected and politically adrift–they’re easy pickings for populists, but they’re not committed to any such position, so they can be swayed, IMHO.
