Lee’s government was especially outstanding for its competence, disdain for populist policies, and lack of corruption. He turned an impoverished country into one of the world’s great economies. This is utterly opposite to Trump in every way.
Recently I learned that Lee’s son, the present Singapore PM, was Senior Wrangler at Cambridge, a coveted distinction attained by such notables as Jacob Bronowski, the Nobel Prize-winning J.W. Strutt Lord Rayleigh, Arthur Stanley Eddington, etc. (The huge prestige of Senior Wrangler is indicated by Cambridge students who did not achieve it: The two most renowned 19th-century physicists, J.C. Maxwell and Lord Kelvin, were only Second Wranglers. Nobel Laureate Bertrand Russell was 7th Wrangler. John Maynard Keynes was only 12th Wrangler.)
I know Donald Trump is “really really smart.” Was he Senior Wrangler?
The Netherlands watches in fascinated horror. Rock Solid USA has fallen to the level of a Third World Lying Kleptocracy. We are concerned what the Trump trend will mean for our own elections, in three weeks. Our own mini Trump Geert Wilders, is set to be the biggest political party.
I’d say that the leadership of every other country in the world regards Trump as a weak fool - but erratic and possibly dangerous. America’s influence in the world is being significantly reduced.
Countries are worried about Trump messing with international trade and crashing the financial system, or starting a war, or derailing climate change initiatives, or undermining NATO, or simply being unable to cope with any crisis that comes up.
Countries like Russia, Syria, Turkey, Iran and North Korea are wondering how best to take advantage of Trump. Israel knows that they can take advantage of Trump. Countries like Saudi Arabia are keeping a low profile and waiting for him to go away.
What I see is shock and horror. But I also see various fringe trolls celebrating and cherry picking. Main stream right wing politicians have mostly taken umbrage to being compared to Trump, but there are all of two well known national politicians who applaud.
I saw that piece and thought it was terrible, but those rate well and look good on the audience metrics.
I should say that not everyone in Australia crying onto their Vegemite toast over Trump winning. Almost everyone on my social media feed is, definitely, but a few of the folks I talk to IRL are very much of “Good, let’s see him shake things up a bit” view.
My feeling of the non-social media view is probably closer to “worried” or “bemused”, but each person’s feel of things is going to differ depending on the circles they move in.
I’ve heard some genuine unhappiness from folks here IRL over the result too, to be fair.
From the first days, “bloody hell, they chose the troll!” and mentions of Rodolfo Chiquilicuatre, the character from a late night show which almost went to Eurovision on a trolling ticket.
Personally, reading the remarks from people who apparently believed the wrong parts of his ticket, I’m reminded of all those people who believe the invented parts of movies and disregard the real ones as invented.
A lot of my family still lives in Mexico. Even those who have come to the US, however, have the same reaction. Fear and anger. I don’t think that a lot of American’s understand how angry some of this stuff has made the people of Mexico (or Mexican Americans for that matter)…or how this election and the subsequent actions done by this administration have so shifted the view of Mexicans towards America and Americans. Between the strong arm tactics concerning trade and NAFTA and Trump’s Wall, possibly irreparable damage is being done.
Or, that’s my anecdotal take based on my own family and friends.
The general feeling I get is that the only way to deal with a loud talking bully is to punch him in the nose. Personally, I don’t think Canada should wait for the US to start the 90 day waiting period to dismantle NAFTA. We should do it first. And then refuse to meet for 90 days. Don’t even enter into discussions. Then cut off all exports. THEN start negotiating.
In Ireland we are horrified and really, really disappointed. We’re sad and scared for our many American friends and relatives. We’re also worried about the trend towards fascism generally.
We always regarded USA as a friend, a cousin. It’s like watching a pal join a dangerous cult and become wild-eyed and unhinged. Your country’s become ‘radicalised’.
Irish women also are particularly depressed. We, ourselves, are only sloooowly extricating ourselves from the claws of the Catholic church’s misogynist dogma with still a way to go. We felt positive. Our country seems finally to be going in the right direction. Trump and his coterie of ghouls, in trying to unravel the progress you guys have made on civil rights, particularly with regard to reproductive rights, has been a big blow psychologically.
Small silver lining - we have a very slim hope that he is so awful he will serve as a cautionary tale to people on the brink of voting for populists here in the EU. He’s (along with the Brexiteers before him) also made me and many of my family and friends feel more positively about the EU than we’ve felt in a long time.
I should also add that we feel like you’ve been had by a complete con-man and not even a convincing one. We honestly don’t understand how his supporters can’t see that. How could anyone possibly believe he’s on the side of the little guy?
This type of post typifies a lot of the other posts here, IMO. People imagine that everyone else sees Trump as they themselves see Trump.
According to Reuters, Sunni states in the Middle East welcomed Trump’s election because they see him as a “strong leader” who will confront Iran. GreenWyvern thinks “the leadership of every other country in the world regards Trump as a weak fool” and that “Countries like Saudi Arabia are keeping a low profile and waiting for him to go away”. Who is most likely correct? Hmm …
Well, how about this then: Most western democratic countries that elect their governments in a peaceful transition of power are horrified, and most of their citizens regard Trump as a con man and a fool.
On the other hand, countries that are run by totalitarian dictators, or a ruling class of royalty, and have no real tradition of democratic elections of government seem to like Trump and feel that a strong man dictator is just what a country needs.
So you’re right - it’s not EVERY country that distrusts or dislikes Trump as president. Congratulations. I hope you enjoy your new friends. Meanwhile, Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan say “It’s been nice, see you later”
With regard to Canada, coverage on CBC Radio has been reminiscent of the kind of programming that follows a natural disaster. One program had a psychiatrist trying to help people deal with it emotionally. Just today there was a program exploring the parallels between the regime’s embrace of “alternative facts” and the history-revising Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984. The program kicked off with the now-famous “alternative facts” pronouncement from Kellyanne Conway, and included an interview with her by a thoroughly incredulous Jake Tapper, who wanted her to comment on the significance of a president who lies and deceives as a matter of routine – repeatedly, deliberately, and transparently.
The world – at least, the western democratic part of it – is horrified and worried in a way that I have not seen since 9/11.
The problem with that is that what you’re calling “the world” means the same segment of “the world” which is also very opposed to Trump in the US, i.e. the media and the establishment. Question is whether there’s a segment of the population in European countries which is similar to that segment in the US which supports Trump. I don’t think you can settle that by pointing to newspaper headlines or statements by establishment public figures.
Or by posts from Dopers. It’s a weird thing, but I keep reading all sorts of coverage of far right politicians in various European countries having significant success and being threats to capture power. But there are - to my knowledge - zero European posters to these board who claim allegiance to those politicians and movements, and from what these posters post about how liberal Europe is compared to the US, you would think those movements and politicians have no support whatsoever.
News flash: Sunni states in the Peninsula delighted with conflagrations to their North and even financing terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda are delighted to see a de facto Putin-Trump-ISIS alliance that may increase violence there and sap the strengths of Shi’ite powers like Iran and Iraq.
Someone else posted that every country in the world regards Trump as a weak fool, and specifically asserts that Saudi Arabia in particular is “waiting for him to go away”. Do you comment on that? Do you assert that it’s obviously untrue, and that Saudi Arabia is pleased to have Trump for whatever reason. No, not at all.
It’s only after I post a cite to a reputable media source which says that the Sunni states are pleased with Trump that you spring into action and assert that yeah of course, it’s obvious “dog bites man”.
The general idea seems to be that anything negative about Trump goes, and if one argument falls away you drop back to the fallback one, even if it completely contradicts the first one.
Any country would be inclined to retaliate in case of US tariffs, independent of their opinion of Trump. (Trump’s hand is strengthened by the massive US trade deficit. But that’s another issue.)
