US businessman turned maverick politician Donald Trump is transforming American politics. The 2016 Republican party presidential nominee contender’s meteoric rise to popularity seems to have caught all by surprise. His policy proposals decidedly rile the establishment, both Republican and the national.
What they are afraid of is that Trump may become a US president. Donald Trump is a threat to the establishment in a number of ways. To begin with, he claims to be self-funding his presidential bid and so exempt from the dictates of special interests.
Trump also seems different from other politicians in that he appears actually to mean what he says. He makes various politically incorrect statements that cause establishment members and followers to cringe.
For that reason Trump has been branded a bigot, a demagogue and a wack. In the foreign policy arena, he has upset the elites by stating that America needs to withdraw from its burdensome overseas wars and get along with foreign powers, large or small.
Trump also has been accused of being unable to articulate how exactly he would achieve the things he promises. But that seems a spurious charge, equally applicable to all the other candidates except that in their case it’s clear that the policy solutions they offer are bogus.
The establishment couldn’t be concerned less about Trump’s treatment of the minorities. What really bothers them is his stated desire to lessen US global footprint and improve relations with China and Russia. In any event, such worries are baseless.
Even if Trump-president turns out the monster he is being painted, America’s political system is hardwired to counter the threats exactly like these.
Says a US establishment member: “The possible election of Trump is the greatest present threat to the prosperity and security of the United States. […] never before have I feared […] the wrong outcome would in the long sweep of history risk grave damage to the American project.”
“Greatest present threat”, no less.
This sounds like an open season declaration on Trump.
On second thought, he may indeed be a threat, but only to the neocon project of US world domination. That should put all doubts regarding the man’s future away.
After all, America’s existence is at stake. By refusing to bend to political convention, Trump has made himself an enemy of the American ruling class. So how are they going to stop him?
Hardly so, considering the precedents. The US boasts a rich history of political murder. Some notable examples include the assassinations of presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, as well as a host of lesser figures.
What should be borne in mind is that, at bottom, there are no governments or agencies, only the people running them. Should they see it fit to get rid of Trump, it won’t matter whether that would be a decision of an agency or the individuals making it up.
As the election date approaches, the likelihood increases that Trump may encounter a fateful accident that would prevent him from continuing the presidential race. One can only hope that the man is smart enough not invest sufficiently in his personal security, even though that can never be a guarantee against a determined opponent.
In any event, the decision whether Trump would become a US president should be left to the American voter, not the country’s political class.
