Yesterday marked the end of one of the saddest, scariest, arguably most divisive eras in international politics. Donald Trump, that scrofulous barbarian and bully finally packed his bags and left the White House.He was and will always be a racist, sexist pugnacious ragamuffin whose true colours were neutralised by the fact he was at the helm of the most powerful nation on earth, a nation which acts as if it has a monopoly on democracy.
In theory, it wouldn’t have been any of our business if he stayed on at the White House or not. It wouldn’t have mattered if he overthrew the democratically elected government of that country and installed in his KKK brethren in Capitol Hill. It wouldn’t have mattered. In theory.
The sad reality is that, as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wole Soyinka commented on the tragic consequences of the January 6 storming of Capitol Hill: “When America stumbles, it is a big blow to democracy in other parts of the world. Dictators take courage from that.”
The aborted putsch happened as Uganda was dealing with its own crisis, with President Yoweri Museveni using repressive measures to extend his stay in power.
The man who defeated two dictators in Idi Amin and Milton Obote has been in power for years, since his 1986 coup. While the world was holding its breath at the spectacle unfolding in the US, Museveni stole the election.
Back to Trump. We may argue about the true meaning of democracy, but for better or worse, the US, at different stages of its history, did play an important role in showing the world what democracy could be.
Oh, yes, we know how the US used its military might to destabilise governments in Africa, Afghanistan, Central and South America.But by and large there was order. I know this sounds contradictory, but there you have it.
Trump has done the international democratic project a great disservice. It is thanks to Trump that conservativism has been wrongly equated to racism. In his world such positive nomenclature as “liberal” and “left-wing” become insults.
Trump’s departure is not going to suddenly restore order in the United States. The wounds he inflicted on the American body politic are deep.
Not to say the US has always been a paragon of racial tolerance, but under his watch, race relations worsened. There was a resurgence of neo-Nazism.Indeed, it was his neo-Nazis who stormed Capitol Hill, that way penning a new dubious chapter in history.
Capitol, that bastion of American power, had not been stormed in more than 200 years. The last time it was stormed was during the American Civil War,
As he vacated office, and in keeping with tradition, Trump gave official pardon to a number of people who had been found guilty for various crimes. These included the four former Blackwater security contractors involved in the killings of more than a dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2007. The 14 civilians who were killed included a medical student and his mother, as well as a man whose arms were raised when Blackwater agents opened fire on him.
Believe it or not, there are many black South Africans who loved Trump in office. His presence there assured everyone that America was not invincible, after all. Trump in office gave detractors of the US an opportunity to experience a generous dose of schadenfreude.
Listening to incoming president Joe Biden inaugural address, I was reminded of how our very own Nelson Mandela articulated his vision for the country.I’m not equating the two, only saying they both have the ability to articulate things in a manner that is relatable.
We are not expecting miracles from Biden. He’s not an angel. But he comes across as someone level headed.
If there’s stability in the US, the world at large begins to breathe with a measure of ease.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.