Having watched recently the second live (scrap) debate between Trump and Clinton what stuck me even at 3am is how damaged and therefore, dangerous these two candidates actually are. Moreover, how damaged and destructive US politics has become as this prime time TV non reality show revealed.
In the world we now inhabit image dominates, this provides opportunities for a narcissistic and base view of society. Both candidates in their own style 'successfully' projected just that. Clinton, who seems to becoming more like Angela Merkel every time she appears in public adopted the school mistress approach to her audience. Knowing all, seeing all but how much does she really understand? Apparently, as she observed - trying to illustrate her superiority of thought, not too difficult I might add - 'as the opposition go lower, I go higher' an interesting comment in light of her and Bill's antecedence - Whitewater finances, her impracticable and unreadable health bill, the defence of her husband's abusive behaviour to women, voting for the Iraqi War, her involvement in the (Benghazi) Libyan debacle and the breaking of federal law by deliberately wiping chemically 39k emails from a private server whilst Secretary of State. Where is the high ethical behaviour to be found amongst that 'barrel of cookies'? As Trump triumphantly retorted as he strutted the stage (I paraphrase) 'when I become President I will ask the Attorney General to employ a Special Prosecutor to look into Clinton's affairs... and she will go to Jail'. As Trump announced his 'new-found keenness' for the law it just crossed my mind somewhat playfully that we might all be better off if both candidates spent the next four years in 'the slammer' as opposed to the Oval Office!
The revelations that Trump is a crude, sexist, misogynist was hardly surprising but his taped eleven year old 'locker room' talk did provide some low grade entertainment for many who did not enjoy being lectured to by Mistress Clinton. The fact that Trump's relationship with the truth is a very distant one - I'm being unnaturally generous - just adds to the overall sense that the citizen's of the US are being asked to vote on the basis of who is less disgraceful than the other - the 'say it as you see it' Trump who only cares about Trump or the more prissy Clinton who fears revealing her true self since she clearly does not like what she sees.
As this is supposed to be an academic based blog let me try and rephrase what the choice really amounts too. Does the US vote for a man whose understanding of foreign affairs has more to do with the fairer sex than international diplomacy? Or do they put their 'trust' in a woman whose instinct is to cover up and deflect, moreover, not sharing much at all really because paradoxically she is sure that she knows best? Hence, the conceit, ego and consistent lack of judgement that underpins both Presidential hopefuls makes me wonder why I would want either to be in charge of the most powerful military in the World! As a European - I know I'm a Brit but please put up with my delusion - my worries also concern our on going reliance on an economic and military security relationship with a nation that is either to be 'overseen' by a real estate agent that does not understand one end of a tax form from another - allegedly - or a 'teacher' that hides her grades just in case someone will discover how inept she actually is?
Who will win this unedifying race to the bottom? Who will march down the Mall in January to the general chorus of 'what have we done? Who will do battle with Congress to see which branch of US governance is less likely to do something/anything as opposed to not? Well, please come to my Public Lecture next Tuesday at 7pm, the Blandijn in Auditorium C, Ugent and all will be revealed! Whoops, sorry for that burst of openness, I nearly forgot that in my lecture I need to closely align myself with the two personalities involved. So shall I pretend I know what I'm talking about when clearly I do not or shall I just cover up and preach to you all with that certain brand of certainty that gets up all our respective noses! No, that is not meant as a description of many academics! Please come, listen and ask any questions you may have since in the 'Reality World of Trump verses Clinton' nothing seems right, nothing seems wrong, its just different!
KK
In the world we now inhabit image dominates, this provides opportunities for a narcissistic and base view of society. Both candidates in their own style 'successfully' projected just that. Clinton, who seems to becoming more like Angela Merkel every time she appears in public adopted the school mistress approach to her audience. Knowing all, seeing all but how much does she really understand? Apparently, as she observed - trying to illustrate her superiority of thought, not too difficult I might add - 'as the opposition go lower, I go higher' an interesting comment in light of her and Bill's antecedence - Whitewater finances, her impracticable and unreadable health bill, the defence of her husband's abusive behaviour to women, voting for the Iraqi War, her involvement in the (Benghazi) Libyan debacle and the breaking of federal law by deliberately wiping chemically 39k emails from a private server whilst Secretary of State. Where is the high ethical behaviour to be found amongst that 'barrel of cookies'? As Trump triumphantly retorted as he strutted the stage (I paraphrase) 'when I become President I will ask the Attorney General to employ a Special Prosecutor to look into Clinton's affairs... and she will go to Jail'. As Trump announced his 'new-found keenness' for the law it just crossed my mind somewhat playfully that we might all be better off if both candidates spent the next four years in 'the slammer' as opposed to the Oval Office!
The revelations that Trump is a crude, sexist, misogynist was hardly surprising but his taped eleven year old 'locker room' talk did provide some low grade entertainment for many who did not enjoy being lectured to by Mistress Clinton. The fact that Trump's relationship with the truth is a very distant one - I'm being unnaturally generous - just adds to the overall sense that the citizen's of the US are being asked to vote on the basis of who is less disgraceful than the other - the 'say it as you see it' Trump who only cares about Trump or the more prissy Clinton who fears revealing her true self since she clearly does not like what she sees.
As this is supposed to be an academic based blog let me try and rephrase what the choice really amounts too. Does the US vote for a man whose understanding of foreign affairs has more to do with the fairer sex than international diplomacy? Or do they put their 'trust' in a woman whose instinct is to cover up and deflect, moreover, not sharing much at all really because paradoxically she is sure that she knows best? Hence, the conceit, ego and consistent lack of judgement that underpins both Presidential hopefuls makes me wonder why I would want either to be in charge of the most powerful military in the World! As a European - I know I'm a Brit but please put up with my delusion - my worries also concern our on going reliance on an economic and military security relationship with a nation that is either to be 'overseen' by a real estate agent that does not understand one end of a tax form from another - allegedly - or a 'teacher' that hides her grades just in case someone will discover how inept she actually is?
Who will win this unedifying race to the bottom? Who will march down the Mall in January to the general chorus of 'what have we done? Who will do battle with Congress to see which branch of US governance is less likely to do something/anything as opposed to not? Well, please come to my Public Lecture next Tuesday at 7pm, the Blandijn in Auditorium C, Ugent and all will be revealed! Whoops, sorry for that burst of openness, I nearly forgot that in my lecture I need to closely align myself with the two personalities involved. So shall I pretend I know what I'm talking about when clearly I do not or shall I just cover up and preach to you all with that certain brand of certainty that gets up all our respective noses! No, that is not meant as a description of many academics! Please come, listen and ask any questions you may have since in the 'Reality World of Trump verses Clinton' nothing seems right, nothing seems wrong, its just different!
KK
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