First, I have to apologize to my wife, who would prefer that I don't post anything political. I'm sorry, honey...... But I just couldn't help myself.
R.E.M. might have been right. Prophets..... Visionaries..... Mystics.....
What am I referring to? If it wasn't obvious by the title, of course I mean the 2016 Presidential Election.
Dang, Chuck...... You're exaggerating. I mean, come on..... get real.
See, the thing is, this election is as real as it gets. And I think, depending on the outcome of the election, the title of this is 100% accurate. Allow me to explain.
Before anyone thinks I am advocating a specific candidate..... I am not. All of the candidates have warts of significant size. This truly is an election where there is no good choice.
But there is one horrific, societal- and planet-altering choice that we must not make. And that choice we can not make is to elect Donald Trump as our President.
I'd wager that I have traveled internationally far more than the majority of my Facebook friends..... to Asia, Europe, Australia, the Caribbean..... I regularly read international publications, communicate regularly with friends in other countries (beyond just work)..... not that this makes me special, or unique, but I've learned over the years to consider the perspective of American actions in the global scheme. I've experienced firsthand how people from many different cultures view individual Americans they meet, as opposed to "American society", as opposed to "American politics and policy". They are 3 only semi-related treatments and understandings.
And uniformly, every single person I have spoken with, outside of the U.S., has expressed a common opinion - horror at the idea that Trump could win the Presidency. And shock that it's even gotten to being this close to a reality.
Why should we care? Shouldn't we be worried about what is in the best interest of the U.S., and maybe that's Trump?
Maybe. But the world would be different, in potentially irrecoverable ways.
I've read dozens of articles online, in magazines, in newspapers, from both domestic and international sources. But I don't know if any of them have hit upon the single thing that I think a Trump presidency would shake to the core. And it's this:
Under a Trump presidency, the U.S. would no longer be the moral compass (i.e. the moral leader) for the world.
Period.
You see, everybody looks to the U.S. for leadership - not just for military power, or "policing" international affairs that inherently don't touch our mainland. They also look us to do what is "right", ethically and morally. Protecting those that are unable to protect themselves. Championing policies that are good for the world, the environment, people everywhere. Even if those policies are not specifically for the benefit of the U.S., or put us first every time.
And, importantly, to put "right" above "winning". Not to worry about the balance sheet as much as worrying about what is "best". With great power (which the U.S. unabashedly has, despite those that mis-represent us as weak) comes great responsibility.
And a Trump presidency forfeits our standing as a moral compass in 2 ways.
First - it would be impossible to be considered the moral leader when our own leader is recognized, around the world, as massively immoral. Trump is horrendously flawed in many, many different ways, and certainly couldn't be a figurehead for what is right. He is a clearly articulated sexist, racist, narcissistic liar who has a very recognized history for cheating his way "to the top". He wouldn't be the first remarkably flawed president (one need only look at Hillary's husband to recognize that), but in the modern age, it's hard to come up with one that is flawed in so many different dimensions. I won't elaborate further, there are so many well-documented issues of character that it's unnecessary. (Again, Hillary has her flaws as well, though they seem more contained as Trump's. And, critically, Hillary's flaws are clearly not seen to be as thorough and inexcusable to our global partners as Trump's. Simply said, Hillary's flaws seem to be those of a standard politician. It is quite possible that some of our current allies will not even let Trump set foot in their countries, which is simultaneously inconceivable and understandable based on Trump's actions and rhetoric during the campaign.)
Second, and far more critically, Trump's campaign has changed the game regarding the U.S.'s moral and ethical responsibility. His profoundly "U.S. First" approach hasn't come in the spirit of "make the world better while we make America great". That's a win-win kind of approach.
No, Trump's approach has been pretty clear - it's "we win, I don't care about anybody else". Our partners in NATO - if they don't pay their share, screw 'em, we won't protect them. If peaceful neighbors like Japan don't do what we want, screw 'em..... they should just get their own nukes if they're worried about North Korea.
In simple terms, we'd be wielding our power for our benefit alone.
It would not longer be to do what is right for the world..... it would be to do what is right for us.
And every one of the forces that is on the "foe" side of the "friend or foe" realizes it. Believe that.
A Trump presidency, simply put, would change the world order in a profound way.
No longer would the strongest country in the world, the one whose military spending is equal to the sum of the next 25 countries, be thought of as a force for good.
It would be seen, worldwide, as a force for "good for us."
What happens when all of the negative forces in the world realizes that the world's policeman is permanently at Dunkin Donuts?
Let's not experience that.
I won't tell you who to vote for. But there is absolutely somebody who I beg you not to vote for.
#NeverTrump