This first appeared in Asia Times.
Bridge is a card game of intriguing complexity, popular around the world, both as a social activity and as a pastime for an intense battle of wits and skill among national teams. The game can also serve as a metaphor for the current game of politics being played out in the US.
In bridge, three no trump is quickest way to get to game. In the present presidential race, first no trump is to recognize that the Donald of the same name is divisive and cannot unify the American people behind him. He is even ripping his own political party, the GOP, apart as he campaigns his way to becoming the party nominee.
Two no trump is for his racist, anti-immigrant rant that has and will continue to turn some part of the white society against all the colored ethnic groups that make up America. He wants to build a wall on our southern border and ask Mexico to pay for the construction. Realistically speaking, does anybody know how he will do that?
Three no trump stands for his amazing lack of understanding of basic principles of economics. He believes, so he says, that free trade agreements have taken jobs away from the US. Most economists would tell him that raising import duties on foreign goods would only protect backward industries, keep low-wage workers at their impoverished level and take away incentives for generating innovations. It’s innovations that have kept America in place as the leader of the world.
Three no on trump should be enough to say to Donald, game over fella, but there is more.
While Donald does not pretend nor claim to be an intellectual giant, the four no trump stands for his lack of appreciation for the importance of education. Certainly his vocabulary amply demonstrates his lowbrow command of English and the failure of Trump University is confirmation that he doesn’t know anything about teaching our young people and giving them the skills to become responsible and contributing citizens.
Trump
Five no trump stands for his propensity to litigate as first recourse. If he was to become the president of the US, his quick nature to sue presages a threat to world peace. He is unlikely to resort to diplomacy and negotiation and more likely to rely on confrontation — leading the nation to war. His finger on the nuclear missile launch button would keep everybody up at nights.
The world community is befuddled by the US nominating process and looks upon Donald Trump’s antics with scorn and bemusement. They find his candidacy for president an insult to the dignity of the highest office in the US and by implication the most important seat of leadership in the world. While other world leaders might privately snigger at Donald’s buffoonery, they are making sure that his egomania does not cross national borders. UK, for one, contemplates barring his entry into their country. The damage that could be done to America’s prestige around the globe would be the sixth reason for no on trump.
The seven and last no trump is Donald’s obvious character flaw. He is not embarrassed to contradict himself, to reverse his positions, and to make deliberate misstatements and misrepresentations. Even my seven year-old granddaughter knows. She makes a protest placard in school declaring that she does not like Donald Trump because he is a liar.
Seven no trump is the grand slam, highest attainable contract in the game of bridge. In applying to Donald, it is a full set of reasons why the American voters must reject his candidacy. If given the chance to lead, and given his past record tainted by bankruptcies, he won’t be up to the task. He will likely take this nation down the path of destruction and disaster. It would be too late for us to rue our choice by then and the entire world may pay for generations to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment