Donald Trump won the election but lost the popular vote. This is the dichotomy of the American election where it is not the case of first past the post. Here it is a victory in the"electoral College" that matters. Hillary led by about 2-2.5 million votes and yet lost the election. The electoral college is made up of a number of votes depending on the population of a state and the winner takes all is the motto. So one can have a peculiar situation where one wins the popular vote but loses the election. This is the beauty of the American system where 2-3 populous states cannot swing an election. Only a broadly representative man can be president. Donald won in the electoral college.

Donald's ideas

The man during the entire campaign mouthed some revolutionary ideas which he propagated with gusto. His constituency was the white working class and they lapped up his rhetoric. This consisted of an attack on radical Islam, stopping of immigration more notably from Mexico, constructing a border wall and bizarre thoughts that NATO is outdated and supporting Brexit. he also looked soft on Russia and one thought that these were just ideas. But after winning the election within a week he has bared his teeth and now has signed a number of executive orders that look more like the rise of Adolf Hitler. 

A Trait

Donald has another trait, he can look you in the eye and mouth a lie without batting an eyelid. He is a consummate artist and he makes even lies and half truths look real. One of his acts is the announcement of a border wall with Mexico. This has alarmed the Mexicans as Donald has repeatedly announced that Mexico will pay for the wall. Mexico is an American ally for over 100 years and they have a thriving trade that is 1.5  billion dollars a day !. But this has not deterred Donald from going ahead. The wall will cost anything up to 28-30 million dollars and Donald repeats that Mexico will pay for the wall. There are also threats to Mexico and one can see a similar situation created by Hitler in the thirties in Austria.

He has also imposed a ban for 120 days on Muslim nations which he supposes are a conduit of terror. Here he is wrong as he has included 7 countries that have not sent a single terrorist to the USA for 7 years. He has by sleight of hand left out the countries that really did send the terrorist name Saudi Arabia and Egypt. 

Division in America

Donald has other things up his sleeve and his executive orders have created chaos. They go against the grain of the American constitution. There is opposition to him and the cities and airports are full of demonstrations. A massive women's march also took place againsthim just after his inauguration and it cannot be a happy moment for him.

Donald is unfazed. why? It's the character of the man and a significant aspect is that in the working white class in America there is a groundswell of support for him. Men at the bottom rung of the ladder feel that Donald by his acts will usher in better days. But all this may be playing to the gallery and his support base, for this may not improve a lot of the common American. But it will take time to sink in.

Last Word

But the bigger danger is that he has moved away from the ideals of the constitution and taken the American state away into the deep uncharted ocean. Donald may go, but the damage he has done ( assuming it is damage) will never be repaired. America will never be the same again and one wonders if like Hitler he may also have a downfall. Time alone will tell us about it.


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