2024 - It's Been a Wild Ride So Far!

I'm growing irritated by the growing trend of overbearing political correctness, the general over-sensitivity, and the gall of people trying to tell us what we can and cannot say.

It’s one thing to advocate proper speech and behaviour. It’s quite another to threaten consequences based on personal feelings or preferences.

This isn’t a new topic. It’s been discussed and expressed for a long time before now.

And yet, it isn’t getting better. If anything, it’s getting worse.

Someday, if we don’t annihilate ourselves, a future historian will look upon this time in their past, and wonder how we got to this point.

Perhaps the weariness of this situation is getting to people as well, and we are on the cusp of some earthshaking change. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to the announcement of the new old President of the America.

It’s 2024, and it’s been a wild ride so far!

One Singaporean's Thoughts on the USA Presidential Elections 2020

As a Singaporean who has never set foot on American soil, it’s essentially impossible for me to truly understand the deepest issues that affect the country and its people.

That said, it is certainly possible to have formed views and opinions, from talking to people, watching videos made by Americans as well as about Americans, and so on.

So, this is that: An opinion piece. It’s not a scientific dissertation or a research paper. Take it as such.

I like to look at the culture of a place and people, much more than individuals.

My view is that America is culturally extroverted. It wants to be known, to be seen, and it values visibility and outward expression.

You can see this in the movies that they make, the songs that they write, the celebrities that they put on pedestals.

You can also see it in the way that they conduct themselves on any platforms that make them visible - Internet forums, television / videos, social media, and so on.

You are also able to see this in the companies that they build, the practices that they uphold, and the language that they use.

Their heroes are robust, confident, and quick to move into action or speak.

And because they emphasise outward expression so heavily, they imprint (some would say impose) their culture on other countries. And they do it with now-predictable methods and fervour.

Singapore is one of these countries. Of the East and South-East Asian countries, we are, doubtlessly, the most Americanised. Many here would say ‘Westernised’, but I find this to be a far less accurate term.

We see the seeping in on Americanised values - a fair number of which are deeply opposed to our East and South-East Asian ones. I don’t see this as a good thing, but that’s a story for another time.

Because of its culture, it’s no wonder that they are easily swayed by charismatic talkers and strongly-opinionated rebels. These are the traits that they value!

And, of course, of the 2 candidates in the upcoming USA Presidential Elections 2020, one of them truly embodies this set of traits.

As much as many all over the world ridicule and poke fun at the incumbent president, there are many in and outside of America who are passionate supporters.

In case you’re wondering, I’m not one of them. I’m not a fan of his fast-talking, word-flipping ways, and I find his views on science very perplexing. That said, there is no doubt that he is a charismatic man, polarising though he may be.

I’ve said this on many occasions to people that I discuss politics with: Better the evil you know than the evil you don’t.

At the end of the day, the incumbent president is known to speak his mind, without caring about what others think.

Some say that this is dangerous - especially considering he is in such a position of authority.

But this is something that many Americans value. As do I. Political correctness is both a pain and a recipe for weakness of thought and emotion.

And here’s the thing: Because he constantly speaks his mind, we are privy to his thoughts, and that he isn’t going to bother to come up with elaborate lies and deep cover-ups. The people around him may do that, but he’s hardly the kind of person who goes covert. He LIKES attention and undercover operations don’t seem to be his thing.

You have to admit that there’s a certain honesty about that - a rare trait amongst politicians. And I appreciate that.

I have no dog in this fight, and I don’t care if you agree or not. My prediction is simple:

Donald Trump will remain President of the USA after 2020.

Picture from The Boston Globe - https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/07/metro/shortest-presidential-election-ever/

And our lives will go on as they always have.

The Inauguration of the 45th President of the USA - What's Going to Happen Next?

A little tidbit I learned some time ago is that Barack Obama held the title of the 44th President of the USA, but he is actually only the 43rd person to hold office as the President of the USA.

This is because Grover Cleveland was president for two terms but his terms were non-consecutive. He was president from 1884 - 1888 and from 1892 - 1896, having lost the 1888 elections, and was therefore the 22nd and the 24th president.

That would make Donald Trump the 44th person to be president, but still holding the title of 45th President of the USA based on their numbering system.

A minor discrepancy but a discrepancy nonetheless.

So now that President Trump is in the White House, what's going to happen next?

The angered naysayers and up-in-arms protesters may disagree, but, practically speaking, it's very unlikely that much is going to change in our typical daily lives in the first year or so. 

A little further down the road, we'll see financial markets rock, though they've always been a house of cards anyway.

We'll see a lot of nitpicking on as-yet-unfulfilled campaign promises and over-analysis of President Trump's speeches and interviews.

We'll see unease in numerous nations across the world as they grapple with this new reality.

We'll get reports of more unrest, disasters and violence.

We'll experience a rise in complaints and uncivilised conduct on social media platforms.

We'll also witness changes in relations between countries.

Essentially, the exact same things that have already been happening in the past decades.

There are many unseen forces and players at work in this world we live in. There are huge arrays of factors in play. There are events already set in motion that will continue to advance.

Why do we think that a single human being is going to be solely responsible for things happening and things to come? 

He is going to be a fairly large factor, no doubt, but he isn't going to be the only one.

So let's all calm down and let things take their course. Give the man a chance.

We can always berate him later if he deserves it.

Who knows? He may earn our respect and accolades instead.

Official Portrait of President Donald Trump