Dysfunctional President, Dysfunctional Country

Published in Le Journal de Montréal
(Canada) on 6 July 2020
by Loïc Tassé (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Emily Sedgwick. Edited by Elizabeth Cosgriff.
The COVID-19 pandemic has gotten out of hand almost everywhere in the United States. Meanwhile, racism against whites is spreading with the same stupidity as the old racism against Blacks.

What is the American president doing to stem these two scourges? He gets on his soapbox and rants that the pandemic is in the process of disappearing, and he stokes the fires that divide American society.

We could daydream, just for a moment, about the policies of another president in similar circumstances. Not one of the preceding presidents, whether Democrat or Republican, would embark on the route Donald Trump is taking.

Mental Illness

We must repeat, Trump suffers from a grave mental illness. The book that his niece, Mary Trump, a practicing psychologist, will soon publish could confirm the diagnosis that has already been proposed by tens of thousands of mental health professionals.

Trump doesn’t think about anyone but himself, his wealth, his reelection and his image.

A recent survey by Carl Bernstein conducted for CNN confirms what everyone has perceived for a long time: Trump seeks the approval of dictators and he despises the democratic leaders, especially women.

In normal times, the American system could survive a crazy president. But in times of crisis, presidential lunacy becomes much more dangerous.

3 Concurrent Crises

The United States is confronting three simultaneous crises: the dictator Xi Jinping, COVID-19 and the rousing of minorities.

There are known solutions. Forging alliances could help the United States confront China. Confinement measures could slow the spread of COVID-19. Education and fighting poverty could give minorities access to true equality.

Personal Stakes

Instead of applying these solutions, Trump, in his illness, brings everything down to his own interests.

He sees international relations through his skewed admiration for Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, or Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his contempt for Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron.

He doesn’t understand confinement measures. He wants his own tourist sites to reopen as fast as possible, so he can make money.

He equates anti-white racist tendencies with the whole fight against racism and makes himself the defender of people with white skin.

Trump’s lunacy isolates the United States globally. It risks sinking the American economy. It pushes racism against white people into a discourse that is just as crazy as Trump’s.

Quebec and Canada are affected by Trump’s dysfunction. We have counted on the United States in many areas for a long time, and need to continue doing so.

But the more dysfunctional the United States becomes, the more we will have to count on our own strength. This will cost us dearly. Unfortunately, with or without Trump, the United States will have a hard time getting back on the right track.


The COVID-19 pandemic has gotten out of hand almost everywhere in the United States. Meanwhile, racism against whites is spreading with the same stupidity as the old racism against blacks.

What is the American president doing to stem these two scourges? He gets on his soapbox and rants that the pandemic is in the process of disappearing, and he stokes the fires that divide American society.

We could daydream, just for a moment, about the policies of another president in similar circumstances. Not one of the preceding presidents, whether Democrat or Republican, would embark on the route Donald Trump is taking.

Mental Illness

We must repeat, Trump suffers from a grave mental illness. The book that his niece, Mary Trump, a practicing psychologist, will soon publish could confirm this diagnosis that has already been proposed by tens of thousands of mental health professionals.

Trump doesn’t think about anyone but himself, his wealth, his reelection and his image.

A recent survey by Carl Bernstein, conducted for CNN, confirms what everyone has perceived for a long time: Trump seeks the approval of dictators and he despises the leaders of democracy, especially women.

In normal times, the American system could survive a crazy president. But in times of crisis, presidential lunacy becomes much more dangerous.

Three Concurrent Crises

The United States is confronting three simultaneous crises: the dictator Xi Jinping, COVID-19 and the rousing of minorities.

There are known solutions. Undertaking alliances could help the United States confront China. Confinement measures could slow the spread of COVID-19. Education and fighting poverty could give minorities access to true equality.

Personal Stakes

Instead of applying these solutions, Trump, in his illness, brings everything down to his own interests.

He sees international relations through his skewed admiration for Xi, Vladimir Putin, or Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his contempt for Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron.

He doesn’t understand confinement measures. He wants his own tourist sites to reopen as fast as possible, so he can make money.

He equates anti- white racist tendencies with the whole fight against racism and makes himself the defender of people with white skin.

Trump’s lunacy isolates the United States globally. It risks sinking the American economy. It pushes racism against whites into a discourse that is just as crazy as Trump’s.

Quebec and Canada are affected by Trump’s dysfunction. We have counted on the United States in many areas for a long time. We need to continue counting on them.

But the more dysfunctional the United States becomes, the more we will have to count on our own strength. This will cost us dearly. Unfortunately, with or without Trump, the United States will have a hard time getting back on the right track.



This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

Hot this week

Japan: Argument for Dissolution of the ICC: The US Administration Is Wrongfully Exerting Pressure

Saudi Arabia: Washington’s Smartest Move Is To Keep Israel out of the War

Austria: Trump Instigates the Next Tariff War — Just as Absurd as Before

Saudi Arabia: 2 Leaders Return from Washington

Germany: Tactically Right, Morally Clear

Topics

Japan: Argument for Dissolution of the ICC: The US Administration Is Wrongfully Exerting Pressure

Saudi Arabia: Washington’s Smartest Move Is To Keep Israel out of the War

South Africa: Saudi Arabia Signing ‘Abraham Accords’ Spells Doom for Palestinians

Germany: Tactically Right, Morally Clear

Austria: Trump Instigates the Next Tariff War — Just as Absurd as Before

Spain: Trumpist Expansion in South America

Afghanistan: 2026 FIFA World Cup: Sport and Politics

Saudi Arabia: 2 Leaders Return from Washington

Related Articles

Germany: Trump’s Iran Disaster

Saudi Arabia: Washington’s Smartest Move Is To Keep Israel out of the War

South Africa: Saudi Arabia Signing ‘Abraham Accords’ Spells Doom for Palestinians

Austria: Trump Instigates the Next Tariff War — Just as Absurd as Before

Mexico: Gangrene