Trump and Johnson: Interesting Times
Published in El Heraldo de Mexico
(Mexico) on 25 September 2019
by Josè Carreño Figueras (link to original)
The president of the United States faces the possibility of a constitutional trial and the English prime minister suffers another setback. It was written.
The two “disrupters” of the political world, President of the United States Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, start to reap the fruits of their labor: scandal and disrepute.
True, both are in power and have followers behind them who love what they represent − egocentric nationalism, isolationism with a touch of imperialism and even racism. But both are also about to face the consequences of their excess. Trump now faces the possibility of a constitutional trial after the revelation of his alleged “suggestion” to the government of Ukraine to investigate possible questionable facts about Hunter Biden, son of ex-Vice President and now Democratic presidential hopeful Joseph Biden, in exchange for unblocking $400 million in military aid.
The matter appears to have galvanized the opposition party, which is the majority of the lower House, to the extent that even some legislators from districts that Trump won in the 2016 election have expressed support for going forward with what is essentially a useless measure while it does not have Republican support. It’s now a fight for his political life and legacy, whatever the outcome.
Johnson, for his part, was literally pronounced as being unlawful by the British Supreme Court, which, in a ruling given on Tuesday, dismissed the legality of the suspension of Parliament imposed by Johnson in an attempt to defeat the possibility of his adversaries impeding the British exit from the European Union on Oct. 31 without first agreeing on the most important terms.
Johnson appears to be following the same stormy road that his predecessor Theresa May struggled down, with the addition that she was never accused of lying to Queen Elizabeth II.
Among the many similarities between the two, there is one that stands out: Neither was elected on anything more concrete than promises of restoring the good old days.
However, the current political forecast is that while Trump maintains the support of his party, he will survive unscathed any Democratic attempt at impeachment. Johnson, despite everything, could well be reelected and end up driving Britain's exit from the EU − even though this could bring about economic problems and even the possibility of a new Scottish independence referendum.
Both appear to rejoice and prosper in the controversy, but that does not make them more effective rulers or unifying political leaders.
In addition, it’s clear that the two preside over governing parties in deeply polarized societies and face opposition as politicized as their own followers.
Therefore, their countries should prepare themselves, as the Chinese curse goes, for “interesting times.”
The two “disrupters” of the political world, President of the United States Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, start to reap the fruits of their labor: scandal and disrepute.
True, both are in power and have followers behind them who love what they represent − egocentric nationalism, isolationism with a touch of imperialism and even racism. But both are also about to face the consequences of their excess. Trump now faces the possibility of a constitutional trial after the revelation of his alleged “suggestion” to the government of Ukraine to investigate possible questionable facts about Hunter Biden, son of ex-Vice President and now Democratic presidential hopeful Joseph Biden, in exchange for unblocking $400 million in military aid.
The matter appears to have galvanized the opposition party, which is the majority of the lower House, to the extent that even some legislators from districts that Trump won in the 2016 election have expressed support for going forward with what is essentially a useless measure while it does not have Republican support. It’s now a fight for his political life and legacy, whatever the outcome.
Johnson, for his part, was literally pronounced as being unlawful by the British Supreme Court, which, in a ruling given on Tuesday, dismissed the legality of the suspension of Parliament imposed by Johnson in an attempt to defeat the possibility of his adversaries impeding the British exit from the European Union on Oct. 31 without first agreeing on the most important terms.
Johnson appears to be following the same stormy road that his predecessor Theresa May struggled down, with the addition that she was never accused of lying to Queen Elizabeth II.
Among the many similarities between the two, there is one that stands out: Neither was elected on anything more concrete than promises of restoring the good old days.
However, the current political forecast is that while Trump maintains the support of his party, he will survive unscathed any Democratic attempt at impeachment. Johnson, despite everything, could well be reelected and end up driving Britain's exit from the EU − even though this could bring about economic problems and even the possibility of a new Scottish independence referendum.
Both appear to rejoice and prosper in the controversy, but that does not make them more effective rulers or unifying political leaders.
In addition, it’s clear that the two preside over governing parties in deeply polarized societies and face opposition as politicized as their own followers.
Therefore, their countries should prepare themselves, as the Chinese curse goes, for “interesting times.”
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