Articles of the year 2020
Published on June 08th, 2020
The American Presidency is the weakest it has been since Nixon’s Watergate. That scandal forced the ouster of Nixon, a competent president but one disliked by his people. This hatred built up till he was forced to resign. We have a similar anti-Trump feeling building up across the US.
The White House itself for the first time in its history looks like a barricaded fortress of any dictatorship.
Certainly not the bastion of democracy that is supposedly voted into power by a loving electorate. The wave upon wave of anti-Trump protesters will make it difficult for Trump to try a walkabout.
His attempt to visit the church a block away from the White House took on a serious security risk with the added embarrassment of being led into the bunkers of the White House.
Trophy wife and beautiful daughters not withstanding, the President is being moved into an isolated spot drawing the ire of the nation.
This unpopularity spreads into the administration. A dangerous ripple for the generals and senior Pentagon officials saying publicly that they would not order the troops on to the streets, if ordered to do so by Trump.
The depth of malaise is now evident aimed mainly at only the persona of the President. It is now become a personal thing like Nixon.
The signals being sent out by these remarks of the senior officers has a more damaging effect.
In the standoff between Modi and China, Modi has repeatedly tried to invoke his friendship of Trump into support against China.
Unfortunately for Modi, his arrogance in treatment of his neighbours does not make him attractive to his surroundings. Similarly, Trump in daringly accusing China for the Corona virus has not bought many followers. The American people are not convinced by the bullying tactics at a press conference on this issue.
His repeated anti-China remarks to a question posed by a reporter in a press meeting was so unconvincing that it stirred sympathy for the reporter and for China.
This bullying by Trump was unconvincing and garnered sympathy for China. If the harangue on China continues, then it could be yet another charge of racism against Trump.
Today, the American public is on the streets against all racism and Trump may find himself as a beleaguered president like Nixon during the Watergate scandal. His Pentagon is not convinced by anti-China comments and is refusing to carry out his orders for the military to go on the streets against the protesters, it will be a far cry to order warships or carriers against China.
Once the motives of a president are considered suspect, they will certainly not follow orders into an escalation which could have horrific consequences. His being egged on by Modi and Netanyahu not with standing.
The American public will not allow itself to be ushered into a war that would be disastrous for all concerned.
Modi will face a similar situation by issuing any orders to his generals, who do not rally a war against the far stronger Chinese.
Media hype is not a valid reason to enter into such a disaster. The Pentagon has made its reservation clear. So to have the less brave Indian officers, they certainly do not need to fight a war they cannot possibly win.
Luckily for the world the Indian intelligence may have enough of the Modi jingoism. Street ruffians and mobs rioting against Muslim minority in Delhi bylines could be the reason of Modi’s downfall.
An attack on China by India alone would be suicidal and the Indians should consider this an option. Modi has been trapped by his own hype.