by B. R. GOWANI
Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump (left) and Ted Cruz PHOTO/Salon
Until a couple of weeks ago, one of the most happiest person on this planet was Hillary Rodham Clinton, the front-runner among the Democratic Party’s presidential candidates. She didn’t have to face the corporate controlled media reporters to answer, mostly, silly and unimportant questions, because Donald trump, one of the Republican Party presidential candidates, was providing them with plenty of answers without even being questioned. But since then, the things have changed drastically. Her formidable opponent Bernie Sanders is now ahead by 8% in the latest poll. She has started attacking Sanders viciously by portraying him as a newcomer on foreign policy and healthcare. The more messed up Middle East is a testimony to Hillary’s foreign policy expertise which she used as President Barack Obama’s foreign minister, called secretary of state in the US, between 2009 to 2013. Her attack on Sanders health policy is bogus: if more people can be provided with healthcare, then why can’t Obamacare be discarded?
Meanwhile, Trump has also scared the hell out of the party establishment which has been anxiously watching Trump’s constant staying power at the top in most of the polls for months now but hoping fervently for his downfall – which is not in sight in the near future. Besides, he is in a good physical condition, according to his Doctor Dr. Harold N. Bornstein, who says that Trump, if elected as president, would be the “Healthiest Individual Ever Elected.” It’s never ever anything bad, inferior, low, or mediocre about Trump. Dr. Bornstein must be well aware of his own financial needs and of Trump’s narcissism. And the positive report won’t do any harm to either of them.
There is no mystery to Trump’s front-runner position: the top position is neither related to his expertise on the US foreign policy, which Trump is not endowed with much, nor is it connected to his understanding of domestic issues, which are unfathomable to him. So why is Trump on the top? It is his ability of issuing hate mongering statements every now and then – sometime it is about sending back to Mexico the undocumented Mexicans living in the US or imposing a ban on Muslims from entering the United States. On December 2, 2015, a “self-radicalized” Muslim couple gunned down 14 people in California and wounded 21. Thus came Trump’s communalist idea of banning all Muslims. Trump could afford this reckless rubbish because he is spending his own money on the election campaign, which is not much. On the other hand, those candidates who rely on donors for their campaign money has to usually be careful, somewhat, with their words. So Trump, not answerable to anyone, doesn’t have to think twice before opening his Trump Tower size mouth. Trump also has this strong belief that he is right about the nonsense he utters. Trump’s open racism and communalism has no doubt encouraged other Republican candidates to display their racism more openly.
At this juncture, besides Trump, it is Ted Cruz who, who according to polling results, is in second position. And he is not any better. The Western obsession of removing Syria’s Bashar al-Assad by supporting Syrian opposition groups, the expansion of ISIS into parts of Syria and their barbarity and terror, and the atrocities of other actors involved in the war has created a huge turmoil in that country. In the wake of this tragedy, great many Syrians are forced to leave their homes or country and have turned into refugees, about 4.4 million. President Barack Obama has promised that the US will take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees during the next fiscal year. (Syria is made up of 74% Sunnis, 13% Shias (Alawites, Twelvers, and Ismailis combined) 10% Christians, and 3% Druze.) Cruz attacked Obama and Hillary:
“President Obama and Hillary Clinton’s idea that we should bring tens of thousands of Syrian Muslim refugees to America, it is nothing less than lunacy.”
“Christians who are being targeted for genocide, for persecution, Christians who are being beheaded or crucified, we should be providing safe haven to them. But President Obama refuses to do that.”
Next day, Cruz had this to say:
“There is no meaningful risk of Christians committing acts of terror.”
Amy Davidson of The New Yorker commented on Cruz:
“This will come as a profound surprise to the people of Oklahoma City [bombing] and Charleston church shooting], to all parties in Ireland [war], and to the families of the teen-agers whom Anders Breivik [a far right terrorist] killed in Norway, among many others.”
Davidson can only say so much. She didn’t include the names of great Christian terrorists like George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, Harry Truman, etc. in the above list.
Cruz or Trump?
The question is, which of the above two will prove less dangerous as the president of the US? It’s a tough choice, but the answer is Trump. The reason is simple: Trump is basically a businessperson with a huge ego and the urge to always win. A businessperson’s religion is to win, by any means, and so he/she has no ethical or moral values, and thus is prone to change his/her position anytime. On the other hand, Cruz is a hardcore fanatic, who may occasionally change his position for political convenience, but may remain true to his basic beliefs. Trump has supported abortion but is now an opponent. He was with the Democratic Party but is now running for president on a Republican Party ticket. He has changed his position on “assault weapons” and on various other issues, including military budget. He used to like Hillary and Bill but now he hates them.
If elected president, Trump wouldn’t mind working with Hillary and Bill if it profits him in any manner. He wouldn’t mind doing business with Gulf monarchies if it benefits the US. He will visit Mexico if it brings business to the US or to himself.
On the other hand, Cruz has that George W. Bush quality of hate and kicking ass of others.
Both Cruz and Trump are very nasty characters but Trump is less dangerous and harmful that Cruz.
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/14/ted-cruz-princess-bride-mandy-patinkin/