TRUMP THE DISSIDENT RETURNS?

My 2018 Column & an update -

I wrote the below in August of 2018 for Second Opinion in Next Magazine and the response was quite mixed. But here’s the rub, while I don’t think Trump is a dissident now, he is once again playing the role. He has millions who see him as unjustly persecuted for his politics, and a movement based on the premise of political persecution is already in gear.

I am not certain whether to fear or welcome this situation, but I think its foolish to dismiss it.              

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Trump the Dissident?

American political elites held a funeral this past weekend.  Senator John McCain, a real American hero,  was laid to rest in what became the most divisive political memorial service of a US statesman in decades. McCain, a pillar of the Washington political establishment, was rolled out in an attempt to show the American people the difference between a gentleman and a crude lowlife, i.e., Trump.  

Yet, all it accomplished was to once again highlight the position of Donald Trump as a dissident within US politics.  For what the McCain funeral illustrated was by nearly every measure Donald Trump is being treated by the American political establishment as if he were, and on his part, acting as if he is, a political dissident.  

No Trump’s not the Dali Lama nor is Amnesty International going to light a candle for him. Yet in the US capital Trump qualifies as a dissident even by the Webster’s definition; “disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief.”

Would anyone argue Bernie Sanders wasn’t a dissident candidate in the Democratic Party?  How is Trump, in a city with the political establishment arrayed against him, any is different.

Less than 20% of the National Capital Area voted for Trump. In DC he had 4% of the vote.  In an all gangster town the new sheriff, or in this case President, doesn’t always run the entire show. 

Forget Trump the man. Many a dissident has been difficult, uncouth, surrounded by less than desirable elements, and in general a pain in the ass. Normal people are not dissidents.  Normal people do not become President of the United States. 

Yes, Trump is under investigation, but dissidents the world over are charged with crimes or under investigation.  The point is not the validity of the charges; the point is the DC political establishment is following the same game plan against Trump that less democratic regimes use on their political opponents.

Why expect Trump to respond any differently than a dissident abroad? 

Robert Mueller to many in America is a modern day Javier.  No serious person defends the actions of ranking FBI and Justice Department officials in the debacle that is the Russian investigation. Even porn stars are granted some moral legitimacy in order to try and bring down Trump.  

The McCain funeral, with its “Trump is evil” theme was a full on effort by DC elites, with the blessing of McCain himself, to attack Trump.

It’s like watching the United Front in Hong Kong attack the democracy movement.  No one who knows the democracy movement doesn’t know their many faults, but we know the CCP and United Front as well.  We’ll take the unorganized and sloppy democracy advocates over the Commies any day. 

The equation is the same for Trump.  He may be a son of a bitch, but he is his backers son of a bitch and he is sticking it to the DC establishment his people hate.

But what ties together seeing Trump as a political dissident is Trump.  Trump acts like a dissident.

Whether by rage or plan, by moral insight or selfish agenda, Trump attacks the establishment machine non-stop knowing that if he stops fighting they will drag him under.  As such Trump grants his opponents no moral advantage, no tip of the hat.  Trump holds the American political establishment in contempt. They hate him and he hates them back. 

It was once said the divide of American politics was the Left thinks the Right is evil and the Right thinks the Left is stupid.  Trump dissents.  Trump thinks the Left is evil and their stupidity is a danger to all. 

I will leave the merit that argument to others, but if you want to understand the political story of Donald Trump; all his actions and all his responses make sense if one can drop the romantic notion of a dissident and focus on the actions of a dissident.  

A dissident is wrecker of political systems, a loner of incredible resolution, a general pain in the ass, and one who may not be certain in their own moral authority but has rock solid belief to tear down the illegitimate and corrupted system they fight. 

For all of this I have no expectation that any of Trump's political opponents will grant him any quarter, nor will my argument find favour with those hell bent on running Trump out of office.  Yet, in understanding Trump's actions and responses, as well as his supporters unflinching backing, it's vital to recognise we are dealing with Trump, the dissident.