By Denrele Animasaun
“Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you”— Pericles

There are times such as this, that all you can do is: take a deep breath and shake off the news and carry on. Such is life. Life throws curveballs, it is just the way things are and we should know that life is about taking the rough with the smooth. It is only when such events occur that there is growth.

If I am going round the houses, because there are no other ways to explain the seismic political shift that happened in America this week. How do you explain the anomaly that is Trump?  And unless you have been living in Outer Mongolia or just laying under a large rock, you would have missed the news that Trump won the American presidential election.

Who would have thought this maverick; loud mouth, crass, pugnacious, potty mouth and race baiter, would win over a seasoned politician and former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. Funny thing, democracy but they do say; never underestimate the power of stupid people in large crowds. This is the case in point.

On paper, she was the right candidate, albeit a flawed technocrat, and on the other hand, here is a man, who had his grubby hands in the trough, has consistently evaded paying taxes, been bankrupt many times over, a menace to women, a prickly personality with an enormous ego to boot.

If it seems that I do not like this man, you are right. This man has stoked the race, religious and divisive fire and lit the hate that will take a long time to dissipate and heal the division. This man said that climate change is a hoax and when he is not very happy with anyone or a group that disagrees with him, he is quick to anger like a petulant child. There is a great disbelief and fear that this man could have his twitchy finger on the nuclear button.

This man was the person who accused President Obama as been born outside the US for more than five years; this is despite the fact that there is evidence to the contrary. The truth is not interesting to the racists. How dare a black man be in the White House and with a black family free of scandals and so accomplished?

Republician presidential nominee Donald Trump waves as he arrives at a polling station in New York where Trump was to cast his ballot, November 8, 2016. / AFP PHOTO

He has fed the low life, marginalised, uneducated and ultra-conservative Americans. They said he spoke what most Americans were thinking and that is very troubling as this was the case and that they voted for him on this platform.

He has promised so much that he, alone can sort the problems that plagued America and touted the idea that he is the change that the people needed and change they will get.

He accused the Mexicans and called them drug dealers, rapists and illegal immigrants. He has accused China of raping America with cheap imports and this is the man that makes his product in China!

He has promised to build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the USA. And he has bragged that the Mexican government will pay for it. He promised to get rid of Muslims in America and very selective on whom America will let in of course, he will get rid of Isis and use water board suspected radical Islamist terrorists and their children; he has promised to tear up trade agreements. Talk about Mr Congeniality, he is not!

This man claims he has so much money but yet refuses to submit his tax return as all presidential candidates have always done. There is so much that is not right with this man, he prides himself of his pedigree and his genes. Out of his three marriages, two of his wives were foreigners and yet he is not tolerant of foreigners especially if non-European. This Teflon Don can do no wrong in the eyes and minds of the racists, xenophobes and misogynists who he calls fans and they were encouraged to be aggressive and violent to others who opposes Trump. It is clear that Trump is calling for a return to the good old days, time of Jim Crow, segregation and intolerance.

The message is to make America White again and that is a very scary prospect. America cannot afford to return to the bad old days and now non- whites and minority groups are worried when the system perpetuates the isolationist and intolerant ideologies.

It is only in America, that a white man with privilege and money but without public elected office experience can take the highest office in the land and not raise concerns. That is just a mere detail to the gullible as far as they are concerned he is not part of the establishment and they felt he understood them. They are wrong, the only person that Trump cares about is Trump and has no respect for anyone and he demands respect from everyone.  He was manipulative and used the media to his advantage. He holds grudges and prone to impulsive outburst and not afraid to use his twitter to lambast anyone that slights him.

I know how people felt and the disbelief that America could vote for Trump but the shock has not sunk in yet. It is beginning to take hold and many are protesting across the states, others are trying to leave and emigrate to Canada. Most of the young people, educated and minorities cannot accept the result that Trump is president-elect. Already there is more race and religious intolerance, violence and aggression the move to the Right has given the courage that these miscreants need to make other peoples’ lives a living hell.

America must live with its choice, Donald Trump won and Hilary has conceded. Obama will now have to hand over to this loose cannon and when the dust settles, maybe and just maybe, they will begin to understand that Donald Trump is no Statesman and definitely, no Barak Obama.

The 45th president of the United States has managed to insult women, blacks, Latinos, disabled people and other groups and, of course, the tape where he described how he sexually harasses women and of course, many of his followers are white working class and uneducated people with who Trump can do no wrong.

The world waits in quiet contemplation of what this man is going to do next as he has promised so much and he has a track record of delivering nothing. He has been consistent in his inconsistencies and erratic behaviour. America has to live with its decisions and those who did not vote for him are dreading what his presidency may bring and so is the world. After all, when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold and funny how many heads of states are wishing him well when they have registered their concerns about his conduct. Only time will tell but do America has the time to adjust to president Trump?

In his acceptance speech he said: “It’s an amazing evening, the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”  He seemed magnanimous when he congratulated Hilary and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign. He said: “Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.” I am not sure this man is at all sincere but at the end of the day, it is politics and it is an ugly business as we have seen this so far in the UK with Brexit.

Trump phenomena blinded- sided the political pundits and historical opinion  poll boffins did not see this coming and their wishful thinking was not going to wish  this lump of narcissistic race baiter and this misogynistic carpet bagger who was hell bent in stocking the ugly underbelly of the American misfits to come out and “make America great again”. Who ever said America was great in the first place? There was to the case of the Hilary emails and the FBI delivered Hilary on a platter to Trump and fed her to the undecided.

No amount of Obama magic and celebrity friends  could help Hilary make up grounds close to the election and then FBI dropped the case that Hilary had no case to answer. The damage had already been done. Trump capitalise on it big time like the bully that he was.

Now that Trump and Republicans have cleaned up and they are determined to erase the Obama legacy. They intend to white-wash America and in so doing they do not care on its citizens, they have systematically hindered Obama’s progress then and now this is going to be their huge undoing. There are fears and loathing in America and America needs to look within, they have to clean up their conscience. Sadly, the hate that these people have for black people and women is clear. They refuse to change their ways, cognitive dissonance is very much the cornerstone of what is wrong with this groups and unfortunately they are not going to change their core beliefs.

The democrats lost out but it is fine, about time the Republican is given the political rope to hang itself. Some people have been saying that democracy won but, I do not think so. Hate and intolerance finally came out of its hiding place and in full view for all to see.

I hope other countries are watching and will not make the mistakes that America has made.

Common sense is needed now and the Democrats have a chance to take the moral high ground and the good people of America (and I do believe that are many) should mobilise and actively continue to make life difficult for the barbarians.

Trump is due to take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2017 and it will be interesting how this man hopes to take the highest office in the land after stepping on so many people’s toes including that of the Republican grandees. In my mind, the best person did not win but as many have pointed out that democracy won and Trump won fair and square.  The world holds its breathe as to what Trump is going to do next.

For those who judge others and criticise others, then they too, will be judged. For those who voted for Trump, hope that they have not cut their noses to spite their faces and they will have to live with their decisions and sadly, will those who did not vote for him.

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,

Begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence, you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.

Through violence, you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.

In fact, violence merely increases hate.  So it goes.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that”. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.