DONALD Trump has successfully converted the United States into a banana republic that may shame any wannabe dictator in the third world. Trump can be easily incarcerated into the wall he built for the so-called rapists and criminals coming from South American countries.

In reality, Trump brought the largest democracy to a near collapse by using the White House and his presidency to exhort his followers into an attack on the Capitol Hill where the legislature was in session. Lives were lost in the attack that was initiated by presidential remarks.

Just suppose Trump had succeeded in overturning the result and succeeded in becoming president for a second term.

His victory would have propelled him to a nearly infallible position. His psycho fans would have elevated him to dizzying heights.

After this success, he would have been unbeatable and could have become president for life as most banana republicans do. The ripple effect on the Israelites, courtesy Jared Kushner, would have been immeasurable.

One has admired from a distance the American intellectuals who have equalled some of the British authors in style and substance and that too in the English language. Their prose has been equal to the best of the British. The proud American nation that rose to a leadership role became the economic vanguard of the free world. Trump destroyed these 400 years of political progress into rubble created by rabble-rousers.

Even the Americans are at a loss to explain how their media is used and played by a band of thugs almost destroying the American dream. For years, the best analyst in the world will ponder this collapse despite all the checks and balances that have been put in place by a cautious leadership.

The close call notwithstanding the free world must be shivering at the nightmare of Trump’s near success. This would have been a nightmare to end all nightmares. Examining the last two weeks of Trump, one could only guess at his rummaging for avenues and legal loopholes to employ; he would have looked longingly at the nuclear codes carried by his military escort. How and when to use them may not have been of any use against his own people.

But the last few days have shown that he passed rational thought or behaviour. These are indeed frightening thoughts, but he made the world aware of the dangers of a senseless Trump. The world is lucky. We can only hope the danger has passed.

It remains to be seen whether Trump has been defanged. The president is such a powerful position that even though Trump has shown that he is dangerously unstable, the American system is incapable of stopping him.

The pundits can only ruefully calculate the damage he can do. The most powerful man in the world has shown that he is unstoppable. Even if the next few days pass, can or should the world face such a situation again? Trump was no Hitler or Saddam or Netanyahu. Each of these men showed the ability to press the button regardless of the consequences. Should the world have to endure such a reckless leadership? Or, should they be stopped at the stage of rhetoric?

Trump should be prosecuted for the deaths in the storming of the Capitol. It might work as a grim reminder to all future leaderships before they begin their slip down the slope.

Fakir Syed Ayazuddin
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2021