[DAWN] THE world holds its breath as Donald Trump...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
is installed this week as the most controversial president in American history. Unprecedented uncertainty grips Washington as questions are raised if he can be fully trusted. His election has left the country far more polarised than before.
Hundreds and thousands of women are expected to march to Washington in protest a day after Trump’s inauguration as the 45th president of the United States. Not an auspicious beginning for a man occupying the world’s most powerful position. "What we’re looking at, all too obviously, is an American kakistocracy -- rule by the worst," writes Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate. He goes on to say that "Mr Trump must not be treated with personal deference simply because of the position he has managed to seize".
| I suspect Professor Krugman's name is not on any White House invitation or consultation lists. But Mr. Trump clearly prefers to hear from those who know what they're talking about. |
Admiration for Russian president Vladimir Putin
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...and the allegation that Moscow influenced the outcome of the presidential election have reinforced distrust of the new president. A recently leaked intelligence dossier, though unverified, alleges that Russia might have compromised Trump by filming him frolicking with sex workers in a Moscow hotel; this has made the new president a ’security risk’ in the view of many US officials.
This suspicion was illustrated by a report published in Israeli newspapers where American officials have warned Israel ’to be careful’ about sharing classified information with the Trump administration for fear that it could be given to Russia. That makes one wonder about the credibility of a leader carrying such a huge baggage of scepticism. Never before has an American president faced such scrutiny over his ability to deal with critical national security matters.
Trump’s odd views on the conduct of US foreign policy are a major cause of apprehension among world leaders. He is determined to build a wall on the border with Mexico to stop the entry of illegal im