A dear old friend once told Munier, “you get the government you deserve”.
OK, it wasn’t an old friend, it was Helen Zille, and she might have said it on Twitter.
Those words rang true this week after the news broke that Donald Trump had won the US Presidential Election race.
Yoh! The world is still in shock at that result.
Not so much because old naartjie gevriet had come out tops – he had upset the odds at every stop on his road to being nominated for the presidency – so there was always a good chance of him pulling it off.
But because now the reality has sunk in, and the implications for US and international politics are just too much to digest.
In two short months, he will be sworn in as leader of the “Free World” – a global political, economic and nuclear superpower.
Strap yourselves in mense, hier kom ‘n ding!
What was also disturbing is the fact that so many Americans had come out to support Trump.
Even Americans can’t believe that so many Americans had gotten behind him.
Electoral politics differs in South Africa, in that we vote for a party, and the winning party’s president becomes the state president by default.
In the US’ presidential elections, you get to choose a candidate – after getting an opportunity to scrutinise their personalities and policies.
On this criteria, there were so many reasons not to vote for The Don.
He’s a dikvel liar, arrogant, racist, chauvinistic, insulting, inexperienced at politics, ignorant, greedy, self-serving, and proud of it.
Even his one redeeming quality of being a self-made billionaire and a brilliant businessman is a sham; he has kept his track record of failed ventures and tax evasion well hidden.
He wanted to build a wall to keep the Mexicans out, he called for a ban on Muslims, and talked about grabbing women’s “pussies”.
He also looks like Freckles from Pumpkin Patch.
But all this was alright by the American voters, who decided “that’s the kind of president we want”.
Not the perfect, “untrustworthy” Wall Street witch, Hillary Clinton.
Why? Because Trump wanted to “make America great again” and create “millions of jobs”.
How he plans to do this is anyone’s guess.
Munier reckons there was something more sinister behind his success.
Trump built his campaign around two emotions:
nHe played on Americans’ general unhappiness with government, and promised an alternative to the Clintons and Obamas, who had failed to bring about real change. Trump didn’t offer anything new, he just said out loud what ordinary Americans were thinking.
nHe played on people’s fears about foreigners “taking people’s jobs”, the rise of the Chinese economy, and the threat of global terrorism. He sold Americans a divisive “us against them” story and they bought it in bulk.
Ironically, in his victory speech, he did a complete 360 and, in a dignified tone, said he would now “work for all Americans”.
Well played, Donald.He taught Hillary and the Democrats a good lesson.
Munier couldn’t help being reminded of one of our politicians, who has also cashed in on populist rhetoric.
The EFF’s Julius Malema has built his support on a campaign that: disrupts government, calls for land invasion, nationalisation of mines, and redistribution of white capital to poor blacks.
So there you have it, ladies and gents. America has elected its own Julius Malema!