Donald Trump exploited the concerns that many Americans have about their economic situation and many of the cultural value issues that Republicans have exploited since Richard Nixon's Southern Strategy. He demonstrated that he is an effective demagogue. He made many Americans believe that he would improve their lives as he reshaped the government to serve the interests of his billionaire supporters. He was better at this game than most Republicans who have been at that game for a long time. This article describes the complex set of issues that we, and other nations, face today and asks whether an ignorant demagogue will make matters worse. Trump has failed the intelligence test that we give to our elected officials. He is not only ignorant about the issues that he must deal with; he is ignorant about his ignorance. He is totally unprepared to manage the national and international issues that are omnipresent today. He is also totally unprincipled. His only principle is self interest.
We are stuck with the demagogue that we elected for the time being. Our challenge is to find a way to deal with the problems, that are well described in this article, while Trump is working hard to make them worse. We have seldom had a problem like this in our recent history. The well informed members of our society, who are fully aware of Trump's weaknesses, must become more actively involved in politics. We have to put continuous pressure on the political system at all levels. A good start would be to examine Trumps spending proposals in this article and ask what you can do to about them. It would also be helpful if you can let your friends in Europe, who are dealing a similar problem, have a better understanding of how this happened in our country.
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