The power of the insult depends on the character of the insulter. The White House buzz this week was that Donald Trump mimics the accent of Narendra Modi; the man he tweets is his friend. Nobody takes Trump seriously, perhaps including Modi. Most people in America loathe him, except for Far Right rednecks who want blacks back in plantations and shoot Indians in bars. In spite of Oval Office photo-ops and executive orders, it is common knowledge that the Prez actually does little.
Had he been left to himself, he would have tweeted his way to doom. To save the government, the Establishment took over running America. Trump is not Barack Obama or Bill Clinton; lacking their intellectual equity and depth of understanding to deal with complex issues.He is not a president with a programme. He is most comfortable being a performer rather than a doer. So, now the party runs the President while the President runs away with his mouth.
Previously, he had imitated the hybrid accents of Indian call centre operators at an election rally. When he tried to cover up the boo boo, saying he loved Hindus (presumably meaning Indians), it opened a window into his perverse psychology. He is a unabashed xenophobic, racist, megalomaniacal misogynist whose egotism has impressed Dumbed Down America. Consider Trump’s remarks culled from interviews and speeches:
“I am a really smart guy.” (Time, April 2011)
“Nobody knows more about trade than me!” (Rally in Portland, Maine)
“I’m intelligent. Some people would say I’m very, very, very intelligent.” (Fortune, April 3, 2000)
“Nobody knows the system better than me.” (GOP debate, March 10, 2016)
“I’m going to be able to do things for women that no other candidate would be able to do…” (CNN, August 9, 2015)
“I can’t help it that I’m a celebrity. What am I going to do, hide under a stone?” (USA Today, February 27, 2004)
“Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich.” (ABC’s Good Morning America, March 2011)
“My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, as are various other parts of my body.” (Vanity Fair)
This is Yankee Pappu talking—a product of America’s talk show, standup comedy culture. It is unthinkable for a presidential candidate to allow a TV host to pull his hair to check if it was real as Trump did. He is the favourite subject of comics who complain he is making them redundant; even a Nepali comedian has chosen him as a subject.
Surprisingly, the news of Trump’s Modi imitation caused little indignation among our fringe fanatics who had even performed yagnas for his victory. Trolls who go nuts at the slightest criticism of the Prime Minister pulled their punches. Remember, Star Plus has dropped comedian Shyam Rangeela for imitating Modi after public outcry?
The sad irony is that Trump is a hero for many in India while he is detested at home. Our desi Trumpists must understand his bile against Pakistan does not justify him mocking a world leader who has revolutionised India. Above all, Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of all of India. Donald Trump has given our liberals and nationalists a chance to come together to let India know he is nobody’s friend. Maybe that will put a totally different spin on US aid.
Ravi Shankar
ravi@newindianexpress.com