We Set The Benchmarks By The Standards We Accept

So the election is over and the unthinkable has happened. Donald Trump is now President-elect; the leader of the free world.

I don’t like Trump. I’ve made no secret about how I feel. But he has played a blinder in tapping into people's fears; their despair, their need to lash out at governments who they feel hasn’t listened to them. I do understand how people feel. I have felt the same. But what worries and disturbs me the most is three things. One, people have turned to a morally corrupt man like Trump because there were no alternatives. Two, and the most disturbing for me is the signal sent to the world that racism, sexism, lying and sexual assault is OK. I'll forgive you because you listen to me and my concerns. That it's acceptable to attack and assault those who don’t agree with you. That it's OK to demean prisoners of war and people with physical disabilities.

The willingness to sacrifice principles and overlook reprehensible behaviour because a person claims they will fix my problems astounds me. In my experience those who lack principles rarely achieve anything for others, other than more chaos and disappointment. You can’t address a lack of principles if you have none yourself.

Hillary Clinton carries a lot of baggage. She was a very poor alternate choice. She is far from blameless but she has also carried the burden of the man she married. She is not the only woman to ever stick by a cheating husband and she won't be the last. I suspect a reasonable percentage of those condemning her for it are possibly not blameless themselves. But I wonder if she were a man would she have been treated so harshly. After all millions were prepared to overlook Trump’s treatment of women. Then we have his failed businesses and the resulting disastrous impact that has had on so many people. His skiting about ripping off taxpayers, the very people who he claims he will now champion. But, let's face it, he’s made his money. He can afford to be sanctimonious. If he really was your champion, he’d give the money back on principle. Then, we have his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. A convicted pedophile known for having underage sex slaves and who Trump called ‘a great guy’. Does that sound like a person with good judgement?

The list of Trump’s questionable practices is very long indeed. In addition, he is still to front court over the operation of Trump University, facing claims that dozens of people who were ripped off. How ironic that we have referred two of our Aussie Senators to the high court to test their worthiness to hold representative office over business and criminal dealings. In both of these cases they are far less than anything Trump has done.

Within 12 hours after securing the position of President-elect Donald Trump’s statement on banning Muslims from US has disappeared from his website. In commenting on this one person wrote in response to a column, “Surely, this is a goo (sic) thing! Told ya he's not a bigot. Those were just buzzwords to get redneck votes.”

I thought these were brilliant replies.

“So when those rednecks you refer to realise his words were just buzzwords and they turn on him, I wonder how he will react. Will he boot them out? Attack them as he has so many others who disagreed with him? More importantly how they will react.”

“The most positive thing his supporters have been able to say about him is "Don't worry, he doesn't believe a word he says, he's just a lying political scumbag". I hope that's true.”

“I'm not sure it's any improvement at all.  If he was just a bigot, we could possibly call him misguided.  In this case, he's a liar and a hate-monger that intentionally stirred up hate and anger aimed at a minority religious group for his own benefit.  That seems a whole lot worse to me, so unless I start hearing an apology from Trump and assurances that he isn't going to single out Muslims or tolerate any discrimination against them, I'm not giving him a pass.”

An American friend sent me this recently. Sorry I didn’t share it before the election. It's strong but it made me think.  

http://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-voters-read-this

The world desperately needs people of principle and of good character to lead us out of the predicament we find ourselves in. We need leaders who can engage us in the discussions without using the language of violence, fear and divide. We need leaders who can address concerns quickly without creating world war 3. Trump sadly (for me) isn’t that person. He lacks principle and there are far too many question-marks over his character. If I cannot respect the person, how could I support them speaking for me?

But where are the principled and honourable champions of the downtrodden, the unrepresented, the disenfranchised, those who feel they have no voice? That for me is a most vexing question. I simply don’t see them coming forward. So people turn to the Trump’s and the Farage’s of the world. That scares the hell out of me. Our relatives have been down these paths before. We need to listen to them.

We set the benchmark by the standards we accept. If we are willing to trade-off those standards in accepting leaders who have none, we shouldn’t be surprised when nothing changes for the better. In fact, there is a very real possibility it could probably end up a lot worse.

Unlike Brexit the impact has been largely on the United Kingdom and EU and to a lesser degree the rest of the world. The US decision however, has wider reaching impacts because so much is tied to the US dollar and US trade. Many of the things that Trump has said if enacted will have dire consequences. Whilst I suspect millions would like to live on their own little islands independent of the world around us that is not reality. Certainly not for small countries like Australia we simply don’t have the population or the resources to survive on our own.

As for Donald Trump, he hasn’t changed overnight. I suspect he can’t, but I pray I’m wrong.

It's A Question Of My Self-Respect

I have voted conservative for most of my life. There was a period in my earlier voting life where I did ire and vote Labor. But hey, most of us went through a ‘young and naïve’ idealistic phase. 

I support the conservative side for several reasons. Foremost I support self-sufficiency. We give people a hand-up when they need it. But, handouts should never be a way of life and that includes pensions. Far too many people view the pension as their saving plan. Sorry. Going of topic.

Conservatives have traditionally been driven by a set of values where we strive not be a burden on society. We uphold family values and our Christian ethic has been strong. We show respect for the opinions of others and we value free speech. My challenge is, I’m not convinced a lot of conservatives live by those values and principles anymore and hence I am in a quandary. 

What’s sheeted this home are comments from conservatives about Donald Trump and his grossly deeming comments about women. I should add Trump’s deeming attitude also includes his lack of respect for his own daughter. Seriously, what father allows a shock jock to make unsavoury comments about his daughter and he says it’s OK!!! 

Many people state they are supporting Trump because Bill Clinton did worse things and Hilary supported him. They claim what Trump said is just words. Well that's OK then (not). I wonder how Nancy O’Dell and her family feel about those ‘just words’? I suspect they are angry. I haven’t heard any conservatives standing up for her. Whilst Trump apologised I didn’t hear a direct apology to Nancy O’Dell. She is the first person he should have said sorry to. 

Trump was eloquent in his TelePrompTer apology. He obviously had a gun to his head. His expression and tone was that of a man who didn’t believe what he said. He is a man who boasts when you are a star you can do anything. That includes groping women. He is a man who boasted that even if he shot someone people would still vote for him. In his mind  regardless of how appallingly he behaves people will still support him. So why would he be sorry? 

If Trump has any decency he would withdraw from the Presidential race. He won’t because his ego is so big it wouldn’t let him. He thinks he can do what he likes, say what he likes and like a bunch of lemmings people will follow him. There is no way I could ever support anyone who belittles women as he does. I have too much respect for myself to do that. As for the claim his Nancy O’Dell comments were a private conversation 10 years ago. Big deal. His comments on radio to Howard Stern (over many years) were not private comments. Trump has form. 

This man isn’t applying for a Pub Managers job. He wants to be President of the United States. The most powerful job in the world!!! The would be leader who thinks so little of women doesn't deserve the job, He claims, he made comments a long time ago. It was 10-years. He was 60 years old not 18. Now, he claims he will be a better man. At 70? If he wasn’t a better man at 60 I frankly don't believe he will be a better man at 70. Leopard theory at play here. 

So, back to my quandary. As a conservative I’ve always felt comfortable with the values of conservatives. But, as so many appear to have deserted those values in supporting Trump. I’m not sure where I fit anymore. 

I suspect I’m not the only one who feels like they are in no man's land. But one thing I am clear about is this. I have too much respect for myself and other women to ever condone what Trump said regardless of the Clinton’s behaviour. No man ever became great demeaning women and making them look small. No woman worth their salt would ever standby and say nothing when he did. 

Desert The Party But DON'T Blow-up The Base-Camp On The Way Out

The Headline Reads: 100's resigning from the Liberal Party. Fine, let them go. 

When you join a political party, it means you agree with and aspire to the principles of the party, not the character of the leader. Well, at least smart people do that. Leaders can and do change for all sorts of reasons. 

From the Liberal Party Homepage 

OUR BELIEFS 

We Believe:

In the inalienable rights and freedoms of all peoples; and we work towards a lean government that minimises interference in our daily lives; and maximises individual and private sector initiative.

In government that nurtures and encourages its citizens through incentive, rather than putting limits on people through the punishing disincentives of burdensome taxes and the stifling structures of Labor's corporate state and bureaucratic red tape.

In those most basic freedoms of parliamentary democracy - the freedom of thought, worship, speech and association.

In a just and humane society in which the importance of the family and the role of law and justice is maintained.

In equal opportunity for all Australians; and the encouragement and facilitation of wealth so that all may enjoy the highest possible standards of living, health, education and social justice.

That, wherever possible, government should not compete with an efficient private sector; and that businesses and individuals - not government - are the true creators of wealth and employment.

In preserving Australia's natural beauty and the environment for future generations.That our nation has a constructive role to play in maintaining world peace and democracy through alliance with other free nations.

I subscribe to those principles. I’ve yet to see ANY evidence that under our new party leadership that we’ve walked away from those principles. If and when that were to happen which is highly unlikely, I will review my position based on what the revised principles are. 

I've read a number of comments from exLibs stating they only joined the party because of Tony Abbott. Similarly many joined the Labor Party during Kevin Rudd's ascension. That is one of the problems political parties face today. Personality politics versus substance politics. We’ve seen how well that’s working for our American friends haven’t we. Give me party over personality every time thanks. 

Those still stomping their feet and sulking in my humble opinion are extremely selfish. Their cries of 'I want my Tony back' and 'I'm not voting for the Liberals until they bring Tony back' are fanciful. It won't happen. They are simply acting like spoilt children and they are certainly NOT thinking about the party or the hundreds of thousands of others who like me still support the party. They're entitled, of course, to their dummy spit. But they are not entitled to attack others and then cry wolf when people strike back and they’re certainly not entitled to go on a wrecking ball mission and ruin it for everyone else. 

So continue with your little protests and your threats to form other parties and all you'll succeed in doing is further divide the party and bolster the micro parties (particularly in the senate). Further more then our worse nightmares will be achieved; you’ll hand the government back to a CFMEU backed Labor government under Bill Shorten along with their friends the Greens. Is that what you really want? 

So desert by all means, but please stop blowing up the base camp on the way out.