Saturday, November 30, 2024

Rash Arrogance Reversed

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/1df4/live/9d8a3e00-aeae-11ef-a1a5-65f1fed016ca.jpg.webp

Both inheritors of great family wealth albeit

a generation, culture and national origin apart 

one poses as a patrician, the other as a bluff

entrepreneur, coarse in his manner. What they

have in common is their stated representation

of the common man as the guiding principle in

their positions as national leaders. The older man

passionate in his love of country, the younger

declining nationalism opting to alter his country

into a post-national state. Political orientation is

diametrically opposed one to the other though in

polite parlance diplomacy narrows the gap. The

younger man for whom carefree whimsy with

his nation's treasury and a penchant for elevating

the public fortunes of the marginalized in society

take precedence in showy displays of virtuous

choices betrays a shallowness of character in his

partiality in denigrating those whose values fail

to align with his own. And nor is the more powerful

neighbour re-elected to lead the most influential

state on the globe exempt from the mockery and

contempt doled out as he extols his own virtues

and deplores their lack on the part of the other. A

casual and caustic threat by the incoming leader to

burden the trade exchange between the two nations

portends economic disaster in the near future leaving

the suave younger leader in throes of uncertainty

suddenly transformed to a humble supplicant eager

to amend relations to salve the rancour he earned.

 


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