The Ego Has Landed - and now thankfully has flown away

As one of the UK's prominent Tabloids has said:- "The Ego Has Landed." Yes, THE DONALD, arriving late - as is his habit - appeared in our green and pleasant land last Thursday.

Coming into land

Arriving here direct from Germany, where Mr Trump accused Germany of being "captive to Russia" amongst other things. Already available for viewing are videos of a German newscaster attempting to report the story with a straight face, but being reduced to a fit of giggles. But The Donald strides on    (the irony would possibly have been lost to him anyway)

Personally I was not "outraged" by many of the man's antics during his working visit, this in spite of the claims of some sections of the British Press, tabloid or not. Posing in Winston Churchill's chair? Dear old Winston was known to express racist views at times. Stepping IN FRONT of the Queen? Good grief, whatever next!

Fortunately, most Britons have a sense of humour

Yet I think back to the story of the Jewish guy who travelled far to see just how a renowned rabbi "tied his shoelaces". How do you tie yours Donald? 

Donald, the "stable genius" (according to his own estimation), the man who "tells it like it is." As I have been finding out recently, on various Comments Sections of UK newspapers, many admire this man and this trait of his of "telling it like it is". I would dispute this. I see him as "telling it as he sees it", which is another thing entirely. The failure to know the difference is perhaps THE trait of our times. Which makes "our times" dangerous. 

I am reading a book at the moment, "The Lies of the Land", by Adam Macqueen. It is a trawl through the past 60 years or so of the various lies, half truths and cover-ups of various politicians and Leaders, of the "right", the "left" and the bits in-between. 

Mr Macqueen seeks to assure us that not ALL politicians lie. He insists that many are honest (well, I would say, as honest as the rest of us) His conclusions are worth noting. He states that in our world of mass information, of a multitude of sources, it is easy to have a levelling down, where each source is finally given equal value. Scepticism can follow and facts - what there are of them - can lose value. The next step is to begin instead to be guided by our "gut instincts", virtually on par with believing what we want. A recipe for chaos. 

Dangerous times.

Adam Macqueen suggests that we could do worse than imitate the trait of the toddler, to always ask why. Again and again. To ask of our Elders:- "But why? But why? But why?"

Some have suggested that we get the Leaders we deserve. If so, and if we do keep asking why, then perhaps we may end with Leaders worth following, or even need no leaders at all. Toddlers? "And a little child shall lead them". 

But Donald Trump moves on, after suggesting that the current Mayor of London, the Muslim Sadiq Khan, is doing a poor job on terrorism and immigration. Mr Khan, being a typically polite Englishman, would not be so rude as to ask what sort of job Mr Trump is doing in protecting American school children from deranged gunmen. 

Sadiq Khan - far too polite

As far as immigration is concerned, maybe Donald, spending Thursday night at Winfield House - the American ambassador's residence in Regent's Park - was woken too early by the call to prayer of the muezzin at the rather large mosque nearby. If so, did Donald actually see the man taunting him? More, see thousands upon thousands of Arabs cheering at his discomfort? This much the same as he saw with his "own eyes" on the roof tops of New Jersey when the Twin Towers fell? (A lie, or at very best, a distorted memory, told at a campaign rally with no other purpose than to play to the fears and prejudices of his followers; thus told to incite racial hatred. Yes, Trump tells it just as he sees it)

But back to "telling it like it is." Yes indeed. "The people here ( in Britain ) love me"...…

Proof that some in the UK love Donald

"there have been many many protests and rallies in my favour"........Yes indeed. He tells it "just like it is". And the rest is "Fake News" - perhaps like the cement and steel fence constructed around Winfield House to keep protesters at bay. Given how much love we Brits have for the POTUS, it can only be fake news. Forget the verified photos.

 

The fence around Winfield House - "Fake News"?

Well, he has now gone. Not fake news. Good. Thank God ( or Reality-as-is ) for small mercies! But not before a final interview with the renowned Piers Morgan aboard Air Force One. Here Mr Trump merely bent the truth five times in the half hour given, speaking "as he sees it."

What is the point of listing it all? Sadly, these days we all believe what we want to believe - "Truth is a difficult concept", as has been said more than once. It certainly is when the current POTUS is around.

 Postscript:- Being incurably introverted, and often self-judgemental to the point of absurdity, I am well aware that in the blog above I have myself told it as I see it. Not necessarily as it is. Just how close the two will ever marry up would be a subject for certified zen masters or "spiritual directors", or other such worthies. I just stumble along, saying thank you to all and everything, as often as it enters my head to do so. What I will say is that the fundamental position, as far as I see it, is that we are all of the very same mould, all "one". In "zen" language - possibly - that our personality, culture, and beliefs are not inherent parts of our souls, but "guests" of a recondite "host", the Buddha-nature or real self hidden within us (Thomas Cleary) 

Once we have this fundamental insight firmly established - or as firm as it can ever be - then we can perhaps enter the sea of diversity, look around and make a few assessments of those around us. Necessary I think. If others wish to admire Donald Trump, if others wish to see him as a force for good in the world, or insist that any judgement must be suspended - fine. 

Thank you