“The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.”
These lines from Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘The Coming of Arthur’ from his series called ‘Idylls of the King’, effectively sums up the importance of embracing change.
When a brave knight laments, at the disintegration of the institution of ‘The Knights of the Round Table’, the dying King Arthur says these words. And encourages the disappointed knight to accept the newness; because, even good customs, in the long run, could corrupt the world.
Though a recent TIME magazine cover called him the “President of the Divided States of America’, we know that all Americans, even if they did not vote for Donald Trump, must now, unitedly, accept him as their President. That’s how democracy works.
Who knows, he might even bring in a fresh new force into the position of the US President.
As the inauguration of Donald Trump – as the 45th President of the United States – is held next Friday, the world would be looking at him with eagerness and caution; some with anticipation and some with trepidation.
As he gets sworn-in , on the West Front of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C, there are many who will wonder about many things.
Will he dismantle Obamacare? Or the US Affordable Care Act, which was seen as one of the crowning legislations of Obama administration?
Will he build that 1000-mile wall? On the southern border, to prevent illegal transfer of immigrants and drugs, from Mexico into USA?
Will he terminate two of Obama’s amnesties? And deport millions of illegal immigrants in USA?
Will he rip up the Iran nuclear bill? Like he told a pro-Israel lobby AIPAC in March last year that his “Number-One priority” would be to “dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran”?
Will he “greatly strengthen and expand its (USA’s) nuclear capability? Until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes?”, like he recently tweeted?
Will he keep out Muslims? And make it harder for them to enter USA, saying that the safety and the security of the state are threatened?
Will he shake up the U.S.-China relationship, particularly on Taiwan, with his controversial remarks in interviews, on One China Policy?
Will he stop the export of jobs to India, especially in the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sector, saying that American jobs are going abroad?
Will he begin a new friendly-relationship with Russia, like no other President has ever done before, by ignoring insinuations that Russian cyber-attacks could have influenced his win?
Will he anger North Korea, by saying they cannot become a nuclear power, when Japan could also think of becoming one, to guard that region?
These are a few controversial issues he has been involved in, or was very vocal about, during his presidential campaign, and during these president-elect days.
But when he becomes President, I am sure, he will be ‘presidential’. And avoid antagonising his foreign policy officials, or his homeland security officials, with policies that are not pragmatic.
The role of a US President brings new challenges every day, and it should mellow down, anyone.
President Trump will be different from Candidate Trump. Or that is what I hope so. Because the attitude required by the two roles are different. And also because US President – within the gigantic structure of US and world bureaucracy – cannot go against traditional policies, and do whatever he wants, without heeding to his advisers.
Four years hence, therefore, I hope to say that Trump administration surprised everyone with its smooth efficiency and with its sound policies.
I hope to say that the new order proved worthwhile. And that Trump really ‘united’ the states of America.