By Alec Hogg
My deeply networked American friend is a study in diplomacy. He asks all the right questions, listens well and is indulgent with the lesser informed. But I could sense his patience being sorely tested as I prattled on quite positively about his nation’s new Commander in Chief.
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Trump is making some great appointments, I opined. He’ll be sending seasoned business leaders to represent the US at the global negotiating tables where America has been bested by the Chinese. And he apparently has a supportive family and loyal employees – pretty good qualities in my book.
My friend responded with his usual kindness. But it was soon obvious this was coming from a position of one who knows infinitely more about the real story than any book-taught outsider. I’ve experienced enough of these conversations in a South African context to sense the vibe.
All of which got me reflecting. As South Africa’s mix of First and Third world society serves as something of a microcosm of mankind, it is sometimes ahead of the global curve. So what if SA’s recent political past is giving us a peek into America’s future? What if Donald Trump actually turns out to be the US equivalent of Jacob Zuma?
When you start thinking about them, there are some stark similarities between the two. Both have shown themselves to be intellectually challenged misogynists. They rode into office not through merit but on an “anyone but…” ticket – popularly perceived to be the lesser of a Clinton/Mbeki evil.
Neither possesses any depth of understanding around geo-political complexities. Both see independent media as an enemy and prioritise the support for a counter force (Breitbart/SABC, Gupta, Survé Media). And while it is early days for Trump, he shares a Zuma-like tendency of rewarding friends for their loyalty through powerful official postings.
Having twice dined with him before he moved into the top office, during his early years I got into feisty dinner debates suggesting Zuma be afforded benefit of doubt. In person, he comes across as charming, humble and a good listener and a Zulu pal had suggested SA might remember him as a “mini-Mandela”. Whether Zuma was always a crook, or has been corrupted by power is hard to tell. But that his rule has been an unmitigated disaster for his nation is now beyond ken.
My pal says informed Americans will give Trump the same kind of benefit of the doubt. But only for six months. That, they say, is enough time to see whether he is indeed another Ronald Reagan, a great leader because he took counsel from people who were smarter than him. But they fret that Americans have installed a real life Chauncey Gardiner (great movie – google it) who clearly demonstrates a terminal case of narcissistic disorder syndrome (look it up). After Zuma, it’s a good idea to share their healthy scepticism.
