By Belinda Nzeribe
I am a Nigerian woman and I consume a lot of Trump content. It begins with my early morning twitter check-in on the American president. But it always spirals into hour’s long cybertrips across handles, and fleeting analysis on his escapades on other media platforms. By late evening, I’m deep in work, but still glaring at the TV on the wall, obsessing about the newest Trumpian outrage on cable. I will be the first to say it’s an unhealthy way to live.
I didn’t actively start seeking news about President Trump on the hour, every day. After all, I had personal issues and community issues to worry about. But my life has slowed somewhat since the pandemic, so there is time to pay attention to the news cycles. The media is saturated with so much American content, and it’s so exhausting to be fed a Trumpian diet repeatedly.
But why not just switch off? Why is a Nigerian woman so obsessed with Donald Trump and his politics? I am invested, it seems. Just concerned about how the present impacts the future of my children. I’m truly baffled at how one of the most powerful men in the world is willfully dividing his people. The kids can see me vibrating with emotion, and I think they are worried. I want to apologize but I’m freaking out about the consequence of this assault on decency for the rest of the world. Surely, it emboldens others to be openly mean-spirited and revel in their worst impulses without care.
As a leader in my home, I teach my Nigerian-born children to respect others, they know to greet elders and be considerate – it’s a thing of pride to raise well-mannered children in my country. When you are the leader of the free world, you ought to be more of a model for the world. President Trump doesn’t seem to be interested in finding common ground. Now, his influence is rubbing off – he has made it okay to demean and disrespect others.
It’s not right to have to mute the TV when the president begins to berate his critics so my kids don’t see an elderly leader of a superpower being disreputable. I tell them not to take him seriously, he is just being ridiculous. But is it now okay to be badly behaved? Can we not challenge policies and positions without tearing each other down?
What happens in America affects the rest of us. American politics, its economy, and entertainment impact the rest of the world. That is a fact. The Black Lives Matter protests in the states energized our protests against gender based violence and sexual assault. It also motivated youths to protest against police brutality nationwide.
This divide-to-conquer strategy is ill-advised. Disrespectful engagement and fomenting hatred achieves nothing. Like my people say, it will end in tears. The world doesn’t really need this disruption and craziness; it fosters distrust and unproductive resistance. In the midst of a global pandemic and economic recession, the world actually yearns for stability and cooperation.
Whatever happens after the American elections, it’s certain we will have more Trumpian leaders across the world – younger, cunning, and intellectual versions. Lord help us. We just might bequeath chaos to the next generation.
