Summary

The web content discusses the political parallels between Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, examining their leadership styles, policies, and public personas, while questioning their impact on their respective nations.

Abstract

The article draws comparisons between the political landscapes of the US and the UK, focusing on the tenures of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. It highlights historical similarities in leadership, such as the Reagan-Thatcher era's push for deregulation and the Clinton-Blair period's economic policies that led to the 2008 financial crisis. The piece delves into the public's confusion over the two leaders' identities, attributing it to their similar political stances and media portrayals. It scrutinizes Johnson's elite education, his controversial role in the Brexit campaign, and his flip-flop on EU membership. Similarly, it examines Trump's multiple party affiliations, his business background marred by bankruptcies, and his reality TV persona that some believe propelled him into the presidency. The author promises further analysis in subsequent episodes, including an examination of their rhetoric and policies regarding COVID-19.

Opinions

The author suggests that Trump and Johnson are perceived as similarly problematic leaders, with Trump often being labeled a demagogue and occasionally a fascist, while Johnson is seen as embodying elitism and cronyism.
There is a critical view of the historical impact of US and UK leaders, particularly the weakening of social institutions and the empowerment of corporations since the 1970s.
The article implies that the media and public have difficulty distinguishing between Trump and Johnson due to their comparable political personas and actions.
The author expresses skepticism about Johnson's sincerity in the Brexit campaign, particularly his promise of increased NHS funding, which he later denied.
Trump's political inconsistency is highlighted, with five changes in party affiliation and a history of business ventures that often ended in bankruptcy.
The piece hints at a belief that Trump's presidency was an extension of his reality TV persona, suggesting that his rise to power was not entirely grounded in traditional political pathways.
The author indicates that both leaders have been accused of misleading the public, with Johnson avoiding legal consequences for his actions during the Brexit campaign.
There is an underlying sentiment that the political systems in both the US and the UK are flawed, as evidenced by the rise of leaders like Trump and Johnson.

The post-partum humour of it all

Donald Trump (US) or Boris Johnson (UK)?

One — dangerous; the other — less overtly so?

EPISODE ONE

WHO’S WHO? Source: Google images, edited by the author on Canva

I posted a comment on Medium once, outlining bizarre similarities between the political situations in both the US and the UK. Given the tremendous popularity this received, I decided to analyse further parallels between our two heads-of-state, as a final ‘’good-riddance’’ wish to Trump and hope that our own Boris follows him to oblivion soon.

A few parallels before we ‘tackle’ the leaders

In the 70s Thatcher and Reagan were simultaneous heads of state, driving policies weakening the power of social institutions and unleashing the uncontrolled reign of corporations.

In the 90s Clinton and Tony Blair, while pronouncing themselves Democrats, probed conservative politics. They boasted that during their mandates the common citizen’s purchasing capability had reached unprecedented peaks — failing to mention that this was on credit. They lured millions into taking up unaffordable mortgages, consequently crashing world finance in 2008.

Obama’s presidency could do little to rebuild a system, broken by 50 years of rampant individualism. He bravely fought Republican opposition (especially about issues around medical insurance and gun licencing), though to not much avail. Some argue that he could have done more — but chose not to. Afraid to use his power? Afraid that the country would be suspicious of too much good?

In the UK the Conservatives succeeded with undermining Labour’s legacy from the post-WWII period — the ‘safety net’ — the Jobseekers Allowance, the Disability Allowance, the Income Support Scheme, among others. These were bled to death, echoing typically American sentiments, like: ‘’I am not paying for lazy a**holes who don’t want to work’’. Thankfully the National Health Service remained National and free, though rumours spread of its deliberate underfunding, to deem it inefficient, in preparation for its piecemeal sale to Trump-associated US corporations.

Followed the Brexit nightmare quagmire, with 3 Prime Ministers within 4 years failing to appease the public or their own party backbenchers on whether or which way to exit the EU. Fascist movements rose ugly in both Europe and the UK, giving Brexiters a reason to blame peaceful European citizens for all the country’s evils.

UK local acts of violence were committed against Polish and other EU citizens. The US seemed to duly pick up the trend by installing Donald Trump, whose last year of mandate coincided with the first year of the UK’s third PM— Boris Johnson (aka BoJo). Both leaders pronounced themselves Conservative, were branded ‘’demagogues’’ and occasionally called ‘’fascists’’.

The comparison

My 70+-year-old Mum still cannot tell these two apart — on seeing Trump speaking on TV she asks: ‘’What’s Boris got for us now? Another Covid lockdown?’

The media have also speculated on the apparent similarities of the two heads of state. My curiosity led me to research whether Trump and Boris were indeed equally ‘’evil’’. While Brits do not storm Capitols (yet), I believe this is mainly out of politeness — we are the country where ‘’a spade’’ is not often called ‘’a spade’’.

Roots and past transgressions of the two

Boris

Born in New York City, BoJo would be more fit for a US presidency (according to Trump’s election criteria) than Obama. Before getting involved in politics he worked as a writer and journalist. His political posts include Junior Shadow Minister, Mayor of London, Member of Parliament, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2019.

He went to Eton private college — the most prestigious English high school, educated generations of male members of the royal family. ‘’Etonians’’ are notoriously rumoured to be ‘’detached from reality’’ millionaires’ sons, arrogant, entitled and oblivious to anything beyond the scope of their own narrow world.

Johnson’s critics see Eton as the roots of his ‘’elitism’’, ‘’cronyism’’ and ‘’prejudice’’. Boris was a member of glamorous self-selecting groups of wealthy students. His teachers described him as ‘’idle and complacent’’. At Oxford University he joined ‘’an exclusive drinking society, notorious for acts of vandalism on host premises’’, which he later regretted. The picture below (aptly reflecting the attitude of members of his social class) is taken from an article, entitled: ‘’Our Politics Doesn’t Have to Be Like This’’.

Boris has always identified himself Conservative.

Etonians: Bojo is first row third from left, sitting down: source: yorkmix.com

Having studied at an international school in Brussels, BoJo greatly sympathised with the European Union. His personal stance on Brexit was REMAIN. He shocked the nation when he was featured leading the LEAVE campaign. He stood in front of a bus, painted with the words ‘’£350 million a day more for the NHS’’ (the daily sum the UK paid in fees to the EU), inferring that by leaving the EU this money could be saved and given to the NHS.

Boris’ chameleon behaviour played the strongest factor in the decision of the nation at the 2016 Brexit referendum — many people voted, lured by what they had understood as Johnson’s promise of extra funding for the National Health Service. When the results tipped the LEAVE end by 4.4%, with people asking whether BoJo would act on his promise, he denied making that promise at all.

In his example of a biased media campaign Johnson diplomatically omitted details of the astronomical revenue figures the UK had gained from trade with the EU, or the billions granted to Britain in EU regional aid and agricultural subsidies. He avoided prosecution for deliberately misleading the public.

Trump

Trump, on the other hand, has changed party affiliation 5 times since 1987, including calling himself ‘’a Democrat’’ in 2004, as…

‘’…. it just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans’’.

Yet in his campaign for presidency in 2015, Trump bemoaned the United States being in ‘’dire peril’’….plagued by lawlessness, poverty and violence..’’ — all a result of Democratic rule. He pronounced himself as ‘’law and order’’ and said ‘’I alone can fix the system’’. A chameleon, an optimist, or a self-deluded maniac?

Proudly born in NYC, he became president of his father’s business, later extending it and adding other activities, mostly by licencing his name. He was involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions, including six bankruptcies — achievements BoJo cannot boast with. Analysts have mentioned that Trump has run his country like his businesses — by bankrupting it. His passion for golf blossomed to its highest in the days when he detoured to play with his citizens toiling under the strain of the COVID-19 and its mass deaths.

Trump’s perpetually bankrupt state was helped by him hosting the reality television series The Apprentice, from 2004 to 2015. It is likely that these public appearances incited his daughter Ivanka to encourage him to run for the Presidency (more by the way of a joke). Trump built the cult towards his personality in a way typical for an accidentally-found-himself-too-powerful reality TV star, or just any common dictator.

Trump as deity: source: tapatalk.com, modified by the author on Canva

Also privately educated at a military boarding school, Trump graduated in Economics from two universities. Internet users are known to Google ‘’Did Trump go to university?’’ and ‘’What is Trump’s IQ?’’, doubting his intelligence and education in view of his ‘’8-year-old’s’’ vocabulary range and badly-worded speeches. In EPISODE 3 of this series I will treat you to instances of vague expressions in the speeches of Boris Johnson, attempting to explain his COVID-related policies to the nation.

TO BE CONTINUED….

In Episode 2 we will look at the similarities between the outer appearance of the two leaders and the similar attitudes they have displayed towards other countries and races.