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‘Trump victory may seem drug dream but shows how extraordinary is now ordinary in US politics’

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By Vikas Datta
Jaipur, Jan 29 (IANS) Over a year after his shocking but not entirely unexpected victory, the reality of Donald Trump as the US President may still seem “incomprehensible” but is actually proof that a great number of American voters feel abandoned by the system while the “extraordinary” seems to have become entrenched as the new ordinary in the world’s most powerful democracy, says a veteran British political observer.

“Imagine that you were stuck on an island or cave in 2015 and you wake up in 2017 and look at your Twitter feed, and you see Donald Trump posting very unpresidential things, you would think you are on some great recreational drug,” said journalist, author and documentary maker Matt Frei as he sought to explain “the Trump phenomenon” and what it portends on the US and international levels.

In a session entitled “America Trumped: How did this Happen?”, Frei, who has reported from the US for both the BBC and Channel 4 more or less consecutively since 2002 till very recently, said he doubted that Trump’s election victory was as “incomprehensible” and “extraordinary” as is usually thought.

He noted that Presidential elections had become increasingly unusual in America since Ronald Reagan “who was a Hollywood actor eventually became President”, the victory of George W. Bush after a court battle and of Barack Obama, despite his name being oddly similar to Osama Bin Laden – and thus “this extraordinary reality is not that extraordinary.”

“In American politics, because of the vastness and exoticism of the political landscape you’re dealing with, the extraordinary ends up becoming the ordinary…. Donald Trump is now the new normal” said Frei, who made the documentary “Meet the Trumps: From Immigrant to President”.

And Trump, by his very oddities, seemed made for the role, Frei said, revealing he had learned from a former servant of his that Trump used to have dinner, which invariably comprised hamburgers, chicken wings, fried chicken, or very well done steak and almost never vegetables or even salad, alone in his room while watching TV. “He did not drink any alcohol, only ordering six cans of Diet Coke and drinking three that were closest to the expiry date.”

But despite all this, Trump is a master politician who gauged and tapped the resentful and bitter sections of the voters, realising “the American people got a sugar high when Obama talked about unity, but he could induce an even better sugar high by channeling their rage towards the establishment”, he said.

Frei said that there were many voters in crucial Midwestern swing states with whom Trump’s message “actually resonated”, his call for an immigration ban gained much support, while his “unadulterated and very politically incorrect” rhetoric served to make him seem an “outsider” and attracted those who thought they were “disenfranchised”.

On why Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton lost, Frei held that her experience — as First Lady, Senator for New York and then Secretary of State – worked against her, making her seem a member of the ruling class, and thus “part of the entitlement that America was fed up of”. Trump, on the other hand, was “a symbol of the opium called the American Dream, which in reality is dead but his grandparents were immigrants who made it big”.

Given Trump’s erratic and impulsive nature, allied to his raw and effective political acumen, it was difficult to hazard a guess how his Presidency, which is “brand preservation exercise on a global scale”, would play out, said Frei, adding it essentially boiled down to “Is Trump going to change America, or is America going to change Trump?”

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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