Ungracious in Victory: 20th Jan 2017

In his review of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, fellow fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss wrote: 'I wish I had written this.' I get this feeling with certain things too, often songs. For example, I wish I had written the Billy Joel classic 'She's Always a Woman,' with its soaring melody and bittersweet lyrics. Similarly, I'd love to have come up with the driving modulations of Alice Cooper's 'Poison', and what an unusual album that would have been.

One thing that I don't wish I had written, however, is Donald Trump's inauguration speech. When he was sworn into office on Friday, he gave the minority of active voters who chose him exactly what they wanted: an anti-establishment rally to start as he means to go on. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing; a friend of mine made the point that Bernie Sanders' inauguration speech would have had just the same sentiment. Despite their political polarization, both Trump and Sanders garnered political pedigree from voters who have grown dissatisfied, even distrustful, of the establishment.

However, I can't help feeling that Bernie Sanders, or Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein, would have shown more grace in their inauguration speeches, had they been the successful outsider instead of Trump. We can only imagine how the billionaire would have reacted had he lost the election - my money was on hiring Ashton Kutcher to tell America that Trump had been a joke candidate the whole time, rather than admit true defeat. But the only thing worse than a sore loser is a sore winner, and this feeling permeated the first address of President Trump.

At the start of the speech, he thanked every living former president, and the surname 'Clinton' hung rather poignantly in the air. Then, in what seemed like the next breath, he told his public that he would be taking power away from Washington DC and giving it to them. An inspiring message, no doubt, to those who support Trump and his ideals, but it's hard not to see the insult implied in this statement, just minutes after thanking Barack Obama.

But the one thing that stands out most to me from his speech is arrogance. His refusal to acknowledge anything that has come before him, to see himself as genius, innovator and independent. Not only is this conceited, it is also untrue. In his life, Donald Trump has belonged to the Democratic, Reform and Republican parties, each time using their political clout to gain a platform. In his speech, Trump called his victory 'a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.'

Is he perhaps forgetting the 1960s, and the civil rights movement?

Or perhaps Abraham Lincoln's stand for social equality in the 1860s?

Barack Obama has many admirable qualities, but among the most significant is humility - something every good leader should possess. The modesty to accept help, and appreciate those who have helped you. The grace to acknowledge that an achievement as big as this is not simply a one-man show. If his successor wants to be a populist leader, he has a lot to learn: he must appreciate not only the needs of those around him, but also their crucial role in obtaining and maintaining the power he now holds.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
--Proverbs 11:2

http://wapo.st/2jFdYql - Link to a transcript of the full speech, courtesy of the Washington Post