The Great Pretender! By Alfred N Muggins

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By David Kirtley

Wed, 29 Jan 2025
  • 99 reads
7 comments
 

14/11/24 / 25/11/24

And in these late times, it came to pass that the Great Pretender received much support from Churches across America.

They treated him as a political savior and put him on a pedestal,

saying he was an imperfect man,

but that through him might come the protection of their faith, the continuation of its prophecies in the middle east (the muddle east!).

Their slavish desire to further the men of sin and greed turned a great many off in their journey towards the churches.

The reputations of the few churches spoiled the reputations of all churches,

even the ones which were not involved in politics and did not intervene against the real teaching of their own faith.

 

It must be the season of the wizard,

The man who promises everything, but delivers very little.

He takes more than he delivers!

So why did they vote for him?

We’re still not entirely sure.

Shameless greed and moneymaking were all around.

Men in suits thought nothing of evicting those who struggled to pay the ever higher rents. But law and contracts were foremost and had precedence over common sense and kindness.

The brutality of money was simpler than the questions of fairness and decency.

If you could get away with it you were okay.

Bend a rule here or there,

What did it matter in the big scheme of things?

Truth was the same!

The truth didn’t matter either.

If you can get elected by telling lies or using half-truths, that’s fine.

Politics is only a game, one which is played to win.

Perhaps it is nothing more than a child’s game. but to be played on a much larger stage?

And the winners take the proceeds,

fill their pockets with profits, promote your relatives, and your obedient followers,

and most of all your allies!

Power is all about doing deals with the right people, the ones that matter.

Change the rules so you can stay in power for longer, or maybe even forever.

 

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Comments

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Alfred has released this poem, written soon after the recent American election result, as it seems very relevant right now, as the new President has taken hold of the reigns of power! Good luck America! I hope you made the right decision?

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Hold on tight!

Submitted by airyfairy on

The question of why people voted for him is fascinating. From a distance it looks like turkeys and Christmas, but obviously it's far more complex than that. I tend to go with the idea that at times of uncertainty and fear, people just want someone, anyone, to properly take charge and make everything all right again. It's interesting that quite a number of his supporters have greeted the election with the phrase 'Daddy's Home!'. Which makes you wonder what their home life must have been like.

Please convey my appreciation to Alfred!

Submitted by David Kirtley on

Thanks for commenting airyfairy. It does make me wonder just why so many people are attracted to vote for him. So many of them do seem to be voting against their own real interests! I do think you are quite right. The voters are looking for someone to take charge, even if they can't be at all sure what exactly he is going to do. He sends out so many confused signals about what he might do, particularly on foreign policy issues, that I still struggle with why anyone would vote for him, because he keeps everyone guessing as to what he will do. His words and deeds seem so often contradictory. It seems they think he has power because of his bullying and his 'uncertainty as a weapon' bargaining power!

Many of his voters do know that he has the courage (balls!) to do the unexpected, or to be tough when he wants to be. Many fully believe he will 'drain the swamp', tackle corruption and waste, lower taxes, clear out 'wokism', end positive discrimination,and send illegal immigrants 'back home'. Unfortunately he will most likely enrich his backers, and himself, slice even larger shares of the economic 'cake' towards the already rich, while reducing worker's remuneration and rights even further,and reducing safety and health protections for American citizens. His economic adventures and trade wars may help to stimulate some American businesses, but is likely to be very inflationary and damaging to ordinary Americans' finances. These seem to be very interesting, but also quite dangerous times.

Submitted by marandina on

The strange thing about Trump's reelection (at least for me) is him surviving assassination attemps. I honestly think that lots of people genuinely believe that it was divine intervention and crystalised his gains following the woeful display of Biden in the TV debates. Things can turn on moments - and here we are again!

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

The assassination attempts did seem to make him more popular for some, strangely, because why would something like that make you more likely to vote for someone. Surely you either agree with some of his policies or not, regardless of whether someone might be trying to kill him.  However I really would not have been surprised if it was proved that these were put up stunts. Just the kind of stunts to persuade the ignorant, or anti-intellectual.

Biden was weakening as he aged, which helped Trump's bandwagon, but Biden's woeful facillitating of Netanyahu's destruction of Palestine and Gaza, also made him seem extremely weak, which he was in that policy, in which he seemed not to realise that America had the power to severely close down the Israeli's war (destruction) effort. I don't suppose many Republican voters were at all concerned with the horrible crimes Biden allowed, but there must have been many voters turned off Biden and Kamala because of it. Days before Trump's Presidency began his intervention (threats?!) towards Netanyahu caused him to suddenly accept a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal which had been on the table for many months. Amazingly this showed that Trump does have more independence and more 'foreign policy ability' than Biden and his team ever showed. The trouble with Trump is that you just don't know which way he is going to go, so you can't trust him. Therefore neither me or Alfred would ever vote for him, but America has millions of 'suckers' who will just elect a guy who can do anything he wants, and they don't seem to mind that!

Submitted by McMedusa on

Now, by the title, I was hoping this would be similar to the "Young Pretender", Bonnie Prince Charlie, but unfortunately it's about Trump! I don't think Trump will be given a crypt in the Vatican like the Prince, but neither will he be an outcast. He has this way of, how do I put it, buying his way into politics!

(He has a luxury golf course in Aberdeen which he built long before his first presidency term and he had to pay out the residents who lived there, because they refused to move, a rather big fortune, a little fact drop)

On an international scale, Trump appears to be more concerned with recovering infrastructure and domestic politics, but please correct me if I am wrong.

In the UK, the media hangs on for one word on the import tariffs, very much in fear for our export trade. However, not many can get the Chinese to talk and they now want to negotiate at the table with Trump.

But when all is said and done really, despite international threats and calling let's say China's bluff, I am very confused as to why any woman would vote for him due to the scandal, but many American women voted for him rather than opting for a first female president (for the second time).

It's a shame because I think Biden would have been a better president had he been twenty years younger when elected, but Trump is now one of the most powerful leaders in the world yet again. I will be interested to see if he can get Putin to the negotiation table, just like he has done with the Chinese because I have to say it will be a relief to Europe.