Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:23 pm
*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*
Most Americans are aware that although the current political climate is increasingly dysfunctional with Republicans being led by a truly despicable presidential candidate, neither Donald Trump, the Republican Party nor its base represent all of America. It may appear that there is nothing good about this country or its people with the hate, bigotry and divisiveness dominating a fair portion of the population, but it is not typical of all Americans; a fact most people around the world comprehend. However, that is not the view from Iran or China and Americans have Donald J. Trump to thank for that sad, but true, fact.
For the first time ever, the Islamic Republic of Iran broadcast live the second, and third, American presidential debates to demonstrate the gross lack of “virtues of liberal democracy.” Key to the anti-American propaganda is Donald Trump where, in the first debate, he was busy trying to deny “allegations of sexual assault” and threatening to throw Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in prison. Even in Iran criminals get a trial, but Trump portrayed America as a lawless backwater where a presidential candidate can cavalierly just threaten to toss his rival in jail.
Trump portrayed America as an immoral and lawless nation to such an extent, and great delight of Iran’s leadership, that they abandoned any current anti-American propaganda crusade and instead aired last night’s debate in Las Vegas. In fact, the debate was broadcast live on three television channels to allow Iranians that speak English, Persian, or Arabic to learn firsthand what the merits of American democracy according to Donald J. Trump look like live and in color on Iranian television.
Apparently, the Iranian leadership wants the entire Iranian population to observe exactly what is wrong with the so-called “shining city on a hill,” and exactly what a fair portion of the American populace believes in and supports; greed and an immoral, bigoted television celebrity who does not represent the majority of America. It is true he represents the very worst and lowest of this country’s population, but those malcontent haters certainly do not represent the majority of Americans.
Although the official position in Iran, and other anti-Western regimes, is that America’s leaders are amoral, greedy, and prone to violence, it is likely the Iranian Supreme Council reveled in allowing Donald Trump to make the case for them on live television. Iran, or China for that matter, has no need for anti-American propaganda when Donald Trump is delivering for them on a daily basis and during two widely-viewed national political debates.
As reported at Slate, Iran’s government-controlled media “tends to enforce an official line depicting Washington as corrupt and aggressive,” and Donald Trump fulfilled that depiction perfectly in the two debates aired on Iranian television. And, according to Bloomberg, besides broadcasting the debates live to demonstrate America’s dysfunctional politicians, a “big recent hit on Iranian TV” is “House of Cards;” the Netflix original program that portrays a Washington insider as a “power-hungry and murderous” manipulator in a nasty government environment. House of Card is wildly popular in Iran and “massively popular” in communist China; particularly among senior communist party leaders who see the television portrayal of Washington’s sordid underbelly as an accurate portrayal of American government to sell to their population.
As noted above, Donald Trump is “big news” around the world, but particularly so in Iran since the emergence of video of him boasting about using his wealth and celebrity status to sexually assault women with impunity. Photos and caricatures of the Republican standard bearer have dominated Iranian newspapers, such as the moderate Jahan-e Eqtesad, a daily paper that recently asked in a headline “emblazoned across a photo” of a finger-wagging Trump, “Is this the end of the populist?”
If they didn’t already, most Iranians now tend toward believing that Donald Trump epitomizes “the Ugly American;” violent, loud, entitled, crazy and patently immoral. A 60-year-old taxi driver in Tehran said, “I was watching that blond man on TV, on the news —- and he says the most violent, awful things.” Another Iranian, a 34-year-old teacher in Tehran who declined to give his full name said, “I don’t want Trump to win because he seems crazy and he doesn’t really seem to know anything about Iran.” And, the academic and broadcast authority adviser for Iranian television, a man named Izadi, said this week’s programming was particularly important because although a show like “’House of Cards’ is Hollywood, it’s fiction. We’re not talking about fiction when we talk about Trump; it’s reality and it’s a sad reality.”
Izadi will not get much argument from a majority of Americans who also see Donald Trump’s rise to dominate the Republican Party as a very “sad reality;” for America, its population, and its reputation around the world. Most Americans probably are unaware that citizens of other countries, including Middle Eastern Muslim nations, are more finely attuned and informed about American politics and the government than the majority of Americans; the majority of whom (74 percent) are stumped when asked to name the three branches of America’s government. Whatever comprehension world citizens may have had about America being a little friendlier and saner under President Obama than the previous Republican administration has been put in question by the likes of Donald Trump and his rabidly hateful base.
Americans do have a lot to be proud of because in the final analysis this country is exceptional, but with Donald Trump leading one of the two major political parties, that pride is overshadowed by anti-American propaganda courtesy of Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party. Although it is a source of shame for decent Americans, the Iranian government likely is pleased that Donald Trump provided a stellar bit of “anti-American” propaganda that did more damage than anything the Supreme Council could have ever fabricated and they likely send him their heartfelt gratitude for doing their dirty anti-American propaganda work without any expectation of remuneration.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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