If there’s one thing that Republican nominee Donald Trump has perfected this election it’s the art of offending just about everyone. Democrats predictably loathe him and Republicans are in an increasingly uncomfortable position. Both of these facts are true because of the fine line between political incorrectness and going too far that Trump continuously walks. Only since Trump has risen to prominence and ultimately locked down the nomination has he grown worse.
Everyone’s safe space is in great danger right now. The threat of Donald Trump saying things is serious.
In a recent press conference discussing national security, Trump suggested that the Russians should step in and hack the e-mail servers of Associated Press-nominated candidate Hillary Clinton. In stating his hope that they could find the missing e-mails, Trump assured any Russian observers that they would be rewarded by the American media.
Trump wasn’t wrong about the mainstream media. The depth of reporting has become increasingly shallow, with journalists being reduced to errand boys for the political establishment that answer commands from their bosses. Honest journalists are an endangered species. If the Russians did take Trump up on his offer and hacked Clinton, the press wouldn’t be voicing concerns about the dangers to national security. They would instead be tying this all to Trump as if he has any control over Vladimir Putin or Russia itself.
It may not be honest, it may not be truthful, but at the end of the day, international drama with political intrigue involving the bombastic businessman will sell newspapers and generate Internet hits. In modern America, this is all that matters.
Should Russia hack Hillary Clinton’s e-mail servers? To understand why Trump said why he did, Americans must objectively look at the phenomenon that is his presidential campaign. He is less of a serious politician and more of a troll who knows all the buttons to push. People don’t like Russia because all of the politicians tell us we’re not supposed to and the idea of them aiding Wikileaks really bothers the Democrats.
Cold War mentality aside, Russia is not nearly as great a threat as the unstable nuclear threat of North Korea or the 9/11-aiding Saudi Arabian government that prosecutes people for simply being gay.
The idea of encouraging espionage and interference in foreign elections is not something that Donald Trump legitimately seemed to be in favor of, and later noted when clarifying it was sarcasm. If he supported regime change, interference in foreign politics, and swaying other country’s elections, he might have instead supported former Governor Jeb Bush or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for President. The uncomfortable truth about these things is it’s been a consistently American answer to the world’s many problems for decades. Don’t agree with Iran nationalizing their oil supply? The United States aided the 1953 coup d’etat against Iran’s democratically elected government. Had some political issue with Iraq? The United States invaded and destabilized the region, allowing for the rise of ISIS.
Hating Donald Trump is probably the most popular bandwagon in America right now next to Pokemon Go, but there was nothing treasonous about cracking a joke about Russia taking advantage of Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information. Only in America, a country currently being swept down by the plague of Trump Derangement Syndrome, can being extremely careless with sensitive data not be criminal, but making a joke about said incident can be considered treason.
The United States of America truly has become the leading global advocate for the safe space. Unfortunately for many Americans however, violating that comfort zone is not illegal, yet.
