A Brit’s Point of View …

Posted on by under education, Global Issues, History, Humour, Political commentary, Social commentary

Apparently, someone asked the question on social media, “Why don’t the Brits like Donald Trump?”  Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from the United Kingdom wrote the following response:

“A few things spring to mind.  Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honor and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.

So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief. Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact.

He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty. Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness. There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.

Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege. And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.

That is, except when he is among bullies then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff the Queensberry rules of basic decency & he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:  Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are. You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man. This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.

After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.

God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.  And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created? If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.”

In addition to finding it humorous, I found that I couldn’t disagree with a single word of it!  The Brits have far more history than the United States has, far more experience in humanity and governance. We are relative newcomers, still in the puberty stage of our growth as a nation and feeling the growing pains every day.  We might do well to listen to them on this one.  And then again … they have Boris!

69 thoughts on “A Brit’s Point of View …”

  1. Pingback: A Brit’s Point of View … – Nelsapy

  3. Couldn’t agree MORE with Nate White on every single word, concept, principle, and just plain humor! Trump was literally a stale, rotten stick-n-the-mud. It was more entertaining watching paint dry than to listen to tRumpsky! Besides, these horrible, bland, and bane personality traits were glaringly obvious on his failed TV series “The Apprentice“!

    Yet, over half the American population voted him into the WH in 2016! What does THAT say about half of white Americans!? 😆 I.Q. levels? A guess anyone? 😉

    Liked by 3 people

    • If Trump had belonged to somebody else, his antics might have been humorous, for he couldn’t even string a sentence together and that critter he has atop his head is … laughable, to say the least. But, it was us he was inflicting the pain upon, so there was no humour to be found. Mr. White, however, has hit the nail on the head and done so with both truth and humour! No … not over half the population voted for him in 2016, and in fact he actually lost the election by nearly 3 million votes in 2016! A fact he never admitted or acknowledged, just like he has never yet admitted to losing in 2020. What bothers me the most is those people who still follow him, who still plan to re-elect him in 2024, and the members of the Republican Party who still fear him enough to do his bidding. Sigh. IQ levels … maybe. Or some agenda that I cannot fathom. Sigh.

      Liked by 4 people

      • Was really focusing (in my own mind 😄) on tRump’s Electoral College win in 2016, but I forgot to make that clear, didn’t I? Whoops.

        As we’ve heard several times over the years Jill…

        “A brain is a TERRIBLE thing to waste.” But alas… it seems to be rampant in specific demographics of this country, huh? 🙄

        Liked by 2 people

        • Heh heh … no, I thought you meant the actual vote, the people’s votes! Sorry!

          Yes, a brain is a terrible thing to waste and it seems that there are many out there that are dry-rotting from lack of use. Sigh. I’m so tired of it, Prof. This is no longer a country … a world … that I recognize.

          Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: A BRIT’S POINT OF VIEW … |jilldennison.com | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

  6. Though few people in the world will have noticed, Alberta, Canada has their own Mini-Trump-Wannabe. He even cheated his way to victory just like Trump did. He only knows one word, Oil&Gas, pronounced without pauses. He is weak, mealy-mouthed, tyrannical, bullying, and eomeone who changes his mind with the wind. And he wants to be Prime Minister of Canada so bad he drools when he tells himself he can do it! Worst thing is, he is so bad at pretending to be a leader he cannot understand how his popularity and approval rate is be seldom above 30%. He l8ves in a fantasy world where everyone thinks he is God’$ gift to Alberta, but like God, he only exists in his own mind.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Ah yes, Kenney is indeed a brother to Trump and like him in so many ways. I wish I could say that there is no way in hell that Kenney will ever replace Trudeau, but … I often enough said that Trump would never set foot in the White House, and look how wrong I was there! It seems that a lot of people who have lost the ability to care about others, have lost the ability to think.

      Liked by 4 people

  7. Jill, thanks for sharing this. White’s first paragraph says it all in a brief capsule. What is amazing to me is how overt and routine these characteristics are exhibited by the former US president. It truly boggles the mind that people not only believe him, but follow him. Even his most famous line is an insult to his followers, yet they do not see it. Paraphrasing what he said, Trump could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his followers would still vote for him. Think about that. He is saying his followers are so sheep-like, they would follow him even he shot someone. Keith

    Liked by 6 people

    • It certainly is mind-boggling. Despite his lies, his abuse of women, his lack of respect for anyone, and his cruelty to those who cross him, he still has a substantial following and Republican politicos still quake in their shoes when he speaks. He views everyone he comes in contact with as tools for him to use, and once he finds out he cannot use one, he tosses it away as we would a screwdriver with a broken handle. I’ll never understand how easily he brainwashed nearly half the people in this country.

      Liked by 4 people

  9. I’ve read that before, but it bears a second reading! All true, and we are now suffering his Mini-Me. Hopefully not for much longer, though, as the triumph of ambition over ability seems to be closing in on him. One thing I did find surprising is that not once in the piece did the word ‘liar’ appear. It applies equally well to Johnson.

    Liked by 4 people

    • I thought some of my UK readers might already be familiar with it! Yes, you guys have a tamer version of Trump, but as you say, I cannot see him lasting much longer. And at least once you oust him, he won’t likely return to power, whereas our version seems determined to return to finish the destruction he began. You’re right … I didn’t notice that omission. That’s his #1 trait, too, though it runs a close second with sexual abuser.

      Liked by 3 people

      • It was shared here a while back, while the former guy was still President. It makes a lot of good points, most of which have copious pieces of evidence as proof. I really hope we see the end of Johnson soon, but the problem is that he has deliberately surrounded himself with people who are even more useless than him, in an attempt to make himself look good, so the field of potential replacements doesn’t look promising.

        Liked by 3 people

        • Wow … I didn’t realize it was written that long ago … I thought it was just in the last week or two. Indeed … I don’t see anyone who looks like a great replacement for Boris, but at this point, as long as it’s not Farage or Corbyn, it couldn’t be much worse, could it? I know … I know … I should smack myself for even uttering that. 🤐

          Liked by 2 people

          • Maybe I got the timing wrong, but it isn’t from the past few months. I saw it on Quora, I think, but don’t quote me on that!

            It won’t be either of those. Corbyn has been kicked out of the Labour Party and Farage isn’t even an MP, and never has been. If Johnson goes it will be down to the Tories to choose a new leader who will become PM until we get the chance to vote them out in 2024. It’s a very poor field of utterly useless possible candidates.

            Liked by 2 people

            • Yes, from what I’ve seen there are no outstanding candidates at this time … but then, we have none, either. Where are all those who used to stand miles above the crowd, who cared and were intelligent? Sigh.

              Liked by 1 person

              • I think that is the understatement of the century. I’d be happy with ‘adequate’ rather than ‘outstanding’ but the Tories don’t even have anyone to match up to that. I’m getting cynical in my old age, and find it hard to recall any politicians who weren’t self-serving and egotistical 😊

                Liked by 1 person

  10. That is the description of Trump most Brits would wish they had written. In fact he was created, by the American Reactionary Right, still their toy; hence his lack of qualities; he is a shallow thing dancing to others hollowing rants.

    Now Boris.
    He is another issue. A quintessentially British type. Born into British privilege which holds still to a class system. Passed through an education system which reinforces that. Then he seamlessly fits into one of the parts of British society which nurture his sort. A place of societal clubs, dinner parties, ephemeral professions. Joy-oh-joys a desk of his own on a Conservative newspaper, not expected to do the hard slog of a true journalist, no he has a ‘column’ so he can spout off like a bore at a paper and get paid for it.
    Naturally he is a Conservative, and deciding he was bored with journalism with the correct connection obtained a safe conservative seat in parliament, from there thanks to the turbulence of Brexit and the the Financial uncertainties of the first 21st century decade he rose through its ranks. By them he had a profile as ‘wit’, a ‘raconteur’ ‘a character’ and an ‘amenable eccentric’; all elements which can endear someone to a slice of the British Population. Having the restrain of a rabbit on Viagra only endears him even more to a section of the male voters as ‘A Bit of a Lad’. A stint as Mayor of London during the Triumphant 2012 Olympics did him no harm; though that was on others backs.
    Fast forward to the Brexit Referendum and its chaos, Johnson is found at the lead of a pack of opportunists and what you would see in the USA as Carpet Baggers, along with a smattering of ideologs. With all his background of credentials as mentioned above, he wins the prize.
    Another Joy-oh-Joys for him. Normally he would have been shredded by an half competent Leader of the Opposition. Luckily for him he had Jeremy Corbyn and his cult of Momentum who crafted incompetence under the guise of Political Belief.
    And so we have Boris.
    Nothing like Trump. Johnson is a product of British societal systems, prejudices, class deference and also the gift of that inept Opposition.
    He expected only to have to deal with Brexit. Then along comes Plague and War…..And Boris has to play in the Hard World – one he is not suited for….Gee that’s tough ‘BoJo’…it will get tougher. At the risk of sounding callous he does have to do much with the Ukraine, just go with the sentiment of his ‘Back Benchers’ (MPs) and the general population, supply the weapons, talk the talk, listen to his military and visit Kyiv.
    As for ‘Partygate’….against the background of The War in Ukraine he might be able to ride it out. No one likes to change a PM during a war, unless the PM is screwing up The War.

    Liked by 6 people

    • I had no idea that Boris ever had a newspaper column! In many ways, I see Boris as a twin or, as a couple of readers said, a ‘clone’ of Trump, but in other ways, Boris is above Trump. He at least has a modicum of respect for people, doesn’t insist they love him, else he will slander them in every way possible as Trump does. However, he is not the leader that the UK needs … is not a leader at all, in fact. I wonder if he can survive the latest scandal, and more to the point, who would follow him. Interesting times we live in.

      Liked by 3 people

      • From inside looking out Johnson and Trump’s only shared facet is that both were the most unlikely, incapable characters two nations ever found as leaders.
        That aside Johnson and Trump are very different creatures.

        Trump for instance is locked in an unholy alliance with one facet of the USA and responds only to them, revelling in the safety their support gives him to say the ludicrous things he does.
        Johnson has a history of saying ludicrous things, but also of back-peddling and making ‘sincere’ apologies.

        Trump does not give the proverbial ‘happy damn’ about trying to convince or win folk over; if they are against him- that is that.
        Johnson can work the ‘upper class’ charm of a fellow who means well and is doing the best he can in very difficult circumstances. Which plays well, and can make critics look picky and mean spirited. Compare the two over Covid- Trump blusters, Johnson is very concerned and plays the active, caring leader.

        Trump is prisoner of his own following, though he’s too stupid to realise it and has no notion of the damage he wrought.
        Johnson is a classic opportunist willing to shift policies to Right or Left depending on what he feels he can get away with to stay at ‘Number 10’

        Trump has no political compass. He has found a home and lives it. Johnson is a Conservative / Tory and embraces very old folk-lore although without most of the traditions which would have you accept, if you are not ‘playing the game old chap, as a gentleman, then you have to go’.

        Additionally. You only have to compare the differing responses to Ukraine and there is the whole story.

        Finally. To emphasise Trump has planted his feet in a Republican Party which has lurched so far to the Right that the graves of Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln must be the centres of minor earthquakes. Thus he stays.
        Johnson is the leader of the Conservative Party, Conservative wing in Parliament and Prime Minister. If the MPs feel the runes are indicating he becoming a liability he will be ditched. He knows that. As have all Conservative leaders before him.

        And a PS: Trump would not have happened in the UK, as the post indicates. Johnson did because Johnson is Johnson. The pair say more about the respective states of the two nations than themselves.

        Liked by 3 people

        • Very apt points, my friend, and I agree. If only we had a ‘vote of no confidence’ here in the U.S. … but then, the Republicans would have blocked that, too. Your last sentence is so spot-on it caused me to smack myself up the head and ask, “Why didn’t I see that?” And that is the problem with the U.S. today — a problem I don’t think will be resolved any time soon and is likely to bring about a few decades of something I won’t even put a name to.

          Liked by 1 person

      • Thanks.
        One of the worrying features for me, is, sitting here in the UK to look at Johnson and his Government and all of its follies, then look across the Atlantic at Trump and also the Republican Party and their antics and say:
        ‘You know. It could be worse here,’

        Liked by 3 people

  12. Pingback: A Brit’s Point of View … | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  13. This made me laugh out so much…. He is absolutely spot on (and I’m not British but lived in UK for maybe the happiest time of my life!).
    And then again: They have Boris!!!!! That’s just it. From the minute Boris turned up on our minds, we always said: He’s Trump’s clone (OK maybe slightly better, he seems to have a few brain cells more) …. nobody, but nobody from our circle of friends understands how he could have made it; a bit the same as you with T, I guess. We would have loved to stay in the UK had it not been for a change of employment, but now we’re glad not to be there.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Indeed he is spot on! I laughed and cringed when I read it, being reminded yet again what a horrible person Trump is and realizing that he may yet be re-elected in 2024. I used to say that Boris was Trump’s twin brother, but then I realized that Boris is actually smarter than Trump, although of late he hides it well! Yes, I can see why you would be happier where you are … I would be happier where you are, too! One of the most beautiful countries on the planet!

      Liked by 2 people

  14. I can only wish I’d written that and described the Fat Twat in such a credible way. He’s a blot on Humanity rather like a very nasty boil that needs lancing. One day Boris will be lanced and we’ll see the pus rolling away though in Trump’s case that could take a very long time.
    Cwtch

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Yes, yes and yes to all Mr. White says! Also big YES to your last sentence … I still don’t understand how the British could fall into that particular trap! And then again … in the Netherlands we have Geert (Wilders) … although luckily not as Prime Minister! – Hugs&Cheers and Happy Easter Weekend!

    Liked by 3 people

    • I loved White’s way of expressing what most of us think! Oh yes … good ol’ Geert! For a time, he crossed my radar periodically, but I haven’t seen his name in the news since … well, since Trump left office at least! Hug ‘n cheers to you and your family, dear friend, and a Happy Easter!!! 🐰

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.