Donald Trump, Power, and Profit: No Morality, Only Interests
The U.S. President, Donald Trump, is undoubtedly a benefactor of humanity and a global leader who has ripped away the deceptive mask of false humanity, democracy, and so-called high values from the sinister face of capitalism. Since the dawn of time, humans have devised various tactics to exploit one another—ranging from religion to nationalism, human rights rhetoric, and the pretense of democracy. These disguises have long been used to conceal the fundamental question of class struggle and politics from the oppressed masses.
The vile cycle of exploitation has not been confined to the forces advocating capitalism alone; Marxist, socialist, and Maoist states, along with the champions of these ideologies, have also contributed their share to this grand deception. Whether it be monarchy, caliphate, democracy, dictatorship, or liberalism, the elite’s primary objective has always been to prolong public subjugation and slavery. The ruling classes have extensively used state institutions to enforce societal and economic exploitation, while legislation has consistently served to maintain this status quo. States have mobilized religious, journalistic, and literary forces to construct ideological justifications for capitalism, shape cultural norms, and manufacture social heroes, thus steering societies in their desired directions.
Whenever a voice has emerged to awaken public consciousness, it has been ruthlessly silenced. The masses have been so well conditioned that they no longer recognize their enslavement. They have portrayed the very individuals who attempted to liberate them as enemies. The public has been systematically divided along religious, sectarian, linguistic, provincial, and nationalistic lines. We have handed these fragmented groups the toys of democracy, human rights, personal freedoms, and various political ideologies, which have turned them against one another. The masses have been indoctrinated with the belief that the state is holier and more sacred than the individual and that patriotism is the highest and most exalted virtue in both this world and the hereafter.
Credit must be given to Donald Trump, who, as the newly elected U.S. president, shattered the idols of deception and boldly declared that materialism is the only real philosophy that governs the world. He made it clear that the world does not need a global leader but rather a global dealmaker—and he is the best at making deals. With a single kick to Ukraine’s president, he exposed the diplomatic games once wrapped in layers of false pretense. In Trump’s world, there is no morality, no diplomacy, and no promises—only interests. His actions have accelerated the formation of new alliances, where old enemies are becoming friends, and long-standing allies are turning into foes, further stripping capitalism of its remaining façade.
The prospects of escaping this oppressive system through conventional politics seem bleak, as modern communication and media continue to brainwash the oppressed, a sinister process that is still ongoing. If there is any hope, it lies with the global youth—those who, in the coming years, might unite under the banner of humanity and class consciousness to ignite a worldwide revolution, forging new societies based on economic justice. However, only those nations and people who have prepared their younger generations for such a transformation will benefit from this shift.
For now, Trump’s greatest service is that he has laid everything bare. Yet, the real question remains: will the world acknowledge this reality and take decisive action, or will it, as always, select a new face to conceal the wounds of the old system? History tells us that at such moments, either true change occurs, or the exploitative order resurfaces with a new mask, new slogans, and new strategies to maintain its grip. The awakened minds of the world—especially the youth—must now decide whether they will merely observe this reality or attempt to change it.
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Spine Times.
Khalid Khan
The writer is a senior journalist, and poet.
