ON THE ROAD TO ISTANBUL

         

           Saint Augustine famously said: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”  Having escaped my insular corner of the planet for an all too short trip to Turkey, Israel, and a few Greek Islands, this quote is indeed an understatement.

          We all know people who live compact lives in homogeneous communities and believe they have all the answers to the problems facing humanity.  It is my experience that the smaller an individual’s worldview, the more imbedded the position that his/her beliefs are the singular solution to political, social and economic problems.  Conservative fundamentalists of all persuasions are not travelers.

          Istanbul in modern Turkey is a sight to behold.  Fourteen million people in a swirling melting pot covering three thousand years of Greek, Byzantine and Ottoman history.  The City spans both the European and Asian continents.  It makes the cultural diversity of New York City or Toronto feel superficial.

          Istanbul is a city of 3000 Mosques where the call to prayer can be heard from every corner.  The political structure remains democratic and secular.  Istanbul is one of the fastest growing metropolitan economies in the world. The Turks are proud of their heritage and hope to be the first Moslem country admitted to the European Union.

          There are 19 Turkish American Community Centers within the United States.  Their stated purpose is to: “represent a broad spectrum of Turkish American society, promote secular democracy and respect toward diverse lifestyles.”

          To not understand (or care) that countries like Turkey, China, Russia, India or Brazil are as much a part of the fabric of humanity as we are, is to miss what it means to be human.  Diverse but equal.  Discovering that there are hundreds of paths seeking the same answers.  Acknowledgement of cultures that were thriving as advanced civilizations long before Christianity or Western Europe were a reality.

           Our last day in Istanbul was a holiday.  We saw large crowds jam into the inner city, weddings in the parks, young children with ice cream, and thousands practicing their faith.  Just like us.

          Mark Twain’s conclusion in Innocents Abroad that: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts”, is true now more than ever.  Those of us without the means or good health to travel can utilize other methods to learn more about foreign cultures and beliefs.  And to embrace them when they appear in our community.

          Politicians pushing “English only” agendas, demanding that only Christian values are worthy of being assimilated into American culture, or insisting that an American Moslem could never be President, should be compelled to spend a week in Istanbul.  It would be a humbling and heartwarming experience.

          

WHAT WOULD A TRUMP PRESIDENCY LOOK LIKE ?

          Now that Donald Trump continues to surge in the polls, it is time to consider the unthinkable.  His candidacy may actually be with us for the long haul, through the primaries and beyond.  Democrats are certainly hoping this is the case.  With the Clinton e-mail debacle, the Trump campaign soaks up a great deal of media attention until all Clinton investigations are completed by the end of the year.  Democrats are delighted that Trump forces more mainstream republican candidates to spend valuable financial resources and political capital to appease conservatives, more than they would like this early in the primaries.

          But what if Trump is not an apparition?  What if by March or April, all of the most conservative candidates throw their support behind him and he wins the republican nomination? What if his continued appeal as an outsider garnishes enough democratic and independent support to pull off a general election upset? What would a Trump presidency look like?

           In listening to Trump’s pressers and stump speech several thoughts come to mind.  First, the “art of the deal” way of doing business does not prepare him for the infighting among cabinet members, partisan party politics or diplomacy.  He is now top dog at Trump Inc. with no one above him on the organization chart.  He is able to make decisions based on past experience and intuition, with little input and no committees.  This is the opposite of governing a complex nation in a pluralistic society.

          Second Trump does not understand the importance of being politically correct and in fact boasts about his lack of discernment.  As President, every word uttered by Trump would be dissected and analyzed. Shooting from the hip would not serve the Presidency or the nation well. His term in office would require a second full time press secretary to explain and walk back from his gaffes and confusing remarks.

          Lastly, Trump seems more adept at reacting to problems then in developing a vision for the future. He is able to forcefully explain what he is against, who is an idiot and where mistakes were made.  He is unable to articulate what a Trump presidency would look like or what it would accomplish.  Without a well defined game plan it would be difficult for him to hold together the political coalition that got him elected.

          In short, the very factors that are serving Trump well during these early primary months would be his undoing as President.  A warning to the growing number of Trump supporters.  Be careful what you wish (vote) for.