Just as the artist depicted in this cartoon, Trump has some very aggressive stances on terrorism. The ultimate question still stands – will these stances thrust his campaign on towards victory or will they cause ultimate defeat in the end?
Trump’s Statements:
Trump has said that he plans to put a ban on Muslim immigration. Naturally, this stance has received a great amount of backlash from the American people. According to CNN, Trump recently announced that he would, “suspend immigration from areas of the world when there is a proven history of terrorism…” Many did not appreciate Trump’s targeted stance against the defined religious sector of Muslims. But will they rally around the stance of suspending immigration from territories that are likely to include very specific people groups and cultures?
The Verdict is in the Hands of the People:
The American people must decide before November- is Trump a potential hero or is he a potential Hitler? Terrorism strikes fear in the hearts of those who encounter it; fear is a drive much stronger than many other emotions. Fear of terrorism alone will compel many of his supporters to vote “Trump” in this upcoming election. However, I believe that the mentality of tolerance and acceptance of the American people will eventually win out.
Too Close for Comfort:
While some population of individuals believes that Trump will “Make America Great Again,” others are concerned that he is a bully and a bigot under the guise of fighting for terrorism. The Washington Post published an article discussing Trump’s claim when accepting the Republican nomination when he said, “‘I alone’ can save America, save the world, save you.” The article argues that it is drastic to compare Trump to Hitler, because “Trump is no mass murderer; Trump is no Nazi; Trump has launched no wars.” However, the similarities to many of Trump’s statements to those of Hitler during his campaign and rise to power are strikingly eerie.
Hitler wanted to wipe out an entire race off the face of the earth. Trump wants to eliminate a race from a nation. What’s next? Is this about a fight against terrorism? Or is this about using terrorism as a means of striking terror into the hearts of individuals and thus using terrorism as the ultimate, evil scapegoat in a terrific fight for power?
The claim that Donald Trump might make a menacing terrorist fighter would hold more water if Trump had a concrete plan for fighting ISIS. Beyond implementing a ban on Muslim immigrants from “dangerous regions of the world,” Trump’s anti-terrorism plan has of yet been kept “secret,” although there is some speculation as to whether or not he has one, period. During the first presidential debate, when asked how he would address homegrown terrorism, Trump immediately turned the discussion to one about NATO and his stance on the Iraq War 10 years ago instead of naming a specific policy option.
I take your point that fear can be a strong motivator, but even if Trump can paint himself as THE anti-terror candidate, even if he can make people afraid of terrorism, the fact remains that terrorism is not the biggest issue for most voters today (www.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx), and winning over that small faction will not be enough in itself to secure the presidency for him.
I think you’re right to mention that Trump’s extremist platitudes will actually end up alienating moderate voters who may have otherwise joined his camp but for his disquieting plans regarding Muslim immigration. Trump is no Hitler, but his plans are still egregious enough that they will discourage many voters from joining the Trump Train.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/16/us/politics/donald-trump-terrorism.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-plan-isis_us_57d0b462e4b06a74c9f28ecd
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/26/the-first-trump-clinton-presidential-debate-transcript-annotated/