The “Rape” of a Nation

Arguably, one of the most captivating opinions Trump has proclaimed throughout his campaign is China’s ability to single-handedly destroy the American economy. Trump has made it very clear where he stands on trade deals such as NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and all the businesses that have moved from the United States to China. Donald Trump hates these deals so much that he has vowed to “rip up international trade deals and begin an attack on Chinese economic practices.” The most compelling part of his thoughts on trade is how violently he talks about it. At a rally in Ohio, Trump compared the the Trans-Pacific Partnership to rape, stating that the deal was a “rape of our country.” At the Republican Presidential debate he refers to his forty-five percent tax on Chinese goods as a threat not a tax. Throughout his campaign we have seen him use brutal language to describe many of his policies and while some see it as his downfall, the majority of his supporters see it as a part of his persona to not follow the status quo. But will his rejection of political correctness help him or hurt him in the long run? Many believe his violent language regarding China will only spur more conflict and support the belief that he is not stable enough for the presidency. Donald Trump’s success is primarily based on his ability to say what other politicians will not, but there is a line that needs to be drawn. There is a time to be presidential and that time is now. He has riled up the conservatives with his violent rhetoric, but now is his time to appeal to the moderate voters. The best way he can do that is by appearing as presidential as he can be, which does not include associating trade deals to rape.

 

Jenna Hill

4 thoughts on “The “Rape” of a Nation

  1. I agree – I think that Trumps aggressive rhetoric has worked well for him throughout the campaign and appealed to the angry conservative voters. Nevertheless, it is time for him to focus on the moderate / undecided voters and for that, he will need to tone down both his choices of rhetoric and his ‘temperament.’

  2. In regards to Trump’s attempt to gain more followers, I do not think he made a good decision in his word choice when comparing to trade policies. Sexual abuse is sensitive issue to many Americans and just throwing the word around almost in a joking way will not look respectable in many Americans’ eyes. I do think his attitude towards China could potentially backfire and cause a worse relationship with foreign countries.

  3. I find it very interesting to watch Donald Trump and see just what might come out of his mouth. We see that political correctness is not something he acknowledges. Trump metaphorically referring to a trade deal as a sick sadist that commits a felony is a little harsh. While it may be a terrible plan in his eyes using this analogy to compare it to was not a very smart move politically. Statements like this only encourage the belief that he is unstable. I am not only concerned that his language backs the unstable belief but I am more concerned at what his brutal language will do to spark controversy with these countries. These countries probably hear the radical remarks Trump makes. What happens when they decide to take action against the hot headed possible President? We as a nation can suffer due to his uncontrollable mouth.

  4. Trumps aggressive rhetorical style has been successful for him to gain his conservative voters. However, Trumps analogy stating that China is “raping our country,” would not help him gain more followers. Any form of sexual abuse is not appropriate to use as a comparison to any trade policies, and is disrespectful/offensive to many Americans. If Trump wants to gain moderate voters, he will need to change his rhetoric style to cater to those voters.

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