It’s over. Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States of America and his win is a loss for all of humanity.
Let me explain why.
It’s not because I think Donald Trump will be a bad President for the US. In fact I think that once in office there’s every chance he might tone down his rhetoric.
It’s also not because I think Donald Trump is incapable of leading the country. Jokes about his Twitter account aside.
It’s also not because of how he doesn’t seem to have a clear policy of how he’s going to do what he says he’s going to do.
No… it’s none of that.
While humanity has died a little today because of what Donald Trump stood for be it racism, bigotry, hate and fear mongering. The thought of Trump winning is hardly as troubling as what the people who voted for him represent.
This changes politics for all of us. This election and Brexit validates that politicians are no longer rewarded for doing the humane thing like accepting refugees of a war torn nation, or standing up for the rights of a racial or religious minority. Instead it tells politicians that they are rewarded for turning away refugees and oppressing the religious or racial minority. That being divisive and for fear-mongering pays off,
No longer will many of our politicians find the need to woo us by their resolve to do the right things or to unite people. Instead they will scare us into voting for them at the ballot box. Creating fear from an exaggerated threat.
Brexit won that way. Trump won that way. And many more leaders will win election that way.
The price of a divided world where we’re all afraid of each other will be paid not by us, but by our children. May God forgive us.
Timothy Tiah – Co-Founder of Colony, Kuala Lumpur Co-Working Space