• Trump epitomizes what the world does not like. No building bridges but war.
• Trump’s bellicosity behavior to order the killing of Qasem Soleimani has been described as an act of terrorism
President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iranian Iranian General Qasem Soleimaniand later addressed exuberantly jubilated supporters in Miami.
This is a sheer act of bellicosely. Trump is a truculent, pugnacious and bellicosity president America ever had. His language and chest-thumping of self-ingratiation is a reflection of global politics today.
This is what the majority of people psychologically affected by lack of action on social issues at home want leaders who can bring out their hidden anger. Others have called it nationalism.
The world is faced with a rise in negative nationalism. Trump and many other global opinion-makers are not helping either. Nationalism has arisen with migrants invading the once peaceful neighbourhoods of Europe, Canada, America and even Australia. Strangers invading one’s space fuels the ambers of nationalism. Nationalism tends to burn faster than wild bushfires.
Trump epitomizes what the world does not like. No building bridges but war. No handshake with your enemies. Opponents are branded traitors, terror sympathisers, people fighting for good governance are branded revolutionalists planning a coup. Those who promote counter-revolutionary measures are expunged from the midst of their communities. The majority who want a positive democracy are silenced. Trump’s bellicosity behavior to order the killing of Qasem Soleimani has been described as an act of terrorism. Others have seen the act as nationalism spirit where you defend your interests. The two opposing views are fueling negative global nationalism.
There are moments when good people have stood against bellicosity behaviour. Pundits were behind the endorsement of Mitt Romney's bellicosity than what most Americans thought, during the 2012 elections. Romney ended up losing to a cool guy, Obama, a man who connected well with global politics of the time. The world is not ready for cool guys anymore.
Benjamin Netanyahu is another leader who plays with the psychology of Israelis by appealing to nationalism that makes Israel stand up to any aggression. Defending the land given to Israelites by God. To win any election, Netanyahu's bellicosity is always posturing, to assert pressure on Washington to act.
However, President Barack Obama did the opposite. He shook hands and brought the world to negotiate with Iran. Peace prevailed until Trump's bellicosely behaviour arrived at the White House. Britain has been regarded as the well-mannered, pro-people, open to global citizens and gentry society of the world. Karl Marx sought refuge in London from oppressive Germany in 1849 until his death March 4, 1883. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) found great intellectual nourishment when he started his academic journey in 1888. His experiences were later entrenched in his philosophy of nonviolence. His efforts to wrest power from British to India’s independence, 1948, was described as a good guy used non-violence means to bring the greater good to many. In later years sociologists like Henri Tajfel (1919-82), escaped the holocaust and was given haven of peace in Oxford University, where he became a top ideology scholar. He became an expert on how
However, where people are led by bellicosity behaviour chaos rein forever. It is an irony of history that Serb bellicosity and nationalistic dreams gave rise to the modern Albanian state. Now that country is divided. So is South Sudan and Sudan. At times a state can be born out of desire for nationalism driven by bellicosely motives. Perhaps most countries across Africa behave the same way as Trump. Fear of being seen as weak drives their ego to bellicosity behavior and negative nationalism. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the 2019 Nobel prize for positive nationalism and not bellicosity arrogance of the neighbours.
Lessons for Kenya and neighbouring countries. The politicians in the region are bent to chest trumping, very truculent behavior and pugnacious in character. MPs form a small percentage of the total population. They cannot claim absolute representation of the views of the general population. When they speak in public, they should be using Pope Francis, Obama, Gandhi, Tajfel, Ahmed-like building bridges, reconciliatory language and handshake of peace.
Bellicosity behaviour fuels violence.
Dr. Reginald Nalugala, Tangaza University, PhD Research, social transformation programme