Made in America

THE EDITOR, Madam:

We are often reminded how brilliant the founding fathers were when they drew up the Constitution of the US in 1787; one stipulation was that the “President will from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union (SOTU)”. The very first President, George Washington, obliged in the form a short hand-written note.

That practice continued for many years until 1913 when President Woodrow Wilson delivered an address to a joint session of Congress, as a way to rally support for his agenda. It has become an annual ritual in Washington since then, and on February 24 President Donald Trump’s televised address lasted for a record 108-minutes. There were many dramatic introductions of extraordinary citizens who were military heroes, or survivors of violence, or even Olympic hockey players.

Having watched SOTU addresses over many decades this one was memorable as an extravaganza of Hollywood-style hoopla and lollapalooza, befitting a president who was previously host of a reality TV show.

The entire spectacle was pathetically polarised with the Republicans hanging on every word that came from the presidential lips, and getting plenty of exercise jumping up to applaud his every sentence, while those grim-faced Democrats who attended sat on their hands, with a couple of angry Congresswomen heckling loudly. Remembering that the USA was formed after a revolutionary war against the army of England’s mad King George III, it was definitely ironic that President Trump was being treated like an all-conquering monarch by his own party members.

When he entered and left the Congressional chamber he was congratulated so heartily with handshakes, back-slaps and numerous selfies in a modern day version of touching the hem of the king’s cloak, as forelock-knuckling peasants did back in the days of yore.

When King Farouk of Egypt was overthrown in 1952 he said : “Soon there will only be five kings left — King of England, King of Spades, King of Clubs, King of Hearts, and King of Diamonds”. The shaky foundations of the House of Windsor are currently being threatened by allegations of criminal misdeeds with Jeffery Epstein involving the brother of the King Charles III of England. Should that monarchy collapse as a result, there’s a new king to join Farouk’s prediction with those in the deck of cards. That’s King Donald I, made in America.

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada