Perhaps Donald Trump’s behavior at the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec, at the NATO meeting in Brussels, and during his “non-state” visit to the United Kingdom was fortuitous because it emphasized his character in a way that a historic phrase captures perfectly: The Ugly American.
The phrase originated in 1948 as a caption for a photo taken by Constantino Arias showing a Batista-era tourist in Havana. The phrase became the title for the 1958 political novel by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick which was on the best-seller list for 76 weeks, and for a time, became required reading for anyone entering the American diplomatic corps. The loosely fictional account provided portraits of Americans working in/with Sarkhan, a fictional Southeast Asian country, to oppose Communism. The book was adapted as a film starring Marlon Brando that was released in 1963.
The book was about U.S. diplomats rather than tourists and prompted President Dwight Eisenhower to study and reform American aid programs in Southeast Asia. John F. Kennedy, as a Senator, was profoundly moved by the book. He sent a copy to each Senator in the U.S. Senate.
In the epilogue, the authors argued for the creation of “a small force of well-trained, well-chosen, hard-working and dedicated professionals.” On March 2, 1961, President Kennedy announced his Executive Order establishing the Peace Corps, saying that its purpose was to “promote world peace and friendship… which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower.”
While the word, ugly, is often related to physical appearance, it’s more compelling reference is to morality, or perhaps better, the absence of morality. The focus here is strictly the latter.
The Ugly American is a label for a person defined as being arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric, words that perfectly describe Trump. Other descriptors include blundering, corrupt, and culturally incompetent. Is that enough? Not really! We could add obnoxious, braggart, rude, offensive, thin-skinned, boorish, brash, insensitive, inept, self-centered, loudmouthed, and a sense of being entitled.
According to the Collins dictionary, the phrase, “Ugly American,” is in the lower 50% of commonly used words. That is about to change. Trump’s approach to “Make America Great Again,” is to unleash the worse instincts of his political base; to recruit and groom them as ugly Americans. And from Trump’s perspective, the uglier, the better.
The evidence of his ugliness is compelling as the following litany suggests. Leaving the Paris Accord? Ugly! His response in the aftermath of hurricanes hitting Puerto Rico? Ugly! Belittling his political opponents and name-calling? Ugly! His intention to undermine Roe vs. Wade? Ugly! Mocking the “Me Too” movement? Ugly! Abusing immigrant children by separating them from their parents? Ugly! Undermining human rights by working to deny legitimate asylum requests at our southern border? Ugly! Apparent obstruction of justice related to Russian interference in our 2016 election? Ugly! Undermining DACA legislation that would have addressed the plight of undocumented Dreamers? Ugly! The Muslim travel ban? Ugly! Undermining the rule of law by attacking the work of the Special Counsel? Ugly! Arguing for a false equivalency in response to the events in Charlottesville? Ugly! Continually seeking to undermine the Affordable Care Act? Ugly! Sweeping away Affirmative Action? Ugly! The coming assault on Medicare and Medicaid? Ugly? The celebration and promotion of white supremacy? Ugly! Etc. Etc. Etc. What would you add to this litany?
Of course, if Trump was alone in political circles as an Ugly American, his influence would be constrained. Unfortunately, he is surrounded by countless other Ugly Americans, his coterie of sycophants. Stephen Miller. Mike Pence. Mitch McConnell. Paul Ryan. Devin Nunes. Scott Pruitt. Betsy DeVos. Trey Gowdy. Bob Goodlatte. Louie Gohmert. Jim Jordan. Steve King. Kirstjen Nielsen, Alex Azar. Robert Mercer, and daughter, Rebekah Mercer. Stephen Bannon. Sean Hannity. Etc. Etc. Etc. Who would you add to this list?
Ugliness is an essential attribute of the Trump Doctrine: “We’re America, Bitch.” It is also the dark underbelly of American Exceptionalism and American white nationalism. With each passing day, the idea and ideal of America are damaged by this President.
We are told, per the Borg in Star Trek that “Resistance is futile.” That is not the case. Every protest, every sign, every march, every letter, every voter registration, every vote, and so much more are effective. Including the baby Trump blimp central to and symbolic of the protest in London that mocked Trump and what he stands for.
The black poet Langston Hughes wrote in July 1936, “O, let America be America again— / The land that never has been yet— / And yet must be.” Indeed!
Photo Attribution: By Ali Shaker/VOA - http://m.voanews.com/a/republican-national-convention-day-three-/3427729.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50357462