Opinion
Trump's triumph calls for humour
Wednesday, 16 Nov 2016 8:30 AM MYT By Helen Hickey

NOVEMBER 16 — Since Donald Trump’s US presidential win last Wednesday, I’ve relied heavily on jokes shared by friends to cure my nausea and stop me from descending into a pit of depression.

The biggest joke of all being that Trump has been elected as the next president of America: the man is completely flawed.

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Where to start? He is a racist, misogynist, egotist, a climate-change cynic not to mention being "uniquely unqualified for the job of President of the United States,” to quote Barack Obama. Others have been less kind—how about the "spawn of Satan” reference on the front page of Friday’s New York Times.

As a parent of four kids, two with US passports, I wholeheartedly agree with the rant by The West Wing screenwriter Aaron Sorkin to his daughter the day after Trump’s election.

He will make a dangerous president. He will make the world a more dangerous place. (History may tell us what might happen next post Brexit and Trump.)

Worse still, is that he’ll meet little resistance in the process going by the meek acceptance of his appointment by several foreign leaders. Fortunately, there are those brave enough to stand up to the bully.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the UK Parliament on Friday that she was "not prepared to maintain a diplomatic silence in the face of attitudes of racism, sexism, misogyny or intolerance of any kind,” adding that she found Trump’s campaign "deeply abhorrent.” Hear! hear!

Like many others, I so badly wanted a woman to be in the US presidential driving seat. Hillary Clinton — even with her scrupulously measured and magnified imperfections — would have gently and competently carried America along on its progressive path. But the majority wanted change; and that is what the US people got!

Ok, ready for some therapy?

Let’s start with Trump’s view on the world:

See how Australia fits into the picture!

Or, this one?

You can trust the Irish to deliver on the funnies front:

I love this take on John Lewis store’s Christmas 2016 advertisement.

From the Dutch

The day after Trump’s election, this chocolate biscuit rearrangement was spotted by a friend while shopping in an Amsterdam supermarket.

More greetings from the Dutch…

How are Americans are dealing with it?

A teacher friend of mine recently introduced me to comedian Samantha Bee and her "Doesn’t ‘Want To Hear A Goddamn Word’ About Black Voter Turnout." Marmalade hairball indeed…!

And Melania Trump herself?

America’s former presidents?

View from Brexshitland:

I watched this on the eve of the election. The Brits probably took a big sigh of relief last Wednesday; they are no longer the world’s biggest moron!

US documentary film-maker, Michael Moore

Oh, you can always count on Moore to winkle out the truth, and he was bang on the money for correctly forecasting Trump’s election. This clip is not funny, but I wanted to end on an uplifting note — a glimmer of hope in these dark Trump-ville times — as he’s predicted that Trump will either resign or be impeached before his presidential term is up! Which could actually prove quite funny after all…

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

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