Donald Trump vs Hugo Chavez: same but in other suit?

Is Donald Trump the american version of Hugo Chavez? 

The Guardian journalist, Rory Carroll says:

He was a one-man media hurricane dominating the news with insults and provocations, promises and policy pronouncements. He would tweet at all hours, phone TV chat shows, stage rollicking rallies. He hired and fired people live on air. Humiliated and taunted foes and bragged about winning. He could be funny and coarse and buffoonish and broke all the rules about presidential conduct. Over time, it became clear there was genius to it. He sucked up all the oxygen, leaving allies as well as rivals gasping for air. Even if you were sick of him you paid attention. 

It may seen that we are describing the now political celebrity Donald Trump, but that quote actually refers to the Venezuelan ex president, and leader of the socialist revolution for over a decade, Hugo Chavez.

I'm not saying that Trump is some sort of socialist, nor the the US is going to become Venezuela, a place going through the worst crisis in its modern history. If you wanna know more about Venezuela, read this post.

What I want to point out is the similarities of the political persona that these two have. Even though Trump comes from the elite of Manhattan, his speech appeals to the low income Average Joe. An unorthodox political attitude with a hateful speech, trying to blame it all in the system and the way of doing things.The plea for a change is needed, an outsider is the hero meant to be. Trumps shows himself as the avenger of that discontent, even though his bullying don't have anything good to offer to the political scenario.

These were the sames qualities that brought Hugo Chavez to power in 1998. A rebel outsider, weaving the flag of the popular discontent towards the political system. A choice to simply wash over everything and bring something new, without thinking much over a worse consequence. And that's how Chavez started to re-write the political history in the region. 

Bread and Circuses

Language is key, notably humor, insults and vulgarity to rupture protocol and connect with supporters on a gut level. A media strategist like Chavez and Trump, know how to mislead the attention from problems, and that is a special tool in politics, to keep people busy from thinking about your mistakes. When a problem comes out there is just something to do, seek for a new fight, a new controversy, so the outburst goes in another direction, a source of eternal entertainment. Bread and circuses for Rome.

Both of them brand opponents with insults, play a similar behavior from a playground bully. This behavior seeks controversy, break the frames and ground rules of the scenario, so their irreverent personality can win sympathy from the masses. In a way to break their opponents down, the disrupture of protocolar behaviors shows the lack of respect and necessity of it.

The Donald Trump Show

As it now, we can see how the Trump candidacy went from what almost everyone thought a joke, to a sad reality. Many things can be said about a possible future with President Trump, in this comparison in megalomaniac personalities with Hugo Chavez, Carroll adds:

If the Republican reaches the White House, government through television will turn the US into the Donald Trump show. He will play different parts – the sober statesman, the Rottweiler partisan, the glossy celebrity, blurring the personal and political, the trivial and grave. There will be many crises, real and confected. If Trump is as smart as Chávez – a big if – he will turn each one to his advantage, shoring up his power even as the country unravels into tragicomedy. 

Let just change the channel for a bit, please? Thank you. 

#Politics #Trump