We're on a Dangerous, Slippery Slope! 

We’ve had the warning signs
Having Trump in charge
Of one of the most powerful nations
On the planet
Was a biggie
We got off lucky, didn’t we?
It could’ve been far worse

This is no political rant
I’ve no interest in politics
But I am interested in humanity
And the type of future we are creating
For the generations to come

Maybe we should reconsider
The way we hand over power
And our trust 

Trump has been called all sorts 
I’m not here to join in
Again, I’ve no interest
Nothing clever in running him down
But there are some underlying lessons
We could take from the experience

On talking to two American women
The night before Trump was elected
Both were seriously worried

They certainly didn’t want Trump
So were voting Hillary Clinton
But had faith in neither
And were fearful
Of either being in power

My first reaction
Was that the system is kaput
In a land of so-called democracy
The final choice offered to its people
Was, in the eyes of both women
A choice between the devil
And the deep blue sea

Yes, there are places
Like within some developing nations
Or war-torn countries
Where coups, regimes, or dictatorships
Seem commonplace
We’ve almost become blasé (sadly)
to seeing the likes of such
But this was different
This was a big, powerful machine
(No, I'm not talking about Trump)
One with significant influence
Over the rest of the planet

The world held its breath
How, in this century
Could a democratic system
Allow someone like Trump
To take the reins
Of something so powerful?

And when I say someone like Trump
It's not intended as a dig
But to point out
That he didn't appear out of nowhere
He already had a big reputation
And yet somehow
He was still propelled
Into THE prime position
Not just within the United States
But on our planet

Egos can argue over 
Who is the biggest influence
All they want 
But it won't change anything

Russia?
China?
Germany?
Nah!
Great Britain?
Not even!
The United States is the big boy
On this planet


And this wasn’t like letting Trump
Take a car out for a test drive
No, the keys were handed over

“It’s all yours, mate!”

Was that a responsible act?
It was a very risky handover of power
Knowing of Trump
Being aware of of his track record

As he drove off out of the showroom
I wish we could say we had no concerns
But most of the planet feared
It was a car crash waiting to happen
We were very lucky
That it didn’t end in catastrophe

And maybe that's the whole point
The experience wasn't destined
To end in complete disaster
But to serve as a lesson
A warning if you like

That it only takes one person

Ever gone past a tragic road accident?
Cars piled up
Car metal smashed to smithereens
You're praying that there are no fatalities
Please - no body bags!
But you can tell
It doesn't look good

It only took one person
A split second
To slip up
And change the lives of many

Those that lost their lives
Those that were injured
And those loved ones
Who are left in mourning

And one thing is for sure
When disaster happens
You can't turn back the clock

So shouldn't we start
Thinking very seriously 
About who we are trusting to lead us?

To represent the masses
To stand up for decency and fairness
To steer us through the rough times
And guide us into periods of progress
Not decline

And it’s not about America
It's about time we all took a good look
At the systems we currently have in place

We shouldn’t just be asking
If the candidates put up for leadership
Have our bests interest at heart
But also whether the system itself works
And whether those running the show
Behind the scenes
Have the best of intentions too


It was way, way back in 1963
When Martin Luther King Jr made his
“I Have a Dream” speech

“Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy”

Yet now, many decades later
We are still waiting for it to be delivered
Martin challenged the powers that be
To realise the promise
But has it ever been truly realised?


The criticism of the way COVID-19
Has been handled
By governments across the planet
Only highlights the distrust we have
In those that we place in position
To guide us through good times and bad

Suspicions that we’ve had all along
That the pharmas
The powerful conglomerates
And some of the extremely wealthy elite
Have more influence over governments
Than we'd like
Only seem to be confirmed 

Having a government that can operate
Above influence, bias or corruption
Is not an unreasonable request, is it?

But seems more of an unrealistic dream
Than it did back in 1963

Democracy?

Really?

There are many countries on this planet
Where we continue to blindly
Hand over our trust
To those who don’t have
Our best interests at heart
Whose egos override logic
And undermine progress

As equally concerning
Is the fact there is also a flip side 
We also can’t deny
Was that whilst most of the planet
Were very much opposed
There were many that supported Trump
And with a passion!
Trump was the bar
He was the standard
That those many looked up to

For all the advancements in technology
For all those wonderfully clever minds
The best the system could produce
Was Trump?

When you compare it
To some of the great leaders
We've had throughout history
Can we call it progress?

The system itself isn't working!

Trump's successor has attracted
A few raised eyebrows too

If you’d arrived on this planet during Trump’s reign
Listened to his comments over the years
Then observed Biden
And his delivery
It’s hard to imagine
You’d go back impressed
And I’m not trying to ridicule anyone
You’ve got to hand it to Trump
The man had a dream
And he achieved it

So ironic
Since we're talking about
Martin Luther King Jr

A Nobel Peace Prize winning
Man of the people
Who, sadly for us all
Never did

Though it took a bullet to stop him!

And is certainly remembered
With the greatest of honour and respect 

Trump's dream was very different
But he still got himself to the very top
Nobody can deny that

And towards the end of his reign
He had the most challenging of times
This planet has faced in decades
COVID-19

I’m not sure the best of us
Would have welcomed that task

Biden seems a decent bloke
But as THE key world leader?

The system is failing to produce!

Look at the elections
The live debates
The destructive smear campaigns

Like children in the playground

“You kissed Amy behind the bike shed!”
“Well, you pooed in the sandpit!”

It's a pathetic showcase
Of the way we conduct
Such important decisions!


Martin Luther King Jr
Also said in that same speech

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by their character”

Would the families
Of Andre Hill and Manuel Ellis
And of countless other victims
Brutally killed for the colour of their skin
By those we’ve also entrusted with power
Feel, over half a century later
That Martin’s dream has materialised?

Progress?

We’ve far from true democracy
Operating within most of the countries
That claim to live by it

But it’s not just politics
Where we’ve let things
Get right out of hand...

(continued further below)