World considers a Trump presidency, and many shudder

[webfact]

World considers a Trump presidency, and many shudder
JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG

BRUSSELS (AP) — Following Donald Trump's breathtaking string of Super Tuesday victories, politicians, editorial writers and ordinary people worldwide were coming to grips Wednesday with the growing possibility the brash New York billionaire might become America's next president_a thought that aroused widespread befuddlement and a good deal of horror.

"The Trump candidacy has opened the door to madness: for the unthinkable to happen, a bad joke to become reality," German business daily Handelsblatt wrote in a commentary for its Thursday edition. "What looked grotesque must now be discussed seriously."

There was also glee from some Russian commentators at how American politics is being turned topsy-turvy in 2016. And in Latin America, Ecuador's president predicted a Trump win could boomerang and become a blessing to the continent's left.

However, the dominant reaction overseas to the effective collapse of the Republican Party establishment in the face of the Trump Train appeared to be jaw-dropping astonishment, mixed with dread at what may lie ahead.

"The meteoric rise of the New York magnate has left half the planet dumbfounded," wrote columnist Andrea Rizzi in Spain's leading newspaper, El Pais.

"To consider Donald Trump a political clown would be a severe misconception," said another European daily, Salzburger Nachrichten. If Trump is elected to the White House, the Austrian paper predicted, his ideas "would bring major dangers for the USA and the world ... basically a nationalist-chauvinist policy that would make America not great but ugly, and risk the stability of the international order."

Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israeli relations at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, said the best word to describe Israeli feelings about Trump is "confusion."

There are certain parts of him that Israelis can relate to, such as his aversion to political correctness, his tough stance on Islamic terrorism and his call for a wall with Mexico to provide security, Gilboa said.

But others have been particularly jarring to Israelis, such as comments about Jews that many consider insensitive and his derision of U.S. Sen. John McCain's captivity in Vietnam.

"This is something that every Israeli would reject. It's a highly sensitive issue in a country where prisoners of war are heroes and people go out of their way to release them," he said.

Trump has drawn concern in China, but not a huge amount of attention despite Trump repeatedly invoking the Asian giant during his campaign to cite U.S. weakness that he would turn around, accusing Beijing of manipulating its currency, stealing American jobs and unfair competition.

Chinese may not be taking his comments too seriously because they believe he won't be elected or that he'd modulate his positions once elected, said Xiong Zhiyong, international relations expert at China Foreign Affairs University.

"If, hypothetically, Trump became the U.S. president and he held on to his stance and proposals made during the election, China-U.S. relations would be in big trouble in many aspects such as security and economics," he said. "In that case, the U.S. foreign relations policies will undergo a huge change."

Thuraya Ebrahim al Arrayed, a member of Saudi Arabia's top advisory body, the Shura Council, said a Trump presidency would be "catastrophic" and set the world back "not just generations, but centuries."

"We pray to God that a racist, politically incorrect personality does not win the election," she said. "How can he tell Muslim students going there to study he will shut the door in Muslim faces?"

Writing in the Financial Times of London, Martin Wolf summed up the mood of a good share of Europe's business and economic elite, arguing that it would be a "global disaster" if Trump, who won seven states in Tuesday's Republican contests, made it all the way to the Oval Office.

"Mr. Trump is a promoter of paranoid fantasies, a xenophobe and an ignoramus. His business consists of the erection of ugly monuments to his own vanity. He has no experience of political office. Some compare him to Latin American populists. He might also be considered an American Silvio Berlusconi, albeit without the charm or business acumen," Wolf wrote.

He also said Berlusconi, a former Italian prime minister and media tycoon, "unlike Mr. Trump never threatened to round up and expel millions of people."

Wolf's verdict: "Mr. Trump is grossly unqualified for the world's most important political office."

A Japanese online commentator used much the same language, and likened the Republican front-runner to the evil nemesis of wizard Harry Potter.

Trump's unexpected political rise reflects "elitism and opposition to globalization, but at its heart is a xenophobia and populism that comes from ignorance," said Masato Kimura, former London bureau chief for the conservative newspaper Sankei Shimbun. "Although this is another country's election, Japan's allies should raise their voices to help prevent the birth of a 'Voldemort' president in the United States."

In the Mexican newspaper Reforma, columnist Sergio Aguayo compared anti-Mexican sentiments unleashed by Trump to the anti-communist Red Scares of the 20th century, and accused Trump of igniting a "brown panic."

"We must answer again and again Donald Trump, and make the U.S. government understand that we're not willing to continue being pointed out as the only ones responsible for problems that are also caused by the United States," Aguayo wrote.

La Jornada, a leftist Mexican paper, ran a caricature of Trump wearing a "KKK" necktie and declaring, "I will make cremation ovens for the Mexicans and Muslims ... and they will pay for their construction!"

In the moderate and predominantly Muslim West African nation of Senegal, Mame Ngor Ngom, editor-in-chief of La Tribune, a weekly newspaper, expressed hope that in the final analysis, Americans will not be "so thoughtless" as to hand Trump their country's highest office.

"We think that the Americans won't vote for him. They already paid the consequences with George W. Bush. ... Donald Trump will fail," the Senegalese journalist predicted.

In Russia, some took delight in how messy U.S. politics have become.

The popularity of Trump and Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, who took four states on Tuesday compared to the seven won by Hillary Clinton, "bears witness to the crisis of trust in such traditional clans" as the Bushes and the Clintons, wrote Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in Russia's upper house of parliament, in a post on Facebook.

According to Alexander Dugin, a Russian nationalist ideologue with close ties to the Kremlin, Trump "is sometimes disgusting and violent, but he is what he is. It is true America."

In Europe, where some also feel their nations are being submerged by waves of foreign migrants and violent Islamic radicalism is a real danger, not all have condemned Trump. Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France's far-right National Front, has said that if he were an American, he would cast his ballot for Trump. On Wednesday, Laurent Wauquiez, a French conservative lawmaker, said Trump's popularity is revealing of a general trend that has traversed the Atlantic.

"What it shows is that in democracies today, citizens no longer want people to tell them what they should think, what they should say. That's what makes Donald Trump seductive," Wauquiez told France 2 Television.

In the northern Indian city of Lucknow, one software company executive said he has been impressed by Trump's muscular rhetoric.

"Trump looks like a tough guy," said Rohitash Sharma. "He has clarity of idea, and he means business. He has advocated the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, if these improve the protection and safety of the country. He has a clear road map on how to protect his country from extremist forces."

Though no fan, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said a Trump presidential win could be a political gift to Latin America's left, which is recovering from a string of electoral defeats in Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela.

"The most convenient for Latin America is a Trump victory, because his rhetoric is so clumsy, so basic, that I think it would awaken reactions in Latin America," Correa told a group of radio journalists Monday. "I think a guy like him would be very bad for the U.S. (but) for the progressive movement in Latin America, it could be positive."

For weeks, a Canadian website has poked fun at Trump by inviting disaffected Americans to move to an island off Nova Scotia. On Super Tuesday, as the returns rolled in, searches for "How can I move to Canada" on Google spiked by more than 350% in four hours, Google editor Simon Rogers tweeted. A social media link posted by Toronto city councilman Norm Kelly that gives helpful directions on how to apply for Canadian citizenship received over 37,000 retweets.

Bruce Arthur, a Canadian sportswriter and political commentator, tweeted this after Super Tuesday: "To my American friends, I have an eight-person tent that I can set up in the forest behind my house but you may need your own air mattresses."
___

Associated Press writers Ciaran Giles in Madrid, Geir Moulson in Berlin, George Jahn in Vienna, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, Danica Kirka in London, Elaine Kurtenbach in Tokyo, Jim Heintz in Moscow, Aron Heller in Jerusalem, Lori Hinnant in Paris, Rob Gillies in Toronto, Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City, Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, India, Gonzalo Solano in Quito, Ecuador, and Babacar Dione in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-03

[grumpyoldman]

It's all the right-whingers have to cling to. After eight years of whinging about the Obama government, they have to save face by actually thinking this bombastic bigot is a viable presidential candidate. Sad really.

HRC will romp in the general election, there are not enough KKK white supremacist lowlife hillbillies to make this a go.

[scorecard]

Simple question re Trump:

'Would you like this loud unbalanced fool man to hold the keys to the ballistic missiles?'

[Bernard Flint]

I actualy think the Yanks deserve this man.

[prestburypark]

A non Americans point of view or idea at least...Trump although Republican was a close friend and financial supporter of the Clinton's in the past.

Was he perchance a stooge to wreck or derail the Republican campaigns that were real opposition to Hilary Clinton?

By some miscalculation he has in fact garnered more support than they ever intended and has his own real chances now.

Would he give Hilary C. a post if he wins?

Remember thinking how outrageous Ronald Reagan appeared to be as a candidate, B movie actor and snitch of Hollywood so called commies in the movies era.

But he got in and history paints him a great statesman.

Interesting times.

[grumpyoldman]

A non Americans point of view or idea at least...Trump although Republican was a close friend and financial supporter of the Clinton's in the past.

Was he perchance a stooge to wreck or derail the Republican campaigns that were real opposition to Hilary Clinton?

By some miscalculation he has in fact garnered more support than they ever intended and has his own real chances now.

Would he give Hilary C. a post if he wins?

Remember thinking how outrageous Ronald Reagan appeared to be as a candidate, B movie actor and snitch of Hollywood so called commies in the movies era.

But he got in and history paints him a great statesman.

Interesting times.

Ronald Reagan as an outrageous candidate? Huh?prestburypark you are clear that after his acting career he was the 33rd Governor of California for eight years, yes?

The state of California is a country unto it's own, 8th or 9th largest GDP annually among countries. I think that experience made R.R. quite a viable candidate, and yes an experienced statesman. Trump on a political level couldn't carry Reagan's jockstrap to the locker room. No comparison.

[nottocus]

Come on, Don! You can do it. Bring peace to the world.

[Pimay1]

Many shudder. Especially the ones that will loose their foreign aid and others that will have import duty raised on their products.

[DM07]

Many shudder. Especially the ones that will loose their foreign aid and others that will have import duty raised on their products.

You understand, that "economy" is not a one way street, do you?

The mighty US taketh away as the please and everybody falls into despair!

It doesn't quit work that way!

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Many shudder. Especially the ones that will loose their foreign aid and others that will have import duty raised on their products.

With the Asean and TTIP this is not coming, in fact quite the opposite...

Your signature is quite funny as it apply perfectly to the Trump mentality : Not serve people

[Johnpound46]

I actualy think the Yanks deserve this man.

The Yanks probably do, but the world certainly doesn't

[Ulic]

I would shudder more if it was Cruz.

[dunroaming]

The USA was once the most powerful and influential country in the world. With their enormous financial debt to China and it's continuing strengthening the shift is there for all to see. However the USA is still a powerhouse and who sits in the big chair will have an effect on the wider world. Their credibility was badly damaged by GW Bush and his disastrous presidency and never really recovered from that.

[donnybay]

I can't wait for him to win the Presidency, he will turn the world upside, perhaps thats what we need right now.

[thaibeachlovers]

The Dems ( or maybe the GOP establishment's ) propaganda machine is surely the best in the world, if it has convinced real people of that in the OP. Sadly, most people where I am have been brain washed to believe it.

[thaibeachlovers]

Simple question re Trump:

'Would you like this loud unbalanced fool man to hold the keys to the ballistic missiles?'

GW had them. Now that's really scary.

[thaibeachlovers]

From the OP

He has no experience of political office.

I read that a lot, but it is a fact that Obama had no real political experience either and those that demonise Trump just looooooove the half black man and what he ( didn't ) achieve in his 7 years. FGS he couldn't even close Guantanamo- what a loser.

[klauskunkel]

A Japanese online commentator used much the same language, and likened the Republican front-runner to the evil nemesis of wizard Harry Potter.

"Japan's allies should raise their voices to help prevent the birth of a 'Voldemort' president in the United States."

Well, he surely is not "Hello Kitty"..., agh, I just pictured him with a pink ribbon in his wig...

[amdy2206]

Well it would certainly make politics interesting for a while. And a person who has built a business up into an empire must have something going for him. If he can do it for himself, perhaps he can do it for America! America has nothing to lose and Clinton would be just as bad, or worse. At least I think Trump would be more on the side of the people whereas Clinton is more interested in the 'So called -Elite'. She wants to amass money for her and her friends but Trump already has.

[Traveler19491]

I actualy think the Yanks deserve this man.

The Yanks probably do, but the world certainly doesn't

Wish both of you would rethink that. There are legions of us "Yanks" who deplore what our country has done to the world, via the idiots to the right, over the past several decades. Dubya was a curse I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. And now this buffoon? Dog help us.

[Johnpound46]

The Dems ( or maybe the GOP establishment's ) propaganda machine is surely the best in the world, if it has convinced real people of that in the OP. Sadly, most people where I am have been brain washed to believe it.

What propaganda machine? Don't be ridiculous, anyone with half a brain can see for themselves that Trump is loudmouthed, extremely short-tempered, a racist, a bully and a mysogynist to boot.

[Jingthing]

The world is welcome by many Americans, including me, to help us stop this MADNESS before it's too late.

Normally, I would say, don't interfere, this is an internal matter.

But Trump is different.

We've seen what happens when large nations go with psychopathic fascist demagogues before.

Not sure what the world can do to help, but if you think of something GO FOR IT!

[thaibeachlovers]

The world is welcome by many Americans, including me, to help us stop this MADNESS before it's too late.

Given that the alternative to Trump is a proven liar and was an incompetent Sec. State to say that electing Trump is madness makes me wonder about HRC supporters. It's not as though HRC is a better choice than Trump.

To elect HRC just because she is not Trump is as bad as electing someone because he is half black.

PS, to elect HRC is to elect the money men that have paid for her, as she is just another bought and sold professional pollie.

[Jingthing]

Yes, anyone but Trump.

He's THAT bad.

That's really the election in a nutshell this time.

How many people can be educated about how bad Trump is vs. those are seduced by his CON MAN act.

[thaibeachlovers]

The Dems ( or maybe the GOP establishment's ) propaganda machine is surely the best in the world, if it has convinced real people of that in the OP. Sadly, most people where I am have been brain washed to believe it.

What propaganda machine? Don't be ridiculous, anyone with half a brain can see for themselves that Trump is loudmouthed, extremely short-tempered, a racist, a bully and a mysogynist to boot.

Given that you can't prove him to be racist or a misogynist you might want to reconsider that. I'm sure there is something in the TV rules about slander.

As for the rest, is that worse than a politician that is a proven liar, and allowed an ambassador to be killed on her watch?

If you don't believe that all political parties use propaganda I have a bridge for sale.

[ggt]

Trump has Dems and establishment Repubs shaking in their boots...he has not been bought and paid for by the Repubs and this scares them...he will likely actually get some much needed legislation thru Congress which scares the Dems...

Shudder? Many are jumping for joy!

[Jingthing]

Trump has Dems and establishment Repubs shaking in their boots...he has not been bought and paid for by the Repubs and this scares them...he will likely actually get some much needed legislation thru Congress which scares the Dems...

Shudder? Many are jumping for joy!

Like trying to deport 10 million Latinos, ripping them out of their homes and families, and start a race war? Can't wait!

Mexican Ex-Presidente Fox is right in saying he's an American Hitler. Help us stop this madness!

[Jingthing]

The Dems ( or maybe the GOP establishment's ) propaganda machine is surely the best in the world, if it has convinced real people of that in the OP. Sadly, most people where I am have been brain washed to believe it.

What propaganda machine? Don't be ridiculous, anyone with half a brain can see for themselves that Trump is loudmouthed, extremely short-tempered, a racist, a bully and a mysogynist to boot.

Given that you can't prove him to be racist or a misogynist you might want to reconsider that. I'm sure there is something in the TV rules about slander.

As for the rest, is that worse than a politician that is a proven liar, and allowed an ambassador to be killed on her watch?

If you don't believe that all political parties use propaganda I have a bridge for sale.

Sounds very TRUMPY who's also against free speech. If elected he'll come down hard on critics, like every other fascist dictator in history.

[Jingthing]

Friends of Americans don't let Americans support Trump. Do an intervention.

Learn from history. Don't let this happen.

[thaibeachlovers]

The Dems ( or maybe the GOP establishment's ) propaganda machine is surely the best in the world, if it has convinced real people of that in the OP. Sadly, most people where I am have been brain washed to believe it.

What propaganda machine? Don't be ridiculous, anyone with half a brain can see for themselves that Trump is loudmouthed, extremely short-tempered, a racist, a bully and a mysogynist to boot.

Given that you can't prove him to be racist or a misogynist you might want to reconsider that. I'm sure there is something in the TV rules about slander.

As for the rest, is that worse than a politician that is a proven liar, and allowed an ambassador to be killed on her watch?

If you don't believe that all political parties use propaganda I have a bridge for sale.

Sounds very TRUMPY who's also against free speech. If elected he'll come down hard on critics, like every other fascist dictator in history.

I can't believe that you are supporting slander.

Free speech doesn't protect slander on TV.

You make it sound like the president of the US has dictatorial powers, when they don't.

Does anyone actually believe HRC would make a good president, given her proven record of incompetence and deceit?