What Just Happened in America?

By Dennis Matanda | Editor – The Habari Network

Unthinkable?

At some point last night, and well into this morning, it finally dawned on me that America was going to pull the lever for Donald Trump. Earlier in the day, I had lined up to do my civic duty – like any good emigrant would – and had looked into the faces of everyone around me. Were they upset? Were they going to do the unthinkable? I left the polling station happy – did not watch the news all day – and settled in for the dawn of a new day in America.

This morning, I am sitting in my car as I type this. What do I do about all the time and money we have invested in globalization and trade deals? Where does one go to hide themselves after being so wrong? How do I recover my investments now that the Stock Market is tanking? Most of all, I cannot look any of my neighbors – mostly white – in the eye.

I am scared. I dropped my daughters off at school and did not want to leave them there. Because this was a ‘white lash’ against a country that was changing too fast for mostly white people, I blame myself for my fancy education and flashy clothes. Perhaps if I had just stayed as quiet as a mouse, there would have been no backlash.

And that is what it really is, you see. Last night, the Americans took their country back from the “dirty hands that were ruining everything”. They took their country back from the immigrants and from all those that were not like them. In the end, they now own America and the joke or nightmare that it is right now. The only silver lining – sad as it may be – is that we have the next 4 years to deal with an economy that was on the road to a mend.

Post Script

I was wrong. There’s no other way to put it. For all those that need to mete out some form of punishment, I will be in Nairobi, Kampala, Arusha and Johannesburg starting this weekend. And I will announce my presence when I am in your town. Just don’t be too harsh, OK? I have kids.