DRIVING COMPETENCY LESSONS - FOR LAGOSIANS ONLY

• Fear No Bagga
• Every motorist is mad, act accordingly.
• Immediately lock all doors and windows if you see LASTMA or VIO approaching your vehicle.
• Yield to danfos, kekes, BRTs, and other commercial vehicles.
• If you like don't yield when you see trailer.
• Don't yield to anybody else, they are all mad.
• If you are 'on speed' you have the right-of-way.
• Do not give way to traffic coming from any direction.      There are exceptions: See 4 and 5.
• You will often have to socialise with other motorists. Be prepared. Words such as 'mumu', 'ode', 'ewu', 'idiot' and so on, should be practised beforehand.
• You are expected to hoot your horn as loudly as you can once every half kilometre.
• When changing lanes in traffic ... Look face.
• Lane markings in Lagos are suggestions.
• When rain is falling and visibility is reduced, increase your speed.
• If a fellow motorist 'brushes' your car, you are expected to immediately stop in the middle of the road and sort things out. 
• Accidents with G-wagons and other similarly expensive cars should be resolved as follows:  if it is your fault you have 2 choices; 1. Exit your car and vanish (via okada or Usain bolt things, based on one and twos).   2. You can decide to lie on the floor and wail ... if you are a good crier (if not, resort to number 1).     If it is the G-wagon's fault, it means you've been paying your tithes. Cancel all meetings for the day and face the owner squarely; God has buttered your bread.
• The sidewalk is a spare lane.
• At toll gates, you are expected to form lanes equal to the square of the number of gates. E.g: If there are 5 gates, you should form 25 lanes. Lagos motorists adhere to this particular rule subconsciously and whoever defaults is stared at for 2 minutes.
• Please enjoy the local traffic cuisine while you snail your way through.
• We encourage motorists to live out their greatest GTA fantasy on our adrenaline-filled roads.
• The use of seatbelt is compulsory at all times for your safety.

"YOU'RE A FEMINIST?? LOL ... WHAT'S THAT?"

Last week, someone said to me: “What does the word ‘feminism’ mean to you?” I recoiled, feeling uncomfortable.

On reflection, I avoid using this word not because I don’t believe in equality, but because of its negative connotations and the risk of shutting down a dialogue.

My reaction bothered me. A sick feeling at the pit of my stomach lingered, much like that time I ate boiled egg at work that I'm sure was really bad, which, for the record, ended in tears.

What had conditioned me to (violently) react this way? (I’m not talking about the eggs…)

After some internet (and soul) searching, I was relieved to read Martha Rampton’s view that, “Feminism’s perceived silence in the 1990s was a response to the successful backlash campaign by the conservative press and media, especially against the word feminism and its purported association with male-bashing and extremism.”

Martha went on to say that, “Some people… have trouble with the word ‘feminism,’ because of its older connotations of radicalism, and because the word feels like it is underpinned by assumptions of a gender binary and an exclusionary subtext: ‘for women only.‘”
... Martha Rampton is a professor at the Pacific University, U.S. and the director of Centre for Gender Equality.

Still curious, I started asking female friends the same question: What does feminism mean to you?

There were a lot of awkward reactions, and some declined to comment. Others were falling over themselves to share their thoughts. The responses I received from a 51 year-old male banker, a 13 year-old female secondary school student, and 12 other men and women, were revealing and uplifting. So much so, that my negative associations started to shift.

As for that favour? I’d love to know what the F-word means to you. Please share them in the comments, below or come and chat me on DM (twitter): @umoh___ubong

Is feminism all about gender equality? Does gender equality mean a lady should ask a guy out too?
Well, bite me if you can, but i strongly think they should, it'd be awesome!

Recently, I was watching an episode of Family Guy that touched on the topic of women asking men out. When the typical-teen-daughter character, Meg, asks her mother if it’s acceptable for her to make the first move and ask a guy out, her mother responds,

“Meg, are you asking me in this day and age, whether it’s appropriate for a girl to ask a boy out on a date? Of course it’s appropriate. It’s also sad and desperate and I would never do it, but you’re not me, are you sweetie?”
It got me thinking. Though you thirsty guys out there might be thinking this is what feminism entails, sadly it isn't. A man should do what a man should do and a woman shouldn't be in competition to out-do a man in what he should do, a woman should just be treated right and given equal opportunity as a man has - comprehende?

Helpfully, Merriam-Webster stepped in with the definition of ‘feminism’ “‘Feminism’ is defined as the advocacy of women's right on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men"'

So, what does feminism mean in 2018?

"For me the meaning of feminism and my relationship with it has changed a lot in the last 10 years. When I was in my early 20s I did not identify as a feminist, I associated feminism with aggression and hollywood movies.
But as I have grown older I have identified more and more as a feminist, as I have discovered more and more that the job really isn’t done, certainly not in many developing countries. So for me feminism is about striving for equal treatment regardless of gender in all forums, and it’s also about women who are lucky enough to live in developed countries to advocate and fight for the basic rights of women (particularly education) in countries where they are denied.

Omolare Adeojo, Lekki phase1

"Unfortunately the term ‘feminism’ has a negative connotation for me. I am for gender equality and have strong views on women’s issues and empowerment. I do feel, however, feminism is an ideology that can sometimes keep the blinkers on by focusing solely on women’s issues without considering the broader picture. I feel that perhaps sometimes feminism places blame on men for women and girls problems. This is a complicated issue but an issue that needs to be collectively addressed. We need to consider both genders if we are looking at gender equality. I would therefore say I am not a feminist – I am a gender equalist"
Lara Richards, Admiralty way

A very smart girl in her early 20s, Lara Richards, but please, help us not confuse ourselves here. Me self, i'm trying to grasp the concept ... (She went indept and said so much, kudos!)

 ... I met some other smart young girls and then some guys. Watch out for part two of this my little lekki survey - 

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CANCER

     We all fall sick, Christians and non Christians alike.
James 5:15 says, "The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord will raise him up". Apostle Paul also said, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities" - 1Tim.5:23. These scriptures show us that it's not abnormal to fall sick as a Christian but as a Christian, its wise to get knowledge about how people fall sick and its preventive measures.
Bible says, "My people perish from lack of knowledge".


Now, basically people fall sick because free-radicals invade our body and our anti-oxidants are overpowered by them. In a nutshell, that's the process ALL SICKNESSES occur.
A radical is an atom, molecule, or ion that has an unpaired valence electron. It is called free because it roams freely looking for an atom to attach itself. Get it?

Generated Sources Of Free-Radicals
•  Toxic metals
•  Industrial chemicals
•  Conventional drugs + its abuse
•  Radiation
•  Pesticides
•  Chemically-treated crops
•  Processed foods
•  Alcohol
•  Cigarette smoke
•  Pollution (air, water) etc

These freely moving atoms look for atoms in our body to attach to, become stable, and cause problems.
Fortunately, our wonderful bodies produce anti-oxidants (e.g., glutathione, uric acid etc) and we get others from vegetables, fruits, exercise, and supplements, that fight back and neutralise the effects of these 'free-radicals' that want our early death.
Most of us go through life not knowing these facts.

Wear your spectacles, let me take you deeper!

• Do you know that keeping water in a plastic bottle for long under heat isn't really smart? These plastics react with heat from the sun and its molecules melt into your dear ol' water. Water becomes warm. It's like boiling water in a plastic kettle.
These build up free-radicals fast and overtime develop to cancer cells of some sort.
At this point, I would say drink water while it is cold, right? But what if your supplier kept all the cartons outside, under the intensity of the sun before delivery?

Real quick, another pointer: Some companies that provide their employees with lunch bring in bulk food daily. These foods are highly processed and are low in nutrients, contain high refined carbohydrates, and artificial ingredients, and high in sugar and fructose corn syrup. Eating these types of food 'daily for years' can pose serious risk to our health ranging from obesity, diabetes, heart disease and abdominal cancer.
But then again, what do you do???
   Just like a renowned dentist, Dr. Daniel E. Umoh of the College of Medicine University of Lagos, Idi-araba, once quipped, "Cancer cells grow in our body everyday, from polluted air, junk food, excessive alcohol intake, and prescribed drugs but our body has been built with a mechanism to fight off these invaders. You are diagnosed with cancer when your body can no longer fight a tumour that has grown 'overtime' due to a lifestyle of feeding it with more weapons to fight your body".
Knowingly or unknowingly most of us do this and wonder after 50 years where a malignant tumour came from. Certainly not from your father's house, or its foundation.

• Always microwaving your food in disposable packs too pose a risk because of harmful radiation burning through the food pack - rather use ceramic plates.

Preventive Measures
In all honesty, a doctor is happy when you pay him a visit, because he makes more money, gets you well (so he thinks), and hopes you come back later.
But we don't want to.

• So cut back on those calorie-happy junk foods
• Exercise regularly (most especially if you have a sedentary job).
N.B: Taking a brisk walk in the evenings would do. This is just as good as jogging, although some school of thought believe it is actually better.
• If you must eat late, stay up late, and then wake up late. No questions.
• Eat greens regularly (e.g., efò shoko, i.e., spinach).
• Buy fruits religiously - they contain powerful anti-oxidants.
• Practise deep and slow breathing everyday. Just for 5 mins, maybe during an evening stroll. Doing this alone can improve your health immensely.
       > It strengthens the walls of your blood vessels
       > It enhances blood circulation
       > It reduces your blood pressure
       > Relieves stress
       > Enhances sleep in minutes
       > It improves prostrate health
• Reduce stressful events in your life by planning effectively, and understanding that you're only human ... (Be patient with yourself)
• Read your bible and improve your relationship with God.
Understanding God will help you love yourself better and be in time with nature. He is nature.

    Finally, let me end this with a quote, "As a retired physician, I can honestly say that unless you are in a serious accident, your best chance of living to a ripe old age is to avoid doctors and hospitals and learn nutrition, herbal supplements, and other forms of natural medicine unless you are fortunate enough to have a naturopathic physician available.
Almost all drugs are toxic and are designed only to treat symptoms and not to cure anyone". - Dr. Alan Greenberg, M.D.

ARE WE REALLY MAD IN LAGOS?

   Inasmuch as u would love the topic to be a rhetoric one, I would appreciate your comments, how true is this?

Few months ago, I was driving to a pharmacy when an impatient driver came up beside me and tried to manoeuvre his way ahead, I stayed on my lane and observed all through till he brushed my side mirror.

I hit the pedal to the floor, overtook him, and then switched off the car engine. Passers-by stopped like an anthem was to be played, while motorists behind us waited patiently, like they were anticipating a fight ... none of them honked their horn!

I saw there was no dent, but the stage was already set for a drama - so the brawl started and I was really furious with this lad till a man on a bike (okada) rode up to me and asked, after taking a toothpick out of his mouth, "Den bash your car?"

"No,"

"Your light break?"

"NO!" I replied, "But why should he ..." "Make una wait," he interrupted, "operation MESA dey come for back". And that was all it took to get me in my car and we both sped off!

Lagos, the commercial hub of West Africa, is a mega-fast city, where no one plays a fool and where an innocent face could turn monstrous with little or no provocation.

There is commotion and noise almost everywhere as everyone is on the move (some of the people may not even know exactly where they are going, but that doesn't deter them from being in a hurry). Of course, you don't want to blow your cover that you're lost or walking aimlessly, lol.

In Lagos, being normal is crazy in a way, so it is not out of place to witness some cracked up scenes which, in normal climes, will be out of place but here in Lagos, we take them as normal occurrences ... In fact, we truly deserve some accolades.

Some Lagosians leave their house to work as early as 4am in order to beat the rush hour and woe betide you if, on your way back you experience a heavy downpour ... then the fight for public transport ensues, then there is serious traffic, and flood everywhere. Don't be dismayed, this situation is termed, 'Fashola is working'.

Lagosians can't be described in one word yet I can say this; an average Lagosian is smart, vocal, thick-skinned, easily provoked but surprisingly seems to play down anything that comes across as stress ... and we sure love good music, don't we?

In furtherance of the spirit of Lagos, I would like to share some funny things that happen only in Lagos and which makes Lagosians unique.

• It is only in Lagos that someone would step on you from behind and still accuse you of walking too slow ... (with a hiss!)

• The kind of traffic experienced in Lagos should be unlawful! Little wonder the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, is constructing a 4th mainland bridge. There are some roads in Lagos where the traffic is so congested that people sleep in the bus at night and when they get to their bus stop, they alight and turn back to start going back to work!

Exps: Ikorodu road, Ikotun, Apapa.

• Places of worship - I would say the proliferation of churches and mosques in Lagos is becoming unbearable, but I don't want to be thought of as a pagan and stoned to death, so I'll just continue ... apparently, mosques now hold services on Sundays too, with their sermons blaring through large Public Address Systems; on the other divide, like four churches per street would beat drums and sekèrés. All these translate to a conundrum for someone seeking to worship God in peace.

• Can we forget agege bread and ewa-agoyin? Aahhhhhhh ... (blushes). Give me, a typical omo-eko, mayo-spread on agege bread with ewa-agoyin and I will disseminate any information you want lol.

Lagosians, even those living in high-brow areas, do not play with this meal - they relish it. Even its aroma gratifies the palate; and this is one reason I miss Lagos whenever I travel out.

• In Lagos everybody is a hustler, whether rich or poor, but some exceptional hustlers these days are beggars. Their hustle is real and lit!

I was in a bus at CMS, I was exhausted from work and was waiting patiently for more passengers, then a guy joined me in front and we began chatting. Before long, a beggar came up to us, his shirt was tucked in and he wore pinstriped trousers; he spoke like he was forcing a whisper out, "Brothers please - you would never see hard days in your life. I am an ND holder in computer science and i am ashamed that I am lowered to this - please I went for a job interview in VI, it was during the interview I found out my wallet with all my transport money had dropped in the bus. The interview ended 12 and I've been walking since, I haven't eaten and I'm going to Apapa".

I was about to tell him that I hadn't eaten too and just had my bus fare with me when the passenger beside me snapped, "See this man! No be you den give money for the other bus? That money reach 350!".

He left quickly. Before we could say, 'driver, call passenger naa!' another man came along with a long grumpy face and said that - 'his son is in the hospital and needs immediate help to buy expensive drugs'.

We didn't say anything, we were just observing. How about the ones that are always in need of 50 naira to complete their transport money or to eat? Lagos na waoh!

• In Lagos, everybody wearing a uniform is an officer of the road - so when driving, you have to put on your 4G-multicolor eyes on, of not ... hmmm. Let me stop shaking this table cause my good uncle is seated there lol.

Some of them even hold camera phones as a veritable tool for the unwary pedestrian ... So when next you want to take a leak on the streets or cross the express, beware, you might just be 'Caught In The Act'.

TALES BY MOONLIGHT

So sometimes I go gothic, I'm sorry - my mind just gets twisted like that sometimes when I'm hungry ... or bored. Just like a certain controversial politician from Akwa-Ibom said they couldn't support the bill of the devil cause he would use them for pepper soup ... Lol.
Let me be that devil tonight, so grab your horns, pour some wine and let's drink to these little fables of which number 1 and 2 happened to me in reality; so they aren't exactly tales by moonlight *smiles*


1. Lost and Found

      Last month a friend rushed me out of the jetty to catch the match between Argentina and Crotia at a tush bar around complex, Lekki. After a few drinks I realized my phone wasn’t in my pocket. I checked the table we were sitting at, the bar, the restroom, and after no luck I used my friend’s phone to call mine.
 After two rings someone answered, and i said "Hello?" quivering and smiling sheepishly hoping to start begging. I waited for an answer but heard only a deep slow breath, then the person gave out a low raspy giggle, and hung up. They didn’t answer again.
I smiled sheepishly again as I returned to my seat. The girl sitting beside me was empathetic and recounted how she lost a phone too, I just smiled and shook my head, "My contacts".  I eventually gave it up as a lost cause and headed home. I found my phone laying on my nightstand, right where I left it.
I stay alone.



2. “Yeeeeeeeees?“

When I was a child my family moved to a big old two-floor house, with big empty rooms and creaking floorboards. Both my parents worked in LUTH idi-araba while i was the only child that schooled in Lagos, as a day-student, because of my frequent asthma attacks so I was often alone when I came home from school. One early evening when I came home the house was still dark.

I called out, “Mummy?” and heard her sing song voice say “Yeeeeees?” from upstairs. I called her again as I climbed the stairs to see which room she was in, and again got the same “Yeeeeees?” reply. She normally replied that way, slurringly dragging her words when she was busy.
She and my dad were fixing the interior designs (and all our calabar family pictures that would eventually make the house look like a gallery lol) at the time, and I didn’t know my way around the maze of rooms but she was in one of the far ones, right down the corridor.
 I felt uneasy, but I figured that was only natural so I rushed forward to see my mum, knowing that her presence would calm frayed nerves, as a mother’s presence always does.

Just as I reached for the handle of the door to let myself in to the room I heard the front door downstairs open and my mother call “Sweetie, are you home?” in a cheery voice. I was shook!!! I startled and ran down the stairs to her, but as I glanced back from the top of the stairs, the door to the room slowly opened a crack. For a brief moment, I saw something strange in there, and I don’t know what it was, but it was staring at me.
She had very long hair and a black face, no - my mum was on Anita baker ... I died.

3.  Yaba WHAT???

A man leaves his house every morning to work and passes Yaba-Left (a mental hospital) In the 70's it was surrounded by a wooden fence and every morning the patients are out in the yard and he can hear them saying in unison,

“10, 10, 10, 10, 10”.

One day, he gets curious and looks through a hole in the fence.

Suddenly, a stick shoots out and pokes him in the eye.

“JESUS!!! He says to himself.

While walking away vexing with himself he can hear the patients saying,

“11, 11, 11, 11, 11”


So that's all folks ... tomorrow is Monday, another jostling for transport before the cock crows and hoping not to see zombies on the way Lool.

Tchau!

KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED ... DONALD J TRUMP IS BOSS!!! PART 2

... Continued from previous post

'President Trump encounters a foreign policy crisis.’
H.W. Brands is a professor of history at University of Texas at Austin

Worst case: President Trump encounters a foreign policy crisis. Lacking experience, he relies on his gut and makes a bad situation worse. His ego gets involved; he doubles down. The crisis escalates, leading to war (with Russia over the Baltics? China over Taiwan? North Korea? Iran?)

Best case: Americans discover that he didn’t mean much of what he said as a candidate. Forget the wall ... Mexicans are already training on wall climbing skills sef, so that one won't work. Forget a trade war with China. Forget scuttling NAFTA. Forget deporting 11 million immigrants. He recognizes that he needs help and surrounds himself with able advisers. How to avoid the worst and foster the best? I fear this is beyond the control of anyone besides Donald Trump.

 

‘Building the wall … is not part of a worst-case scenario.’
Alfonso Aquilar

Worst-case scenario: Trump requires undocumented immigrants without criminal records to leave the country. He doesn’t try to deport them, but puts in place measures to encourage self-deportation. Meanwhile, in the process of deporting criminal undocumented immigrants, many who haven’t committed crimes are also accidentally removed, separating families. Building the wall, contrary to what Democrats would like to make Americans believe, is not part of a worst-case scenario since every immigration reform package that has been discussed in the U.S Congress has included fencing. There is money already appropriated by previous Congresses to expand fencing. The Secure Fence Act, which then Senator Clinton voted for, calls for setting up double-layer fencing along 700 miles of the southern border.

Best-case scenario: Trump builds the wall and reduces considerably the illegal entry of foreign nationals, and works with Congress to pass legislation to mandate E-Verify so employers cannot hire undocumented workers and to set up an Entry-Exit system that identifies visa overstayers so they can be removed immediately. And, after these measures are being executed, he also proposes and passes a bill that provides a path to legal status—not citizenship—to undocumented immigrants without criminal records. He got 29 percent of the Latino vote, more than anyone expected, and outperformed Mitt Romney with Latinos. If he is able to deal with the issue constructively and deal with non-criminal undocumented immigrants in a reasonable way, that number will get close to 40 percent or more in the next election.
How does he accomplish the best-case scenario? By ensuring that influential leaders who have strongly supported him and who are trusted by members of Congress who oppose comprehensive immigration reform like Senator Sessions, help him get all of these measures—including the path-to-legal status component—through both chambers, persuading more conservative members that these pieces of legislation are consistent with conservative principles. Trump will also need the support of Latino leaders to sell his immigration agenda to the general pubic and the Latino community.

 

‘A Trump presidency may give the legislature the chance to restore some of its long-lost luster.’
John McLaughlin

The worst-case scenario would come about in the Trump presidency if he simply turns out to be who he says he is. I, and i'm sure most Nigerians too, hope he lied on some of his promises just to get electoral votes.
Just tick through the list of things he’s promised and you will end up with nuclear weapons spreading, trade wars with countries in Asia and the Western Hemisphere, a Russia freer to meddle in the affairs of neighbors, and allies doubting America’s fidelity to treaty commitments. Yet if he walks away from these positions, he starts to look to his hard core supporters like just another politician who says things only to get elected—leading to still more cynicism among American voters.

The best case is one in which, through some combination of input from his advisers, intelligence briefings, and Trump’s own business-related intuition, he comes to understand the complexities of the current international environment—and, importantly, is able to avoid the decisional paralysis that sometimes results from such an understanding. In other words, he sorts through international issues with the pragmatism you would expect from someone with a previous history of managing a bottom line in a business environment. He has given no public evidence that this is his likely approach, so it’s wait-and-see time, keeping-your-fingers-crossed time ... funny enough, this is kind of synonymous to the much awaited change Nigerians yearned for, we were given promises, kept our fingers crossed and gave President Buhari a benefit of doubt, but then we were sold a spoon of rice for the price of a plate, fell into a recession, which we are still grappling with by the way, and then his party took the blame game to a whole new level by blaming all past democratic governments. Woe betide the United States of America if they face the same fate, cause we gambled that way ... yeah, das how we roll! Not ALSI or NYSE gambling but betting on 8years of your life.

Now back to the real-estate tycoon, the chances of Trump avoiding major errors in security policy would be enhanced if the Congress, and especially the Senate, more effectively played its constitutional role as a check against excessive presidential power, in addition to challenging foolish ideas. With a president-elect who has spoken only in the broadest generalities about his policies, it’s vital that someone in addition to the White House weigh proposals carefully. Congress’ standing with the public is very low, but a Trump presidency may give the legislature the chance to restore some of its long-lost luster.

 

‘The way for the best-case scenario to happen is for him to appoint largely non-ideological businesspeople to senior positions’
Alec Ross is author of The Industries of the Future

The worst-case scenario: Women lose their reproductive freedom. There are mass deportations. There is a religious test for entry into America. Denying climate change becomes official policy and the U.S exits its agreements. Their international alliances are effectively terminated. The orientation of economic policy-making is rooted in yesterday's industries and does not account for the rise of robotics and intelligence. Trump governs as an autocratic strongman instead of the leader of a single branch of government in a democratic state. The Department of Justice and FBI become Trump's Federal'naya sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii (FSB). In short, America's 70 year run as the world's leader effectively ends.

The best-case scenario is that Trump’s zeal to “win” trumps ideology, and he governs only looking to cut deals where he can declare victory. Trade deals are executed with substantial worker protections. China is bullied into dialing back its mass theft of intellectual property. European states increase their contributions to NATO as a condition of participation. Immigration reform is enacted in a way that allows Republicans to declare victory without victimizing hard-working people who have made America their home.
The way for the best-case scenario to happen is for him to appoint largely non-ideological businesspeople to senior positions and for him to keep the neo-fascists who drove much of his campaign on the sidelines. He’ll view the characters of his recent political past like minor characters on The Apprentice that can be cowed or dismissed.

 

    Finally, Getting a President Trump to adopt these positions will not be easy, but his advisers need to point out to him that many of his more significant predecessors reneged on their campaign promises that had the effect of making America great.
Mr. Trump’s advisers can help him move in that direction by pointing out to him that because of the reputation that he brings to the office, he can make these things happen more easily than someone with a more traditional view. In other words, given the hardline statements he has made about these issues, his supporters would not expect him to make these more reasonable decisions. But if he does, it would be hard for them to turn against him. Just as only Nixon could go to China, or Reagan could propose eliminating all nuclear weapons, only someone like him could make these things happen.

KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED ... DONALD J TRUMP IS BOSS!!! PART 1

Think what you want about him. There's one thing that nobody can deny, whether they're a democrat, a republican, or an independent...  Trump has been successful.

Sure, he started off with an inheritance, but in the course of his career as a real estate developer and investor, Donald Trump has multiplied the several million dollar nest egg he received, into the famous, multi-billion dollar fortune he flaunts today.
That makes for career gains of literally hundreds of thousands of percent — with his net worth rising by as much as a factor of 1000.
How did he do it?

On Tuesday, when Donald Trump defied the polls, the Clinton machine and much of his own party establishment to become president-elect of the United States, he also became the closest thing to a black swan event ever seen in American politics: Statistically unlikely, rationalized only in hindsight—and carrying an impact that could be off the known charts. Even here in Nigeria, my fellow citizens were shell-shocked to say the least. How we one enter obodo oyibo? I feel Wole Soyinka's pain lol.

On one hand, Trump is a pragmatic businessman with a very flexible ideology and a desire to be seen in a positive light; on the other, he’s a ruthless and often improvisational dealmaker with no allegiance to the norms and institutions that set the boundaries for traditional political power. And in 10 weeks he’ll be commander-in-chief. Hmmmm ...

 

What could happen? Here’s where i'm hoping the experts can come in. Below, are some sketched out worst-case and best-case scenarios—and then, most important, what it would take to achieve the latter.

 

 

‘Top talent in the GOP (and maybe Democrats) [must] … ensure that Trump doesn’t become isolated or isolate himself.’ ... Ian Bremmer

I, Donald J Trump, do solemnly swear that I will …

The best-case scenario for the United States: President Trump, angry at those who say he has no idea how to be president, appoints experienced, knowledgeable, capable and disciplined people to advise him—and he follows their advice. He dismisses the value of ideology, moves beyond identity politics, embraces a realist view of the world and saves the America First message for a domestic audience. Allies hedge their bets on Trump’s intentions, but personal reassurances from the president himself ensure this is a gradual rather than a sudden process.

The worst-case: Trump tries to keep his promises, but discovers that many are illegal or impossible to implement. He really does ignite a trade war with China, try to deport huge numbers of illegal immigrants, tells Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia to get nuclear weapons, undermines all confidence in the U.S. commitment to NATO at a time when America needs as many allies as possible. He faces pushback even from Republicans. He gets angry. He listens only to slavish loyalists. He looks to protect himself and vindicate his position with public messages that further divide an already divided country. He responds to a terrorist attack on Americans with a series of measures that exacerbate some problems without solving others.

How best to get to the best-case scenario: Top talent in the GOP (and maybe Democrats) honor Trump’s victory by pledging to work in his administration, and they work to ensure that Trump doesn’t become isolated or isolate himself. Trump himself needs to bolster his own confidence by going for some quick policy wins on taxes, infrastructure spending, etc. Trump is encouraged to work for success rather than vindication.
Best of luck, President Trump. Good luck, America.

‘A best-case scenario for Trump would be for him to rationally pursue his policy objectives.’
Francis Fukuyama

A best-case scenario for Trump would be for him to rationally pursue his policy objectives: controlling illegal immigration, trying to renegotiate trade agreements and pursuing a non-interventionist foreign policy.

A worst-case scenario would be for him to use up a lot of political capital at the start of his administration prosecuting Hillary Clinton, suing women who accused him of harassment and changing the libel laws so that he can sue journalists who write critical stories about him. Oh, and also inviting Russian and Chinese aggression by undermining the U.S. alliance system.

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inRead invented by Teads

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Though he was elected in the end, he did not pursue this goal rationally but rather spent time attacking Miss Universe, the Khan family, etc. To get to the best-case scenario you have to take away his Twitter and force him not to chase his various demons, as was evidently done in the last week of the campaign. Seriously though, i know tweeps have a way of getting under one's skin, even if you have genuine intentions and Mr. Trump can't just ignore, can he? The other time we attacked him he said we can't even produce pencils and matches here in Nigeria lol ... Well, he speaks the truth, and shame to us, but that shouldn't be the response of an elected president; so please, someone should take care of Oga's twitter handle.
And then someone should persuade him that allies are actually useful. Like seriously! This will require having a staff that understands the realities of the exercise of American power internationally, and rebuilding bridges to the foreign policy experts that were so alienated by his pronouncements during the campaign.

 

 ... to be continued.