Worldly Interests and American Presidents
Interests of individuals are major causes and motivations for their behaviors.
Material interests are easy to detect, but psychological interests are a little difficult to see through. Hate and love come mainly from these interests.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, most of American voters have material interests to vote for an African American candidate who had no deep connection with establishment of the financial sector and Wall Street businesses that were responsible for the 2008 Financial Crisis. And many of American voters have psychological interests to vote for an African American candidate even only because of his position as a minority member in the US society.
However, during Obama's eight-year presidential term, the US economy was recovered and the most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden, who also symbolized a dubious relationship between US elites and Arab rich men, was executed by a US military special unit. The momentum that enabled the first black American President was gone. The time of emergency for the US was gone. Obama was a kind of emergency relief. When the US economy experienced a 10% unemployment rate and the US military could not take on the main culprit of the 9/11 Terror, American voters wanted a kind of revolutionary regime change. So Obama was elected.
But in 2016, the financial and economic crisis was gone, and America looked safer from Islamic terror, a majority of white voters came to give priority to their own interests. Now, the whole America was saved and pulled through the worst years. It is time, they must think, to pursue their own interests, white Americans' interests.
There, rich and egoistic Trump appeared as a presidential candidate, appealed to white voters, and succeeded in winning the 2016 Presidential Election with overwhelming support from working-class whites in swing states. And, now most of Americans, including the whites who voted for Trump in 2016, are getting embarrassed by President Trump's behavior.
This is a clear example of what would happen when people act based on worldly interests.
In this world, even in the human world, desire for fulfilling interests alone cannot sustain peace and prosperity of individuals and societies. The Roman Empire needed Greek philosophy; Chinese dynasties needed Confucianism, Buddhism, etc.; even the British Empire needed products of culture accumulated over centuries since the European Renaissance.
Trump is a symbol of success in the domain of interests, while Obama represents some ideals. Situations based on interests are unstable while philosophy, ideology, religion, etc. give more solid foundation that assure long-term peace and stability.
However, every thing changes in this world, but the words of God do not change. Therefore, any American presidents who got reasonable reputation had to show more respect for God than Trump.
(But President Trump may be effective against very anti-Bible force in the American society than is found even among liberal or progressive Americans.)
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Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: