CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

When America Becomes Its President

Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair

At some point—and I can’t quite say when—it has become harder, at least from this side of the Atlantic, to separate our image of Donald Trump from the United States itself. The two have begun to blur in ways that feel new, and, frankly, unsettling.

Until recently, I tried to be careful about this. I love my American friends. And it’s worth saying very plainly that millions of Americans continue to oppose these policies, often loudly and at great personal cost. Any criticism here is directed at decisions made in power, not at the people who live with their consequences.

Anything critical I write about the US always comes with an internal disclaimer: this is about an administration, not a people. It felt important to hold that line. We make this distinction easily enough in other contexts—acknowledging, for instance, that many Iranians live with the consequences of decisions they did not choose.

However, as the consequences of Trump’s leadership continue to play out—not only in the Middle East but across much of Europe—that distinction has come under real strain. Not gone, but harder to sustain. In the wake of the recent escalation around Iran, the effects have been felt not just in terms of global stability, but in our energy markets, prices, daily life. And many feel they know exactly where responsibility lies. 

Which raises an uncomfortable question: at what point does responsibility stop sitting solely with those in power, and begin, however reluctantly, to extend further outwards? When do repeated political choices begin to reshape how a nation itself is perceived—fairly or not?

That question sits uneasily alongside the reality that many Americans are actively resisting........

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