Why Donald Trump’s escapes to Mar-a-Lago are good for America and the rest of the world
Tom Plate says the gains from Trump’s much-criticised weekend retreats at his Florida estate outweigh any costs
First things first. The West Coast is obviously different from the East Coast. The latter represents fraying, unhappy cities propped up against the washed-up Atlantic Ocean, seaway to the past (Europe). By contrast, consider West Coast cities – Santa Barbara, San Francisco and San Diego, not to mention Seattle, Vancouver and Los Angeles, which are sprightly and pleasant, all set against the Pacific Ocean, super sea-lane to the future (Asia).
Geography may not be destiny but it sets a tone. One is outlook. The West Coast is generally sunny; the East Coast is generally gloomy. Consider the weather factor on the human psyche: it’s happy-go-lucky Hawaiians versus Kierkegaardian Scandinavians.
There are so many Asian students here that one of our universities is dubbed the ‘University of Caucasians Lost among Asians’
Not surprisingly, there are more Asians here than anywhere else outside Asia. More and more, from all over Asia – and nowadays especially from the mainland – they come and settle here. In Southern California, there are more people of Korean heritage than anywhere outside Seoul. There are so many Vietnamese-Americans that a freeway exit-sign on our 405 interstate highway reads “Little Saigon”. Asian student musicians overwhelm our high school orchestras. There are so many Asian college students around here that one of our universities is sometimes dubbed the “University of Caucasians Lost among Asians” and another the “University of Spoiled Chinese”. In Los Angeles, Caucasians are now officially in the minority.
There is much optimism in the air, from Silicon Valley to up-and-coming Silicon Beach, just south of Los Angeles. New-age non-profits – such as the Pacific Council on International Policy and the Pacific Century Institute – add fresh wind to old policy storms. The effect of all this is to nurture a politics of possibility regarding China and Asia, rather than a politics of impossibility.
