On November 9th, last Tuesday, the world was shocked when Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. After 576 days of a hard fought campaigning by both candidates, the most painful election in recent history came to an end. On the day of the election, Hillary Clinton was considered to have a 71% chance of winning the election by Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight website. One week before the election, and in the final presidential debate, Trump challenged the very foundation of democracy, stating that he may not accept the election results. He was claiming that the system was inherently rigged. Trump, the current president-elect, was stating that our election process was inherently flawed, and that there was a conspiracy by the "Clinton Machine" to have Clinton as the next president. Even liberals were stating that Trump was an inside job by the Clinton's, because Trump was the only person Clinton could beat. Yet, here we are, without Clinton as president.
But that is the the most interesting thing about this entire election. Trump has incited conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. Ranging from the devaluation of the Chinese Yuan, to the fact that climate change was created by the Chinese to spur global socialism. He has even stated the Mexico is, and I quote, "sending their worst." Oh, and the theory that Barack Obama is really a Kenyan? That was Trump too. Then, Trump created the conspiracy theory that he was in a rigged election under the "Clinton Machine". But then, on November 9th, in a shocking win, Trump blatantly disproved his own conspiracy theory.
And here is where a paradox is born. So much of Trump's campaign has rode on insane ideas, that are borderline conspiracy theories, and unsubstantiated by any fact, including the belief that he could not get elected. But the impossible has happened, and we officially have Trump as president. Trump, a candidate riding on the machine being against him, just became our president. It's as if, in one sweeping moment, Trump's own election invalidated his entire campaign, by showing the lack of foundation in his own conspiracy theories. He further invalidated it by taking off the Muslim Ban from his website, and stating that he will not jail his opponent.
Trump's own election is self-contradictory to his entire campaign. It is a paradox in and of itself, and now we have that paradox in the White House.
