Shock and awe are President Trump’s calling card. Days after he got his planes to drop bunker-buster bombs on Iran, he sowed greater commotion by announcing a ceasefire that caught both warring parties unprepared and unwilling.
To cap it all, he then sent shockwaves around the politer parts of the globe by dropping the F-bomb. Many would have shaken their heads ruefully, reflecting on how standards in the high office of the POTUS have plummeted.
However, Trump did nothing that has not been done earlier by some of the hallowed names in our history books.
The venerable Abraham Lincoln was given to cracking scatological jokes about the likely reactions of Englishmen on seeing a portrait of George Washington in the vicinity of their washroom.
Andrew Jackson, whose portrait Trump recently ordered to be restored at the White House, had a pet parrot which scandalised a solemn condolence meeting by squawking a colourful string of swear words. (No guesses on where it had picked up the vocabulary!)
George Bush, Bill Clinton and even President Obama have let slip profanities in heated moments. Where Trump scored over all the rest is that he does things in style. He is clearly the first to swagger before live camera … and utter the unmentionable.
Since it came in to use in the 16th century, the F-word has emerged as the default option in the English-swearing world, crossing milestones on both sides of the Atlantic.
It became the most tweeted cuss word in America, and it has replaced ‘bloody’ as the top favourite in the UK. But de-fanged of its earlier stigma, sociologists and mental health experts now realise that there’s more to a swear word than meets the eye (or ear). It does wonders for our nerves.
While ideal for insult, it also helps in self-healing—making it the verbal equivalent of a safety valve. Expletives take the stuffiness out of starchy meetings, and relieve stress.
In fact, a study by a university in the UK found that people who cursed, produced more adrenaline, increasing their tolerance of pain.
We all know what President Trump is going through these days. He has his plate full with domestic dissent, an on-going squabble with Harvard, a fallout with his former bestie, and to top it all, the pressures of periodically conjuring cease-fires out of thin air.
What else can he say, except what he said!
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.