When Humans Are Like Countries

Disclaimer: random musing during China Studies Lecture

The quirks of human relations as reflected by international relations: countries never outright persecute or punish other countries; they always hide behind a guise of civility when it is as clear as wagging a missile at each other that they clearly. Don’t. Like. You.

The Chinese government will never say that they are displeased by Singapore’s changing alliances. The Singapore government will never say that they are displeased with the smog Indonesia is sending over. America will never try declare that they are flaunting their dominance to pressurize Singapore. But military tanks are still detained, officials are still sent over to regulate the burning of crops, there’s still a legal system that will want Amos Yee, and humans still frolic around in the subtle art of throwing shade.

When faced with such naked subtlety, how do people bear witness to the insincerity and not apply it to their daily interactions? The fact that people rarely tell each other that they hate each other’s guts, the ridiculous fact that frenemies are a thing, it bears testament to the way international relations model the way for our interactions on a more minor scale.

Then again, I could be confusing the cause and effect relationship in this. Perhaps due to people’s insincerity in the name of being civil, the relationships between countries develop accordingly. The leaders are after all products of the environment they observe and try to emulate.

Perhaps (if I allow myself to go wild in seeking possibilities) this is why Donald trump is popular? He is frank and direct and does not attempt to conceal his disdain, regardless of the consistency of his actions, and epitomizes something different from what the world is used to. Frankness and directness isn’t really a bad trait to have when we want to know another individual, which is why we prize genuineness in human relationships. Actually, strip all the crazy world view from Trump and we see someone we would rather get to know as compared to a flaky and shady person.