Donald Trump delivers a speech Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Let’s Talk About Politics

With every decision our governments make having a direct and measurable impact on our businesses and our lives as consumers, the idea that we can simply avoid politics is untenable. In fact, the only real option is to do the opposite: engage political issues and leaders in order to fight to defend our interests.

LONDON – Nobody wants to discuss politics. When I give a talk or my writing touches on politics, I am frequently asked to avoid the topic altogether and focus only on the business angle. Given the combination of disempowerment, frustration, and general news fatigue that many are feeling, the request is understandable. But it is also impossible to agree to it.

In a world where a week can feel like a month, it is difficult to fathom the extent to which Donald Trump has destabilized the United States and the world. In just one year as president, Trump has childishly taunted other world leaders, tweeting, for example, that his “nuclear button” is “much bigger and more powerful” than that of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He has also challenged longstanding alliances, including NATO, dismantled critical regulations, and withdrawn from international agreements.

And the hits keep coming. Just last week, Trump crudely insulted citizens of Haiti, El Salvador, and African states, reportedly lamenting that the US must accept immigrants from these “shithole countries.” It should come as no surprise, then, that Trump’s approval ratings are the weakest of any president at this point in his term, despite strong economic growth, a soaring stock market, and low unemployment.

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