Don't look up! US President Donald Trump has a lot of similarities with an asteroid. Picture: Andrew Caballero Reynolds / AFP
US President Donald Trump has been criticised for having his head in space, making friends with those who want to conquer other planets, and possessing an ego the size of a meteor.
All of which is fitting in a week when reports of a possible asteroid collision with Earth wreaking havoc and destruction shared headlines with those of Trump already doing the job.
A quick scan through social media on the couch became a rabbit hole for me on Tuesday when I stumbled across a Sky News interview with a meteorologist about the asteroid 2024 YR4.
It was first discovered in December by, among others, SA telescopes.
A week ago, the odds were 1 in 83 that it would hit us in 2032. A few days later, it was 1 in 67. This week, it was revised to 1 in 42.
When asked how concerned we should be, the meteorologist said, “Very”.
“It could be an extremely worrying time,” he said, adding that it may represent a “serious threat to our planet” and escalate to an “emergency for planet Earth”.
While it’ll most likely miss our planet completely, we only have a few months to observe it before it disappears from view until 2028, when we need to decide on what action to take on it.
In short, it has the potential to blindside us and leave us scrambling for solutions.
No doubt, one of the early signs of it in 2028 will be on SA telescopes, in a country that knows all about scrambling for solutions when blindsided by foreign political asteroids.
The freeze from the cold shoulder Trump’s given SA has turned into a diplomatic blizzard with his signing of an executive order against us. The order is filled to the brim with baseless accusations and tries to gaslight the country into believing we are an aggressor.
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By pointing to supposed genocide in SA, the US can paint us as hypocrites when we accuse their ally Israel of the same at the International Court of Justice.
The controversial Expropriation Act then becomes an excuse, rather than the motivation, to take action against South Africa.
At stake are billions of rands worth of possible aid and trade that could shake the SA economy.
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But perhaps the way to deal with the giant ball of political hot air that is Trump is found in the meteorologist’s solution to the asteroid: Study the object to find out what it’s made of, redefine the perimeters, calculate the proximity to harm and send something to nudge it into a different orbit.
While his critics have labelled Trump as deranged, deluded, and a joke, he needs to be studied and engaged — no matter how hostile.
While the SA government and president may talk tough and say it will not be bullied, our ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool seems to not be in the fight. He has spoken about us not rolling over but has also tried to water down Trump’s offensive as from an “equal-opportunity offender”.
Trump may have riled up and potentially alienated allies and enemies equally with his decisions since taking office last month, but SA cannot sit in the corner crying victim and hoping someone else will fight our battles for us.
Rasool’s calls for intense dialogue are a starting point, but as the frontline marshal responsible for our relationship with the US, he must take the initiative. Part of this dialogue needs to be resetting the perimeters, with SA’s positions on certain matters like the Expropriation Act and the Gaza conflict made crystal clear. Compromises may be needed, but our sovereignty cannot be altered to appease Trump.
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It can’t be, like with some politicians in the Union Buildings this week, that those in charge of protecting SA and its interests hear about Trump’s moves through the media. We need to know the potential for harm before it hits, so we can cushion the impact or find refuge with other allies.
Finally, if all else fails, we must nudge Trump into another orbit. He will soon enough be distracted with the next shiny thing, but resistance to his bullying will show he cannot interfere with our policies. Sending an envoy and proper engagement by Rasool and others is key to this.
While nuclear weapons are not needed, as may be the case with the asteroid, unity as a country does. Regardless of their agendas, all sides in South Africa need to unite to defend our country, people and welfare from foreign interference.
After these next few months, asteroid 2024 YR4 may only be seen again in 2028, the year Donald Trump ends his US Presidency. The world, and SA, have that long to come up with a plan to deal with the asteroid and Trump.
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