In this era of political polarisation and chaos in significant parts of the world, two strikingly similar personalities will be at the helm simultaneously both in the United States and, across the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom with the election of Boris Johnson as the leader of the ruling Conservative Party.
Johnson, the UK prime minister-designate, will assume charge on Wednesday. He is being compared with the US President Donald Trump, who apparently is a fan of his, for a variety of reasons. Let's take a look at some of them.
1. Both of them have similar looks: who could miss their similar hairstyles and colours?
2. Both of them are populists who have made it a point to think or act loudly about curbing immigration and reinstate their nation's positions about significant world issues in the recent years.
3. Just like Trump, Johnson has brought under the spotlight the changing nature of his homeland. Both of them employ rude language which gets the acclaim of the whites but leaves the minorities and the liberals in anguish. For instance, Johnson has referred to gay men as ''bum boys.'' Trump has mocked a disabled journalist rather crudely.
4. Both Johnson and Trump have promised to take their countries back to a mythical ''golden age.'' Trump speaks fondly of these ''good old days'' when Detroit presided the auto industry, when most folks cheered ''Merry Christmas'' during the holidays... Johnson explains Brexit as a chance for UK to mould an independent future, free from the European Union.
5. Both of them were television stars before they stepped into the political scenario. Trump showed his face on 'Apprentice' and Johnson made his intro on 'Have I Got News For You'.
6. Both resort to racist slurs while appealing to their fan-bases. Johnson referred to black people as ''piccaninnies'' in a column for the Daily Telegraph. Trump once said ''four non-white US politicians should go home,'' despite the fact that three of them have US origins and the fourth one, a refugee who came to America in his earlier childhood days.
7. Both are in support of public rallies in front of their supporters, but chafe at public review. At the Vote Leave Campaign, Johnson loved being the centre of attention, where huge clusters of Brexiters made their way to his cause at the programmes across the land. Even Today, Trump organises campaign-style events where large number of supporters cheer for him and chant his praise-slogans.
8. Both are not so neat in their relationship with women and have made many misogynistic statements throughout their career. Johnson, 55, is in the process of divorcing his second wife. He has been accused of extra-marital affairs. His current girlfriend is 24 years younger to him. Trump, 73, is currently in his third marriage, married to 49-year-old Melania. He has been blamed for a bunch of sexcapades and sex-assaults, which he denies.
