Every year, TIME magazine releases their Person of the Year, an award given to the year's biggest newsmaker. It's a tradition that dates back to 1927 when Charles Lindbergh was honored as the very first POY. Other winners include Mahatma Gandhi (1930), Winston Churchill (1940 & 1949), Queen Elizabeth II (1952), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1963), the Apollo 8 astronauts (1968), Anwar Sadat (1997), Ted Turner (1991), Pope John Paul II (1994), Jeff Bezos (1999), Mark Zuckerberg (2010), and Ebola fighters (2014). This year's POY is President-elect Donald Trump. He has yet to take office, but his stirring brand of politics has gripped millions of voters and earned him the Oval Office.
Here at "A Small Take on a Big World", our POY will not be given out based on terms of being newsworthy. Instead, our POY will be the most influential person of the year. Who had the biggest impact on the world and changed its very landscape? The inaugural ASTOABW Person of the Year is... Donald Trump.
It may seem as if we're simply copying TIME, but there's been no way to get around the impact Trump has had this year. The real-estate tycoon is poised to become the leader of the Free World and the most powerful person on the planet. His actions and decisions will impact the lives of millions, if not billions, across the world.
Ordinarily, presidential campaigns can be derailed by any number of things. Think back to Michael Dukakis's run. Though he had a lot of momentum, all of that vanished when he was seen riding in a tank. The presidential candidate looked so goofy that voters couldn't take him seriously anymore, and his candidacy tanked. Trump has survived a number of scandals that would have taken anyone else out, essentially proving himself bulletproof. Most notable of this was the audio recording of his conversation with Billy Bush, where the two casually talked about sexual assault. Although Bush lost his job at NBC, Trump still went on to win the presidency. Other big scandals- Trump mocking a disabled reporter, lawsuits against Trump University, and promising to build a wall on the U.S.'s border with Mexico.
On the campaign trail, everything Trump said was just words and empty promises. If he lost the election, none of it would mean anything. But now that the presidency is his, there are a lot of promises and proposed policy options his voters are holding him too. While he probably won't get Mexico to pay for his proposed wall, he can expand the country's use of non-renewable energy sources and place limits on abortions.
Of course, we can't talk about the election without bringing up Russia. Trump's affinity for Russia and its hard-nosed leaders has made many politicians uncomfortable, including Senator John McCain of Arizona. A secret CIA memo said that the Russians, under the direction of Vladimir Putin, had interfered in the election process. Trump categorically has denied this, but it continues to cast a shadow over his transition process.
Whether you like him or not, Donald Trump will be the President of the United States for at least the next four years. His politics will undoubtedly offend a great number of people, but they are also echoing the desires of many Americans. Those who hate him see him as the product of a broken system, one that gives no value to the lives of the disadvantaged. Trump's fans see him as their voice and leader; the only one who can properly address their concerns. For them, Donald Trump is one of the best things to ever happen to America.
Honorable Mentions:
Recep Tayyip Erdogan- The Turkish president first made world news when he jailed more than 30,000 people in the wake of the Turkish coup. Many world leaders were dismayed with these jailings, but Erdogan used them to send a message to his opponents: he was still in power. He then made his presence known in Syria as he allied himself with President Assad. Now, his relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia continues to keep the rest of the world uneasy.
Mark Zuckerberg- As Facebook continues to dominate social media and the internet itself, Zuckerberg will always be an influential figure. Facebook itself has become extraordinarily influential, as evidenced by the fake news scandals that have plagued this year. Zuckerberg has vowed to fight fake news stories on Facebook, but nothing concrete has been created yet. The tech titan also made news for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Nigel Farage- Farage was relatively unknown outside of England when the year started, but that all changed this year. That is because he was one of the biggest proponents of Britain leaving the European Union (a.k.a. Brexit). In a shocking turn of events, British voters chose to leave the EU, creating ramifications worldwide. Since then, the incredibly divisive politician has established a good relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
LeBron James- It was a banner year for the greatest basketball player of our generation. In June, he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title, thus fulfilling a promise he made to his hometown years before. For this, James was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for a second time. But James also made an impact off the court. His philanthropic efforts were well-documented and he campaigned for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Elon Musk- One of the most prominent CEOs in the world, Musk has been involved in a variety of different avenues this year, including Tesla and Solar City. He has also recently expressed interest in improving the nation's infrastructure and transportation systems. Musk may play a bigger role in shaping our forthcoming technological advances than anyone else.
Thank you for reading everyone.
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