The title is a nod to the 1995 film, the story of an intense clash between two diametrically opposed personalities. Our two heroes are polar opposites in every respect: physically, psychologically and socially. Gene Hackman, the vessel’s commanding officer, an old sea dog with over two decades in the navy and a worn-out marriage under his belt, intends to see orders carried out, even if they were cut off. He is, in his own words, “simple-minded,” the human paradox of a man navigating a maze of technology that would make any simpleton’s head spin, however much he admires marine vessels. Of course, our analysis could go so far as to conjure up this remarkably dual-natured creature, a “seafaring ape,” not quite on par with the high-tech tool he commands as a master mariner, but also not quite a true primate, if only because he is aware of the inherent differences in their nature. But now let’s leave the far extreme of the black-white binary and bring our attention to Executive Officer Denzel Washington: married, father of two, pet dog, the perfect family life. He wants to project calm and, although he passes the commander’s test by not trying to impress him during the dive (the cigar scene), nature comes back to bite him through a phantom porthole. Our executive officer is a thinker who considers all the angles before jumping in, and likes the sound of his own voice.

The stage is nearly set when suddenly, out of the streaming mess of news, a tantalizing detail catches my eye. Another role-reversed clash from history that this duo seems to mirror: our intellectual is black while our simple-minded one is white, coming as a shock to a viewer used to seeing the opposite since time immemorial. But the climax of the deeper issue comes only at the end of this drama. The commander – the white man – recognizes the leadership ability of his executive officer – the black man – and recommends him to his superiors to take his place. The judges immediately approve this request. Promising…

The years go by. It’s 2008, meltdown, catastrophe, financial crisis for dummies. Suddenly, in a diversion that is both unexpected and long in the making, our intellectual resurfaces after thirteen years, this time without his cigar. From Washington (any resemblance to Denzel being purely coincidental), he holds us captive with endless speeches on the affairs of the world. He expresses feelings, softness, he sheds tears, he is emotion in a suit. And as for the message, I’ll let you be the judge… we could end the comparison there, but then why miss out when the best is yet to come? We just have to follow the title!

It’s 2016, and the tide has turned. Not for our intellectual, whose hair is turning grey with the endless monologues (or maybe the cigar?), because he was in an ejection seat, but for a well-oiled system. But our hero leaves the front steps with a touch of resentment. He would have preferred to kiss Hillary’s hand rather than give a manly shake to the manicured hand of our final character, whose shock of hair, I admit, does little to recall our submarine commander’s. As for his being simple-minded… but make no mistake, reader, I won’t be dragging him through the bloody tide. He won’t get a full critique. I won’t join the howling pack in their opiatic writings, where risk is low and return high, surreptitiously conveying simple-mindedness, moralizing to the point of corruption. Absolutely not. To any readers who came here for that exercise in self-righteousness, you can stop here.

For the others, let’s keep going.

The reversal lies in the chronological order: out with the young, in with the old. Our simple-minded old man, at the pinnacle of his life, doesn’t get the satisfaction of leaving his place to the young man who is on his way out, his future an open road. Not only is he the opposite of his predecessor, highlighting the prophecy of this tragic tide, he also clashes with him, distorting their relationship. Hard to imagine a commander younger than his second-in-command in this antagonistic defector, as the future of the human race hangs in the balance. One thing at a time, please. And the shadow of Barack haunts Donald, as he searches feverishly for an exit, tormented by the perceived machinations of his predecessor. Meanwhile, Barack has traded in his submarine for water sports, enjoying his newly found freedom. Donald won’t be able to do the same… the die is cast. He thinks he needs to act fast to make up for an imagined delay. The best, however, is yet to come – it’s on his doorstep. He just needs to ask for advice from his young colleague, a liberating alternative to a jail locking our simple-minded executive officer-turned-commander in a futile, grotesque tragedy. Rumors remind us every day: politics and pragmatism go hand-in-hand. The strength of a man lies in his ability to ignore whispering magpies, especially those that come out of nowhere. Will Trump be able to move past this hazing, or will we watch, transfixed, as an unfinished campaign plays itself out? Time will tell…