The real countdown to the US elections has begun. In 50 days, Americans will have chosen their 46e President.
• Read also: Final stretch in the race for the White House
This election is perhaps the most important in the history of the United States. It could mark a reversal of the world order.
Donald Trump is not a president like the others. He is vulgar, rude, narcissistic, cheater, uneducated, liar, racist, misogynist, boastful, contemptuous, manipulative, angry, fraudulent, pretentious, disloyal, dishonest, rough, surly, tyrannical and nepotistic.
AFP Photo
Supporters of Donald Trump marched on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, yesterday.
Never has a president accumulated so many faults. And yet the majority of his voters love him.
For the ultra-rich
If Trump delivered the goods, all of these shortcomings would be forgiven. But Trump is only seeking his own enrichment and that of his ultra-rich friends. It is moreover them and their friends that he appointed to posts of secretaries in his cabinet. It was for the benefit of his fortune that he transformed American tax laws. It is still his money that he thinks of when he asks for more firmness against China.
Trump is hijacking American democracy in favor of billionaires. He is not the only one to do this. Others, including judges and prominent members of the Republican Party, have been doing the same for a long time.
Beyond the painful character of Trump, the American elections will lead to a questioning of democracy. Neither Democrats nor Republicans are going to accept defeat in the next election unless they lose a significant margin.
When elections are no longer recognized as a fair and effective mechanism for settling disputes within a society, muted political anger, electoral indifference and contempt for the political class set in. These feelings make the bed for undemocratic conflict resolution mechanisms.
Paralysis
Regardless of the outcome of the November 3 election, the United States may come out partially paralyzed.
Moreover, this partial paralysis has already started to make itself felt. For example, Congress failed to pass an additional aid budget for Americans affected by COVID-19.
However, democracies more than ever need a strong leader to counter the rise of numerous dictators.
Would Joe Biden be able to fill this role? Maybe, but it’s old and worn out.
Who will guide the democracies of the world?
The European Union is falling apart. India, while democratic, does not approach American power, besides being torn apart by its own demons. Japan is depopulating. Middle powers like Canada and Australia lack the means and ambition.
The United States has taken many disastrous decisions internationally. Like the invasion of Iraq. But they have also supported the ideals of freedom and democracy for more than 75 years.
Trump and his friends subordinate American policy to quick money. This new orientation is unbearable for democracies. Unfortunately, the United States has no global replacement.
