Fifty-eight days remain for U.S. citizens to decide whether the Trump phenomenon has been a mere parenthesis, or if this impostor president will remain in the White House for another four years.
Four years after the surprising election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, we contemplate the devastation of democracy caused by Trumpism: the perverse cocktail of nationalist and populist politics driven by an incompetent and authoritarian personality who has managed to blur the line between truth and falsehood. Fifty-eight days remain until Tuesday, Nov. 3, when U.S. citizens will decide whether the Trump phenomenon has been a mere parenthesis, or if this impostor president will remain in the White House for another four years.
If the world hadn’t changed so much there would be no doubt that Joe Biden’s decency, competency and return to former lost values would tip the scales, as opposed to the chaos of Trump’s governance and his constant lies that incite racial hatred and split the country into two invisible halves. He would be a plausible president, healer of a sick society, a reasonable return to the civility lost in Trump’s tsunami. Trump’s main advantage over the Democratic hopeful, Biden, is his shamelessness.
Another virus has infected democracies, as pointed out by the master of science fiction, Isaac Asimov: “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States [...] nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” And Trump sails in its perverse wake. Cornered by the facts: The pandemic he didn't know how to control, with more than 180,000 deaths, has damaged the economic boom, the trump card he was counting on to secure his second term. It’s the pandemic economy, stupid! They’re inextricably linked. The president is confident they’ll announce that a vaccine will be widely available before Nov. 3. But there is no vaccine for economic restoration. Trump has opted for a risky strategy: to turn Biden, a conciliatory centrist, into a prisoner of the nonexistent anarchist and radical left, who would put an end to the American way of life, leaving insecurity, riots and looting in the peaceful middle-class suburbs in its wake.
Like Richard Nixon in 1968, he wants to imitate the president of law and order, attracting the votes of a supposed silent majority, or more directly provoking the chaos that he himself would have to put a stop to afterwards with the help of the National Guard. It would consolidate his electoral base, which is not insignificant, as well as attracting new votes from terrified citizens. Trump has already started to prime the pump by sending armed supporters to restore order disrupted by protests, following police brutality against unarmed Black citizens. The polls still favor Biden, who has between a seven- and 10-point lead, which is looking like it might decrease. If this isn’t enough, Trump would push the nuclear button by not accepting the election result. From the White House he sows seeds of doubt over an illegitimate election. With Trump and the return of “The Ugly American,” the U.S. presidential election turns ugly. Heed this warning.
Regreso a la civilidad perdida
Quedan 58 días para que los ciudadanos de EE UU dictaminen si el fenómeno Trump solo ha sido un paréntesis, o el presidente impostor permanece otros cuatro años en la Casa Blanca
Cuatro años después de la insólita elección de Donald Trump a la presidencia de Estados Unidos contemplamos el destrozo democrático producido por el trumpismo: el perverso cóctel de una política populista y nacionalista impulsada por un personaje incompetente y autoritario que ha logrado difuminar la frontera entre la verdad y la mentira. Quedan 58 días para que el martes 3 de noviembre los ciudadanos de EE UU dictaminen si el fenómeno Trump solo ha sido un paréntesis, o el presidente impostor permanece otros cuatro años en la Casa Blanca.
Si el mundo no hubiera cambiado tanto no habría dudas de que la decencia, la competencia, la vuelta a las viejas virtudes perdidas que reclama Joe Biden pesarían más en la balanza que el caos de la gobernanza de Trump, sus constantes mentiras atizando el odio racial para partir el país en dos mitades que no se pueden ver. Sería un presidente plausible, sanador de una sociedad enferma, un regreso razonable a la civilidad perdida tras el tsunami Trump. Su principal ventaja frente al aspirante demócrata Biden es su desvergüenza.
Otro virus ha infectado a las democracias, como señala el maestro de la ciencia ficción, Isaac Asimov. “Existe un culto a la ignorancia alimentando la falsa noción de que la democracia significa que mi ignorancia es tan válida como tu conocimiento”. Y Trump navega en su perversa estela. Acorralado por los hechos: la pandemia que no ha sabido controlar, con más de 180.000 muertos, que ha dañado la bonanza económica, la principal baza con la que contaba para anudar un segundo mandato. Es la pandemia-economía, ¡estúpido!, ligadas inextricablemente. El presidente confía en anunciar antes del 3 de noviembre una vacuna que se aplicaría masivamente. Para la restauración económica no tiene vacuna. Trump opta por una estrategia arriesgada: convertir a Biden, un centrista conciliador, en prisionero de una izquierda radical y anarquista, inexistente, que acabaría con el modo de vida de EE UU dejando a su paso inseguridad, disturbios y pillaje en los tranquilos suburbios de las clases medias.
A imitación de Richard Nixon en 1968, quiere repetir como el presidente de la ley y el orden atrayendo el voto de una supuesta mayoría silenciosa, o más directamente provocando el caos que él mismo apagaría después con la ayuda de la Guardia Nacional. Consolidaría su base electoral, que no es despreciable, y atraería votos de una ciudadanía atemorizada. Trump ya ha comenzado a cebar la bomba enviando seguidores armados para restablecer el orden perturbado por las protestas tras la brutalidad policial contra ciudadanos negros desarmados. Los sondeos todavía favorecen a Biden entre siete y 10 puntos, con tendencia a estrecharse. Si no es suficiente, Trump apretaría el botón nuclear no aceptando el resultado electoral. Siembra desde la Casa Blanca las dudas de una elección ilegítima. Con Trump y el regreso del Americano Feo, la elección del presidente de EE UU se pone fea. No sobra la advertencia.
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[T]he Republican president managed to make the meeting revolve around his interests — the debate about the 5% — and left out ... the White House’s attitude toward the Kremlin.
[T]he Republican president managed to make the meeting revolve around his interests — the debate about the 5% — and left out ... the White House’s attitude toward the Kremlin.