What’s Going on in the US?
Published in Excélsior
(Mexico) on 31 July 2015
by Ricardo Pascoe Pierce (link to original)
(Mexico) on 31 July 2015
by Ricardo Pascoe Pierce (link to original)
Translated from
by Becky Stoakes.
Edited by Eva Langman.
Donald Trump's words concerning Mexico, immigrants, John McCain and border issues — among other things — have created a media scandal in the U.S. during the Republican Party primary campaign. Sixteen presidential candidates are competing for the honor of representing this party in the 2016 presidential contest. Three candidates have announced their candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination. The political and electoral environment is starting to heat up.
By considering past elections, it is possible to forecast various scenarios. The first is that the de facto powers in each party will try to promote a centrist candidate, one who is capable of gaining the greatest amount of support possible in the wide social spectrum of this nation. The party powers will not support candidates from ideological fringe parties; they will repudiate left- and right-wing extremism. In this scenario it is easy to imagine a confrontation between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush - that is to say, a faceoff between these representatives of political dynasties from both parties which have won presidential elections in the past and have sufficient economic and political resources at hand.
On the other hand, something that will significantly affect the final result of the election and could establish the winners and losers is how Obama ends his presidential term. Contrary to other presidents, he has decided to finish his term beating the drum. His agreement with Iran, the normalization of relations with Cuba, taking steps with the Supreme Court regarding legal rights for homosexuals and lesbians, his universal health care program, as well as his executive decisions to legalize undocumented immigrants and the improvement of his county's general economic performance have given him a significant second wind. He has finished his time in power with a rise in popularity and more importantly, with his political influence on the upswing. The Republicans are finding it harder and harder to find any flaws in the outgoing president.
Trump's influence cannot be avoided. Now he appears to be leading in the opinion polls, although this could be a temporary phenomenon. As in all developed economies, America is a magnet for people from less-developed countries. Migration is a global phenomenon, as is the social reaction against the presence of those considered undesirable and to be vying for fewer and fewer jobs. Trump evokes the most primitive feelings from Americans: their fear of the unknown and the threat of economic insecurity. His campaign, which until now has been very successful, is based on inciting fear. This turns him into a sure presidential candidate, but not for the Republicans—rather as an independent who is following in Ross Perot's footsteps when in 1992, this other multimillionaire ran a campaign that facilitate Bill Clinton's presidential win over George H.W. Bush. Something similar could happen now, especially if Trump becomes an independent presidential candidate, as suggested by his increasing closeness to Sarah Palin of the tea party.
There are still many unknowns in the American presidential election and its outcome. What is for certain, however, is that the result will have a significant effect on Mexico. It wouldn't be a bad idea for Mexico to have a representative in Washington to follow the whole process.
By considering past elections, it is possible to forecast various scenarios. The first is that the de facto powers in each party will try to promote a centrist candidate, one who is capable of gaining the greatest amount of support possible in the wide social spectrum of this nation. The party powers will not support candidates from ideological fringe parties; they will repudiate left- and right-wing extremism. In this scenario it is easy to imagine a confrontation between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush - that is to say, a faceoff between these representatives of political dynasties from both parties which have won presidential elections in the past and have sufficient economic and political resources at hand.
On the other hand, something that will significantly affect the final result of the election and could establish the winners and losers is how Obama ends his presidential term. Contrary to other presidents, he has decided to finish his term beating the drum. His agreement with Iran, the normalization of relations with Cuba, taking steps with the Supreme Court regarding legal rights for homosexuals and lesbians, his universal health care program, as well as his executive decisions to legalize undocumented immigrants and the improvement of his county's general economic performance have given him a significant second wind. He has finished his time in power with a rise in popularity and more importantly, with his political influence on the upswing. The Republicans are finding it harder and harder to find any flaws in the outgoing president.
Trump's influence cannot be avoided. Now he appears to be leading in the opinion polls, although this could be a temporary phenomenon. As in all developed economies, America is a magnet for people from less-developed countries. Migration is a global phenomenon, as is the social reaction against the presence of those considered undesirable and to be vying for fewer and fewer jobs. Trump evokes the most primitive feelings from Americans: their fear of the unknown and the threat of economic insecurity. His campaign, which until now has been very successful, is based on inciting fear. This turns him into a sure presidential candidate, but not for the Republicans—rather as an independent who is following in Ross Perot's footsteps when in 1992, this other multimillionaire ran a campaign that facilitate Bill Clinton's presidential win over George H.W. Bush. Something similar could happen now, especially if Trump becomes an independent presidential candidate, as suggested by his increasing closeness to Sarah Palin of the tea party.
There are still many unknowns in the American presidential election and its outcome. What is for certain, however, is that the result will have a significant effect on Mexico. It wouldn't be a bad idea for Mexico to have a representative in Washington to follow the whole process.
Most American voters are beginning to see the bankruptcy of our twp party system. A third party might be defined as a ” fringe group ” by the corporate controlled news media. But who speaks for the social and economic interests of working and lower middle class America ?
The growing enthusiasm for the near fascist Donald Trump and the ” socialist ” Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont just reflects the real class struggle in America.
The American ruling class wants to define the parameters of the political debate here. I think they have lost control of this game and are beginning to panic. A safe but soporific contest between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush is now just unacceptable to the voters hungry for the Plain Truth.
The Bernie Sanders campaign proves that the common people of America are not mindlessly scornful of progressive ideas .
Must we believe that there is something wonderfully democratic about the economic and political dominance of the ONE PERCENT ?
Karl Marx said that the ruling ideas are the ideas of the ruling class. But he did not live his life in vain challenging those ideas. And is not WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE a welcome message to oppressed and exploited Mexican immigrants ?
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