The confusion and anxieties still thrive. There is an air of unease throughout. The relationship between the United States and the State of Israel is clouded in an atmosphere of frustration. The ongoing situation in Ukraine still smoulders without any end in sight. The sad display of pour Volodymyr Zelenskyy having to do a photo op with Donald Trump because the election is still to be decided, was disheartening. When asked about the relationship between Netanyahu and the Biden/Harris administration, the Vice President rephrased the question and said that the American People still support and back the Israeli people. She did not comment on whether or not the United States Government has any influence or sway over decisions taken by the Israeli Prime Minister and his government. Her avoidance of the question spoke volumes. The situation in the Sudan grows more horrific by the day and seemingly avoids being headline news over the events in the middle east.
On top of all the above, the United Kingdom’s new Labour Government is having difficulties finding its feet and making a favourable impression on the British public. The economics are such that the Chancellor is floundering to find a pathway towards the goals set out during the election campaign. The boast of hitting the ground running has faltered owing, in part, to the state of treasury’s books of account, and the unfortunate titbits and freebies lavished on some of the incoming ministers who ought to have known better. The Prime Minister is having difficulties endearing himself to the populous, as are many of his cabinet. His initial inside team has had to go through some rather unfortunate scrutiny and changes which do not inspire confidence, and indeed, has exposed the whole of the government to comment on many platforms. Not a good look or start.
There is of course the heating up of the election on the 5th November 2024 in the United States, which is hovering over just about everything. For some obscure reason it is still touch and go as to whether the American electorate will elect an unprincipled charlatan or a relatively normal human being to be their Chief Executive.
I have seen a variety of views expressed on various outlets in support of Mr Trump, from the poorly educated diehard maga supporters, so beloved by Donald Trump, to other, supposedly more educated, followers. These overly patriotic and bewildered people who have swallowed the fear of immigrants’ rhetoric and the notion that Mr Trump actually has an economic policy, but who mostly put America First. They firmly believe that Trump loves America above all else and that he will put their interests first and foremost. For some reason they do not see through the sham, nor do they recognise the narcissism or conceit, but sincerely believe that he is their saviour.
The BBC presented its Question Time Program from the United States and there was a woman who spoke up and one could see that she was visibly shaken by the worry that Mr Trump would not be elected. She could not see, nor even contemplate, that the factual catalogue of his lies and deceit, or the fact of his being a convicted felon, might change her view. The simple slogan of making America great again was what drove her to distraction. The notion of America First was all consuming. That any woman can be blind to his misogyny and the finding by a court that he is a sexual predator is astounding. His apologists are apparently legion and many of them, young women who have some degree of higher education. That alone is an astounding feature of the current electorate of the United States. Not only are they blind to his character but are also more than willing to support and promote his lies.
In the face of the mounting evidence of his past and clearly criminal activity, as well as the continuing daily visuals of his duplicity and lies, it is a mystery that any elected congressperson of senator would show him any kind of support; and yet they do. Time and again I hear, and find myself asking, why is the decision such a close call? Of the two candidates, which is the felon? In the United States (except for Vermont and Maine) convicted felons lose their right to vote until after sentence or parole is completed, when it can be restored. Trump is a convicted felon who has not yet been sentenced so for all intent and purposes he has no vote. How is it he can even be on the ballot? So again, why is the decision so difficult? How can nearly half the population of the United States even contemplate Trump as a President?
The tragedy is that the outcome of this election has great implications for the rest of the world. Who is president of the United States matters a great deal, particularly so far as continued support for Ukraine, the continuing premiership of Mr Netanyahu, possible restraints or laissez faire for Mr Putin, and any number of other areas in the world upon which the United States Government might have some influence.
In a sense, it is rather like the conservative party’s membership of 150k electing a leader who may be prime minister in a country of 68 million citizens. Given the election of Liz Truss, it is not a very satisfactory approach to leadership. There are 8.2 billion people in the world and only 346 million on the United States. Of that there are some 162 million citizens registered to vote. Effectively less than 1% of the world’s population have an influential say in what happens next.
Will the 5th November 2024 be an auspicious day of reckoning? Will our anxieties be laid to rest? I do not know if the world will be any safer if Kamala Harris is elected President, but there will be a humanitarian presence in the White House. It is as much as one can hope for in the present climate. The chaos of a Trump administration raises anxiety levels we have yet to contemplate. I may be entirely wrong and a Trump Presidency may be without any dramatic incident. It may pass over without any appreciable difference to the rest of the world. Anxiety levels may remain the same. He might even make good on his one phone call and stop the violence across the world. We might even be living in fantasy land.
What happens next is however very much in our minds. Yes there are problems of democracy in every country across the globe. The European Union is in somewhat of a state of flux. The United Kingdom, whether it realises it or not, has yet to sort out what kind of relationship it wants to have with the European Union and just how it can get back in. Yes there is strength in Union, economically and in terms of security. Middle Europe and the Middle East are on fire. The far east is equally in some turmoil and indecision, and going through economic pangs. Will some form of stability in the Americas over the next four years, perhaps even eight, make a difference to the rest of us? I have no idea, but I do know who I’d rather rely on at the moment. It’s the MASA movement – Make America Sane Again.
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