Donald Trump is officially President-elect Trump. We could see it coming and I wrote about it in couple of posts. Time is not turning back and citizen's choices are a subject of respect in democratic societies.
The global community is in shock. Markets are sinking. The American people are ashamed. The intellectual and artistic community is frozen. The world is watching in agony. These are few of hundreds of similar things we've heard the first days after Trump won the election. Despite this mood, I would like to focus on the benefits of this election--or at least what I see as the silver lining.
But before analysing those benefits, I would like to linger a little more on the factors that made people feel this result was a big surprise, contrary to the few people who believed it was totally expected. What made them feel there was no chance Donald Trump would be elected the 45th President of the United States? I believe that we have to focus on two of those factors.
The feeling created by the vast majority of the American media of a de facto Hillary Clinton victory was communicated also to the rest of the world. The headquarters of those media--and their management--have obviously lost touch with the lower economic layers of American society and were projecting on their media their own expectations and ideological/political beliefs. Or they are just lobbyists serving specific economic interests. The latter option is also the most plausible explanation for the poll companies that took a heavy hit on their credibility as they totally failed to predict the final result. Nevertheless, I have to say that a lot of people have grown suspicious of a possible manipulation of those companies by certain interests.
Another important factor was Americans' perceptions of their country. The vast majority of those living in urban coastal areas (NYC, LA, Boston etc.) have never travelled to most of the other states or have lost the contact with the reality in those states. In times of recession, or times leading into a recession, the people in these areas are less determined to fight than their fellow-citizens in middle America. The USA is a unique mosaic of different demographics, political ideologies, and religious beliefs and contrary to what most people believe cannot be understood under a common prism.
Despite the consensus of international and American opinion to the opposite, I believe that Trump's election has a lot of--mainly longterm--benefits that in due time will prove particularly valuable for future generations.
HILLARY CLINTON
Thanks to Donald Trump, we're permanently rid of Hillary Clinton. Yes, that's right. The American people may made the wrong choice in electing Trump, but they did the right thing by rejecting a politician who is more than suspect. Suspect for relations with financial lobbies for her own benefit. Suspect for mishandling the power she was given as U. S. Seceretary of State. And, ultimately, suspect with her regards to her integrity and political dignity. She is a blurry figure. And, of course, a politician like that could be as dangerous a choice as Trump.
I've written in past columns that Trump would not have had a chance if he were runnig against Bernie Sanders. Unfortunately, Hillary beat Sanders and became the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. After November 8, she won't stand anymore as an obstacle to future candidates for the Democratic leadership, candidates of better integrity and dignity than her. If Clinton had been elected, she would be the de facto presidential candidate for the 2020 elections. Hopefully Trump did the American people the favor of eliminating her.
CRITICAL PERCEPTION AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION
From now on, it's obvious that the polls are fake, failed, and manipulated. So are a lot of news articles about one candidate or another. Each citizen must seek for himself the sign of times and make sure he is well informed on the current political and social situation of his country. It's a fact that hundreds of thousands of citizens were complacent because of polls projecting an easy victory for Clinton. And they comfortably assumed anything else impossible. That it was impossible for a candidate like Trump to be elected the next U.S. president. But it proved not to be at all impossible. The U.S. is a vast and complicated country so each citizen must realize this from now and try not to live in the narrow perspective of personal beliefs and expectations. That's the ostrich phenomenon and the payout was Trump's victory.
FIGHTING SPIRIT
It is obvious also, especially for young Americans, that nothing can be conquered without a fight. Without fight and without being constantly vigilant. It's already clear that a lot of people have realized this as we've seen mass demonstrations in major American cities following Trump's' election. And this is a first sign that four interesting years have just begun.
2020
2020 will be the year that will get rid of Trump once and for all. Not earlier, like Michael Moore believes, because Trump wants the job. He wants the office. But the next four years will be a disaster. It's not only the economic crisis that is hatching--and which, for some people, will be much bigger than the one in 2008. Combined with Trump's inexperience, it will be catastrophic for American economy. It will also deal a blow on America's image globally--a blow already dealt by Trump's election as a president. And this wounded image will not help American interests at all.
Politics and the choices people make and how they affect every day life is something that's changing constantly. The election of a bright leader is something desirable but that doesn't mean it's a solution for all of society's issues and ills. By the same token, the election of a president with dubious and sometimes controversial ideas and political positions is not the end of the world. On the contrary, it may be the start towards a better path, an awakening of the electorate about political issues, and the start of a good fight--a day to day fight for subversion with the final aim of bringing to power those politicians whom a great country like United States of America deserves.