Translation: Dr. Bin Mihoub Nasreen – Arab Democratic Center
In its edition of the weekly October 31, 2020, The Economist magazine included The the Economist British article about the upcoming US elections on the third of November , 2020 addressed him as “Why should I be Biden?”. The article argues that Trump’s policies of partisanship and concealment of facts have affected the United States’ standing as an institution-based model of governance and as an inspiration for democratic ideas and values. Faced with this fundamental challenge, the best option for America and Americans will be to choose the candidate, Joe Biden, because he will give them what democracies crave, which is renewal and American political spirit.
The article began with a description of the American situation before and after the 2016 elections, noting that “The country that elected Trump in 2016 was unhappy and divided. And the country Trump is asking for re-election is now more miserable and more divided. ” He also holds the current president responsible for the defect that affected American political life as a result of his stances and policies during his period of rule that lasted for about four years, as “politics became more angry, and even partisanship became less restrictive.” And “daily life has been consumed by a pandemic that has recorded more than 230,000 deaths, in the midst of quarrels, lies, and irresponsibility, all of this is the work of Trump. And his victory in the November 3 elections will confirm this. ”
Although the article makes clear that Biden cannot be considered a miraculous antidote to America’s ills, he considers him “the right man to restore stability and prepare for the White House.” That is because he has what enables him to embark on the long and difficult task of bringing the torn country back to its diaspora again. That is why he asserts, “If we had a voice, it would go to Joe.”
Donald King:
According to the article, Trump did not neglect much in playing his role in leading the government, as much as he fell short as a head of state. Although his administration has the right to enumerate its accomplishments and failures, as previous administrations do, “as a protector of American values, the conscience of the nation and the voice of America in the world, it has failed miserably to keep up with this mission.”
The article argues that the Corona virus has negatively affected Trump’s chances in the 2020 elections, despite some of his policies that were likely to secure him a second term. On the domestic level, his track record included tax cuts, deregulation, and benchmarking for conservative judges. Before the epidemic, wages for a quarter of the poorest workers were growing at 4.7% annually. Small business confidence was near its highest level in thirty years. By restricting immigration, he offered his voters what they wanted. On the external level, his disruptive approach has brought some welcome change. America has crushed the Islamic State and brokered peace agreements between Israel and three Muslim countries. Ultimately, some NATO allies are spending more on defense. Moreover, the Chinese government has realized that the White House is now recognizing it as an adversary not to be underestimated. ”
In the same context, the article repeats its presentation by referring to the negative dimension in the record related to Trump’s achievements. He believes that “the tax cuts were regressive. The removal of some regulatory controls was also harmful, especially with regard to the environment. The attempt to reform healthcare is a disaster. As far as immigration is concerned, officials separate immigrant children from their parents, and besides, restricting the entry of new immigrants would drain America’s vitality. As for the difficult issues – in North Korea and Iran, and in establishing peace in the Middle East – Trump has not performed better than the Washington establishment, which he likes to mock. ”
Trump and American Democratic Culture: How did he get to the White House?
After presenting the most important things that Trump did during his tenure, the article moves to a deeper question, which he describes as “essential” and confirms that it is the focus of the real debate with “Mr. Trump.” It also explains how Trump used the American culture based on democracy to his advantage, then turned against it when he assumed power. And it was replaced by a “toxic partisan” that led the United States to retreat from its global role as the source of democracy, and confirmed the suspicions of its competitors – especially Russia and China – that American democracy is merely a political cover.
During the past four years, “Trump has desecrated the values, principles and practices that made America a haven for its people and a beacon for the world.” Therefore, he believes that “the people who accuse Biden of the same thing or worse should stop and think. On the other hand, those who“ turn a blind eye to Trump’s bullying and lies, as well as his many tweets, ignore the harm he has caused. ”
The article in this section also refers to an important point in American domestic policy related to democratic culture, and how the current President Donald Trump employed it in the interest of reaching power, before he turned on the fundamental principles that established the pillars of this culture.
“It started with America’s democratic culture. Tribal politics preceded Mr. Trump. The host of The Apprentice took advantage of this to raise himself from the green room to the White House. Yet, while most recent presidents have deemed toxic partisanship harmful to America, Mr. Trump has made it the focus of his policy. He never sought to represent the majority of Americans who did not vote for him. Faced with the flow of peaceful protests after the killing of George Floyd, his instinct did not help him find solutions, but rather pushed him to describe the event as a wave of looting and violence emanating from the left wing, which is part of the pattern of stoking ethnic tensions. As a result, today about 40% of the electorate believes that the other side is not only misleading, but also evil.
The article goes on to highlight the most indicative feature of the maneuvering characteristic of Trump’s presidency, namely, his “contempt for the truth.” The article concedes that all politicians are elusive, but the Trump administration has given America what it describes as “alternative facts.” “Nothing Mr. Trump says can be believed, including his claims that Mr. Biden is corrupt.” Perhaps this is what drives his fans of the Republican Party to feel the need to defend him, as they did in the impeachment case.
These Trumpian policies based on “partisanship and fraudulent facts” undermine the rules and institutions. “Although that sounds hard to believe, Trump voters love his desire to be offended. But the American system of checks and balances suffers. This president calls for the detention of his opponents; It uses the Ministry of Justice to lead the revenge operations; It reduces the sentences of its supporters convicted of serious crimes; He gives his family jobs in the White House; It offers foreign governments protection in exchange for information about its competitors for the purpose of bargaining. When the president casts doubts on the integrity of the elections, simply because it might help him win, he is working to undermine the democracy he is sworn to defend.
Partisanship and lying undermine politics. Looking at the Corona crisis, it gave Mr. Trump the opportunity to unite his country around a well-organized response, and to win elections again thanks to it, as other leaders have done. Instead, he saw the Democratic conservatives as adversaries or scapegoats. He has worked to silence and diminish world-class US institutions, as is the case with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Often times, the science was mocked, including masks. Unable to see beyond his re-election, he has continued to misrepresent the stark truth about the pandemic and its consequences. America has many of the best scientists in the world, and at the same time it has the highest death rates in the world. ”
According to the article, Trump’s policies have affected not only the US institution, but also its relations with its competitors among the international powers, and its image in their perception. Trump has dealt with America’s allies with equal thinking, as these alliances work to maximize American influence in the world, and the closest among them were forged during wars, and once they are dismantled, it is difficult to restore them in peacetime. When the countries that fought alongside America look at his leadership, they face difficulty in determining the position they like.
“It matters. Americans are equally prone to overestimating and underestimating the influence they wield in the world. US military power alone cannot change nations, as the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated. Despite this, American ideals really serve as a model for other democracies, and for people living in countries that oppress their citizens. Mr Trump believes the ideals of the fools. The governments of China and Russia have always seen American discourse on freedom as a cover for the principle that force is right. It is unfortunate that their suspicions have been confirmed under Mr. Trump’s rule. ”
“It is certain that another four years of the rule of a historically worse president like Trump, would deepen all this damage, and bring more of it. In 2016, American voters didn’t know who they were getting, but now yes. By this, they will vote to divide and lie. They will certify crushing standards and restricting national institutions to personal loyalty. They will enter an era of climate change that threatens not only faraway lands, but even Florida, California and the heart of the United States. They will warn that the hero of freedom and democracy must be just another great power throwing its weight everywhere. Re-election would put a democratic stamp on all the damage Trump has done. ”
President Joe ( Joe ‘s ) :
With regardDemocratic candidate Joe Biden,article recognizes that reaching the government will not achievegreater proportion of progress. Nevertheless, his being institutional, one of the consensus builders, and of the democratic milieu, he is empowered to become the appropriate counterpart against Trump or as the article describes “the right anti-Trump” ( Anti-Trump ). Although these same characteristics made a large part of the democratic left disliked in the primaries, they did make him the perfect person to repair some of the damage caused in the past four years. Mr. Biden will not be able to end the bitter animosity that has been building for decades in America. But he can start charting a path toward reconciliation.
“Although his policies are to the left of previous administrations, he is not revolutionary. His pledge to “Build Back Better” will cost $ 2 trillion to $ 3 trillion, part of boosting annual spending by about 3% of GDP. The tax increase for corporations and the wealthy will be substantial, but it will not be punitive. It will seek to rebuild America’s dilapidated infrastructure, pay more attention to health and education, and allow more immigration. His climate change policy will invest in research and job-enhancing technology. He is a competent manager and a believer in the interim. He hears expert advice, even if it is inappropriate. He is someone who pursues a multilateral policy: he is less confrontational than Mr. Trump, but more specific.
Hesitant Republicans fear that Mr. Biden, old and frail, is a Trojan horse for the hard-left. It is true that the radical wing of his party is fickle, but along with Kamala Harris, whom he chose as vice president, they showed in the course of the election campaign that they can control the reins and keep it under control. Usually, voters may be advised to constrain the left by ensuring that the Senate remains in the hands of Republicans. But this does not apply to the status quo. A big victory for the Democrats in the House will strengthen the preponderance of the moderate center at the expense of the radicals in Congress by bringing in Senators such as Steve Bullock in Montana or Barbara Buller in Kansas. You will not see any tilt to the left of either of them. ”
To be sure, the resounding victory of the Democrats would also benefit the Republicans. This is because the intense competition would drag them towards divisive and divisive tactics of ethnic patronage, which would be a fatal end in a country that is moving more towards diversity. As the anti-Trump Republicans claim, “Trumpism” or “Trump Doctrine” is morally bankrupt. Their party needs a revival. And Mr. Trump should be rejected hard. ”
The November elections and the fate of America:
The article concludes by referring to the importance of choosing the appropriate president in the November 2020 elections in determining the future role and position of the United States of America at the global level, as well as its internal stability and cohesion. “In this election, America faces a fateful choice. The nature of its democracy is at stake. One path leads to personal and fractured rule, dominated by a head of state who despises morals and truth. The other leads to better – which is truer to what this newspaper sees as the values that originally made America a source of inspiration around the world.
In his first term, Mr. Trump was a destructive president. He will begin his second reign, installing all his worst instincts. Mr. Biden is the opposite of his thesis. Where he is elected, success will not be guaranteed – how might that be? But he would have entered the White House with the promise of making the greatest gift that democratic regimes can bestow: which is renewal.
Original title: Why it has to be Biden? The Economist, October 31 st , 2020.
