AMIDST allegations of all the king’s men in judiciary, Trump’s trials of election interference and classified documents are history. With Trump emerging as Republican candidate, his campaign has given 2024 election winner strategy: heads I win, tails you lose. New book Finish What We Started details Steve Bannon’s ‘Maga movement’ plan to rule for 100 years. Republicans used “Fake it until you make it” populist political sleaze strategy to avoid accountability by alleging 2020 elections were stolen.
Unless something extraordinary happens, Republicans are on course for indefinite dictatorship with conservative judiciary in bed. It is a religious duty (separation of state and church is a constitutional anomaly). Trump’s inner circle has promised wide ranging changes including cronies at levers of power and reforms of federal government including departments of education, justice, tax, healthcare, and intelligence. Trump has called for the termination of the Constitution (4 Dec 2022, CNN). Party’s social media team has promised bold new era in politics. With less six months in hand, it is clear Trump stands for dictatorship and Biden with democracy. Biden’s foreign policy has turned into a Titanic iceberg for the divided Democrats despite robust economy, strong employment figures, infrastructure development program, made in America and green programs. With no course correction in sight, Ukraine, Middle East (Palestine) and global south have become challenge for democracy instead of policies. The result of Trump’s NAT disbanding policy has echoed in Sunak’s election speech in Europe. He has vowed to fight the next election on the UK’s security. Britain’s defense minister has already warned that world is in pre-war era and Britain needs to prepare for it. Labour also promised to extend tenure of military leadership by extending the tenure of services chiefs for strong coordination.To improve security, EU members are also increasing their defense budgets.
Back in America, it means opening of EU market, more exports, more jobs, and stronger economy. Biden continued Trump’s foreign policy by outsourcing Ukraine war to Europe with NATO intact. Whereas Trump wants to endEurope’s NATO security umbrella for US economy. The wider view of US foreign policy shows how EU is dealing with NATO, Ukraine,Russia, and Global south. It future as united or divided and fate ofUkraine war accordingly.
It brings us to Biden’schallenge for democracy against dictatorship. After losing local elections, Sunak has made general elections referendum on Britain’s security. He accepted failures of Tory governments but changed goal posts of accountability. Tories is party of the future, while Labour has negative agenda, he said. Labour is committed to democracy including public services, cost of living, housing, social mobility, pensions, jobs but Sunak criticized Starmer for supporting Corbyn who wanted to disband army.
Biden shares Labor’s challenges to make democracy work at grassroots. Corruption is failing democracy at grassroots and fueling dictatorship. 60 percent Americans cite corruption as their top concern. Other challenges include rising Christian nationalism, abortion rights, contraception services, taxes, funding foreign wars with tax money, and immigration. The fall in student enrolment in higher education, white rural rage, police, racism, drugs, crime, gun violence and rule of law.
Fallout of five decades of Reagan’s economic reforms including mega tax cuts, privatization, and de-manufacturing. More than 70% young Americans are unable to afford a house. Around 52% young adults are living with their parents.Americans need an extra $11,400 annually just to afford the basics (30 Nov 2023 CBS news). Failure to control middleman behind 40% increase in food prices (Fifth Estate). Stagnant wages incurring $23000 annual loss to average household.The U.S. national debt is rising by $1 trillion about every 100 days (1 Mar 2024, CNBC).
Biden rejects trickle down capitalism. He has passed bills for reviving manufacturing with made in America. Trump’s drill baby drill slogan has upended Biden’s clean energy plans despite allocating $1.6T for infrastructure development including clean energy, electric vehicles, and home energy updates. Thanks to Citizen United judgment, it protects public representatives from voter accountability for protecting corruption.Due to pause on LNG exports to Europe, Biden is facing backlash. Trump is pushing for anti-immigration policy and using Christian values to grow Republican own vote bank under 100-year plan. He promises to get rid of the “others” (Democrats), liberal values and lead America into Puritan Age offering new life of repentance and dignity (The Scarlet Letter). Trump splits America in the middle in his revenge against suburb America which put Biden in White House (How suburbs decided the 2020 election for Biden, 17 Nov 2020, Bloomberg).
Reaganomics has come to haunt Biden in 2024. Where 2024 Presidential Election will be a day of reckoning for America. It will also settle the fate of liberal democracy against dictatorship in UK, the EU and rest of the world. Those who failed tocontrol police, corruption, human rights, war crimes, pay equal wages to women, feed hungry, give shelter, protect elders, and protect state and its democratic institutions not only failed public could end up living under dictatorship instead of democracy.
