We can only wish America the best

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The final results of the 2020 United States of America (USA) presidential elections may not be known until weeks after the official date of election, especially if the court is involved. After the 2016 shocking election results which saw Donald Trump clinching victory, we have come to learn, in politics, that we have to expect the unexpected. What is surprising is that Trump, despite the chaos in his administration over the past four years, still has such broad support, and this include minorities. Although his base is reported to be mostly white, suburban, uneducated males. His administration experienced an astonishing 85 per cent staff turnover rate among key advisers and senior staff in the past four years. Voters appear to be concerned about the hate and divisiveness, racial tensions, the inadequate handling of the pandemic and the economy. Record numbers of Americans voted early, 100 million, according to reports, some waited in lines for hours. We have heard of Americans, including some living in Jamaica, flying to the USA just to vote in person.

After four years of chaos, one hoped that most Americans would be eager to return to a sense of normality, integrity, decency and respect. Trump has alienated close allies, he pulled out of major international agreements without notice. America has very few ‘friends’ globally, most appear to be just cordial for the sake of peace. He has pushed an ‘America First’ nationalist policy, and encouraged trade wars. He has cuddled up with dictators and flaunted the idea of authoritarianism in the USA. He has aggressively pushed anti-immigration policies. The president insults anyone who dares to be critical, using derogatory names that demean the office. He breaks rules and protocols as he sees fit. He encourages nepotism, with close family members working as advisers in the White House with access to sensitive security information. He has even used the White House for political events.

With many businesses ‘boarding’ up, anticipating post-election violence, many wondered how did America, one of the earliest democracies, ‘land of the free, home of the brave’, ever come to this? President Trump has set the tone and people have embraced his message. Many Cuban Americans have supported Trump surprisingly, many seniors also, even with the fear of COVID-19 as a vulnerable group, and the mishandling of the pandemic which cost over 200,000 lives. The glare of his showmanship, his abrasiveness and ‘tell it like it is’ attitude seems to have appealed to many. I believe the constant negative media attention, 24/7, also helped Trump’s popularity, people got tired of the media. Many legal battles were lost over the past four years, where courts ruled against certain policies. Meanwhile, Trump has a host of other legal battles to face as a private citizen. If Trump is re-elected in 2020, we can only wish America the best!

P. CHIN

chin_p@yahoo.com