From divided to united states — of America?
The writer is former Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi and can be reached at amoonis@hotmail.com
“We have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They’re Americans. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again, and to make progress. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify,” was the victory speech of President-elect Joseph Biden on November 8.
It will be a hard task for the Biden administration to unleash the healing process and transform the divided states of America to the United States of America because of the mindset which Trumpism deepened in the last four years, based on racism, intolerance, Muslim bashing, xenophobia and a non-serious approach on dealing with the coronavirus pandemic which has so far taken 247,000 American lives.
From any standpoint, the US can certainly be termed “one country with two nations”. On the one hand, there are people who want democracy, political pluralism, racial diversity and tolerance as a source of strength for their country. Whereas, on the other hand, one can observe the segment of American society which is inward, ultra-conservative, intolerant, authoritarian and unscientific in its approach. The first nation, which Biden of the Democratic Party represents, won the November 2020 presidential elections, but the second nation following Trumpism wants the US to remain exclusively for the white Christian race and rejects any space for multi-culturalism and pragmatic thinking. The two nations are so poles apart in terms of their ideology that reconciliation between the two is not possible in the near future even if Biden tries to pick up the pieces and attempt to unite America regardless of its structural fault lines.
It is for the first time in American history of 246 years that an incumbent president has totally disregarded ethics, values and moral principles of elections and remained adamant that the elections were a fraud, stolen and marred with irregularities. One example, close to Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the election results, is that of John Adams, the second US president, who lost to Thomas Jefferson in November 1800. When he refused to vacate the White House on January 20, 1801, his staff refused to accept his orders and removed his belongings, following procedures. Jefferson, the new president then moved to the White House. It seems that history may repeat itself after 220 years if Trump remains inflexible and refuses to leave the White House despite losing elections. The White House staff will simply displace him because they will follow procedures and are not influenced by any one.
How the Biden administration can unleash the process of uniting America and how can he use his pluses in order to garner the support of those Republicans who are ostensibly wise and are concerned about the enormous damage done because of Trump’s rash, unrealistic and arrogant behaviour, not only against his political opponents but also against some of the senior Republican leaders. The manner in which Trump ridiculed late senator John McCain who lost to Barack Obama in November 2008 is still afresh in the minds of people. Indirectly referring to McCain’s services during the Vietnam War, Trump remarked that “they are losers and suckers”. Trump not only divided America and the world but also the Republican Party because senior Republican leaders like Mitt Romney decided to keep a distance from him. Yet, despite his arrogant and humiliating behaviour, majority Republicans still side with Trump which will create problems for Biden in the transition period and once he assumes the responsibility as president on January 20, 2021.
The journey from “Divided to the United States of America” needs to be analysed by taking into account three major realities, as follows:
First, despite the deep-rooted polarisation which Trumpism deepened in the US in the last four years, the vast majority of Americans will support Biden for rebuilding their country and taking America out from the mess created during Trump’s presidency. Referring to the blue and white states divided on party lines, Biden made it clear that these are united states. Even the saner diehard supporters of Trump will think twice before plunging their country in the vicious cycle of economic crisis, racial violence and societal breakdown which will end once and for all the US status as a world leading power. If the American public opinion, which was suppressed during the Trump administration, renders meaningful support to the newly elected president and vice-president to cope with serious challenges emanating from the pandemic, economic meltdown and racial polarisation, one can expect positive results to appear in the first 100 days of the Biden administration.
Second, it is true that Biden got 75 million popular votes as compared to Trump’s 70.5 million, but the influence of Trumpism is reflected in the Senate which is so far retained by the Republicans and the House where the Democratic Party despite maintaining its majority has lost seats. In that case, the level of polarisation in America which deepened during the election campaign and during the voting process because of Trump’s allegations of fraud and cheating can only be reduced if the saner elements of the Republican Party marginalise the influence of their former president and for the sake of America cooperate with the Democratic Party in making a new beginning. The US is not what it used to be a couple of decades back. Proliferation of white militia armed with weapons and hatred against those who are different is a new phenomenon. Had Trump got re-elected and served as president for another four years, he would have done exactly what Narendra Modi has done in his second term by sharply dividing India on communal and religious grounds and by letting loose the forces of Hindu extremism, targeting and lynching of Muslims. It seems God has been kind with America and to the world that the forces of retrogression, hate, xenophobia and intolerance have been booted out of power.
Third, the exit of Trump perceived as an icon of white supremacists will also mitigate the culture of populism in Europe and elsewhere. Right-wing political parties and groups getting patronage from Trump will now find it difficult to expand their influence using anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
The journey to severely divide America under the Trump administration has taken four years, but it will take several decades to repair the damage caused and to reduce the level of polarisation in the deeply divided US. It all depends on dealing with critical issues of the pandemic, economy, race and the poison which under the patronage of the Trump administration permeated deep inside American society. Divisive culture promoted by Trump also impacted the world particularly when he refused to concede his electoral defeat and vowed to take the matter to court. As a result, Russia, China, Mexico and some other countries decided not to congratulate Biden under the pretext that unless issues about alleged rigging, fraud and cheating are not addressed they will not render official recognition to US election results.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2020.
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