Trump Assassination Attempt & the “MAGA” Pandemonium in the most Polarised US Presidential Race

The United States of America has solemn been more divided before.

The world is in a veritable cataclysmic moment, war is ravaging in Europe and the Middle East, fear is quashing hope in Eastern Asia as the likes of Russia and China place their bets on overwhelming the so-called powers of the “free world”. As freedom in sooth comes under existential threats across regions of the world, the race to elect the “leader of the free world” could not have been a bigger disappointment. The assassination attempt on former US President Donald John Trump, as he delivered a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, piqued the harrowing ruination of American democracy that only stands to embolden Putin, Xi, and others who revel in the explicit show of the brazen rottenness that has become the US society.

Days back, the first presidential debate between US President Joe Biden and former President and Republican nominee, Donald Trump, was a slough of despond not only for the American people but the world as it witnessed the downright indecency and coarseness of the front runners for the 2024 election. The debate ill-behove both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump with each calling the other a “looser”, “sucker” and the “worst president we have ever had”. Mr. Biden, who supposedly had a cold and was exhausted from overseas travelling days before, put up a performance that was bound to raise legitimate concerns pertaining to his mental acuity and whether or not he is “senile”. Ever the showman, Mr. Trump, buoyed by an enervated Mr. Biden, ranted pompously and self-aggrandised through and through. Ultimately, the American people found a feeble Biden much more troubling than a self-glorifying Trump. Unfortunately, for the American people and the world, the only thing absent in an absolutely groovy debate was – substance.

America caught off guard in the shambles of the America-centred world:

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the demise of the bipolar world order, there has been a singular and relatively unchallenged global hegemon, the United States of America. Although, many might perceive the US to be a culture-less nation, it has in fact been proponent not only in hard power but in soft power too. Hence, the term globalisation for many is Americanisation. Therefore, the cultural, social and identical division of today’s times are largely based on the exports of the “american way of life” and as the US-led unipolar world wanes and a multipolar one emerges, it is only natural to sense an upheaval in social dynamics, especially at the heart of it all – the US itself.

Indubitably, a multipolar world is emerging and it is surfacing faster than many might anticipate. China is already
boldly presenting its inevitability in upending the US dominance, it has also emboldened Putin’s Russia, which for long was a power recuperating. To add to this already volatile dynamics, the advent of countries with newfound confidence with their soaring global stature are powers such as India and Indonesia that have historically been non-aligned to any global power bloc, and have immense pride on the independence of their foreign affairs. The decline of Europe, which too is ensnared in peak political polarisation, is another vital factor.

In the aftermath of the pandemic and thereafter the war in Ukraine and Gaza, our world has probably and hopefully hit the rock bottom, of course climate change challenges could derail further, nevertheless, the US, the most powerful country, finds itself in a gravely precarious situation, and perhaps unconsciously is now treading towards a setback.How bad this setback will be – time will tell. Political polarisation of the current American scale is evident to this development. The citizens of the US are frustrated as pressure piles up on them due to a changing world and the receding ability of their government to steer it without causing agony back at home. Therefore, a growing number of Americans state it out explicitly that they do not care about what happens overseas and those who do care, the left, react to global occurrences in a harrowing and largely misguided demeanour, perhaps emanating from their notion of – the American “freedom” – that elicits an even harsher reaction from the right. An example of this are the widespread protests against Israel in US universities, which also saw students vandalising monuments of American heroes such as George Washington; pictures of such occurrences rattled the “patriots”, who now question the love of country in their fellow citizens. Freedom itself now seems to have different meanings for Americans, for some it is to proudly pursue their faith and an American way of life, while for others it is to let children determine their gender.

To say the least, the more a society is polarised, the more dumber it is. The US is no exception to this fact, while the ‘woke’ left strives for an inclusivity that is ultimately ridiculing society by making it more exclusive and divided, the right’s argument for possessing weapons in face of school shootings, which are now commonplace, are equally if not more bogus and disturbing. Such American issues, to the outer world, and especially in the east, are met with great disdain and pity. Hence, further invigorating the china-led bloc to hasten its multifaceted offensive against America and its allies.

Trump’s shooting, and prior to it his impeachment, conviction and arrest, have cumulatively exposed the vulnerability of US democracy to chicanery, coercion and malfeasance. Political violence has been on the surge globally as is evident by the recent assassination of former Prime Minister Abe of Japan in 2022 and the attempt on the life of South Korean principal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. However, such political assailment has to be taken by an extra pinch of salt for the US as it has long proclaimed itself as the foremost champion of democracy. The 2024 presidential election is likely to loose significant ground for the US to comment on China and Russia’s blatant abuse of democratic principles and human rights.

The Hard Facts

The 2024 presidential election is a real-time dilemma for even seasoned political analysts to ascertain – who could be a better President for the US, Biden or Trump? And of course, it is grievous that the US is confined to the choice between these two gentlemen.

At the outset, it is unequivocal that Joe Biden has outperformed Trump in standing up for American leadership, values and overall delivering for America. Unfortunately, in a political tussle of rhetoric and one-upmanship, Mr. Biden’s accomplishments remain elusive to the America people. What is ubiquitous, however, is his calling of Vice President Kamala Harris – “Trump” – days after he identified Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as “Putin”; his greatest trepidation is finding the way off stage and climbing stairs. At 81, Mr. Biden does not have the physical and mental strength to be the leader of the free world for four more years. And as feeble as he is, Mr. Biden, cannot politically survive the overwhelming fervour that is running in the country due to the events leading to the picture below – a master stroke – by his predecessor, a champion of antics.

Putting aside Mr. Biden’s breakneck disaster in managing border security that has severally compromised the US’s
internal security, the mortifying and ill-conceived withdrawal from Afghanistan, and his frequent gaffes, the President has actually salvaged his country to a great extent. The flamboyant Trump was all show and no game and Biden did inherit an America that was very un-american. America’s covid catastrophe is attributed to Mr. Trump’s ignorance, and of course whatever China did. Unemployment was soaring, job growth dawdling, and the then President’s camaraderie with likes of President Putin and Chairman Kim of North Korea, largely bereft the US of its global leadership. In fact, the former President’s frequent outbursts on Twitter, tirades in press conferences, and general conduct was greatly unpresidential, cementing his persona more as the CEO of an American corporation rather than being the President of the American nation.

Contrasting the two Presidents on the economy, quarterly growth during Trump’s first three years, up to the pandemic, and Biden’s term beginning in 2021, compounded at an almost identical rate that annualises to around 2.7%. Excluding Biden’s first year, arguably still influenced by the pandemic, it was a slower 2.3%. The Biden economy rode a pandemic-era consumer spending boom; Trump’s economy saw slightly larger average contributions from business investment.

The flipside to GDP is Gross Domestic Income, an estimate of what people and companies earn in return for inventing, producing and selling all those widgets and services. How it should get distributed is a perennial debate in U.S. politics.Trump may have stocked his cabinet with Wall Street allies and boasted of tax cuts for business, but companies took a larger share of GDI under Biden; the share for workers stayed fairly constant.

As the health crisis eased, what had been a broad focus on keeping families and businesses financially intact shifted to the emerging problem of inflation, which spiked to levels not seen since the 1980s. The US Congress approved trillions of dollars in payments to households, pumping up bank accounts with disposable income that consumers used freely first to buy goods and then later on “revenge” spending on services like eating out and travel that were unavailable during the pandemic. Over time inflation caught up and eroded some of that purchasing power. Business starts jumped and were sustained through Biden’s term. The change has persisted to the point some economists see a revival of entrepreneurialism.

One key difference while considering employment rates: Rising immigration under Biden allowed job growth to
continue at a higher level than it might have otherwise, absent higher wages.

Trump’s administration thought tax cuts would boost private investment, and economists feel it did at least in the short term. Biden, by contrast, has steered public investments to what are seen as strategic industries and infrastructure.

An comprehensive economic analysis between the Trump era and the Biden one indicates that the American economy
was robust under both administration with the single largest distinction being the pandemic induced challenges.
Inflation has been Biden’s biggest headache and Americans are highly pessimistic of the economy if Biden were to
continue. That is not the case with Trump but what is also not the case with Trump is that he inherited a strong
economy, while Biden got one facing the convolution of the pandemic.

The Final Word:

The haplessness of 2024 US Presidential election is largely embedded in the substandard choice of candidates available to the American citizens. Considering the track records and propensities of both the candidates, it is not difficult to conclude that Mr. Biden is the better choice, however, he must not be elected. The President of the US is in no shape to lead the country, through such tumultuous times, for four more years. Trump might make more bad choices than Biden, but he’ll at least know the choices he is making.

Our conclusion of Biden being the better performer is also based on the stellar legislative proceeding in his tenure. The Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act are among pivotal pieces of legislation that seek to bolster American competencies and revitalising US industries. Although, Mr. Biden’s choice of Vice President, Kamala Harris, does seem to hold her position due to political imperatives rather than actual capabilities, Trump was no better. The former US President is habitual for relying on family, and a second Trump administration is likely to again witness hefty family involvement in policy making and other White House undertakings. Although, the members of the family might be substituted within. The overturning of the Roe v. Wade and the ensuing threats to women reproductive rights is another factor that the American voters must contemplate thoroughly. As a second Trump administration in all likelihood will cause further restrains on women’s health and reproductive rights.

Europe and traditional US allies are already bracing for a second Trump administration while American adversaries are anticipation better prospects. Our’s is deeply divided and fraught world, which continues to corrode in face of novel existential threats that we collectively face; Trump by imposing his persona over longstanding US policies and worldview, could actually work more conveniently for the US through his personal chemistry with likes of Putin and Kim. But, how that partnership and bonhomie fares out for humanity – is the real question.