November 06, 2024 08:47 EDT
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| Dear FO° Reader, Donald Trump is president again in a comeback for the ages. Kamala Harris has been consigned to the dustbin of history. Republicans are jubilant, Democrats are despondent and a lot of the world is still reeling from the news of Trump’s victory. One of us is in Geneva and the other is in New York. Yet both of us have been following the US elections for months if not weeks. The US elections are almost like the world championships of elections where everyone watches but only the Americans get to play.  On YouTube and via email, one of us gets asked for political donations multiple times a day. The US elections have become more of a fundraising exercise than a contest about ideas or policies. Every candidate is constantly asking for money and the sums involved are obscene. Democrats like to paint Donald Trump as an existential threat to democracy. However, we see him as a symptom of a much deeper problem. Democracy is declining worldwide, and the promise of the days when the Berlin Wall fell seems a long time away. We could theorize, and numerous analysts are certainly doing so, but three key reasons for this crisis in democracy are the failure of elites, rising economic inequality and a cost-of-living crisis even for middle-class families. The graph below about food inflation and weekly earnings perhaps tells us why American voters have been feeling unhappy for the last few years. This unhappiness has enabled Trump to win the votes of a majority of Americans for the very first time. Note that he failed to get the popular vote in both 2016 and 2020. So, this election is historic.  FOI, July 2024
After such a historic election, it is time for introspection. A lot of things are going wrong with our politics, geopolitics, economics and society. Local communities have withered in an age of Amazon-led consumerism. People can order things online by clicking a button without interacting with anyone, and local shops have been dying. Many people are addicted to their smartphones where social media algorithms suck them into rabbit holes and echo chambers. Naturally, we live in polarized societies. To look back at the past with rosy eyes is nostalgic, but we have had more optimistic and less optimistic times. Times when people have a sense of community and forge a positive identity are inspiring. When India was fighting for independence, Mahatma Gandhi ran an ashram, marched defiantly to break salt laws by the sea and ran three newspapers. When the US was fighting for independence, Benjamin Franklin published the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanack. Today, The Washington Post and The Atlantic are both owned by billionaires. The BBC and Al Jazeera are funded by two governments. Note that these are reputable organizations, and we respect them. But we are only too aware that what they publish will always represent certain interests and reflect the mindset and cultures of limited social circles. What they see should interest us. What they propose as a definitive analysis or even a solution to a complex problem will always require more perspective. At a time when Trump is back, Fair Observer provides you that antidote to both billionaires and governments. We firmly believe that we matter now more than ever. So, share this newsletter with your friends and sign up as a recurring donor to support the media of the people, for the people and by the people. Atul Singh Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Roberta Campani Communications and Outreach P.S. Please find below five articles for you to read. The World This Week: The Age of Donald Trump by Atul Singh (July 24, 2016) The Future of US Vice President Kamala Harris by Atul Singh (September 4, 2022) No, Trump Is Not the End of US Democracy. It Never Existed by Anton Schauble (November 5, 2024) If She Loses, Part 1: Kamala Wrong on the Issues by Christopher Roper Schell (November 5, 2024) If She Loses, Part 2: Kamala’s Campaign Didn’t Resonate by Christopher Roper Schell (November 5, 2024) Scholars, Fascists Agree: Trump’s Not a Fascist, but an Opportunity by Matthew Feldman (November 5, 2024) |
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