A Howard University student cries as Kamala Harris admits defeat.Image: trapezoid
analyze
The history of the United States is filled with both magnificent and horrific events. But Donald Trump's comeback has hit a new low. Let great love grow cold.
America has dominated my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid I loved Mickey Mouse and Western comics (made in Germany). I play Cowboys and Indians with my friends. My TV consumption is mostly Hollywood movies and series like Bonanza, Columbo, and Star Trek. America is my guiding light.
Even those who despise “superficial” consumer culture cannot escape his omnipresence and creative superpowers. So much of what we take for granted comes from America, whether it's the supermarket or almost everything digital. No other country has so many Nobel Prize winners.
Love of a Lifetime: Author of the quote Times Square, New York.Image: Watson/Peter Brunski
When I was allowed to travel to my dream country for the first time at the age of 26, I couldn’t wait. It was a great experience, although once I got there I realized that not everything was as great as it seemed from a distance. Regardless, I have never ignored the dark side of American history.
Controversy with Republicans
This doesn’t just apply to slavery or the extermination of indigenous peoples. There is actually never a quiet phase. The post-World War II period was characterized by a huge economic boom, but also by the struggle for civil rights, the hunt for so-called “communists,” and, relatedly, the Vietnam War.
Politically, I've always had issues with America, especially when the Republicans were in power. As a student of Conti's, I was appalled by the reactionary former actor Ronald Reagan. In retrospect, he was almost “sacred” because he never questioned democracy. When Mikhail Gorbachev shook hands with the old communist diner, he accepted.
Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo
The next disturbing figure was George W. Bush, who did everything he could after the horrors of September 11, 2001, something that could only have happened in the United States. wrong thing. The war in Iraq, in particular, was launched with no legitimacy. After 9/11, he squandered his goodwill with Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo.
We don't think it could be any worse than George W. Bush. Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say this?Image source: Associated Press
Bush was a simple man, but he also supported the Constitution and institutions. When the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees could challenge their detention in U.S. courts (a ruling that would be hard to imagine today), Bush and his administration were furious, but they did it anyway.
Trump takes the stage
At the time I and many others believed that things could not get worse than Bush. Things got even worse when Donald Trump entered the political scene. When he won his first election in 2016, he was already a questionable figure. He's just a successful “businessman” on a reality show. In real life, he was a liar who went bankrupt multiple times.
He has since been impeached twice by Congress. He has never accepted the fact that he soundly defeated Joe Biden in 2020. On January 6, 2021, he wanted to prevent himself from losing power through a coup. Several criminal proceedings are ongoing against him. Trump is said to have sexually harassed and even raped women. Many more things could be listed.
Death “City on a Hill”
Yet Americans not only re-elected him as president. They voted for him overwhelmingly. As a result, this man was described by two former generals as a fascist. He expressed his annoyances about racism and sexism during the campaign and indulged in a desire for revenge.
Donald Trump is a man who despises democracy and its institutions. Nonetheless, he will be sworn in as president for the second time on January 20, 2025. And in a country hailed by its first settlers in the 17th century as the “city on a hill,” it's a shining example that successive presidents have cited repeatedly.
Get over the noise
The reality is not always bright, but American democracy has survived countless crises. How could Trump make a comeback? The Democrats certainly share some of the blame. Joe Biden has been in office too long. Even though Kamala Harris performed well in the televised debate with Trump, she still had a deficit.
But even with Abraham Lincoln, Democrats could lose to Trump. Because many Americans are frustrated and turbulent, and even astute observers like Michael Moore and James Carville are reluctant to admit it. Trump’s tirades were ignored or discounted by his base.
distorted perception
It is because of this that some people voted for him. According to the “New York Times” report, they want a “strongman” who will use strong methods to clean up even if American democracy is irreparably damaged. A key reason for this desire for a “dictator” is economics. It’s true: it’s the economy, stupid!
Craving a strongman: Donald Trump’s supporters.Image: trapezoid
Lately we've been reading a lot about how great the US economy is doing and how high average wages are compared to Europe. I could never do much with it. This macroeconomic view ignores the fact that millions of people must live paycheck to paycheck and have virtually no reserves to deal with emergencies.
life gets expensive
Even those whose purchasing power has suffered little from rising wages have chafed at rising prices in recent years. It’s not just about kitchen psychology. In a country with no reasonable welfare state and an expensive health care system, every penny you pay at the supermarket or gas station hurts.
I can use my own experience to describe how expensive life in America has become. In the second half of the 1990s, I lived for a year in my favorite city, New York. I'm a freelancer and don't earn much, so it all depends on my nest egg. But I could still afford a small apartment in downtown Manhattan and an “extra” or two.
Sandwich $30
When I returned for six months during the 2012 election year as a “special correspondent” for 20 Minutes Online, I was already content with my regular salary in Switzerland. New York is no longer an affordable city. The last time I visited two years ago, in the wake of the Trump and COVID chaos, I could only be surprised at the sometimes exorbitant prices.
Whether it's eggs or gasoline: life in America has gotten expensive.Image: trapezoid
Case in point: The legendary pastrami sandwich at Katz's Delicatessen in lower Manhattan now sells for nearly $30. Even with the “tourist trap surcharge” this is obscene. When I first moved in, about 30 years ago, it was less than half the price. Even outside of expensive New York, home prices have risen significantly.
men control women
I understand Americans' anger about inflation. But does this justify men “accompanying” their wives to the polls to prevent them from voting for Kamala Harris? It was a reminder of those terrible times when black people were sometimes violently prevented from exercising their right to vote.
Racism is also part of Trump’s passion, even though the economy would collapse without “illegal” immigration. Trump also scores more points with his anti-woke tirades than many on the left want to realize. This results in a dull longing, even among young people, for the “good old days” that never existed.
sad birthday
Some “Trump understanders” believe he will tone down his behavior in the White House. Even during his first term, things weren't that bad. But he was unprepared; he was surrounded by “adults” who repeatedly stopped him from doing stupid things. Now Donald Trump knows whether he will put hard-line ideologues in key offices.
In two years, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday under a president at war with democracy. The first president, George Washington, famously refused the crown and voluntarily resigned after eight years. Donald Trump may only be stopped by worsening cognitive decline.
something is broken
German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck once said: “The first generation creates wealth, the second generation manages wealth, the third generation studies art history, and the fourth generation wastes it.” Not only looking at the United States, people will ask, this kind of Do insights that apply to entrepreneurship also apply to democracy and the rule of law.
There are bright spots, too (Americans are notoriously hopeless optimists). In California, after the initial shock, resistance to Trump and attacks on environmental regulations are emerging. Despite Trump's endless incitement against trans people, Delaware has had a transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress for the first time.
No, American democracy is not dead, but it appears to be in a coma at the moment. So does my lifelong love of America. She fell into a coma. Will she wake up again? There is still much to admire about this country. But something is broken and can’t be fixed.
