Donald Trump is the 45th American President.
Let that sentence sink in for a moment. I woke up this morning to the polls tipping in favor to Trump over Hillary, and in less than an hour – my news app reminded me what was wrong with politics in today’s world. Am I surprised? Not really. But did I really expect Trump to win? I was somehow baking on the rationality of Americans to at least weigh in Trump’s unsavory remarks and character. But here we are: Trump has won.
I think there needs to be a deeper examination as to what is leading to the recent global trend to move to the alt-right. The fears and worries of the public has always hinged on the fact that they feel disenfranchised. Lack of state funds to develop their economic and social needs, the rising cost of living and other things that are unmet by a failed political system.
For Americans, it can only be the tightening grip of the economic slump felt by real-day Americans, despite economic statistics showing otherwise. That, on top of ideological and regional conflicts against radical Islamists, China and Russia. There is a fear (artificially or otherwise) perpetuated against outside forces and communities. Donald Trump knew exactly whose fire he was stoking when he proposed building a wall down the Mexican border, and who he meant to keep out.
Another recent example would be Brexit, which the government is now currently trying to sort the messy legalities and a nation with a bad hangover to nurse from. The Leave campaign leaned strongly on anti-immigration sentiment and a notion to grab back political and economic sovereignty from the E.U. Only by building walls, can you fortify your kingdom on your own terms.
There are similarities between Brexit and Trump winning the American Presidential Elections. Both are riding on the sentiment of fear and anger of disenfranchised communities, all who feel that the current political system has failed them on all counts. Claims that the political system is held by those who sit in their ivory towers, out of touch with the nation’s reality is often mentioned. Crooked, that’s what Trump calls Hillary Clinton. A word that underpins everything that comes with being a political insider and what we perceive of politicians in general.
It is no wonder that we’re now moving towards the political alt-right. Not because of ideology. But because we’re tired of a system that is controlled exclusively by insiders, and unsympathetic towards the social and economic reality of the everyday man. Those who voted Leave, or who picked Trump in the ballot boxes are not necessarily racist, homophobic or hateful. It just happens that a demagogue came along, aware of the political reality and the community’s anguish – and spoke to their fears.
We’re part of a broken system. And until its social and economic components are given a hard needed critical examination to fix these problems – we may forever walk down the path of populists who do little than to rile up emotions.
Recommended Reading: