Global repercussions of the US election

As the world’s biggest military and economic power, the actions of the US have global implications. The alliances and the US troops in the Middle East and the ongoing trade war with China are classic examples. The ongoing US election process which started since the nominations, the campaign, and the outcome of the November 3 elections will have more repercussions in the political, economic and ecological environment and prospects of most of the world for many years to come.

As one of the largest democratic governments of the world and a leading proponent of democratic ideology, existing and aspiring democratic regimes look for guidance and examples from the US practices. Even non-democratic regimes are closely watching the US elections to learn what may be useful to them to appease their people, or to stave off more libertarian demands on them. While the way the campaign by the Republicans, Democrats, and particularly Trump has been going is not entirely ethical and moral, it still exudes freedom of expression, media freedom, accountability, and fairness. Many of the ongoing political activities happening in this US campaign and elections, would not be allowed in many places and could get people arrested and killed in half of the countries in the world. So, the US election season is still democracy in action even with its shortcomings. Truth, justice, fairness, and accountability are visible and have surfaced in the campaign and in the election results, regardless of who will be the winner.

The death of democracy as a system of government has been constantly debated over the years but half of the almost 200 countries worldwide are practicing some form of democracy. In the past decade, even with the rise of populist political leaders, the fire of libertarian aspirations, and the rekindling of freedom embers, shows that democratic aspirations never die. It may be stifled, arrested, and imprisoned but will always be there to resurrect when the time comes. All authoritarian regimes will have to contend for the longing for equality and liberty, so that many have conceded these principles in the economic side of their governance, while withholding these in the political environment.

Before the onset of the election season in the US, Trump took an anti-globalization stance that had the US withdraw or redraw many trade alliances and agreements. They re-configured NAFTA, aborted the Asia-Pacific trade alliance, and started a trade war with China. Make America first was promoted, restricted technology transfers, and encouraged economic isolationism. Trump was unhappy with NATO, the United Nations and its agencies, restricted immigration of even highly-skilled and science workers which the US needed. It even banned or restricted the export and import of high technology goods and services. The US elections have highlighted these predicaments and its impact on the US economy in the intermediate and long term, and these are to be resolved after the elections, again regardless of who will be the winner.

The current Republican/Trump administration does not believe in or adhere to climate protection and ecology. They are not sure of “global warming”, even with the extreme weather gyrations and melting of the ice caps in the Arctic and the Antarctic. Trump has withdrawn the US from the Paris Accord, which is an agreement on restricting carbon emissions in the years to come, and is pushing back on vehicle emission standards in the US. This is an area where the Tru mp Republicans and the Biden Democrats are totally divergent. Biden believes in ecological sciences and will cooperate with the rest of the world in preserving ecological balance. Trump does not believe in the sciences including medical science, that is why the US is failing in the current COVID pandemic.