TRUMPIAN AMERICA

 

(Based on recent publications on X / Twitter)

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(November 8, 2024)

It is becoming clearer that the consequences of the last American general elections are multiple.

It is important to note that Trump should have a bigger sway this time, since the Republican party will be controlling most branches of the government: the Executive, the Senate, the House of Representatives (in all probability) and the Supreme Court (heavily stuffed with conservatives judges since the time of Trump 1.0).

The probable impact of Trump 2.0 on the fate of the United States may be broadly described in a twofold manner. It should generally prove to be negative economically, but generally politically politically.

On the economic plane, there is a good chance that the popular appeal of what appear like easy fixes through tax cuts and trade barriers would be irresistible. Those kinds of measures will bring beneficial results in the short-term. The problem is that they may bring terrible consequences in the long-term, through multiplication of trade wars, higher costs for the US consumers, growing deficits, booming national debt, increasing difficulties in the selling of bonds, etc. The end result may be a slow impoverishment of a large part (if not most) of the American population, compared with the present situation.

At the same time, the Trumpian Revolution may be beneficial politically, in the long-term. By turning inward, with the adoption of protectionist measures and of an isolationist attitude, the United States may buy time to mend its social wounds, protected by two large oceans. It may cease acting as the world policeman and accept the reality of a multipolar world. Even if its economy became somewhat smaller in time, relative to China's or India's, the country may avoid political disintegration and social meltdown.

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/11/06/the-return-of-trumponomics-excites-markets-but-frightens-the-world

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(November 9, 2024)

The Trumpian movement has decided that climate change is a hoax and that the green transition is therefore irrelevant. "Drill, drill, drill" is the mantra of Trump and of his supporters, convinced that electric cars, solar panels and wind towers are simply parts of a Chinese plot and that the US must rely on fossil fuels.

This is a tragedy for the whole world because their kind of thinking has already infected a good part of US public opinion and because America is still the most powerful country on the planet.

That country's potential for disinformation and the dissemination of falsehoods is strong and backed by the full power of the American governement: the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives (probably) and the Supreme Court.

Political realities and scientific facts do not go well together. At worst, they can form an explosive mix and, at best, have awkward effects and half-bake results.

This is a case in point. What the rest of the world has to do is steer the course, do as much as possible, and try to convince Americans that going back to coal, oil, and natural gas is pure folly.

https://johnmenadue.com/world-teeters-on-brink-as-trump-and-cronies-prepare-to-flood-the-zone-with-shit/

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PLUS:  @charles.millar3 (X-Twitter)