Trying to Understand – Opinions from around the World on Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism
It has been a week since Donald Trump became president elect of the United States of America. Since then many have voiced their “shock and disappointment”, and there has been an increased realisation that there is a growing rift between the current worrying phenomenon and ‘so-called’ Western liberal values. Others have tried to look behind the underlying causes to try to understand how the world got to this point, and question what we can do going forward.
Following the referendum on leaving the EU in the United Kingdom in June, and the continuing rise of populistic movements in Europe, The PACT tried to gather opinions from young people around the world on what they believe is causing the current development, and on how they feel about such worrying rhetoric. For some there is shock, disappointment and anger but there is also hope that this could offer an opportunity to challenge the status quo:
Eilidh, Scotland: Donald Trump’s election to the White House represents a victory for regression over progression; a victory for division over unity. It is deeply saddening that his overtly racist comments; his misogynistic comments and deeds; his homophobic comments; and his inflammatory, misinformed comments about serious global issues including ISIS, Russia and climate change have been endorsed overwhelmingly by the very nation which the liberal school of thought emerged from. It seems unfathomable that a vast swath of people in the world’s most powerful democratic nation voted for someone who argued that all Muslims should be banned from the country; who repeatedly called for a ‘great big wall’ along the Mexico-US border; and who blames gun violence in inner-cities on African Americans, rather than recognising it as a complex issue where blame can be attributed to different agents and factors. The election result has reinforced the idea of the ‘glass ceiling’, and ensured that it remains firmly in place. Those who voted for Trump overlooked the fact that he was accused of 11 counts of sexual assault; his wish to appoint a Supreme Court judge to overturn the law on same-sex marriage; his belief that women who have abortions should be punished; and his denial of climate change.
Along with Brexit in the UK, the election of Trump to the highest office of the most powerful country in the world represents a troubling force in Western politics. It represents a hardening of political views in response to the uncertainties of the neo-liberal world: the forces of globalisation and the attendant increase in both immigration and in socio-economic uncertainty for many. Through playing on the feeling possessed by many Americans of being left behind by these forces, Donald Trump’s alienation of ‘The Other’ has been accepted. However, this response is only likely to create more uncertainty for many people, in the very countries where they should feel secure. It mirrors a pattern which occurred before one of the darkest periods of our modern history. Politicians, with their words and their authority, should be careful of the kind of society they bring into existence.
Rob, Germany: In general, I think politics has become too complicated to be explained in a comprehensive way. Whether this is the fault of politicians, who might have missed opportunities to do so, or whether the people are to blame for not being politically interested or engaged any longer – I would not know. Probably the truth is hidden inbetween. However, the consequence is that politicians need to be trusted to manage all the circumstances and complicated processes in a representative way. And exactly this trust it is, that seems to be missing in so many countries by now. This situation can then be easily abused by some, who present naïve fallacies. For example, Brexit: All those absurd calculations, which apparently showed how much money the EU would take from the UK without alleged benefits… And then Trump and populistic immigration laws… So all in all, one can say, that people such as Trump or Farage do indeed manipulate the voters. I do not believe these people would be so successful, if all voters actually understood the consequences of the proposed policies.
Tara, Canada: It was strange, it wasn’t until Hillary lost that I realized how much I had wanted her to win. I’m Canadian, this wasn’t my election; I mean, it mattered, American politics affect us all, but I didn’t realize how invested I was. I mean, as soon as she announced her candidacy I wanted her to win, I was supporting her from the outside, at first. As the presidential race progressed I began to identify with her more and more. She is the embodiment of strong capable who has been working in a system that’s been against her from that start, a system riddled with sexism down to its core. As she pushed through, I must have been subconsciously registering, that yes, I could push through too. Then she lost, and all the emotions I had been fostering subconsciously by reading about her, and cheering for her, all that came to the surface, and that pain showed me how much it all meant to me. She wasn’t just a candidate to me anymore, she was my hope, she was my representation and I didn’t just want her to win, I needed her to win. I needed this victory for women and girls, because it’s one thing to be told that you can be anything, but it’s another to see the proof. And for women and girls to be shown that they too can win one of the most important roles in the world, be the leader of a country that has been setting a precedent for the rest of the world since the closing years of the 1940s, we needed that.
But I stand by the fact that this is not the end. It hurts, oh god yeah, it hurts, but it’s not the end. It’s important that we acknowledge people who are afraid, and that we tell them they do not stand alone in the face of discrimination and hatred. I stand here as a woman, as a bisexual, and as a survivor of sexual assault, but I also stand with privilege, and I want to use my experiences and my privilege to help others who are afraid, to express to them that they do not stand alone in the face of discrimination and hatred. I encourage others to do the same, to be allies to the people who need our help and to listen and work, to create the safety and equality we all need.
Caitlin, Scotland: When I learned about democracy, it meant a system of fairly elected representatives whose role was to make informed decisions for the betterment of society. An educated group accountable to the people they represent. To me, democracy is about the free and informed participation of citizens. The right to a free and informed vote and say. A system where we elect others to make decisions – not for us, but with us, and on our behalf. We elect these individuals because we think they will know better than us. We elect these people to represent us. We elect these people to do what is good for our society and our communities. We do not elect representatives to lie to us. We do not elect them to make decisions without our consent – outside of mandates and overturning community decisions. We do not elect them because we were made to feel afraid of what would happen if we didn’t. A free world is one where ALL people can participate freely. Where democratic elections take place based on informed consent and accurate information. We cannot say we live in this world when the people who are vying for power use open deceit and fear mongering to gain their support – that is something of an age gone by we should not be seeing again now. Where the ‘free press’ are owned by billionaires pushing their own political agenda – disguised as the facts of the day. Where the rule of law is questioned and fear of your neighbour encouraged. Where ‘news’ doesn’t need to be news anymore, rather a fictional fancy to sell the paper. Where hate crimes go under-reported in favour of the political line fed by those in power, or even worse the cutest cat seen online that week. In a democratic society, the media play an important role in checks and balances. Questioning and criticizing those in power, equally and fairly. That role has been severely diminished over recent years and is all the more important as we begin to self-select our news online.
We cannot ignore the way the people have used their votes in the US election, or the EU referendum. Their voices and frustrations should be heard. But, where lies and deceit are seen as legitimate modes of campaigning – we have a serious problem. It is an injustice to the people of the ‘free world’.
Pedro, Brasil: Voters on the left may have been led to despair by the recent American election results, but there are aspects of the presidential campaign that stress changes in voting behaviour which could bring about positive results in the future. Looking back at the start of the American primaries, what both Sanders' and Trump's campaigns demonstrated was that voters are willing to back underdog outsiders, as opposed to party favourites, whose views resonate better with their own. While that can translate into political events we deplore (Trump), it can also trigger changes we wish for. It may mean that major parties will be forced to rethink themselves – and hopefully the Democrats could come up with something better than New Labour. It may be that new political movements will find their momentum – by mobilizing young voters on the left who supported Sanders. It may be that voters abandon their habit of voting within the traditional lines of major party politics – with third party candidates actually begin to look viable to the broad electorate. What all of these possibilities have in common is that they could be caused by increased disillusionment with the politics of the country, which Trump could do well in triggering. I personally find that thought enticing.
Photo Credit: FlickR User Alan Levine
