Politics is a dangerous game, history is witness to the fact that prominent historical figures have risen and ebbed in history thanks to politics, either by a popular uprising or conspiracy. Modern politics is no different, here the game of thrones is far more subtle and advanced, thanks to advances in technology and communication, but the motivating factors remain the same.
The dangers of politics became very clear with the recent assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump. Trump was addressing a Republican rally in the state of Pennsylvania when three shots were fired using an AR-15 sniper rifle. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by a secret service sniper, while the President recovered quickly from the worrisome incident, a few important issues have come up regarding the health and nature of American democracy.
The most important issue is the decline in the democratic credentials of a country which otherwise prides itself as the bastion of democracy. Issues like institutionalised racism, immigration (especially illegal), decline in social values thanks to the menace of wokeism and extreme left-liberal individualism, economic and strategic challenges from China, Russia and Iran, decline of the American smart power have become pressing electoral issues.
Old fault lines are resurfacing, threatening to test the tenacity of American social fabric. Racism is directed not just against African-Americans but also against Hispanics, Indians etc
A Polarised Nation
Unlike the heydays of the 19th and 20th century, American society and polity of the 21st century, especially in the third decade has clearly becoming a polarised country. Racism, especially against American citizens of African heritage in institutionalised form i.e., by the police force has become a national and, in some circles, an international issue, especially in the aftermath of the George Floyd’s death in 2020.
Old fault lines are resurfacing, threatening to test the tenacity of American social fabric. Racism is directed not just against African-Americans but also against Hispanics, Indians etc.
Another pressing issue is immigration, especially from the southern border of the country with Mexico on one hand and record immigration from overseas, especially from India, China as far as the IT sector is concerned. Trump’s campaign based on ‘America First’ slogan on reclaiming jobs from ‘outsiders’, the delay in processing of H1-B visas for skilled Indian IT workers is a testimony to the pressing nature of this concern.
The southern border of USA is especially vulnerable to immigrants’ falling victims to human trafficking and drug dealers creating a law-enforcement problem in the southern parts of the country.
The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered a mammoth and brutal Israeli retaliation has become one of the most consequential events in the US society, especially among students on US university campuses, this has had a spillover effect on US policy and social circles, triggering a showdown between rival groups not only in personal circles but also in professional settings about ideology, something that was buried long ago with end of the cold war. The resultant crackdown on pro-Palestinian protestors on elite university campuses evinced mixed reactions, but one thing that is very clear is that the impact of this polarisation is limited not just to official circles, but has also reached the comforts of one’s home.
America, which prides itself in calling itself the center of global liberal democracy, has a horrific track record of spreading democracy. America-led NATO military alliance has been responsible for destroying countries like Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan etc
Time for Introspection
America, which prides itself in calling itself the center of global liberal democracy, has a horrific track record of spreading democracy. Under the R2P principle, which allows countries to intervene on humanitarian grounds to protect the civilian population from harm and to ‘restore democracy’, America-led NATO military alliance has been responsible for destroying countries like Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan etc. The case of Iraq is especially tragic, where America and Britain invaded the country with the aim of liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein, saving ordinary Iraqis and finding WMDs or Weapons of Mass Destruction, the result – no WMDs were found by the UN weapons inspectors, two decades down the line Iraq still struggles to re-develop itself.
It is time for Americans to introspect, Robert Putnam, a prominent US political scientist in his book Bowling Alone lamented the decline of American democracy, especially the public spirit of the citizens which he hailed as the only way possible to prevent tyranny and decline of the polity.
Americans should take the assassination attempt on Donald Trump as a warning sign. One of the reasons behind the event is the increasing intolerance against people holding different political views and alternate conceptions of how society should be organised. Democracy thrives on a multiplicity of views and opinions; it’s only via a consensus that democracy can function properly. America must make active efforts to metamorphose their democracy from a representative to a participatory one, if they want to ensure their own and American society’s well-being.
–The writer is currently working as a Research Associate at Defence Research and Studies (dras.in) and is a columnist. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
