The deepening of America’s political chasm

The divisive language of Trump’s election campaign has come to fruition in his leadership of the ‘free world’. The reverberations are being felt across the globe and particularly into UK politics. His promises of tax cuts and deregulation have not yet transpired for America’s business world. The economy is soon to shake amongst the disarray.

In a recent article in The Economist – A Divided Country (July, 2017) an analysis of the concerning state of American politics appears on their front page. The rhetoric throughout Trump’s campaign was pure unadulterated vintage Americana, of the days of yore. Trump forgot that America has evolved since the gun toting days of civil war and slavery. In fact Trump harnessed a very poisonous lexicon that has dangerously set American society and culture on a very worrisome trajectory.

The Economist highlights the vapid nature of Trump’s discourse by disclosing the hypocrisy of his pre-election promises. Rather than reforming Obamacare and providing tax breaks for the rich, It looks as though these things won’t transpire. Instead the rich are likely to pay more and his core voter, who he promised to help, through the reform of Obamacare, are going to become ‘sicker and poorer’ (The Economist, June 2017).

The Economist points to the views expressed by the political theorist Francis Fukuyama, who explains that the ‘vetocracy’ in Washington is the source of many woes for the Trump administration. In this sense different governing bodies can overrule or veto any meaningful reform. The red tape that is intended to protect the constitution can at times be cumbersome and laborious to navigate.

It is also no secret that Trump’s reassurring mantra – that he was too rich to be bribed may be true, but his personal business ventures will undeniably influence his decision making. The global enterprise that America is set to become has taken a tumble. Trump’s antagonism to just about everyone in the world is inexplicably self-destructive. The potential for Trans-Pacific trade was massive, but Trump has rejected it. The Trans-Pacific Partnership seems to be in tatters, at the moment, along with any glimmer of Russian diplomacy.

For countries like the UK – attached to America like a toddler in a harness – things couldn’t be more bleak. Trump shunted the UK down his list of places to do business with and he’s postponed his state visit as he feels there would be too many protests – he’d probably be right. Instead of allowing countries to align with his administration and allow for a cross-party agreement, Trump has done the reverse. Furthermore, Trump has walked away from the Paris climate change agreement, which suggests his own personal business associations are more of a priority. It is unlikely that the damage Trump is doing for diplomacy both domestically and abroad will not have negative consequences. However America’s economy is currently gaining strength, but will it last? The future of America’s trajectory will inevitably recover, but the next 5 years are going to be a rollercoaster for all.