The US elections

Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the US elections turned all types of conventional and rational predictions on their heads. All major national polls predicted the victory of Clinton. She also won all three presidential debates against Trump. Many stalwarts of Trump’s Republican Party repudiated him because of his extremist views. Credible accounts of Trumps’ misogyny and harassment of women came forward. Trump refused to release his tax returns, allegedly because of massive tax evasion. But, Trump has won. One wonders: what could be the reason of his victory?

The main reason for Trump’s surprise victory was his pandering to fear, hate and discontentment of the US public. He played with the fear of Americans by giving impression that all Muslims were terrorists and no Muslims will be allowed to come to the US. Similarly, while exploiting the discontentment of the working class White Americans, he blamed the Mexican and Latino immigrants for taking all jobs and creating unemployment for the White working class. Various international trade deals and globalisation were blamed for the shrinking of the manufacturing sector. In short, he pandered only to the white majority by demonising all minorities. In the end it was a victory of hate and fear over hope and reason.

Akbar Jan Marwat.

Islamabad

*****

November 9, 2016 was a historic night in the history of the US election. The champions of democracy elected Donald J. Trump to lead the Oval Office. Americans elected that person as their president whose presidential campaign was loaded with racist and sexist comments, open hatred towards Mexicans and Muslims was shown, derogatory remarks against women were made, the opponent, Hilary Clinton, was threatened to be sent to jail, among others. This shows the mindset of voters in the US who have elected a temperamental, irresponsible and erratic person to lead the most powerful country of the world.

One wonders how a person like Trump, with no exposure of any public office whatsoever, will soon become a part of confidential briefings on national security and international affairs. Interesting times ahead.

Sheikh Taimur Nawaz

Islamabad