THE FORCED CHOICE OF PHILOSOPHY

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, New York Office, 2020

Morocco World News, 2024

This analysis discusses the 2024 US Presidential Election and the difficult choice many voters need to make in view of the US unconditional support for Israel regarding its war on Gaza as well as Donald Trump being a presidential candidate and the challenges beyond Election Day.

IGDS Working Papers, 2020

On the announcement of Donald Trump's Presidential victory in November 2016, I published a paper entitled "The triumph of Trump and the failure of the intellectuals". I argued that the rise of Trump to power and the failure of the intellectuals in the media and academia to predict this momentous event, had similar origins. The failure of orthodox social scientists to develop a general dynamic theory of human society had not only contributed to the economic conditions (through flawed policy advice) that Trump exploited, but also to their inability to envisage this eventuality. My 2016 paper attempted to explain these outcomes in terms of the exhaustion of America's old dynamic strategy, the resulting rise in strategic frustration, and the critical need to find an elusive replacement dynamic strategy. This was based on my 'dynamic-strategy theory' and historical examination. In the current paper I expand on this explanation, review Trump's term as President, evaluate his re-election prospects, and discuss the implications for America's future. I conclude that America is at an historical crossroad and that its future is precariously placed. Since I wrote this paper, Donald Trump has been defeated by Joe Biden at the November 2020 Presidential election. What impact will this have on America's future? See my latest paper "America makes its choice of futures! But will it catch the next great wave of history?". In November 2024 Trump was returned to the White House. What does the future hold for America and the world? See my latest paper “Make America Great Again. The strategic roadmap”. IGDS Working Paper # 49 (November 2024).

The presidential election result commented from a long-term perspective...

COUNTERPUNCH, 2020

Today, Saturday, November 7th, we watched Joe Biden become the 46th President of the United States of America through a legitimate electoral process whereby he reached past the electoral college threshold of 270 electoral votes with 279 votes. After Pennsylvania and Nevada finally counted their votes, it was clear Biden and Harris were the winners, and even though votes are still being officially counted in other states. The final vote tally is yet to be known. Regardless, it is also historic because Kamala Harris becomes the first woman Vice-President and the first African-American and Asian-American Vice-President. At least half the country, those who voted for Biden/Harris, breathed a sigh of relief, and knew at least for a while, “fake news”, “presidential lies”, “presidentially-driven conspiracies”, and efforts to delegitimize U.S. institutions would be forgotten, or in any case, not take center stage for some time. Maybe, just maybe, things would return to a kind of normalcy, not seen for four years. Then again, on Fox News they are promoting President Trump’s lies about the election is “not” over?! Moreover, Trump is tweeting: “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” All in caps. It is at this point difficult to imagine how President Trump will gain the electoral votes he needs to win the presidential election. But millions of those who voted for Trump believe the election was somehow stolen and made illegitimate by the Democrats, a true political fantasy created by the president himself and perpetuated by his followers. As if the Democrat donkey symbol also grew a unicorn horn on the day of election and Biden and Harris became fantastical figures out of a Harry Potter novel and magically stole the election because of their secret magic powers and because of the magic cabal they are part of. Such are the conspiracy theories of Trump and his supporters.

Political Insight, 2022

Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections in the US, the article examines the political context in Washington and beyond – and finds few reasons for sitting President Joe Biden to expect his party to retain control of the House and Senate.

In his acceptance speech for president, Joe Biden framed the election in moral terms, stating: “I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness.” He then went on to ask voters to judge him and Trump not by rhetorical promises, but their deeds. Both Trump and Biden have a public record of policy decisions they have supported, making it easy for the informed voter to judge them accordingly. However, many voters make decisions on the basis of many factors, from ideological and political commitment to cultural conditioning based on social class; from self-interest to desperation and hopelessness with political realities; from the need to satisfy an emotional craving and aspirations to a lack of good choices on the ballot.

London School of Economics and Political Science, 2021

With the results of the two run-off elections in Georgia, the framework of Washington during the early stages of Joe Biden's presidency have been set: with Democrats in charge of the White House, the House of Representatives, and (just about) the Senate. Peter Finn cautions that, though the Democrats may well achieve some significant policy goals, they should also expect discord, with Trumpism continuing to be a factor. Following the 2020 US General Election, our mini-series, 'What Happened?', explores aspects of elections at the presidential, Senate, House of Representative and state levels, and also reflects on what the election results will mean for US politics moving forward. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Rob Ledger

The World Views of the Obama Era, 2017

Once every four years, the US, one of the most powerful countries in the world, holds its presidential elections. US elections have always drawn close attention not just from Americans but also from the rest of the world. The global dominance of the US in terms of its political, economic, structural, hard, soft, and smart power is unquestionable, which clearly implies that even the smallest shifts in leadership and their policies can have tremendous impact on global politics. Elections in the US, then, are not solely an American issue. The world watches the process and outcome of the election to predict continuity or change for themselves and the world they live in. Who fills the seat in the Oval Office starting 2017 will impact global strategies for tackling the Islamic State and terrorism, climate change, immigration, refugees, trade, health, education, income, equity, race relations, women's rights, as also may have a significant impact on US relations with Iran,

On January 20, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Beyond the doomsday scenarios for the future of freedom and democracy in America foreseen by the liberal press, the November 8h, 2016, results elicited feeling of deep surprise among many. Despite a scenario that remains highly volatile, however, the American political system has not and will not change all that much. How such continuity in frameworks will affect the job of the 45th president of the United States still remains to be seen.