As an outsider (I live in Belgium) it feels very weird and dystopian to see everything happening in American politics with Trump and Musk.
On one side, it’s very interesting and almost entertaining; on the other side, it’s scary. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in the USA.
Americans, how do you cope? What’s your take on the situation?
I visited New York years ago (2014, I think), but that’s nothing like other regions in the States, I imagine. Where I live (Bruges), I sometimes stumble upon American tourists in bars, but due to the nature of the places I visit they’re often more open minded.
I think this way of thinking is a big problem in a democratic system. When you vote, you don’t “win” or “lose”. But maybe I compare this too much to the Belgian system. There’s so many political parties to choose from and they have to form a coalition to represent the majority.
Out of curiosity: how do you see the next 4 years evolving? And do you have hope for the next elections?
I might just be a cynic. But I think we just had our last free election. If I know one thing about Trump, I know that he is an honest liar. He will breathe untruths like CO2, but he always makes his intentions nakedly clear. He’s planning on invading countries. He’s already parceling out Ukraine like the West did to the Middle East during the Sykes-Picot treaty.
Give a damn about keeping the EU democratic and healthy. You guys might be our last hope when he finally slams the jail cell door and crowns himself king.
I really believe this hole situation is a big opportunity to strengthen our ties within the EU and create a strong bond. And I hope so as well… The German elections this Sunday will be important
I’m hoping that JD Vance’s hamfisted lunacy shocks some sense into the German people. They need to know what the stakes are. They need to know that the world has its eyes on them. After all, they recovered and rebuilt after festering the last terrible fascist dictatorship that all others have patterned themselves after.
If Germany can shake off AfD and spank them for good, then we have hope.
I’ve had this discussion with a friend of mine at length. He’s an “independent” and votes such. I think an approach to the 2 party system without ranked choice will always be a losing battle. We agree the system is broken, but have vastly different opinions on how we can approach it.
Trying to explain that systemic issues that go back generations cannot be solved overnight. Even 20 years would not be enough to see a large enough change in society, and how others are perceived. Think about it, our civil rights movement was only 60 years ago where people of color and whites were segregated and explicitly did not have equal rights.
Personally, and I hope I’m wrong, I see the next 4 years being a downward spiral. Those who voted for Trump are so closed minded, they grasp for anything that remotely supports their position.
It’s impossible to help those who do not want to be helped.