On Tuesday 3 November, the United States will hold a Presidential election and the building tension is can already be felt world over. Many commentators have argued that this election is a fundamental test of democracy for the US, and people have started providing serious advice to US citizens on how to both prevent and prepare for a coup d’Etat.
Meanwhile, as we live through a global pandemic, we are crashing through a number of climate tipping points — exponentially increasing the threat of climate catastrophe.
Things aren’t looking too good, are they?
It’s tempting at this point to blame 2020 for the almost comically bad situation we are facing right now. But here’s the thing: this isn’t bad luck or even some kind of testament to the power of numerology. This dire situation was predictable and even, sadly, preventable. We walked right into it — or, at least, we allowed ourselves to be led here.
One significant downside to this fact is that 2021 is not going to magically resolve these issues. In fact, they are likely to get worse. On the flip side, it does mean that the power to correct our course is absolutely in our hands, if we are willing to do what it takes.
And this brings me back to the US Presidential election.
'If liberated from endless focus group and poll driven policies, maybe our progressive parties could take a more courageous and principled approach to the challenges that are facing our country and our planet.'
The global focus on the US election is entirely understandable. The US exerts a significant and disproportionate influence on global politics, and the Trump administration’s approach to democracy, rule of law, human rights, climate justice and global health have all been incredibly damaging. If Trump does stay in office, by democratic election or otherwise, 2020 may start looking like a high-water mark in global wellbeing.
However, it would be a mistake to conclude from this that Biden’s election would represent some kind of turning point. Biden is a moderate candidate. He represents the ‘middle ground’ and is known for being willing to compromise with the opposition and for taking a ‘pragmatic approach’ to policy. So, while Biden’s election would certainly buy us all more time, it is unlikely to result in any significant change to the crises that we are currently facing.
This is a familiar story. We have seen a similar approach in relation to Australian politics,