Politics Across the Pond

Today Hillary Clinton formally accepts the Democratic Nomination for President, which makes me think, how did American politics even get here? Obama was supposed to be a victory for progress in the United States; he was a liberal, a voice of hope and change, and America's first black President. And yet 8 years after the USA first elected him, the Republican Candidate is the most divisive mainstream candidate in recent American history, openly calling for Muslims to be banned from the country and accusing Mexican migrants into the USA of being drug dealers and rapists. With such a terrible candidate at the helm of the Republican Party you'd expect the Democrats to be polling far ahead of them, and yet polls show them level and in a couple of instances Trump even leads against Clinton. That's because Clinton represents the very political establishment and elite that so many in America are fed up with, and she cannot gain the trust of the American people.

In all probability the USA will elect either Clinton or Trump as President, and the American people will face further neoliberal economic policies from Clinton's side, with free trade deals, such as TPP, stripping away fundamental rights, and giving corporations almost limitless power over workers and states, or increased polarisation, violence, and openly discriminatory policies from Trump's side. Trump is very much the candidate or rebellion, as he claims to oppose the political establishment and promises to change the way the country is run, which appeals to huge swathes of a population that has been disenfranchised and become disheartened with politics as usual, whilst Clinton has become the "Not Trump" candidate, professing moderate liberal policies and hoping that enough people will decide that Trump just isn't worth the risk to ensure her path to the White House is secured. It's essentially a choice between the lesser of two evils, where the two evils are monstrosities.

There was another potential contender in the Presidential Race until recently however, and Bernie Sanders would have represented a break with the neoliberal consensus. Had the Democratic National Congress not conspired against him there is a very real possibility it would be a social democrat standing against Donald Trump and true progressive change could have been achieved. However Sanders didn't manage to win the Democratic primaries, and it is essentially a choice between the same old politics that exploits ordinary people, or a new radical politics that has the potential to tear the country apart. The American two-party system has resulted in a disastrous choice, and no matter the result the country will not come out a better place.

Unless the American people did something radical. There are two other candidates in the running for President; Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, and Jill Stein of the Green Party. Gary Johnson should be commended for his social views, as he openly supports civil liberties, increasing the rights of minorities, and standing up for the oppressed. But his economic views are far from satisfactory, with openly stated support for economic liberalisation, increased privatisation and TPP, which will help strip away the rights of the people to stand up to corporate entities. Which leaves Jill Stein. Jill Stein doesn't support the killing of innocent civilians in far away countries. Jill Stein doesn't support reducing civil liberties and taking away the rights of workers and the state. Jill Stein doesn't support protecting big business at any cost. Instead, she supports the rights of the little guy, whether that's workers, minorities, or anyone else being suppressed by the establishment. She also supports greater environmental protections, and facing the reality of climate change that so many others seem to deny. Unlike Clinton and Trump she recognises that fracking is a very harmful process, and recognises that a lot more needs to be done to protect the environment. The only real progressive candidate is Jill Stein, and unlike the others who have some negatives and positives, she really does represent progress on all issues; from the economy to the environment to social issues.

The United States of America faces disaster, unless her citizens decide that now really is the time to do things differently. Now is the time to challenge the economic consensus, and to challenge the politics of hate. The millions of people who voted for Bernie Sanders didn't vote for him because he was the lesser of two evils, they voted for him because he appealed to the many who had been ignored for so long. That movement needn't die, and Jill Stein is the best chance the USA has for progress. Jill Stein won't become President, but every vote counts, and if enough people vote for change progress really can be made. Progress can be built on, and regardless of who wins, change is coming in America.