As we can see here, Trump won the key states of Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the last four of which form part of that area of the country badly hit by deindustrialisation and free trade.
Unlike other people on the left who are hysterical over this (I have people on my Facebook feed telling me fascism has come to the US), I am cautiously optimistic, since this is quite clearly a massive blow against neoliberal globalisation.
If Trump does even half of what he promised on economic issues, our current neoliberal order is at an end, and this is a very good thing indeed.
In the next few days, lots of questions need to be asked:
(1) how was it that the polls used by the mainstream media were so wrong?Over the next few days and weeks, the left will pretend that this stunning victory by Trump only had to do with working class anger over austerity, or globalisation, or free trade.
(2) how can people take the mainstream US media seriously given how outrageously biased and corrupt they were in colluding with the Clinton campaign?
(3) will the left finally accept the disaster of mass immigration and the danger of the Islamisation of the Western world?
(4) will the left finally accept that the regressive left is insane and that the vicious left-wing culture of political correctness is dangerous and a major reason for this?
Now these issues are certainly part of the explanation, but unless the left accepts and deals with the reality of (3) and (4), the left is finished. It will implode all over the West, especially in Europe.
This populist right-wing surge will spread to Europe next and it is far from over.
But to return to Trump. Think of it: Trump was opposed by
1. The GOP elite in favour of globalisationAnd yet he still won. WOW.
2. the warmongering Neoconservative elite in favour of globalisation and endless war
3. the corporate neoliberal elite in favour of free trade and globalisation
4. Wall Street in favour of globalisation
5. the media in favour of globalisation
6. vast numbers of pundits and intellectuals in favour of globalisation
7. the Democratic party elite in favour of globalisation
8. the mainstream left in favour of globalisation, and
9. the regressive left.
Already, the hysteria and meltdown of the pro-free trade neoliberal elite that I’ve seen is just a joy to watch.
As far as I am concerned – even if Trump is massively disappointing as president – at this moment in time Donald J. Trump is magnificent.
As I have already said, I am cautiously optimistic, and – if you are left-wing and capable of thinking rationally – you should be too, because this is a death sentence for neoliberalism and a tremendous opportunity for the left to reform itself and purge itself of neoliberalism, multiculturalism, and regressive left insanity. And whatever harm a Republican US Congress may do can eventually be reversed if the American Left gets its act together and purges these grotesque, corrupt, corporate shills and criminals like Hillary Clinton from its leadership.
Finally, this is why we need an Alternative Left now more than ever:
Realist Left
Realist Left on Facebook
Realist Left on Twitter @realistleft
Realist Left on Reddit
Realist Left Blog
Realist Left on YouTube
Lord Keynes on Facebook
Social Democracy for the 21st Century: A Realist Alternative to the Modern Left
Alt Left on the Internet:
Alternative Left on Facebook
Alt-Left on Google+
Samizdat Broadcasts YouTube Channel
Samizdat: For the Freedom Loving Leftist
I’m on Twitter:
Lord Keynes @Lord_Keynes2
https://twitter.com/Lord_Keynes2
There is nothing I can see worse for the problem of extremist Islam than an insanely over politicized public debate. You ever see how it was dealt with in Turkey or how the IRA was dealt with quietly slowly separating crazies from moderates. None of it revolved around a big public debate because that just inflames recruits something we will not be able to control.
ReplyDeleteAlso last I checked he wanted Japan rearmed. If you think Syria and Russia is bad lets try starting wars with China instead.
While I agree on immigration we have been dealing with it including putting thousands of Border patrol offices on the border under both Bush and Obama.
Also did you notice one of the main villains in his little video is soros? The same guy who funds tons of research on Heterodox economics.
I think I can answer.
ReplyDelete(1) Because sometimes people aren't psychics?
(2) Because Trump is insane and the media being biased is irrelevant? I like to call this the argument from anti authority. It goes without saying that this is also guilt by association.
(3) Irrelevant. Why is going to a different extreme any better? Do you expect Trump to deal with this in any sane, rational way?
(4) Also Irrelevant. As bad as they are, I couldn't see any SJWs taking over the white house. (Being in favour of open borders, regardless of whether not that is wrong, does not automatically make you a SJW.) Even if they were, I couldn't see them being reckless with nuclear weapons or destroying the environment. Call me crazy...
Too much blame is being put on the so-called regressive left when supposed non-regressives, such as Maajid Nawaz, Bill Maher, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Nick Cohen and David Frum, supported Clinton.
ReplyDeleteAlso political correctness isn't only a left wing phenomenon; it exists on the centre and right, too. Criticising Israel will get you labelled an "antisemite". Being against war and aspects of Western foreign policy will get you labelled as "anti-West" or as a supporter of dictators. Not wanting to start war with Russia or Iran will get you labelled "anti-American" or smeared as some sort of Kremlin propagandist or Russian spy. Defending Wikileaks or Julian Assange will get you labelled a rape apologist, treasonous or anti-American by neocons.
New Alt Left meme:
ReplyDeleteThe people convinced that Trump is a fascist and that fascism has come to America should be referred to as "the Maquis". I think it would be hilarious and really underline how bizarre there beliefs are - thinking that they are in the same political position as the French resistance fighters in WWII.
Let's see if it sticks.
Trump winning Pennsylvania while losing the four suburban counties around Philadelphia is particularly amazing. I don't believe a candidate for president has won the state while losing Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware county in decades. When one considers the population distribution of the state, rural white voters are a much stronger force than many on the left were willing to accept.
ReplyDeleteHe hasn't won until the Electoral College vote.
ReplyDeleteIn december there will be two important vote: the constitutional referendum in Italia, and election in Austria.
ReplyDeleteWith the referendum in Italia, There will have the end of the Matteo Renzi(if he lose the referendum), the blarist and europeist italian Prime Minister. And that will provoke new election, and the Five Star Movement will probably win. The FSM is an eurosceptic movement, and its leader, beppe Grillo, propose a referendum about euro.
The election on Austia can put Nobert Hofer on power, and he will stop all new iniciative on European Union. It will be the end of EU!
And end of EU, is the end of neo-liberalism oder.
I think you have missed something here.
ReplyDeleteTrump vote (currently a few still to come but not major) is 59.3 million,
Romney in 2012 got 60.9 million.
HC 59.6 million Obama 2012 65.5 million. DNC lost 6 million votes.
It looks like it was the 'left' (due to the Sanders issue) who deserted her.
HC lost it not Trump 'won' it
"As I have already said, I am cautiously optimistic, and – if you are left-wing and capable of thinking rationally – you should be too, because this is a death sentence for neoliberalism and a tremendous opportunity for the left to reform itself and purge itself of neoliberalism, multiculturalism, and regressive left insanity."
ReplyDeleteSo basically this would locate the 'left' within the framework of a genuine centre right. Of course, we got there way before you:
"[Front National] has, in addition to their xenophobic rhetoric, proposed a catalogue of economic measures that, aside from their demand to leave the Euro, comes straight out of the golden age of European social democracy: regain control over the central bank and monetize government financing - an insult to economic orthodoxy. They propose to flank this with Keynesian business cycle policy. They reject austerity. But there's more: they want to crush financial market and banking monopolies, partially nationalize trading banks and reintroduce capital controls.
This makes Front National more economically progressive than the entire old guard of European social-democratic parties stuck in a rut of third wayism, and it means they have more substantial and bold positions than any of Europe's new left parties, from Germany's Die Linke over Greek Syriza to Spanish Podemos."
https://mpcdot.com/forums/topic/8767-culturally-appropriating-the-frankfurt-school/page__st__20#entry277952
teehehehehehee
Oh and btw, Trump made a particular effort to signal his willingness to find common interest rather than conflict with other powers, and Putin immediately responded by stating Russia was ready to work with Trump to reset the relationship, and indeed to make compromises where necessary.
ReplyDeleteGuess we can call a halt to the bunker construction for the moment. WWIII was just taken off the menu.
It looks like turnout was low, which probably hurt Clinton and helped Trump.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/9/13573904/voter-turnout-2016-donald-trump
http://fox6now.com/2016/11/09/wisconsin-election-turnout-near-20-year-low/
I am not all that optimistic outside of the fact that the TPP is likely dead now. Trump will need to make amends with the Republicans in Congress in order to govern. His administration will likely be full of Republican retreads like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani and Reince Priebus.
I think Trump will turn out to be a phony populist and that there will be much buyer's remorse when he makes up with the Republican establishment, which he will need to do in order to govern. The Republicans hate the ENTIRE Left, not just the regressive Left.
Also, Alt-Right guys will be disappointed when there are no mass deportations because the Republican business lobby doesn’t want to lose their cheap labor pipeline. We are much more likely to get a guest worker program, which will still hurt American workers.
On the bright side, this was a clear rejection of Third Way/New Democratic politics, and hopefully we will never have to deal with the awful Clinton clan again. The Democrats have been losing badly since 2010, outside of Obama’s victory over the unlikeable plutocrat Mitt Romney. The Democrats and the Left really need to reconnect with regular people and dump all of the identity politics nonsense. You can’t call white working-class people bigots, morons, losers, hillbillies, etc., and then expect them to vote for you.
I'm cautiously optimistic about Trump, and eternally pessimistic about Congressional Republicans, who only faced minor losses (2 Senate seats it currently seems, and I believe net 8 house seats).
ReplyDeleteFor the Left-wing in America, this means:
Likely efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank Financial Regulation, and roll-back efforts to transition to clean energy (at least the new EPA regulations it seems).
Also, he'll get to fill not only Antonin Scalia's current vacancy, but others as well, seeing as how Breyer and Ginsburg are both old. They'll probably hold it out, and I imagine Breyer will live for at least 4 more years, but there's major doubt if Ginsburg does. Also, Anthony Kennedy and maybe Clarence Thomas will likely retire.
Remember, the only way to get corruption out of the American political system is to first get rid of Citizens United.
However, there is the chance that the Left groups together and tries to go for a more Bernie Sanders direction. Cut back on some immigrants - without the hostility and xenophobia, while being more direct about his agenda of creating more economic equality and opportunity.
Hopefully we'll get some infrastructure packages and changes in Trade, but remember that the Congressional GOP will likely stop that. We'll see how far he gets - we may just get increased defense spending.
And who knows if the Congressional GOP starts to go after Social Security and Medicare (Paul Ryan has salivated over this prospect for awhile).
Only happy that escalation with Russia is likely to stop now.
ReplyDeleteHow is "islamisation of the West" of any relevance here ? or for the reconstruction of some good old bread and butter left ?
Trump did worse among white voters than Romney.
ReplyDeleteAnd did better than black and latino voters than Romney.
What?
BTW, Lemure, the economic policies advocated by the french national front are much more ambiguous than what the text you quote says. For example, they are loudly complaining about the budget needing to be balanced, the burden of debt etc.
ReplyDeleteAt some point their lead promised that she would peg the new franc to the euro. So no competitive devaluation.
Two very very orthodox points isn't it ?
Among their economic advisers you find one or two decent heterodox and a bunch of free market cultists and austrians... So it is not totally unfair to assume that all their "social turn" is an electoral manoeuver.
Pardon me whilst I be the fly in the ointment, here:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/i5PpuGZzyFc
That's the take on the matter from the Corbett Report. Although they are heavily AnCap leaning, I think their take on things is pretty well grounded in research and verification. Let's open our minds up a bit and for once put aside the knee-jerk reactions of "Conspiracy Theorist!"
Trump is just another installment of, by and for the powerful according to Corbett. Looks like some stuff tying Pence to the Anthrax False Flag will be elaborated on in future installments.
OTOH, we def should be glad Hillary lost:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cotwa.info/2016/11/it-is-good-that-clinton-lost-last-night.html
Up your alley, LK.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/11/the-old-democrat-wall-street-plus-identity-politics-playbook-is-dead.html
I wonder who has been talking to Ferguson lately... ;-D
http://theweek.com/articles/661031/how-liberals-totally-blew-donald-trump
ReplyDeleteLK, some stuff I thought you'd appreciate. Glen Greenwald addresses the Democrats inability to grasp both Brexit and Trump:
ReplyDeletehttps://theintercept.com/2016/11/09/democrats-trump-and-the-ongoing-dangerous-refusal-to-learn-the-lesson-of-brexit
https://youtu.be/WZskz8MprfM
The Sane Progressive on "8 Years of Obama Enacting Bush Betrayals, Nada. 1 Day Trump, Left Protests in Streets":
https://youtu.be/EimmW-OJcV0
Where's Ken B at? If memory serves correct, he had stated a few weeks back that President Elect Trump would be appealing due to the meltdowns from liberal types. While I share Tiberias' reservations about Trump's presidency, I must admit that I have found the meltdown of liberal types who backed Hillary and ignored her obvious flaws very satisfying.
ReplyDeletePresident-Elect Trump is glorious!
DeleteI still worry about President Trump but this week has been AWESOME. Beyond my hopes and dreams.
What the democrats do not understand is that many voted for trump very trepedatiously. I bet every single one of those voters is feeling much better about his choice now. And the same with a lot of reluctant, tepid Hillary voters. I bet a lot of them are feeling relieved. The battle for the middle swath of the electorate, who are concerned but will try to be fair, is raging and liberals and democrats are getting killed, just killed, this week. If the vote were held today Trump would break 50% easily. I shouldn't point it out, as the first rule is never stop your opponent when he making a blunder, but I am confident they won't pay attention.
Take a glance at Trump's likely foreign policy (http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/11/10/inside-general-flynns-brain/). You spent months fearmongering about Clinton's neoconservative tendencies, only to wind up with a full-blown neocon Reaganite in office. Congratulations.
ReplyDelete