by LUKE ZUNGA
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE 2024 American elections have been won by Donald Trump, Republican party senators and house of representatives, to the loss of Kamala Harris and the Democrats.
Kamala Harris lost not because of who she is, but what Bill Clinton said, praising the United States President Joe Biden for standing up against Russian President Vladimir Putin without addressing the issues at stake.
Harris lost because Biden failed to lead the world, and it does not appear she will have her own mindset, unless she said so.
It means the grain in the Democrats is cast into these wars. It is predictable that under a Democratic party President the war in Ukraine will continue until Russia is defeated or humiliated.
That is after huge loss of life, high cost of living, energy and food chain disruptions, sanctions of countries and people collateralized into war. That is dreaded!
The Trump camp, at the launch of the 2024 election campaign said “strong men do not start wars”.
It is probable that Trump will stop the war in Ukraine. Trump was one of a few US Presidents, who did not start a war during his term. He warned that Biden will lead the world into the Third World War. I cast Biden as fixated with “Allies”, this world war theme of Normandy landings.
The Israeli-Hamas war is towards an end, as thousands of people have already been massacred and only the US President can capitalize to stop the war. It does not matter now which American President will prevail.
On the domestic front US citizens are appalled by billions spent on the war in Ukraine, a country which technically is not an ally as Ukraine is not yet a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
These billions of dollars would be needed to help Americans who are under pressure from cost of living and declining incomes. Black Americans would vote for Trump because he is saying let us care for Americans first to address their plight.
The Trump victory shows that American politics is equally a barometer of the entire world. The mood of the world was already set by the French and British voters.
French politics produced a hung 577 seat Parliament, forced by the leftist New Popular Front, which garnered 182 seats to push down Emanuel Macron centrist Ensemble to 168 seats.
The desire for war pruned both Emmanuel Macron and right-wing Maine Le Pen and her 28-year Jordan Bardella, Le Pens hard right National Rally dropped to a mere 143 seats.
The British elections toppled a simplistic Rishi Sunak, who can be likened to Kamala Harris, in favour of Keir Stammer of the Labour party.
Starmer will not distance himself from the US as British number one partner in world politics but would work well with Trump on a more central approach to Russia. The war in Ukraine hurts Europe more than the US.
Besides, the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS+) summit in Kazan, Russia proved that Putin is not isolated, as Biden and Europe desired.
In Africa, American politics has mixed reactions. There are countries who are looking for handouts. Apart from levels of aid it will not change much. The war in Ukraine affected food and fuel supplies and the cost of living, particularly soon after the COVID 19. Africa may benefit here.
The cause of the Ukraine war points to lack of diplomacy, driven by Biden hog-nosed response to Russian complaints, in his bid to advance the frontiers of NATO to the Russian borders. That cost Harris, and the American voters are saying, ‘stop the wars’.
NB: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author, Luke Zunga, and not those of CAJ News Africa.
– CAJ News