Biden Is Not The Answer To America’s Deep-Rooted Problems
There’s a reason why Trump won in 2016 and Biden barely won in 2020
Come January, the terror of the Trump administration will be over. I’ve watched America ignite itself on fire for the last 4 years. I’ve watched racism, bigotry, and just plain stupidity take over what used to be a great country. While I do have my biases against American policies as a Canadian, I always considered America to be one of the greats.
America is the land of the free and creativity, the birthplace of the Wright brothers, and some of the best fast food joints in the world.
Trump had his appeal in 2016
I understand why Americans voted for Trump in 2016. He vowed to bring jobs home, he wasn’t a political elitist. He was a businessman, a regular guy who just happened to be a billionaire. The promise to “make America great again” was a strong and powerful motto that ultimately drove him into the White House.
Trump gave the American people the chance to be themselves, good or bad. As a society, we’re often told to help others, be empathetic, be nice. This is the way to succeed in the world. Being generous is the way we can live with ourselves, build good karma. We hide the bad parts of ourselves and only showcase the good. But Trump is a clear example of how selfish and aggressive people can succeed, and even become president of the United States.
There’s no changing the fact that we are all inherently selfish. We have prejudices and there are obvious reasons why we don’t act on them. We hide this part of ourselves because we don’t want to be shunned by our community or feel guilty about who we are.
Trump gave us an out.
He was unlike any other candidate who ever ran before. He wasn’t a politician, he could care less about gun control which suited Americans just fine, and he did not carefully craft his words. He spewed whatever came to his mind with no filter.
Trump was a breath of fresh air to those who despised Obama.
The worst in people was brought out under Trump’s reign
Every country in the world is wrought with racism, bigotry, and civil unrest to some degree.
Under the Trump administration, the worst in humans were brought to the forefront. In Trump’s defense (I never thought I’d say that in a million years), he was not the cause of the sickness that overtook America under his reign. He simply gave the racists, bigots, anti-abortion groups, white supremacists a platform to stand on. He gave the racists the courage to be racist. Sometimes, people just need permission. In the right environment, even a benign tumor can become incredibly dangerous.
“The Trump administration is at least as much a symptom as a cause of the illness in our politics, and that illness won’t go away with Trump’s departure” — Bonnie Kristian
After the last 4 years, there wasn’t much Americans could do in terms of shock factor. Instead of uniting people after the death of George Floyd, the nation’s deep-rooted stems of racism came to life. Lives were intentionally endangered during the worst health crisis this world has seen in the last century. But what really shocked me to the core was seeing people chant “Stop the count!” after election night.
Thousands protested against the American democratic system. Stopping the count would mean uprooting American democracy. Yet they still chanted.
Biden has a tough presidency ahead of him. It’s impossible for him to reverse all the damage done in the last 4 years. It’s impossible to convince 70 million people to reject Trumpism. It’s impossible to understand why 70 million still voted for Trump after witnessing and experiencing the downfall of human integrity and decency as we know it.
Biden has had a strong political career but he’s not the antidote to the poison that’s infected America.
Biden is a band-aid, actually, more like a tourniquet. He can’t heal the nation but he can keep it from bleeding out and getting even more infected. Band-aids aren’t nothing. Band-aids start the healing process.
America has deep-rooted issues that can’t be fixed in 4 years
With 70 million people voting to keep Trump in office for another term, it’s obvious that there are some deep rooted issues. The world was shocked by the mass shooting in Columbine, but now, a mass shooting seems to be a sad regular occurrence. The States have managed to normalize one of the greatest and most preventable tragedies this world will ever experience — kids killing kids with guns. Millions reject gun control as mass shootings take innocent lives, police brutality persists and the utter disdain and violence on another person’s life is tolerated.
Gun violence continues. Racists are emboldened. Anti-abortion groups and white supremists are on the rise.
Half the states turning red during election night should’ve been a red flag. Protesters on the streets chanting “Stop the Count” should’ve been a clear sign that the next 4 years will be tough.
America wouldn’t have disintegrated if there weren’t deep-rooted issues. There’s a reason why people still voted Trump in. People are now much more comfortable spewing racial slurs. There is a general distrust of the government (now more than ever after Trump), the huge political divide in the country, and a raging pandemic.
Despite Biden’s political career, he still wasn’t that convincing of a candidate
Biden ran for the presidency twice before the 2020 campaign, once in 1988, and then again in 2008 but withdrew when he placed fifth in the Iowa Democratic caucus that year. He went on to serve as Obama’s vice president.
Suffice it to say, he has one hell of a political resume.
Even so, his campaign wasn’t that memorable, even boring. The message to unite the country was overshadowed by Trump’s COVID parties (…rallies). Trump interrupted Biden every chance he got at the debates. All in all, the media focused on Trump rather than the ideas and policies of Biden.
While I have no doubt that he has the political prowess and ideas to move the country forward, the best thing Biden had going for him was that he was not Trump. And that was probably reason enough for the majority of Biden supporters.
Biden isn’t necessarily the president that 70 million Americans want but between him and Trump, he’s definitely the president the country, and possibly the world, needs right now. He’s the bridge to a better future. A future where women’s decisions for their own bodies are respected, a society that condemns white supremacists groups rather than advocates for them, and a future where basic human decency prevails.
“But just because we’re almost done with the utter chaos of Trump doesn’t mean the country is cured of its ills.” — Scaachi Koul
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