The excitement or concern over the presidential election day in the US, and the prospect of success or failure of either Joe Biden or Donald Trump, along with what can be expected in the fall out of its outcome such as the possibility of a civil war in the country, have occupied the thoughts of many observers. It is interesting though that this is not the concern of Americans within the country.
Of course, some representatives of the media had played their part in creating the delusion of a possible post-election war in the country. But in actual fact, barring some concerns over possible riots caused by anarchist supporters of either camp, there will be no war.
In a country where democratic institutions: The Constitution, the Congress and the Senate guarantee individual and social freedoms and rights and the governance of the country, rest assured that there will be no war and bloodshed in the United States on Tuesday.
Reports circulated some two days ago talked of carpenters who had their busiest days in the country by making protective boards for the windows of large shops, famous boutiques and even banks and trade centers.
There is indeed some concern in the United States in the aftermath of the election and the possibility of riots and crisis, but the reasons behind any such events are both related and unrelated to the election.
It is related to the election in the sense that - like in many parts of the world - there are opportunists who would use the failure or success of candidates to cause unrest, insecurity and riot in order to create a favorable atmosphere to plunder.
It is not related to the presidential election for the sheer fact that the experience of the past summer and the movement of “Black Lives Matter” demonstrated that the approach of the police towards Black Americans was used by thugs and the lawless as an excuse to plunder and destroy public property in several cities. As a result, there is currently no public trust among the average American in the motives behind protests.
A good example of it could be seen a few days ago in Philadelphia where “protesters” against the killing of a Black man at the hands of the police, turned into “looters” of department stores after midnight. The unrest created by the lawless and the looters had nothing to do with the killing of a Black man. It was followed by two nights of curfew and the declaration of the state of emergency in Philadelphia. A political protester or an advocate of a movement can never be a plunderer and an anarchist.
The Wall Street protests (September 2011) attracted a large crowd to the streets, but there was no looting and no destruction. It seems that the economic crisis along with widespread unemployment and poverty caused by the closure of businesses following the coronavirus pandemic are the real reasons behind recent looting which have camouflaged those who are taking advantage of the situation.
For all this, we should differentiate between concerns over clashes between protestors against the result of the election and those who deliberately create commotion in the society. We should say that boarding up shop windows has not been due to the fear of street war but as a repellent against night looters who might use election results as a disguise for their ulterior motives.
In a country with 300 million people and that is as vast as a continent, lawlessness or riots in some cities do not represent a national crisis.
Concerns expressed by foreign observers over the situation in the US as they advertise it, is more about the result of the election and a gesture of appeasement to the next president of America, for they are well aware that there will neither be unrest nor clashes between the people themselves.
On Sunday morning when I went out to buy my groceries, I spotted nobody panic-buying out of fear of war shortages nor any concern among passers-by.
Americans who live in this country do not share foreign observers’ concerns. It does not matter to them what you think of either Biden or Trump. Neither Trump’s followers are fools nor Biden’s fans extreme leftists and communists as you hear. To gather millions of followers and voters around you anywhere in the world, one ought to have abilities and wits to reach the pinnacle of candidacy in leadership contests and then succeed in it.
Becoming a president is not anybody’s job.
Presidents – from Philippines’ Mr. Duterte to Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mr. Trump – are personalities whose elections have been subjected to much criticism and mockery by intellectuals.
The fact remains that millions of people have been attracted to these individuals. Their sweeping success in their respective elections represented the will of a large part of their societies. There is little doubt that their exceptional personalities did play a role in leading people to electing them.
This is America. Those for whom America is their only home, and those – from the traditional Republican in Pennsylvania and Texas to the Democrat in Florida and California - who see themselves as part of the democracy of law-abiding institutions, share one principle: respect for the rights of others.
For an American, justice, democracy and human rights are inviolable.
Make no mistake, Trump’s supporters have not hidden themselves, and Biden’s followers are not worried about being beaten. Excitement in elections is normal; and this very special election has made it doubly exciting.
The fact that these two candidates are running neck and neck shows that the position of neither has been rejected by the society.
Whatever the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election, rest assured that there will neither be a civil war nor riots and chaos in the 50 states of the country. Rest assured that the United States of America is home to law-abiding institutions.
