Will the United States change? Definitely. Substantially? Nobody knows. The bullet fired at Donald Trump a few days ago missed him but hopefully it has struck something and thus forged meaningful transformation.
That “something” has to do with a superpower nation’s psyche and current soul-searching that will affect the country’s long-term course.
The bullet whizzed past Trump, only slightly catching his right ear, but maybe it hit that “something” directly, an action that no-one saw. Optimistically, it did.
The bullet will definitely cause political changes. Conspiracy or no conspiracy, it has martyred Trump alive and a presidential election victory in November is all but guaranteed. It is forcing the entire America to face itself in the mirror.
Big border or immigration developments will occur. The Ukraine war will likely take a major turn. Partisan media and extreme political activism may tone down ultra-divisive content.
American media, “liberal” or “conservative”, have openly addressed the inevitability. Politico said while the Republicans have given Trump a rock star treatment, Democrats are still simmering over Biden. The Hill said the president’s ambivalence is obvious in his post-Pennsylvania speech that called for strong political rhetoric to be diluted.
A few commentators said the Democrats’ effective anti-Trump approach, employed with Biden leading the frontline himself, can no longer be used. They can no longer portrayed Trump as a dangerous dictator who has to be stopped at all costs.
The Democratic Party will feel like going to war against the Republicans without its most effective weapon. And they will have to fight with bricks and stones or even bare hands at a time when making people “fear” Trump is their only chance to win the election.
The world could see American politicians going back to debating taxes, interest rates and extents of social subsidies, although economy is never the Democrats’ strongest suit, and incumbents are always at the disadvantage when it comes to food on the table.
But those are changes that are to be expected. Republican and Democratic leaders have no choice but to call for the lowering of the political temperature. If Trump wins the election, of course border, Ukraine and NATO policies will not be the same.
Yet many people, mostly outsiders, are doubting that America will fundamentally transform itself, be it under Trump or Joe Biden or a Biden alternative.
Global hegemony comes in various forms _ intimidating military might; cultural brainwash; financial and economic orders that impose without people noticing it; ideological cultivation; technological/medical dominance; or a bit of everything.
Like it or hate it, world hegemony has been a hallmark of US politics. It impacts the globe, but steps taken have been seriously affecting the American life. Countries know it, probably more than those who live in the United States.
The doubters are wondering if Trump’s “Make America Great Again” push has the ultimate goal that is really different from what Biden’s basic desire. Is it possible that both men in fact want the same thing, and only their methods differ?
While Ukraine and NATO will see a different White House under Trump, China may not be so excited about who wins in November. If Biden’s reign is very unpleasant as far as Beijing is concerned, Trump’s days were no better.
China will not forget who started the Huawei uproar. Beijing must be reminding itself that that when former American president Jimmy Carter delivered a scathing attack on his own country’s “war-like” mentality, he did so while Trump was leading America.
Carter told a congregation at his regular Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, that then-President Trump had called him for the first time to voice concern about how China was “getting ahead of us.”
What did he tell Trump? He said America’s problem was that it was too obsessed with being powerful and militarily great. Apparently, that big problem has persisted until today.
Trump approaching Carter with that question is typical of American politicians. They hate being got ahead of. Those who they think are poised to do so are deemed enemies, a threat to world peace even.
Those “threats” to global peace have gone on to build fast trains, created skyscrapers in record times, teleported certain elements to the outer space, advanced cloning technologies and done well in global trades.
All these have taken place while America was spending hugely on military affairs and focused its diplomacy on divisive politics in many places on earth. Carter was telling Trump that the United States should be great from the inside and should be worried a lot less about its ever-shifting international status.
Has the bullet struck that mindset? Hopefully. Trump emerged from the attack apparently a different man. He seems to be adjusting his “Make America Great Again” agenda. But to what extent? We don’t know.
People still associate his vice president pick with a white supremacy mentality. He would likely still go after Huawei. Recently, he told a group of rich, predominantly Jewish donors that America’s youth-led movement condemning the Gaza brutality would be dealt with decisively under him.
American problems are multi-layered. The relatively-easy ones are tackled by Trump and Biden immediately after the attack, through calls for reduction of hateful political rhetoric.
The hard ones concern the very question Trump had asked Carter.
Simply put, if the bullet missed Trump but struck the national psyche, did it hit hard enough to transform a deep-rooted mindset that makes ordinary people and politicians see “Make America Great Again” differently.
By Tulsathit Taptim
Writer’s note: This article omits all the conspiracy theories which are all over the place at the moment. If one of those theories happens to be true, the very subject of how the bullet will impact America will have to be put in a totally new perspective.
