Americans vote today, world watches with bated breath

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Today is national voting for citizens in the United States of America (USA). A country that for decades is seen as the bastion of democracy around the world and a beacon of hope for many, the 2020 election is probably the most significant in recent times. Every vote cast by Americans will tally to a sum that would reverberate around the world for years. The election can alter the trajectory of a progressive agenda guaranteeing basic human rights to the marginalised. It can determine whether healthcare in this leading nation would get closer to becoming a right, accessible to all, or a privilege only a few can afford. This election is a test for Americans and the world.

The USA is not a perfect society but there are evident efforts, on the parts of some, to make it a “more perfect union.” It is this many will vote for or against. As Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden campaigns succinctly said, the election is a “battle for the soul of the nation.” The USA has led the world in health care, climate change, among others. Yet it is this country, as the world grapples with the horror of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, that has this year walked away from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO was co-founded by the USA to combat pandemics and make accessible health care to every citizen around the world, given its importance to productivity, longevity and development.

It is the USA that has led the world in recognising Climate Change is an existential threat and human life and the ecosystem are intertwined, and nations have to collaborate to combat same. Yet in 2017, it was the USA that said it was withdrawing from the United Nations’ Paris Climate Agreement. Once allies that have helped to establish the foundation for a peaceful and harmonious world now find they are ostracised, condemned and told to stand on their own two feet.

Americans zealously guard their democracy, the institutions that safeguard it, and the vote. Yet it is their president, the most powerful leader in the country and world, who shows no regard for these. President Donald Trump continues to undermine these institutions, and at his loudest is shouting the election will be rig, particularly if he doesn’t win. He berates free speech and the media which is protected in the country’s constitutional First Amendment, referring to their reporting as  “fake news.” Even media houses that support him are not spared if he dislikes their reporting.

A society once the beacon of science and sought to influence the world in accepting its benefit, under the incumbent there is no regard for the discipline. To him climate change is a “hoax” and the COVID-19 will disappear “like a miracle.” The reports of the intelligence agencies, the envy of the world, are cast aside and ridiculed in favour of ‘reports’ that make him feel happy or feed his ego.

Deception has been shamelessly honed to an art form. What parents would not accept from their children the most powerful adult in the room spews, unmindful or uncaring of its impact and the USA’s standing in the world. Its worrisome his deception that the USA is “rounding the corner” dealing with COVID-19 yet the country recorded more than one million infections within the last week; and his claim that he created the greatest economy, even though based a report by USA Cable News Network (CNN), “Trump is heading into the election with the worst job losses on record under any president.”

The world looks on with mixed emotions. It is nothing short of a mess or opportunity to rejoice and point fingers at its fallibility and signs that this powerful nation is crumbling. The moral leadership many have relied on has waned. Americans themselves are aware of this troubling image, at home and around the world. They are expressing concerns in various forms and from various corners, including traditional Republican supporters, the party of Trump.

As Americans vote today the world watches on.  Much is riding on the ballot. The vote is not only for president and vice-president, local candidates, and other issues unique to each county and state, it is much more. The integrity of the vote is on the ballot; truth is on the ballot; science is on the ballot, civility, respect and decency are on the ballot; climate change is on the ballot, human rights are on the ballot; free speech and media are on the ballot; COVID-19 is on the ballot; America’s future is on the ballot; the peace and prosperity of the world are on the ballot. Given how the votes are cast and will be announced this year, it may take more than a few days to know the result. The world will wait with bated breath.

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