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Crises forgotten and needs unmet. The American elections have become a cultural juggernaut, with the faces of its beloved characters candidates filling millions of screens worldwide for months before the show ends. Often, remembering one thing means forgetting another. This year, the world’s attention to the U.S. election has pushed aside other critical issues—some that impact candidate platforms, like the environment and Ukraine, which have received less focus than comparatively minor concerns, and others that mainstream media has disturbingly ignored for far too long. Floods across Europe, a disappointing environmental conference, and ongoing crises in Ethiopia, Sudan, Syria, Haiti, Yemen, and Palestine highlight the failure of an indifferent international community. Sadly, this disregard feels as redundant as listing country names in a political article.
Despite the American government’s historical meddling in international affairs, there seems to be a stark contrast in the American voter inclinations, with an apparent detachment from anything not American. Domestic proceedings are the primary concern for a majority of American voters. 93% of Republican voters stated ‘the economy’ is a top issue to their vote – the highest percentage out of any other category. 68% of Harris’ voters were as concerned about the economy, ranking right after healthcare and Supreme Court appointments, which are all domestic concerns. It seems the American voter cannot truly find a moral alignment between global humanitarian crises and what they define as their social well-being.
Much like their patriot poet, in the face of two roads, the American voter could not “travel both and be one traveler.” They did not need to stand for long to decide. They emphatically chose and antagonised those who disagreed. Many democrats blamed minorities for Trump’s win. Especially Muslims and Arab Americans who protest voted. The democratic entitlement to earn the votes of minorities has existed among democratic candidates without a need to justify why they deserve their vote. Former President Biden famously said, “You ain’t black” to African American voters who were on the fence in the 2020 Election against Trump. “I’m speaking” said Harris to pro-Palestinian protestors when they demanded answers regarding their concerns about Gaza before she accused them of being Trump supporters. The Arab American demands were mainly regarding Palestine- to which they never received an answer. Yet, Democrats expect their support for Harris despite her ignoring their cries for peace
If Kamala lost because of her negligence, then Trump won despite it. Trump’s relationship with the environment has always been a topic of contention. Although only superficially. Him pulling out of the Paris Agreement implies a lack of cooperation for the sake of an international cause. Trump, however, did not need to address any of this. Only 12% of Republicans find the climate to be an issue that needs to be addressed by the government. But even under a Democratic government, the American public never truly held its leaders accountable as participants in international environmental organisations, many of which would be described kindly as perhaps untruthful. COP 29, or the Conference of the Parties, is an international conference to review the implementation of the UN’s convention on climate change. This is a conference whose chief executive seemingly agreed to an offer to facilitate fossil fuels forever, and the host has arrested over 12 journalists in preparation for international attention. Neither Biden nor Harris are attending. Therefore, when I watch Democrats commending Harris for environmental efforts and Republicans supporting Trump for his lack of it, I find sincerity and forthrightness only in my remote’s off button.
More pressing crises have gone under the radar. Trump’s political populism—main course rhetoric that has kept many satisfied—comes with a side of camaraderie with fellow billionaires and a dessert of devout, unwavering faith. He chooses his stance based on his company, making it nearly impossible to know what he truly believes—a disturbing reality for the international community.
Now, Harris is out of the picture after a bitter defeat, which must make Trump’s win sweeter. But what does this mean for the forgotten friends and foes of the international community?
After Trump finds Sudan on the map, he must decide how to proceed. Like many other things, Biden has forgotten the crisis in Sudan, its dispossessed or rampant famine. I doubt Trump will find an interest that puts ‘America first’, and neither do their leaders. Across the sea, the despair of Palestinians, especially Gazans morbidly grows, expecting a more audacious Israel under Trump, doubting his support of a ceasefire.
In Europe, Valencia’s floods are a cry for environmental change that will remain unanswered. Trump has stated that he would end the war in Ukraine 24 hours after he regains power but with no real plan or evidence as to how.
The state of the world remains uncertain, and hope evades those who need it most. But for his self-proclaimed, unwavering sense of justice and esteemed dealings on a personal and national level, I have no choice but to believe the imminent President’s promise of peace. Until then, however, the American dream of freedom and equality remains American.
Image: Donald Trump Silhouette by Vilkasss, 2023 // CC0
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