Egypt's FEC, TRAIN partner to support food exporters    Spot Gold, futures slips on Thursday, July 17th    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Egypt expresses condolences to Iraq over fire tragedy    Egypt, Oman discuss environmental cooperation    Egypt's Environment Minister attends AMCEN conference in Nairobi    At London 'Egypt Day', Finance Minister outlines pro-investment policies    Sukari Gold Mine showcases successful public–private partnership: Minister of Petroleum    Egypt's FRA chief vows to reform business environment to boost investor confidence    Egyptian, Belarusian officials discuss drug registration, market access    Syria says it will defend its territory after Israeli strikes in Suwayda    Pakistan names Qatari royal as brand ambassador after 'Killer Mountain' climb    Health Ministry denies claims of meningitis-related deaths among siblings    Sri Lanka's expat remittances up in June '25    EU–US trade talks enter 'decisive phase', German politician says    Egypt's Health Min. discusses drug localisation with Sandoz    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Trump's promises and Obama's legacy
Published in Ahram Online on 28 - 11 - 2016

Using tough and shocking language, both in vocabulary and content, used many times against broad sections of Americans themselves and against symbols of the ruling establishment, Donald Trump has presented himself as offering a different vision.
Trump pledged to regain America's lost greatness, a result of Obama's legacy, promising economic, financial and social policies that would rebuild the country, purifying it of different sections of immigrants living on American soil, some illegally, others not. These sections are looked upon as a reason for the deterioration of the condition of the middle classes, threatening the country's security and safety.
Trump stoked the fears of wide sections of Americans, especially white workers of medium and low education, on two things in particular, namely: the economy and security. This in turn influenced broad sections to vote in favour of change and experiment with new policies manufactured outside the ruling establishment. Trump has repeatedly described this establishment as corrupt.
Such a choice reflects the prevalent and current mood within US society. It also reflects a number of constants that exist in American society. The most important of these constants is a racist legacy: differentiating between American whites and those of different ethnic minorities; a conservative legacy towards women; an isolationist legacy that seeks to lighten the burden of world leadership and follow American interests outside its borders; an arrogant legacy that thinks that America should remain the first power in the world and that it must have the best of everything, in Trump's words; and finally, a pragmatic legacy based on self-interest and not being committed to principles that Trump described in one of his speeches as suiting losers.
The reality of the situation is that this underlying legacy within American society, that expressed itself strongly in voting for Trump, rightly described as a populist candidate, exists also in several European countries where immigrants come to live from all parts of the world, such as France, Germany, Belgium and other EU countries.
These countries face almost the same problematic Trump expressed in his election campaign. If we put into consideration what's known as the "domino effect," it is natural that a development in a certain country or a certain region due to circumstances and factors present in other regions would cause the same results. So it seems right-wing currents in France, Germany, Belgium and Denmark will do better in coming elections within the next two years in comparison to previous elections.
Definitely Trump's success relies on fulfilling some of his promises, especially reducing immigration, creating jobs through returning industries that left the country due to free trade treaties, cutting down military adventures abroad and besieging border-crossing terrorist organisations, starting with the Islamic State (IS) group and passing through its branches in other countries in cooperation with trustworthy regional allies. This will result in gradually enhancing the standing of the right-wing in different European countries.
At this point, the European-American relationship will be refounded on new rules. New fields of cooperation may be witnessed between right-wingers on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, mechanisms and institutions established after World War II will be reviewed, on the top of which comes NATO.
What's important in this scene is that Trump succeeds in America. This in turn won't be easy. Some inside America has already started to talk about the way to overthrow Trump, making his policies fail and setting obstacles before him. It is expected that there will be huge media monitoring of every step Trump takes, starting with his choices for his administration and passing through legal amendments he aims to pass and ending with the foreign relations he intends to undertake.
One of the most prominent matters will be reviewing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, adjusting US policy from political and economic “tit for tat” and imposing sanctions on Russia to cooperating with it in different fields and issues. The most salient of issue is fighting IS and the terrorist Al-Qaeda-inspired organisations, whatever their names, in Syria and ceasing the policy of changing regimes. This policy has caused catastrophes in more than one country. We Arabs have seen the greater share of this in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya, and some of its effects in Egypt's Sinai.
The writer is a political analyst.


Clic here to read the story from its source.