The 2016 presidential campaign in the United States is making us all think of which of these two candidates is right. Is the greatest empire that we have ever seen still great, in decline, or paused? Mrs. Clinton, President Obama, and Warren Buffet all feel that the best is still to come. DJT [Donald J. Trump] feels that the entire empire is sliding and that only he can fix it. Like in all arguments and discussions there are at least three sides to every story — his, mine, and the reality.
I think that they are both correct. There is no question that America is the greatest experiment ever and that it has been a success for the entire world. Her economy has driven and drives that of the world. Her technology is second to none. Her world police powers have given us a century of peace. She has brought us Apple and Google lately and all kinds of life enhancing gifts.
Unfortunately, as she was creating all of this for themselves and the rest of the world, part of her is getting worse. You can buy drugs in any grade school. Her political machine is gridlocked. Her prisons are full. Her streets are not as safe as they should be. She is unable to take care of her poor. Her infrastructure continues to rust.
In a movie I saw recently there was a discussion between Noriega and a drug dealer that wanted to set up shop in Panama. Noriega tells the drug dealer, and this was in the 90s, that America’s population was 4% of the world yet she consumed 64% its illegal drugs in the world. “Something is wrong with your soul” is the comment he made. There is an argument here to reflect on.
No empire in the world and no country in the world has the problems that America has in all sectors of her society, from financial sector irresponsibility to black teenage pregnancy to obesity to pill popping depression to political stagnation, debt and deficits of all kinds from trade, to fiscal to emotional to social.
And yet she is more creative than ever. She is more dynamic than ever. She is still quite flexible. Is it because she is really many countries, many societies, many races, many cultures, and many of everything under one roof? The whites are rich and depressed, the blacks have too many teenage pregnancies, the Latinos sell drugs after holy communion, the Muslims that are majority good are being blamed for what they should not be in generalization, and soon the Chinese will be the major tourist market, major investors, and major everything in the United States. When the Japanese had their turn, they were 120 million — the Chinese are ten times that volume and will have a greater effect exponentially.
Reflect on the quality of this campaign. Donald Trump is a clown. The Hillary and Obama discourse is coming down in quality with Trump’s. None of them speak presidentially when they campaign. This has to reflect what they think their audience wants to hear. Fareed [Zakaria] is correct when he says that DJT is a ‘bullshit artist’ and I agree that is worse than lying.
Obama is part of the new left — more regulation. He has not made America more dynamic. Will she? The parties are both divided. Bernie Sanders can’t help himself and he shows his thoughts all over his face. If Obama has done such a wonderful job, then why are Americans so angry? If there is inequality then why has he not done anything about it? He had eight years. They are both bullshit artists, Obama and DJT. It’s just that Obama is smoother.
They are probably both lying to us, i.e. Hillary and DJT. One about her health and the other about what he really thinks. See how he has changed his campaign strategy to one that is less aggressive and much more careful? Why? He was losing out.
This American election is about Guatemala a Guatepeor.
Now, the Americans are lucky that the Japanese live in quicksand and just sink slowly. The Europeans have a simple solution to the problem: work half a day more a week. This they cannot do because no one is willing to give up their leisure time even in this serious crisis. The Chinese? Frankly I do not know how long it will take them to achieve their structural change. Now they are on it so I guess they will do it. They still do stupid things like protecting their own instead of letting them really compete and innovate. The Indians will matter one day but I guess we have to wait a little. Now they are all deeper and deeper in debt. We need yet to see a solution. I think it will come somehow in some form that has nothing to do with the politicians leading the governing of these political units.
The Global Risks Report 2016: A Commentary by Endika Aboitiz