Democrats defy expectations, push back Republican’s ‘Red Wave’ in US mid-term polls

The outcome of the mid term elections in the United States took almost every one in America and large parts of the world by surprise. The Republicans, i.e former President Trump took victory for granted. The incumbent President, Joe Biden was more or less written off. To some extent the powerful American media was responsible for the denigration of Mr Biden.

The vigorous, intellectually impressive and untiring campaigning of former president Barack Obama did much to put life into the Democratic Party. The other factor that went against the Republican Party was the divisive, erratic, irresponsible record of Mr. Trump’s presidency. Apart from the Democrats, the independent voters had not forgotten, the unpresented and violent attack on Capital Hill, master minded by the president and his dangerous and anti-national staff in the White House. The world watched the insurrection on TV and was aghast. The world’s oldest and greatest democracy was being torn apart by hoodlums. The life of Vice President Pence was in grave danger. He had refused to declare that the 2018 election had been stolen.

The impartial voter in the mid-term elections made sure that Trump should be taken care of by the electoral guillotine. This mercifully has happened. A rival has appeared. The incumbent Republican Governor of Florida has been re-elected. He is no admirer of Mr Trump. He is a dedicated adversary. He will have massive support at the Republican Convention in 2024. This has changed the political scenario of America. Mr Trump is already been called a havebeen. A second Trump presidency would have been a cataclysm not only for the United States, but for the World.

President Biden lacks charisma, but his political carrier began when he was twenty eight years of age. He is a decent man and an upright one. A visit by him to India is overdue. Humankind is facing horrendous crises. The most frightening is the climate calamity hanging over the globe. It is largely man made. As the UN Secretary General said at the Sher-mal-Sheikh conference, “time is running out”. Pious resolutions will not do. Drastic, immediate action must be taken to save humanity and the globe. The two are inseparable. Enough conferences have been held, endless speeches have been made, the T.V screens are working over time to record the not so inspiring oratory of a hundred world leaders.

NO END TO RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR
The end of RussianUkrainian war is nowhere in sight. The number of child orphans and young widows increase by the day. Has humanity gone on an endless furlough.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

K NATWAR SINGH The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India