Donald Trump

THE ELECTION OF DONALD J. TRUMP to the office of president opens a number of opportunities for the Left. However, the outcome of the election resists satisfactory explanation, so recognizing and seizing these opportunities will be difficult. Diverse news sources pose numerous different rationales for choosing Trump over Hillary Clinton: dissatisfaction with urban elite liberalism,[^1] with Clinton,1 with current economic conditions, and with shifts in the racial makeup of the country. [Read More]

A teach-in on anti-Trumpism held on 17 November 2016 in Vienna. Your browser does not support the audio element Audio recording of the event Description Trump and the American Left The accusations against Donald Trump of racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and even fascism have been front and center for Republicans, liberals and leftists alike, while at the same time it is recognized that it was millions of former Obama voters who put him over the edge. [Read More]

IF ONE BLOWS ALL THE SMOKE AWAY, one is left with the obvious question: Why not Trump?1 Trump’s claim to the Presidency is two-fold: that he’s a successful billionaire businessman; and that he’s a political outsider. His political opponents must dispute both these claims. But Trump is as much a billionaire and as much a successful businessman and as much a political outsider as anyone else. Trump says he’s fighting against a “rigged system. [Read More]

THE U.S. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONVENTION in Philadelphia ended with a big schism that divides not only the supporters of Hillary Clinton from her opponents, but also Bernie Sanders from the movement he led until not very long ago. The senator from Vermont who attracted thousands across America to his rallies and ignited them with his speeches looked helpless – even ridiculous – in Philadelphia. In a matter of seconds, his speech endorsing Hillary turned a charismatic leader who embodied the hopes of millions into a pathetic old man who does not understand what is happening around him. [Read More]

AGAINST THE BACKDROP of the numerous discussions of the political agenda, appearance, and vocabulary of the candidates running in the American presidential election, there is almost no demand for one subject: What is the class nature and mass social base of each politician? This approach comes naturally to the right-wing and liberal media, but why is it completely alien to the Left? The reason seems to be that the answers we would get if we were to consider this issue seriously would not be palatable for everyone on the Left. [Read More]