I still remember the fear in November 2016.
People around the world were gathering around their TVs, phones and computers, waiting with wide eyes and bated breath. Myself? I was in China, studying in a class with students from South Korea, Japan, America, Russia and other varying countries with differing views. The tension in our classes was palpable as the day drew near.
It was my friend Di, a girl from Brooklyn, New York, who posted the results in the group chat:
He’s won.
Within seconds the chat was filled with mayhem. Sobbing emojis, gifs of cutesy animals hanging themselves, and curses in languages of all sorts filled my screen. The closest feeling I could recognise was being incredulous. I almost wanted to laugh.
I felt sorry for the South Koreans and the Japanese students in my class. They were genuinely terrified; around that time, North Korea had tested a missile, and it had landed in the sea uncomfortably close to Japan. In the bluster of his campaign, Trump had suggested withdrawing military support from South Korea and Japan, and letting them stand for themselves against the threats of North Korea and China; these suggestions had been taken to heart, and people were genuinely considering moving permanently for fear of war. More than once, I was asked about the visa acceptance rates in the UK, and I found myself woefully lacking in answers.
And now here we are, four years later. I can safely say that my old classmates never left their home countries, and if I’m completely honest, I haven’t been that horrified by Trump. Some of his decisions have inspired outrage – the harsh treatment of children at the border with Mexico, for instance – but on the large part he hasn’t seemed as monstrous as people had prophesied.
The US never abandoned Japan and South Korea; instead, Trump has had them on their toes, and the Chinese and North Koreans have not been able to gain a clear upper hand.
Now another election draws near, and Europe is the one spreading fear. With Trump as president, European-American relations has grown strained, and the general consensus seems to be that if Trump is re-elected all hope will be lost. Many European officials feel that he undermines American democracy, and this criticism has really struck deep into the hearts of US officials. It’s the ultimate insult to a patriotic American, who holds democracy and freedom as their core values.
The problem is, Trump will likely win.
And with Europe insulting and berating America, the rift between supposed allies is only being widened.The more we protest Trump, the more damage we do. But what other options are there? We are morally obligated to speak out about what we feel is wrong. But if we do, we may lose America to Trump for four more years.
We’d be giving the orange buffoon far more freedom to indulge his whims.
Academic Research 