What lies next for the US?
The Capitol Hill mayhem underscores fault lines in American politics and society
Editor’s note: Shocking the United States and the rest of the world, Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington DC on Jan 6 claiming that Trump was the victim of a “stolen election”. How did things come to such a pass, and how far-reaching will be the impact of the horrendous act on US society? Five experts share their views on the issue with China Daily. Excerpts follow:
A result of power serving the wealthy and corrupt
Let us be reminded the assault on freedom and democracy in the US began 20-plus years ago when those in the halls and boardrooms of power decided to govern for the wealthy, corrupting and sucking dry as a bone all the goodness found in Western capitalism’s attributes.
While both sides of the divide play blame games, the neutral observer informs us that blaming Trump would be missing the bigger picture. The US is in decline because its government and economic system were forged into something rotten.
When those in power promise “what’s best for the American people”, they do not mean it, or actually care about it. Their shameful lip service is evident in the decisions, legislation, and the policies. They have created a society where the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is not even possible because the opportunities to do so have vanished.
Mario Cavolo, a senior fellow at the
Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization.
Unleashing the forces of hate and divisions
The entire world was shocked by the mayhem in the US, the largest developed country which supposedly values law and order. The largescale vandalism will tarnish the image of the US as a great power.
Trump fanned the passions of his supporters, who released their pentup “anger” against what he described as a “stolen election”. His remarks are considered by many Americans as unleashing the forces of hate and divisions.
The incident reflects the split between people for and against Trump in the US. That means the new US president, Joe Biden, faces a big challenge. Facing such a divided society, Biden will have too many hot potatoes to deal with including bridging social and racial divides, and containing the pandemic.
But in the short term, the chaos may help Biden elicit more public support, which may facilitate a relatively smooth transition of power. Besides Democrats, many Republicans have also criticized Trump for harming their party’s reputation.
Given that Democrats will have control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it should be easier for Biden to appoint secretaries in his administration and implement policies. The world is watching the developments.
Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Divided society will make Biden’s job more difficult
Before thousands of people stormed the Capitol, Trump had urged supporters to express their dissatisfaction with the presidential election result. But it is difficult to say whether he will be held accountable for the chaos according to US laws, especially because it is unprecedented in US history.
The Biden administration could amend laws to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Biden will give top priority to domestic affairs. But dealing with a divided US society is a daunting task. He needs to contain COVID-19 as soon as possible, although the disagreement over how to end the crisis still divides the US.
Li Yan, a researcher in US studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, Beijing.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.