American Voter’s Confusion in 2024: Choosing Between Two “Evils”

Now that it is clear that there will be another race between the current president of the United States, Joe Biden, and the former president of the country, Donald Trump, the American voters find themselves in a situation similar to the question of “Donkey or Buridan’s donkey”. According to Buridan’s donkey problem, the donkey was placed between a fodder on one side and a bucket of water on the other side. He could only choose one of these. According to the philosopher Jean Buridan, who raises this issue, the donkey chooses to either starve or die of thirst. Faced with this situation, the donkey did neither, so he died of both hunger and thirst.

American voters are facing a similar situation this year. The choice before voters this year is more like choosing between cholera and the plague. Voters were asked which one would they rather have? Perhaps many voters will choose the fate of Buridan’s Donkey Paradox and simply do not choose and leave this fateful choice to others.

Biden’s continued presence in the White House will most likely lead to a nuclear conflict with Russia. The goal of most of the US military-industrial complex, whose policies Biden blindly follows, is to impose Russia’s defeat in Ukraine, even to the extent of bringing the war inside Russia. Biden’s war-like speech in the annual speech should have shown where he wants to go in this latest “crusade”.

But looking the other way, we see former President Donald Trump showing all the signs of continuing the controversy against China, a move Trump made during his tenure that led to disastrous trade sanctions that crippled the economy. The United States ended. The policy of open economic war will quickly lead to conflict.

This is not a very clear picture, but it is a real picture. Surely, in the midst of tragedy, we can have a “miracle” where a sudden change occurs on the part of either candidate. Biden could suddenly realize that America is on the path to nuclear war and try to find a way to resolve the Ukraine issue without completely defeating Russia. Or Trump could suddenly realize that China is not a threat to the US economy, but a trade rival. Unfortunately, in real life, most tragedies have a bad ending.

What will be the reaction of Americans?

Faced with this kind of dilemma, what does a well-intentioned American do? Whichever way he votes or doesn’t vote, he needs to know that American “democracy” has failed and something needs to be done about the way it works. Whatever the final outcome in November, the American people must be mobilized to influence the real issues facing this country. Such was the backlash to the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, where people, including many Jewish groups, took to the streets, eventually prompting Biden to plead with Netanyahu to deliver food to the people of Gaza. The United States has yet to see such large-scale protests over the conflict in Ukraine because the American public is confronted with a different narrative of Ukraine. As the situation worsens and it becomes clear where the war is headed, people may begin to wake up to the reality of the danger of nuclear conflict and may also begin to protest.

On the other hand, there is now a clear understanding among most American consumers that a trade war – or worse – with China would be devastating, and all the easy talk about the slogan “American first” is taking its toll. It will happen because the price of food and other necessities will rise to a peak that few people can afford.

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The war in Ukraine will end before the US elections and with the breakup of Ukraine

In such a situation, younger people may emerge, people who are both “patriots” and “global citizens”, who will step up to run for election to restore democracy that starts working for the benefit of the people. become In other words, it will be the new generation that will save the American people, not the “old-timers” they will face in November. Our only hope is that the winner of that race doesn’t destroy the “long-term solution” with whatever disastrous short-term goals they may have in mind.