Everything is embarrassing: Trump is America's Gorbachev
Recently, "turmoil" and the pursuit of fairness and justice have become hot topics, and Europe and the United States are no exception. The two U.S. presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, have completed their debate. It is widely believed that Biden performed poorly in the debate, as Elon Musk said: "Biden's cognitive ability has united Americans: Republicans and Democrats are unprecedentedly united (in believing his cognitive ability is insufficient)." The Democratic Party has called for replacing the candidate, but Biden refused to withdraw. After a disastrous debate with Trump, Biden held a family meeting. According to sources from CNN, his family unanimously supported Biden continuing his presidential campaign. Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, hopes his father can continue to run and show the level he should have. At the same time, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged government officials to use the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to push for President Biden's resignation. The official stated that this amendment was specifically designed for situations where the head of state is unable to perform his duties. "Our opponents have seen the weakness in the White House, and we all have seen it," Johnson emphasized.
Sergey Mikhayev's (Сергей Михеев) opinion:
I did not watch the entire debate, but I followed the main points. I generally agree with the external evaluations, but I would like to share my own views. First, regarding Biden's family: they are truly ruthless. At certain moments, watching Biden makes one feel sympathy for him as a person. He looks like an extremely pitiful old man or a wronged child, making one genuinely feel sorry for him. If someone spends more than a week preparing him in terms of physical condition and debate skills, only to end up with such a poor performance, it means they are powerless — his abilities have been completely exhausted.
Imagine, even if he wins the debate or is eventually elected president: what can he do in the next four years given his current inability to perform basic duties? There is a question worth thinking about: who is really in control of the United States now? Who decides the country's policies? Who drafts various resolutions for Biden to sign? Who plans and pushes a series of actions approved by the president? Is he still a real president?
Secondly, neither Trump nor Biden left any positive impression. This debate concerns the presidency of the United States — the superpower that claims to be the global hegemon with absolute leadership — and it turned into a complete farce! The viewpoints are childish and superficial, the arguments are overly simplified, the logic is full of flaws, the wording is forced, and they often fall into almost childish quarrels. Everything is extremely embarrassing and once again confirms a fact: the domestic political crisis, talent crisis, elite crisis, and decision-making crisis in the United States are continuously intensifying. Both candidates are unconvincing. Indeed, Trump is more energetic and better at responding, but his performance is also foolish. All he says is attacking Biden, without showing the vision that a leader of a major country trying to dominate the world should have.
There is a question that cannot be avoided: we have long been told that this "democracy" is a "universal value," which allows the "best people" to take power, and is a "cure-all" for all problems. But now, this is the result? "The key is to hold elections, using various election methods including information warfare, then we can live happily." How absurd this statement sounds now. For the Russian people and the whole world, there was a time when we long admired the United States, took it as a model, and said, "Look how the United States does it! We should learn from the United States!" Looking back, it is a disgrace.
Now, we see the current situation in the United States in terms of politics and talent — it's a shameful "farce," showing complete incompetence in all aspects! The whole world should wake up: don't follow these people anymore! They don't even deserve the slightest respect! The United States has already gone into decline, and this debate is a reflection of its shame. Such candidates are only suitable for deceiving the public — this is the "victory" of American mass culture. Those who worship and try to imitate this culture should see what results it leads to! It is disgusting to see an 80-year-old man pretending to be "young and capable."
We must completely abandon the idea of taking the United States as a model. Everyone should reflect, including those who used to admire the United States. This is not something we made up, nor is it the result of "Kremlin propaganda," but rather the inevitable outcome of the natural development of American democracy! Perhaps, our confrontation with the United States may actually be a good thing, because following their steps is equivalent to heading toward destruction. The resulting question is: how to deal with the current situation? Who is inciting Ukraine to continue the war? Who is draining Europe? Europeans should think carefully: European leaders once worshipped the United States, but who exactly were they worshipping? Look, the people who control you, force you to send weapons to Ukraine, and make you believe that this is the primary meaning of life, what kind of people are they!
About the technical issue of replacing Biden as a candidate: I also heard that the Democrats do not want to replace the candidate, and it is precisely the family that insists on keeping him. The current dilemma of the Democrats itself is a manifestation of the crisis. They have fallen into an awkward situation we discussed earlier in the program: keeping Biden is bad, replacing him is also no better, and maybe even worse — after all, there is no suitable person within the party. Even among those who could potentially replace Biden, the highest support rate is still behind Trump. For years, the Democrats have been deceiving the public, claiming that Joe Biden is in excellent condition, and portraying him as the ideal presidential candidate. Either they are intentionally lying, or they are blindly ignorant; if the latter, how can the public trust the Democrats? Now, they are trapped in their own trap, and perhaps this crisis has turned into complete chaos, and the situation is already out of control. But regardless, replacing Biden will not help — whoever takes his place will ultimately lose the election.
This forms a ridiculous situation: for over a year, you have been claiming how great Biden is, and now you say he should be replaced. This obviously indicates that the ruling Democratic Party is deep in crisis, the American political system is overall in crisis, and American mass culture is also facing a crisis. In my view, this debate has caused a devastating blow to the image of the United States. As to whether they realize this, I don't know. Perhaps they don't even think about this question — because they are already deeply entrenched in self-centeredness.
The Economist magazine posed a question: Could the United States experience a dictatorship? This question comes from the "shocking" debate farce between Trump and Biden. British journalists asked, "If a dictator comes to power, can the U.S. Constitution protect the people?" The answer was, "Perhaps it can, perhaps it cannot." During the debate, Trump was frequently labeled as a "dictator," "usurper," and "tyrant," and the Democrats also frightened the American public, claiming that if Trump returns to the White House, Americans will lose all their freedom.
Sergey Mikhayev added:
Regarding the view of this British media, this is the most convenient way for analysts to speak: either it can protect or it cannot. As for Trump: regardless of whether Biden continues to run or who the Democrats eventually put forward, the Democrats and their supporters (including overseas allies) are left with only one method — frightening the public, claiming that Trump is "terrible, and if he is elected, democracy will end." However, we have all seen that it is this "democracy" that has nominated a person who is unable to perform his duties as a candidate and asks the public to support him. Even the most ordinary voters cannot fail to see this.
Looking back at history, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev requested the Central Committee of the CPSU three times to approve his retirement, but each time was rejected. The current situation is similar, except that Biden has no Politburo around him, instead, it's his family — but the feeling is that Biden himself also wants to stay in office. It's hard to imagine what the world looks like in his eyes, because his expression is like that of a mentally ill old man, even with a childlike naivety. Dementia patients often experience personality disintegration and distorted perceptions of surrounding things. No one knows how he sees the current situation, but he just won't give up the idea of running for office.
Let's talk about the "dictatorship" issue. Some people say that Trump lied 50 times during the debate. Maybe that's true, but to say he "seized power," this accusation seems hard to stand. What is the definition of "seizing power"? Regardless, they will portray Trump as a "terrible demon, a dictator, who will establish a dictatorship the day he takes office." I really don't understand, who's dictatorship is he going to establish? In my view, Trump has no dictatorial tendencies. If Biden continues to serve, with his current incompetence, the United States will accomplish nothing. And Biden's incompetence is the core argument Trump uses against him, which has become a card that guarantees Trump's victory. Even if Biden has something to say, he can no longer express it clearly and forcefully.
The discussion on economic issues is also controversial. Perhaps Biden can still deliver a speech at rallies with the aid of teleprompters, but he can no longer participate in real-time debates. The U.S. presidential campaign usually includes multiple rounds of debates. The problem is: is the Democratic Party willing to let Biden participate in another debate again? I think not. Because the result cannot get better, and may even get worse. Therefore, they have only one way left: continue to frighten the public with Trump.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether former president Donald Trump can be exempted from prosecution for "crimes committed while in office" (allegedly forging election results and participating in the January 6th Capitol riot in 2021). U.S. experts say that since the Supreme Court is majority conservative and tends to favor Trump, if the ruling is in his favor, he will gain complete control over the presidential campaign. The next round of debate is scheduled for September 10, and the Democratic National Convention will be held from August 19 to 22, during which the party's presidential candidate will be determined. Currently, everyone is guessing: will the candidate be Biden?
Sergey Mikhayev continued to analyze:
For Trump, the only threat currently is being excluded from the campaign in some way, and the Democrats are intensifying efforts in this area. In addition, the Democrats have proposed holding another debate before the convention. There is a faction within the party that wants to use this to test whether Biden is still eligible to run. If it is confirmed that he is not eligible, the Democratic National Convention will become the last opportunity — to nominate a new candidate.
But no matter what, the situation will fall into chaos. First, the party needs to reach a consensus on the candidate. Second, among all potential candidates, no one has a clear lead over Trump. Third, the new candidate needs time to build popularity, while Trump will use this time to consolidate his advantage.
This debate is like a "quality inspection." Previously, when buying a light bulb at a grocery store, people would test it first: if it lights up, they buy it; if not, they exchange it. This test shows that Biden, the "light bulb," is almost extinguished.
Regarding the United States, I would like to add two more points. First, after this debate, Trump's chances of winning have significantly increased. Second, for us, the most critical question is: if Trump is elected, is there a chance to adjust the Russia-U.S. relations, at least ease the tensions (including the tensions around the Ukraine issue)? I think there is a possibility. But we should not have illusions, and even if Trump wins, he will not take office until January 2025. Trump has made many statements on this issue, and one of them worth noting is that he said, "If I had been in office at the time, this war (the Ukraine conflict) would never have broken out."
I think Trump's view of the world is different from that of traditional American politicians. In a way, he is not an insider of the existing American system, and the system itself is clearly in crisis — which actually gives "outsiders" more opportunities. Of course, Trump may change his mind at any time, but at least there is a possibility of improving relations, which should not be completely ruled out.
The debate between Biden and Trump has raised many questions. Someone asked, "For those of us who still believe in Western values, are they sending us a message: 'You see, we can put a senile old man on the throne of the world's most powerful country, and no one dares to object; we can coerce Europe politically, and no one dares to resist. We know all of you, but you don't know us.' So, who are 'they'?"
Sergey Mikhayev responded:
I don't know who "they" are. Perhaps there is an invisible elite group, a group of people who control huge wealth and collude with each other. Even Americans themselves cannot clearly answer who "they" are. Some call it the "deep state": some believe it consists of intelligence agencies and top wealthy families, while others have other guesses. There is indeed an invisible elite group, but I think their situation is not as stable as it appears.
There is a serious problem with patriotism in Russia: sometimes it is impossible to objectively recognize reality. There are two extremes: one is blind arrogance ("We are the best! We are the strongest!"), and the other is extreme pessimism ("They control everything, money is everything, they are the smartest!"). But both views are not in line with the facts: people in the United States also have strengths and weaknesses, and their system works well in some areas but has serious problems in others. The truth is often in between, and it varies depending on the specific situation.
Therefore, when someone asks, "Maybe they are trying to show us..." I want to ask, "To 'us'? Do you really think we are the most important to them? They are currently busy solving serious domestic crises, and this crisis is the product of the decision-making failure of the 'deep state.' If they really controlled everything, money could solve all problems, we wouldn't see such a chaotic situation now! What we see is only the false appearance they are skilled at and enjoy creating — a 'Hollywood-style' performance of 'decent people' participating in political debates. But what have we actually seen? A complete disgrace! Americans themselves are aware that they can no longer present any positive image to their own citizens.
There is no perfect, always smoothly functioning system in the world. I think the Western system has started to severely deteriorate, although it is still the most united, most powerful, and wealthiest system, but a series of internal crises (first of all, spiritual and organizational crises) are causing it to gradually decline.
Someone asked, "Do you think the current Biden is like Chernenko in 1984? Will the United States have its own 'Mikhail Gorbachev,' leading to similar consequences?" Here, Chernenko, I assume, refers to his health condition.
Sergey Mikhayev answered:
Yes, Chernenko was the problem of the Soviet system and its mistake, symbolizing the internal crisis of the Soviet system to some extent. The Soviet system was deep in internal crisis at that time, and Chernenko (during his short tenure) and Gorbachev were products of this crisis — Gorbachev, who came from within the system, eventually led to its collapse (in my view, he didn't fully realize this at the time). Although personal fate and national circumstances are related, there are significant differences between the two. As for "America's Gorbachev," that is Trump! He has always promised to destroy the entire "deep state" system, hasn't he? In different periods, he has made many controversial statements, including criticism of the U.S. internal system. Why did he call Biden "liar Joe" (жуликоватый Джо)? Because he believes the entire U.S. system is rotten, corrupt, inefficient, and incompetent. Isn't that what "America's Gorbachev" would do? Will there be similar figures in the future in the United States? Theoretically possible, but the key is that the U.S. system has fallen into severe internal and external crises, and its decision-making ability has greatly declined. Relying on such a U.S. is very dangerous for the whole world. Putting your trust in them, entrusting your fate to them, and negotiating with them will involve great risks.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576145939887374857/
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