Breathe
By Amy Glover Drake
I didn't know which topic to choose for my column this month. I focus on geopolitical issues and it is impossible to pick just one. Today's global situation includes armed conflicts, xenophobia, the climate crisis, protectionism, the crumbling of multilateralism and a generalized sense of malaise; it is a tornado from which we still do not see a way out. The destruction has just begun as the pendulum reaches its apex.
In my opinion, the greatest global risk is the growing political instability in the United States. Therefore, I will share my reflections after spending a week in Northern California with my family, a state that in theory is far away from Washington, DC; but still, the heaviness of the worrisome chaos is perceived.
The US democratic system is under attack. It was planned during the campaign and the details of the strategy were put on paper in Project 2025. The core theory is simple: government is bad and smaller is better. Taxes must be lowered on the ultra-rich and regulations eliminated, because then they will be in charge of fostering economic growth... so-calledtrickle down economics.
People who want to succeed have to strive because we are born with equal opportunities; minorities do not exist. America First is a vision of a country populated by white Christians and they have rights above all others. Only English is spoken here. Period.
This description is of a country that does not exist. The United States is a multicultural country that was born with a contradiction between the phrase "all men are created equal" and legal slavery that lasted 250 years. The USA is a country of immigrants, with a Constitution that protects freedom of speech and faith, while the separation between state and religion is total.
At this point, people who do not agree with the extreme vision preached by the White House still do not know what to do. The Democratic Party lost the election just five months ago and is the minority in Congress, 47% in the Senate and 49% in the House of Representatives.
There is no consensus within the party as to what to do next: should we attack the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and its tlatoani, or should we run to the center, which is what we always do?
California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom generated controversy by amicably interviewing Steve Bannon, a MAGA ideologue just released from prison for contempt of Congress, on his new podcast. This decision contrasts with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party that demands firm, non-conciliatory leadership.
To avoid the government shutdown, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer voted with the Republicans, a decision that generated divisions within his party. Figures such as Congresswoman Alejandra Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the measure, arguing that it was time to confront the "oligarchs," such as Elon Musk.
Subscribe to read the full column....
