Men against women – whites against blacks
Can Trump explain the decreases in the number of 1.priority applications to the BSc in International Business Asia? (Photo: Anne M. Lykkegaard)
American student at CBS, Emily Williams is afraid that Trump will make the division of her country even greater and that the outside world will be less welcoming towards Americans.
Analysis | 16. May 2017
Living abroad during the Presidential Election, it seemed everyone had an opinion and everyone was readily available to give it. As if I could hear their concerns, magically wave a wand, and make the President be anyone other than Donald Trump.
I get the concern for the wellbeing of other countries. But the 2016 election was not decided by logic or emotional consideration for people living in other countries. That much should be obvious. With Donald Trump in the Oval Office, we are facing the unexpected.
Monitoring the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, especially through online platforms, brings mixed emotions daily, although feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety are at the forefront. The President’s platform stems on further division of America with not only the rest of the world, but within itself.
The American mentality is splitting
A firehose of concerned articles are published within minutes of official press conferences and the signing of executive orders. Protestors are criticized harshly by opponents, and any challengers of the new regime are labeled ‘libtards’ or ‘snowflakes,’ and told that they lost and should get over it.
My greatest concern about going home is when I’ll try to leave again.
Emily Williams
This is the mentality of the American people – divided. The republicans won, and now everyone must succumb to their undesirable budget crunching, de-regulation of markets that clearly don’t understand self-regulation, and setting back human rights all over the world.
Future prosperity does not lie with Trump
Beside the racist and xenophobic agendas, I can understand why people hung onto this false hope presented by someone they deemed as an ‘outsider’.
While I try to empathize with those who have lost their jobs and are struggling due to outsourcing and technological advances, the solutions to these problems do not lie in the promises of our new President. No wall, travel ban, or war will provide the relief and future prosperity the Trump voters seek.
Instead of investing in education and infrastructure to provide for a better future, the American electoral college has put in charge yet another power-hungry man, who is funneling money towards wars that will solely benefit the elite, while doing little to nothing to improve the lives of those living under his administration.
Trump’s tempting tweets
Why would we educate people and give them tools to prepare for the future, when creating a situation where the struggle to get by benefits those in power the most?
If voters are not educated – in general, but also specifically on the national and local issues at hand – politicians can basically do whatever they want. These politicians directly screw over people by altering voter rights and gerrymandering to maintain local control. They also do it indirectly by funneling money into the defense budget and their own pockets, instead of funding programs that educate and promote better living.
Segregation still exists although not explicitly stated on school signs and above water fountains.
Emily Williams
Giving the people mobility and mind is not part of the political agenda. The fact that certain groups of people are kept in the margins of society is why progress in America is so slow, and this will be no different under Trump than past administrations. Because unlike what he tweets, Trump has no respect for anyone, but the people shoveling money into his pockets.
Modern segregation
That’s how our society was built; how our government is run; and how we will continue to live under these un-diversified elitists who run our country.
The roots of discrimination still run in the veins of our society, regardless of legislation put in place by the highest courts. Segregation still exists although not explicitly stated on school signs and above water fountains.
Women are still fighting white men in expensive suits for control over their own body. Police brutality, hate crimes, and sexual assault seem to be the common theme of news stories. When you are not directly confronted by these issues, it is easy to dismiss them as ‘non-problems’ for the entire nation.
Two sides are continuously pitted against each other, whether it’s Republicans against Democrats, men against women, whites against blacks. From these battles, it’s evident how Donald Trump became America’s 45th President.
Will the world welcome Americans in the future?
I am privileged.
I get to live abroad and avoid directly dealing with what seems like the implosion of America. Although I’m not exactly sure what to expect when I go home, I can’t say I think I’ll have any issues personally.
Life will go on just as I left it, and I will find ways to get out and explore as I’ve always done. Since the election, traveling has become slightly more politically charged, which I’ve never experienced before.
Conversations with strangers in bars used to consist of digs about American obesity, or the extent of our geographical knowledge of the world, or lack thereof. However, since the start of the election cycle, no alcohol even needs to be consumed before I get asked who I voted for with piercing judgment, followed by detailed explanations of the absurdity of American politics.
Aside from those pesky student loans, my greatest concern about going home is when I’ll try to leave again. I have to question whether the rest of the world will remain open to American visitors when it seems like America isn’t open to anyone.
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