America is a nation of fearless pioneers that has become stagnant and reactionary. Now it must become bold again.
By MICHAEL LAITMANUpdated: APRIL 9, 2018 11:54Trump and Clinton(photo credit: REUTERS)
Whoever occupies the White House over the next four years will have a full plate. As an ontologist and kabbalist (the real thing, not the Hollywood type), I am fascinated with the unfolding of this election. Never has there been a US election where the personalities of the candidates and their aptitude were under more callous scrutiny, and never were the American people so dismayed with the results even before they cast their votes. And yet, never has a US election been more important, not just for America but for the entire world.Troubles as Far as the Eye Can SeeWhen analyzing the legacy of the current administration, the term “scorched-earth” comes to mind. The current administration has reignited the Cold War with Russia, alienated long time allies such as Turkey and Israel, drowned US relations with China in the South China Sea, and devastated Europe both financially and socially. In just eight years, President Obama has turned the international status of the United States from that of the world’s peacekeeper to that of the world’s warmonger.But Obama did not only ruin Europe. His most loyal constituency, the blacks, are worse off now than they were in 2008. US campuses, once hailed as bastions of democracy, have become hotbeds for antisemitism and intolerance, while student debt is skyrocketing to the point that it poses a risk of another financial bubble burst. And to top it all, Obamacare, the cherry on top of Obama’s presidency, is falling apart, and the poor it intended to benefit are paying the soaring price. I think it would be fair to say that by and large, no one is better off today than when Obama first took office, with the exception of the top one percent and newly arriving Muslim migrants.Old vs. BoldThe more we look into the political background of Hillary Clinton, the clearer it becomes that, if elected, she will not only pursue her predecessor’s policies, but will do so even more vigorously. Obama’s personal background put him under constant scrutiny. But Clinton, being white and undeniably Christian, will have nothing to prove. For better or worse, she is part of the establishment and will continue to pursue the policies that US governments have been pursuing for over thirty years now. With her as president, we can expect a more vigorous application of the open borders policy, taking in hundreds of thousands of migrants, giving them food stamps, free healthcare and cash while letting America’s disadvantaged and poor continue to go hungry.
Clinton’s hands are tied by the banks and corporations that have financed her political career from its very beginning. Even if she wants to, which I doubt she does, Clinton will not be able to rethink strategies or innovate. Another four years of the current approach in the White House will send America spiraling downward.On the other side of the campaign is Donald Trump. His success intrigues me because it seems to be more than a matter of rebellion against the establishment. Apparently, the public recognizes Clinton’s inability to change. Trump is telling the truth about the government and its policies, and the public finds it refreshing. He may be blunt and offensive, but compared to Clinton’s evasiveness and ambiguity, his directness and boldness seems to be the change that many Americans have hoped for.Pick Your Horse WiselyUntil recently, the American Dream was everyone’s dream, and not just in America but around the world. Today, even in America, very few believe in it. In a world that has become interconnected and interdependent, the president of the US must maintain both national prowess as well as integrate America in the global markets. The “dream” now must be shared by everyone or no one.Currently, the US is suffocating other countries. Instead of using its vast natural and technological resources to benefit itself and the entire world, it is harnessing them to subdue other economies. The results of this economic warfare are horrendous. Instead of prosperity, most Americans are struggling to get by, and the global economy is sinking.As the saying goes, I have no horse in the race. But when I look at the world’s increasing mutual dependency and examine each candidate’s ability to adapt to it, it becomes very clear who stands a chance of riding the wave and who is bound to sink.Educate First, Implement NextAs human society is undergoing a radical shift in thought patterns, we cannot continue to abuse one another with such willfulness. Globalization means that we are interdependent and therefore must see that everyone gets to enjoy the prosperity that this world can offer. America, the most powerful nation on Earth, must be a role model for international collaboration and connection, and lead toward trust and good faith. Business people naturally tend towards these characteristics, while politicians tend to see only their own interests and the interests of their cohorts.To integrate the world successfully, we must educate people about the meaning of globalization and interconnection, how to benefit from a world consisting of diverse views and attitudes, and how not to let this diversity separate us. The motto of the next American President should be “educate first, implement next.”If America continues to let migrants in without teaching them about democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of thought, its fate will be the same as Europe’s. When ideas such as creating a “New Aleppo” in Germany, or establishing a new, lawless state in Sweden are taken seriously, you know that it is too late for Europe. Instead of educating migrants prior to arrival, the Europeans first accepted them, and then found it is impossible to integrate them into society. The evident result of this catastrophic mistake is the inevitable demise of Europe.Becoming Bold AgainIndeed, Trump’s brash directness is offensive to many. However, if America wishes to survive, it must seize the moment of candor and harness it for correcting the ills of its society. If it so chooses, American society can still achieve the cohesion required for its healing. However, for its efforts to succeed, it must stick to a policy of “educate first, implement next.”To me, this election has been a fascinating spectacle. America is a nation of fearless pioneers that has become stagnant and reactionary. Now it must become bold again. This is imperative not just for America, but for the rest of the world.Michael Laitman is a Professor of Ontology, a PhD in Philosophy and Kabbalah, an MSc in Medical Bio-Cybernetics, and was the prime disciple of Kabbalist, Rav Baruch Shalom Ashlag (the RABASH). He has written over 40 books, which have been translated into dozens of languages.