Should we be concerned about the hesitation of Pennsylvania’s undecided voters as if the fate of the world depended on it? Yes, because the fate of the world could indeed depend on it.
In his final speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Joe Biden delivered a passionate plea for the ideals that have animated his country’s foreign policy since the aftermath of World War II.
According to him, the world is at an inflection point where the choice arises between the progression of these ideals and their regression, or even their disappearance.
This choice is at the heart of the choice Americans will make on November 5.
Established ideals
Since 1945, a significant part of global progress has rested on the leadership of the United States. This leadership has been imperfect and has at times taken deplorable turns, but overall it has contributed to the advancement of certain universal ideals.
In brief, these ideals include: a bias in favor of liberal democracy; a world order where the rule of law is not obliterated by the law of the strongest; a world where the freedom of movement of goods, people and ideas guarantees progress; and a world where states fight together against existential threats like climate change.
Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans have agreed on these ideals. The reins of power could change hands without the world having to fear a collapse of U.S. leadership.
During his first term, Donald Trump tried to reverse this trend by imposing his vision America Firstbut there remained enough support for these ideals within the government to avoid a complete abandonment of bipartisan consensus. The Biden administration was thus able to re-establish the elements of this consensus which had been put on hold by its predecessor.
Real threats
A second Trump administration would have a completely different impact. Because of his desire to infiltrate all decision-making centers with loyalists, Trump could overturn the established foundations of American foreign policy.
Both symbolically and in practice, the election of a president who has boundless admiration for autocrats and who wishes to compromise with them without preconditions would take a big step backwards to the democratic ideal. Its abandonment of Ukraine would essentially vindicate the Russian invader and the weakening of its commitment to NATO would open the doors to Europe.
Trump’s unbridled protectionism and his insane plan to deport millions of migrants would have ruinous consequences not only in the United States but also at home and around the world. As for climate change, while it may already be too late today to reverse the trend, it will surely be too late in 2029.
In short, it is no exaggeration to say that voters who are still hesitating between Harris and Trump in a few key states indeed have the fate of the world in their hands.
