Christine Mei
The Democrats' Collapse
The outcome of this election can be described by borrowing a phrase from Taiwanese commentator Kuo Cheng-Liang, as the Democrats "losing so badly it's embarrassing." Why did the Democrats suffer such a disastrous defeat? Before the election, mainstream media polls suggested a neck-and-neck race between Trump and Kamala Harris. So why was the defeat so severe?
The Democrats' collapse can be viewed from several aspects. First, the nomination process for this presidential election was far from democratic. Despite showing signs of cognitive decline, Biden insisted on running for re-election, resulting in no real primary process. Biden's performance during the June debate with Trump was extremely poor. To salvage the situation, Democratic establishment figures like Pelosi, Clinton, and Obama forced Biden out of the race and pushed Kamala Harris, an unpopular and inexperienced vice president, to the forefront. Many voters perceived Harris as uninspired, a candidate simply following the establishment's instructions. On critical issues like reducing inflation, handling illegal immigration, and addressing foreign policy challenges such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Harris failed to propose concrete solutions. Even when Israel, led by Netanyahu, committed atrocities against civilians in Gaza, the U.S. continued its unconditional support for Israel, justifying it as Israel's "right to self-defense." This stance alienated many voters with a sense of justice. In the end, the Democrats could only appeal to voters with the slogan, "We can't let Trump win," hoping they would vote for Harris.
Did this strategy work? More than half the electorate wasn't convinced. Against an opponent like Trump, with his numerous flaws, how did they still lose so badly?
The Democrats' failure was not just about nominating an unqualified candidate. More significantly, the party's leadership is increasingly disconnected from its grassroots base (workers, minorities, etc.). These voters see billionaires getting richer while they face immense pain, anxiety, and despair in a rapidly changing economy—they crave change.
During the 2016 Democratic primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed numerous policies aimed at improving the welfare of grassroots voters, gaining substantial support within the party. Unfortunately, the Democratic establishment believed Hillary Clinton could easily defeat Trump and sidelined Sanders to avoid disruption. Many of Sanders' ideas even garnered support from some Republican voters. His popularity in 2016 reflected a widespread desire for a non-establishment political leader. However, the Democrats failed to address voters' dissatisfaction and anger, which Trump capitalized on with populist rhetoric like "Make America Great Again," winning the presidency.
The Conflict Between Tech Billionaires and the Deep State
This election also revealed an unprecedented high-profile involvement of tech billionaires. The most notable figure was Elon Musk, the world's richest man. Musk supported Trump not only with massive campaign donations but also by leveraging his social media platform, X, to promote Trump extensively. In the final stages of the campaign, Musk personally campaigned for Trump in swing states. Besides Musk, other Silicon Valley giants also backed Trump. These tech billionaires saw their wealth grow an astonishing 50% from pre-pandemic levels but remained unsatisfied. They viewed bureaucratic inefficiency and excessive government intervention as significant barriers to innovation and wealth accumulation.
They believe the entrenched "deep state," composed of bureaucrats and vested interests, is the primary cause of government waste, inefficiency, and overregulation. They advocate for major reforms to government operations and public policy, aiming to "corporatize" government management and dismantle the deep state.
How Do They Plan to Do This?
They propose drastic federal spending cuts. Trump has appointed Musk and another billionaire, Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead the "Government Efficiency Department," tasked with reducing the federal budget by at least $2 trillion. Plans include mass layoffs of federal employees deemed disloyal to Trump, eliminating departments like the Department of Education, and purging agencies such as the FBI, CIA, and Department of Defense. They aim to manage the government as they would Tesla or SpaceX—minimizing bureaucracy and streamlining processes.
Additionally, they seek to completely deregulate industries. Following Trump's election, financial, tech, and cryptocurrency stocks surged, as businesses anticipated less government oversight. Proposed rollbacks include antitrust laws, securities regulations, workplace safety standards, labor laws, civil rights protections, consumer fraud laws, vehicle safety standards, tax laws, and environmental regulations. In essence, the plan envisions a return to early capitalist "survival of the fittest" principles, where only the strongest survive.
Can a Government Led by Trump and Tech Billionaires Succeed?
The deep state, supported by influential donors, lobbyists, media, and other beneficiaries of the current system, will resist efforts to overhaul the status quo. When Musk and his allies implement drastic budget cuts, abolish federal agencies, and loosen regulations, will the entrenched powers simply stand by? They are unlikely to remain passive and will likely resist overtly and covertly.
The next four years are bound to witness intense clashes between Trump's team and the deep state. Both sides will stop at nothing to discredit each other, exposing scandals and secrets. However, will this power struggle address pressing domestic issues like inflation, the inability to revive manufacturing, extreme wealth inequality, racial conflicts, and homelessness? Will it make America great again?
Perhaps this confrontation will reveal previously concealed truths, such as:
- The assassination of John F. Kennedy
- The true story behind 9/11
- The origins of COVID-19 and the development of vaccines
- The flow of U.S. aid to Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war
- The military-industrial complex's dealings with the government
- Corruption among government officials
If such truths come to light, allowing Americans to awaken to the lies perpetuated by the government, mainstream media, and financial elites, they may demand genuine systemic reform. Only then might the U.S. become a true democracy that prioritizes its people. Here's hoping that day comes soon.
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