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Whoever wins the US presidency, expect the dawn of a wrenching new global order

N. Balakrishnan believes the tumultuous political forces unleased in this race, represented by the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, will not only radically change US policy but also remake the world

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N. Balakrishnan believes the tumultuous political forces unleased in this race, represented by the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, will not only radically change US policy but also remake the world
Bernie Sanders the “socialist” is as much of a new political factor as Donald Trump – that means in this open society, radical policies will begin to appear next year, regardless of who wins. Illustration: Craig Stephens
Bernie Sanders the “socialist” is as much of a new political factor as Donald Trump – that means in this open society, radical policies will begin to appear next year, regardless of who wins. Illustration: Craig Stephens
Around this time next year, people in Asia and elsewhere will be wondering how they could have missed the signals about the political and economic tsunami that the US has unleashed on the world.

But, the truly blind are those who do not want to see and many pundits in this part of the world are used to condescendingly seeing US elections as a charade staged every four years, after which the “permanent government” of the US goes back to business as usual. According to this philosophy, there is no difference between a Republican or Democrat candidate; America is, like most of Asia, just another one-party state in disguise.

“Sophisticated” people from Asia and Europe are also used to sniggering about how ignorant gun-toting Americans are about world affairs. As one Canadian editor once told me: “Only two types of Americans went abroad until recently – missionaries and soldiers. That is why the Americans either want to convert you or kill you – there is no in-between.”

Attendees wave American flags before Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, speaks in Brooklyn, New York. The many Asians who think they understand the US after short visits to Wall Street and Las Vegas are wrong. Photo: Bloomberg
Attendees wave American flags before Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, speaks in Brooklyn, New York. The many Asians who think they understand the US after short visits to Wall Street and Las Vegas are wrong. Photo: Bloomberg

For Clinton, now comes the hard bit: convincing Sanders’ supporters to get on board

It is true that the typical American may not know where Timbuktu is. He does not need to, living in a rich, continental country where only about 35 per cent of the population have passports. But the many Asians who think they understand the US after short visits to Wall Street and Las Vegas are also wrong.

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