Yes, there are handicaps when you are elected and it isn’t easy to just get things done. But when politicians are elected and nothing appears to get done, it is a huge handicap and that is exactly what got Kamala Harris today.
The Labour Party in the UK should take note. I have said this over & over again, there must be a technological solution to ensuring that people cannot just row a rubber boat in droves, into the UK, without due process. I do not have a solution, but the people we elect into office must find the solution. It doesn’t matter what the reasons are – be it people fleeing conflict zones or economic migrants – the UK cannot be a country that people come into, without undergoing due process. Due process is the only way we can make necessary provision for those coming in, ensuring they are able to integrate and live the way we live. It is the only way to quell the intolerance and discontent felt by people who feel we have become a country that people feel they can just row into and it makes a mockery of our sovereignty, border and due process. Yes, any solution must be humane and use of abusive, denigrating words is not necessary, BUT, it is very clear that this issue needs to be fixed or the Labour Party will end up exactly as Kamala Harris has tonight.
My personal hope for the world, is that we get to a point where all human beings share the same objective – to live & let live – and we don’t need borders and people are not driven by desperation to migrate, but choose to, if they wish to. We are far from that period – and will probably never get there – and as such, the existing requirements must be observed (you apply for a passport, visa etc. And if you are seeking asylum/refuge, you apply for it, not pay a people-smuggler to row you in). Why? Because as of today, people do not all see things from the same perspective, be it mundane stuff such as littering or major issues such as religion and respecting a circular state. We have countries like the UK as a safe haven for many, because of certain principles e.g. the rule of law. That is why the control of migration remains necessary. That is why many local folk here are dissatisfied with seeing so many people rowing in via the English Channel, with thousands (crazy really!) being able to just row in. It means that we are not able to ensure that those coming in accept our laws and principles etc., this makes integration impossible. It is what has done Kamala Harris in, in the US presidential election.
One key lesson that the democrats will need to learn – whether they like it or not – is that in politics, to win, you must be sure you have the right numbers in the right places. I thought they had those numbers, but the Middle East issues perhaps hit harder than anyone imagined. Illegal migration into the US is of course just a nonsense, for a nation built by migrants, but regardless of what anyone thinks, if you want to be in politics and so many millions say an issue is of importance to them, you need to either persuade/convince them otherwise or you do need to fix it. Either way, you need to be seen to be actively trying to do something about it. It doesn’t matter whether the said issue is spurn out of intolerance or prejudice or whatever, if you have so many millions hacking on about it, then, as an elected government official, you do need to address it. Taking a moral high ground or saying those folk are not correct ain’t gonna cut it, unless you have an equal or higher number of people on your side of that argument
Some of it was so predictable in America; if Liz Cheney lost her seat in Congress, how could she be a political asset to convince Republicans – who didn’t vote for her – to vote for Kamala Harris? When you’ve got George Clooney deciding who runs for President, you know you’re in a clueless mess – this isn’t acting folks. These so-called celebrities mistake wealth for brains. If the Democrats wanted to ditch Biden, they should have had an electable alternative ready from day 1, even if as just a Plan B; not a belated decision after Biden had duly won the nomination, to then slot in – via the whims of celebrities – a candidate that America was simply not going to elect (as we saw with Clinton).
The world is always fixated with the US election for a variety of reasons, the reality is that failure to listen to what the electorate are saying is necessary. It is the last time I will write about US politics, because it is simply too exhausting. British politics is less exhausting and less vicious and we spend a lot less on the process.
I do not believe Americans are as far apart, ideologically, as they think they are. One side wants cheap groceries and want to be great again & be free to use colourful language in congress (because they say freedom of speech allows for that), the other side want to be heard and want an America that is seen as the land of opportunity for all-comers. Both sides think they are correct; that is indeed what pitches them closer than they think. With a bit of give & take, they may just be ok…
America has made its choice. We’ll see how it goes…..
Knowledge can improve the world we live in 