In the following two articles, Daniel Lazare looks at the legacy of ‘Repocratic’ politics. in the USA. In the first he emphasises the role of the US constitution in creating the stalemate in US politics. In the second he shows how Trump has boxed Biden in over US Middle East policy. This follows the Democrats’ success in boxing Trump in over his attempt to form an agreement with Putin’s Russia, the better to contain a rising Chinese imperialism and to break the EU’s protectionist hold over much of Europe.
1. A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED
American politics can be confusing, and here are just a few examples why:
January 2017: Democratic Congressman John Lewis calls Donald Trump illegitimate a week prior to inauguration day, on the grounds that “the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton”. The New York Times happily agrees, as do Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. But then just last week, a Times editorial assails Republicans for questioning Biden’s legitimacy, because by doing so they “are undermining the rule of law”.1 . Continue reading “US CRISIS AND REPOCRATIC POLITICS”