Political scientist Charles Philip David assessed the threats facing the United States on the international and national stage Thursday at the Great Library, during an interview conducted on the sidelines of the launch of his article. The Eagle is in Danger. American Policy at a CrossroadsPublished by Somme tout/Le Devoir.
Director's presentation dutyBrian Miles, moderated by host Paul Arcand.
Mr. David, president of the United States Observatory headed by Raoul Dandurand, first assessed the reasons for the recent decline in American power on the world stage: ineffective diplomacy, because the most serious competition is far from multilateralism than in the past from its Chinese and Russian rivals, and a dysfunctional domestic democracy that is no longer the envy of anyone.
“The American political system is no longer attractive,” the political science professor noted. “We used to boast of having the best democratic model in the world. Since Donald Trump came to power, there has been distrust and rejection of the American model.”
According to him, the reputation of the United States has been “suffering” for two decades, due to a series of strategic mistakes on its part, most notably the unjustified invasion of Iraq in 2003.
“It is difficult to legitimize their role as world leaders given their actions and the setbacks they have suffered,” Mr. David noted.
He added that American domestic politics, which is characterized by extreme polarization between Democrats and Republicans, is not without its impact on the perception and influence of the United States at the international level.
The current amazing campaign also monopolized part of the discussions between Mr. David and Mr. Arcand, in addition to raising many questions from the audience present.
“Every day I’m more surprised than the day before when I read in the newspapers what’s happening in the campaign,” admitted Mr. David, who sees the rise of social media, the arrival of Donald Trump and some voters as a “perfect cocktail” to explain the extreme polarization currently prevailing in the country.
Despite everything, the political scientist, who visits our southern neighbors several times a year, insisted on painting a “more accurate picture than it seems” of the American population.
MAGA movement [Make America Great Again] Donald Trump has a very significant resonance, but he only represents 20% to 25% of Americans at most. 75% of people are undecided or against it. »
Charles Philip David also agreed that Kamala Harris has a realistic chance of winning the November 5 election, based on several polls currently showing her winning.
He stressed that “Americans are closer to electing their first president” than they were to voting for Joe Biden before the latter withdrew from the race.
