As Donald Trump prepares to assume office again, there are concerns have been aired by many quarters about another 'Trump era'. It may be inappropriate to question the victory of a president elected by the American people by a relatively decent majority. But at the same time, almost half of American voters share this concern in some sense. keeping in mind that while Trump got 50.27 per cent of the popular vote, Kamala Harris got 48.11 per cent. Trump's positions and past actions are the main cause of concern in the economic and political spheres of the United States and the global system. It is visible in the financial sphere itself as the world's largest economy. Another fact is that the American electorate didn't seem to care that despite the Covid pandemic and its economic consequences, under Biden, the economy has grown and inflation has been kept at around 2 per cent (well below the long-term rate). Trump's track record, which voters cannot easily forget, is also in the minds of the people. He has been indicted for four criminal counts, convicted of a sex crime against a movie star, and twice impeached for obstruction of justice. Beyond that, it remains to be seen whether Trump will continue his constant denigration of the country's minorities and offensive remarks against women. With the majority he already has in the Senate and what he is almost sure to win in the House of Representatives once the remaining results are complete, Trump will not have much of a hurdle in enacting legislation of his choice in Congress. However, the objections of the Democratic side and opposition offered by the mass movements protesting Trump's policies cannot be ignored. There is also a large group of people who protest in the streets and universities without fear of punishment - including protests against the massacre in Gaza - and who are fighting minority discrimination with the slogan 'Black Lives Matter'.
Trump may create new humanitarian disasters by mass deportation of illegal immigrants. He has no record of showing any compassion or humane considerations in such matters. On the contrary, he has a history of brutality with the separation of children from their parents on both sides of the wall by stopping illegal immigrants at the southern border. Trump's new secretaries in charge of border affairs are also the advocates of such despicable positions. Stephen Miller, who even recently said that 'America is for Americans and Americans only', is expected to become the White House deputy chief of policy for his new administration. Another face in the Trump team is Tom Homan, a former police officer and a familiar face on right-wing channels, who prepared for his role by warning the states. That warning was that Democratic governors should stay away from opposing federal laws against immigration being implemented at the borders. Trump welcomed Homan, who is called Trump's 'border czar', saying that he is capable of such tough measures. With South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem who is proposed to be the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the third link in border management, the hawk-eyed trinity will be at the helm of the anti-immigration system.
On the economic front, as in Trump's last turn, import tariffs with China will provoke confrontations. Indications of tariffs of 10 to 20 per cent on $3 trillion worth of imports, which could go as high as 60 per cent on Chinese goods, raise the prospect of a tariff war. The situation that the international community fears more than that are in the case of Ukraine and Israel. Trump's policy, which says the United States will be more inward-looking and America first, will allow aggressor states like Israel to continue their own occupation, violence, and destabilization. Trump also sees Israel as his best friend. When it comes to Ukraine, it is also curious that Trump is more friendly with Russian President Putin on the issue. He has no complaints about NATO countries on the Ukraine issue. So there is no doubt that it will be easier for Putin to maintain a military presence in other areas without giving up the captured areas. The impending Trump era portends an era in which humanity will lose the political and leadership ingredients for a just and fair world order. It remains to be seen how much the world events and the policies of other countries will help American policies to be in line with world peace and co-existence. The stability and peace of the future world depend on the responsibility shown by the nations of the world in general and those with more bilateral relations in particular.