-governmental organizations and social movements to find a tightly knit community from within which to work toward defending human and civil rights – not only today, but as well in the years to come. The US has often served as an example for these struggles in other countries. For this reason, women, minorities, and their allies in the US can call upon a vast transnational network to support and assist them in adapting to and confronting the difficulties of political and institutional deadlocks.
On global politics
Similarly to the unexpected twists in the policies of the Obama administration, we will require time to understand what of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy will be actualized. There is much to be concerned about regarding policy proposals that are characterized by stalwart insularity and disengagement from political, economic, and military alliances and strategies nurtured since the end of World War II. The Republican Party either disdains or entirely ignores a number of matters that are presently of global concern (i.e., climate change, the ongoing crisis of refugees, the rights of women and minorities). The Trump campaign has also introduced additional disdains and insularities to the US political landscape (i.e., tolerance of authoritarian politics, sympathies with far-right extremism, mistrust of immigration and globalization). And yet, there are now standpoints within these political camps that could signal (although for reasons entirely different from those of Sanders, for example) the end of certain threats to citizen and consumer rights – such as those posed by the free trade agreements strongly lobbied by the Obama administration. There must be bipartisan efforts to discover other matters that offer political synergy.
Those countries that wish to convince the Trump administration that commitment to these international efforts is worthwhile will have to promptly develop new strategies of diplomacy and engagement. Ultimately, it will also depend on the Trump administration to measure and determine what of the country’s global influence it is willing to abandon and in which areas. This is fundamental since the end of the Obama administration has already evidenced a shift in global and regional political dynamics toward Russia and China (states that provide military and economic incentives to others without the demand of commitments to democracy, human and civil rights, or – even – peace and stability).
There is, undoubtedly, much to consider and write about in the weeks and months to come. Today, however, and as a conclusion to the above, it is crucial to repeat one particular imperative from Clinton’s recent concession speech:
“Never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it”.
This is a maxim that conservatives in the US and worldwide have shown and continue to show their commitment to. It is incumbent upon liberals in the US and everywhere else to prove that they also understand it and that they are steadfastly committed to fighting for what they believe is worthwhile and right.