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Thursday, November 07, 2024
The Characteristics of the U.S. Election Process According to Kung Chan
Kung Chan

The 2024 U.S. election is complex, with far-reaching implications and significant impact. It is by no means a mere spectacular show. On the morning of November 6, the Wall Street stock market surged by nearly 4%, with Tesla shares, owned by Elon Musk, experiencing a sharp rise. Even Bitcoin skyrocketed, creating vast wealth overnight, with countless new billionaires emerging. In China, the macroeconomic stimulus plan has already been prepared and could be in the range of RMB 10 trillion to RMB 30 trillion in scale, as predicted by myself earlier. Ultimately, this massive cake will fall into the hands of some influential figures, who clearly prepared for it. All of this is closely tied to the U.S. 2024 election.

How did such massive changes come about? What are the hidden factors behind them? As a professional analyst with decades of experience in tracking trends and shifts through data and information analysis, and not just someone working a 9-to-5 job writing articles to make a living, I started monitoring the developments of the 2024 U.S. election long before it became a hot topic online. Over the past two days, I have shared several key insights into this election, and here are the main points:

1. The campaign tactics in the 2024 U.S. presidential election are shockingly dark. Donald Trump is known for his unique speaking style, which is part of his personality, but this is a matter of individual character, not an issue of system or organization. On the other hand, Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party have mobilized resources and employed systematic, highly underhanded tactics to relentlessly suppress Trump. Not only have they unprecedentedly used judicial measures, launching dozens of lawsuits in the name of the law to vigorously investigate and suppress him, but they have also resorted to a barrage of insults, calling him a fascist, criminal, thug, scoundrel, rapist, Nazi, dictator, and others. These terms have been prominently featured in headlines of world-renowned media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Additionally, a large number of celebrities and intellectuals mobilized by the Democratic Party, including figures like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Tom Hanks, have openly stated that if Harris does not win, they will leave the U.S. In short, the Democratic Party has pulled out all the stops, but in the end, they still lost. Therefore, Trump's victory is, in essence, a victory for the American public, because he was almost entirely suppressed by mainstream media and had little opportunity to speak out. His only platform was through occasional tweets.

2. Trump won the widespread support of 153 million Americans. Trump ultimately secured victory with more than 51% of the electoral votes. In reality, he received over 71 million votes, which, when calculated with a 51% representative proportion, means that 153 million Americans supported him. To say that Trump is a President of popular support is truly accurate. On the surface, Wall Street, under pressure from political correctness, refrained from taking sides. However, when news of Trump's election victory broke, it immediately triggered a wave of "celebratory rallies" in the markets.

3. The ridiculous idea of "white evangelicalism" as a powerful force has been overstated. Many people in China have been misinformed, thinking that "white evangelicals" are a shadowy, influential group. This is a common misconception, often based on conspiracy theories that have been imported from the U.S. Those who hold this view generally lack an understanding of the history of religious sects in America. In fact, the Calvinist tradition in the U.S. has been relatively tolerant, and the rise of transcendentalism has led to the creation of many smaller, less influential religious movements. Trump's victory in 2024, therefore, is more a reflection of the general public sentiment in the U.S. than the influence of any specific group.

4. The true losers of this election are the establishment in Washington and the intellectual pundits. The Democratic Party now represents America's elite, a group whose position has been solidified since the post-war era and evolved into a bureaucratic establishment. The intellectuals within this group are closely tied to it, forming an "intellectual aristocracy". They often lead student protests and champion causes, with their political interests being quite evident, hence the term "pundits". For example, when students at Columbia University protested against Israel, it was the professors who were at the forefront. These intellectual elites have long been accustomed to wielding influence without doing meaningful work, often resorting to slogans about issues like climate change, LGBT rights, abortion, marijuana legalization, and racial discrimination. Their political pursuits and level of reasoning are often on par with that of college students. The key factor here is the network of interests, i.e., individuals like Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate economist with a prestigious standing, have aligned themselves with the Democratic Party, regularly writing columns in the New York Times to support them and oppose Trump. Meanwhile, the significant economic burdens of policies like climate change activism, their impact on inflation, and the interests of working-class Americans are often completely overlooked, as these elites are used to operating from a lofty, detached perspective, directing the masses from above.

5. Europe is in a state of anxiety and uncertainty. At the final stages of the U.S. election, the U.S. State Department organized a collective viewing of the election results for European diplomats. When it became clear that the Democratic Party was losing, one European diplomat, almost in tears, exclaimed, "Terrifying!" Another diplomat, clearly disheartened, said, "I fear I will have to go to sleep with Donald Trump". Trump's well-known stance on Europe and Ukraine aside, the real issue lies in his demands for European nations to contribute more to the defense and management of Europe. Is there anything unreasonable about this? The U.S. has maintained a military presence in Germany, which has allowed the German government to keep its debt-to-GDP ratio at just 73.2%, benefiting economically. Meanwhile, the U.S. national debt stands at 130% of its GDP, effectively borrowing money to protect Europe—an imbalance that highlights the unfair financial burden on the U.S. itself. The situation with the Ukraine war reflects the same dynamics. While European nations continue to vocally support Ukraine and call for its protection, they have not stopped doing business with Russia, indirectly enabling Russia to fund its military efforts. In contrast, the U.S. has invested significant financial resources and military aid to support Ukraine. Meanwhile, European intellectuals have consistently criticized the U.S., and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been critical of Trump for years. Even former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has expressed frustration, stating that Europe cannot keep criticizing the U.S. and Trump, and that, moving forward, there needs to be some diplomatic dignity preserved in dealings with them.

6. The U.S. will focus more on domestic issues than foreign policy in the near future. Many people worry that if Trump returns to office, he will initiate a trade war with China. In reality, this is not the central focus of his presidency. The trade wars Trump is likely to pursue will not be limited to China; countries like Japan, Europe, and Mexico are also major targets for his trade policies. In the early stages of his presidency, Trump's main focus will have to be on domestic issues, not foreign policy. This is clearly reflected in his "20 core promises" policy agenda, the majority of which deals with U.S. domestic affairs. Trump faces significant opposition in Washington, with approval ratings as low as 92% against him, which means his path to governing will not be smooth, and there will be plenty of people working to undermine him. Therefore, while a trade war is a potential threat to China, it is often exaggerated in scope.

7. Trump is much more practical and realistic than the Democratic Party. His ability to communicate with the world is far superior to that of the Biden administration. He has met with leaders of most of the world's major countries, including the leader of North Korea. His diplomatic communication was relatively successful, and his level of engagement was several times higher than that of President Joe Biden. A president who is open to dialogue is far easier to engage with than one who disregards communication altogether. The difference is clear. In reality, China is likely to achieve a certain level of "strategic autonomy" during the Trump administration, something that is nearly impossible under Biden's leadership.

8. American society is changing, and a new era is beginning. This is, of course, my personal prediction. In fact, many people underestimated the warning I gave over a month ago, predicting that America would turn "completely red". At that time, I had already forecasted that Trump would win the election, as this outcome was driven by public sentiment. In reality, the U.S. has become "completely red" (with the exception of the densely populated urban areas on the East and West Coasts, which remain blue). Red represents the Republican Party. This shift was already evident in the 2020 election, but many in the U.S., China, and around the world, including the Democratic Party, failed to recognize the extent of this "rural encirclement of cities" and the growing influence of these "red" regions. Over time, this influence has continued to expand and permeate, culminating in the 2024 election, which saw a Republican sweep across the country. The "red" areas represent farmers and the working class (the Rust Belt), and this is the true reflection of public opinion, one that cannot be overturned by political maneuvering. More importantly, once the social foundation of this public sentiment is established, it is difficult to reverse. Therefore, a new social mainstream, representing public opinion, is forming and expanding. A new era has already begun in the U.S., and the wave of conservatism is not only returning but will likely sweep through the future of America.

9. The biggest change is in the media and schools. In this U.S. election, the media's bias has become very apparent. The so-called objectivity, fairness, and respect for facts were completely discarded, and the idealistic tradition of journalism was thoroughly abandoned. This situation is almost identical to China's Cultural Revolution period: intense arguments, spitting rhetoric, and deliberate fabrications and rumors. Some Democratic politicians, who were frequent guests of Jeffrey Epstein's "love island" shamelessly accused Trump of having low moral standards. The intellectual elites in the U.S., those pundits, have discarded their external façades and exposed their true faces as hypocrites and irrational individuals. In the future, media outlets that actively support the Democratic Party will face a crisis of survival. They have fallen into the trap of self-abandonment, and it is possible that media outlets like CNN will either shut down or be bought out. American journalists will lose their jobs due to their own misconduct, which has already happened, as seen with the Washington Post. American universities, especially in the social sciences, are deeply corrupt, and the paradigm of studying through formulas and frameworks will be discarded. After a few rounds of major reshuffling like post-World War II and post-Vietnam War, there will be a return to exploring the realm of ideas, leading to the emergence of a new generation of intellectuals and great thinkers. In other words, America will undergo a new awakening movement.

10. Ethnic politics now give way to the economics. This U.S. election has shown that the old model of ethnic politics no longer works. People come to America in pursuit of a better life, regardless of whether they are of Arab, Latino, or other ethnic backgrounds. They will not say no to money; they need good jobs and low prices of goods. No one will support someone simply because of their skin color or ethnicity. There must be good economic conditions, affordable prices, a good lifestyle, and a strong education system. These are things the Democratic Party's bureaucrats have failed to recognize. They continue to emphasize the same message: "You're Black, you're Arab, you're a new immigrant... so you should naturally support this candidate or that one."

11. Chinese society understands the U.S. even less now, but China's true elite class understands the U.S. more. Chinese society has never truly understood American society, including those who studied abroad and returned to China. Their understanding of the U.S. has always been limited to the version of America found in textbooks. In the future, Chinese society may become even more out of touch with the changing realities of American society, but the true elite class in China will have a deeper understanding of the U.S. than before. However, this group is very small, probably only around a thousand or so people.

12. Trump will further strengthen America's leadership in technology. There is a widespread misconception that Trump prioritizes traditional manufacturing industries (the so-called "Made in America") at the expense of high-tech sectors. This misunderstanding reflects a misinterpretation of Trump's policies, often shaped by the dynamics of his electoral strategy. A closer look at the support Trump receives from figures like Elon Musk reveals that his commitment to traditional manufacturing is not as narrow as commonly assumed. In fact, Trump is likely to prioritize the continued dominance of America's high-tech industry. After all, few can claim to be more at the forefront of innovation than Musk himself. Looking ahead, the future of U.S. industry, including manufacturing, will increasingly shift toward industrial capital, following a trajectory similar to that of Japan. However, the key drivers of this shift may not be Wall Street, but the industrial manufacturing sector itself.

13. The chaos of information has reached its apex. The U.S. election has, in essence, become a real-world information war. Spreading falsehoods and rumors is just the beginning; more advanced tactics involve presenting lies as truth, overwhelming the facts with a flood of disinformation, leveraging the reputations of real individuals to lend credibility to false claims, distorting the truth for strategic manipulation, and releasing sensationalized leaks to mislead the public and grab attention. Without the ability to analyze information critically, especially through the lens of knowledge management and data science, one might appear as a stubborn fool, having difficulty to survive in a world overwhelmed by hype and one that is constantly in anxiety.

14. Trumpism will rise. Trump's victory in this election may grant him only another four years in office, as the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution limits his presidency to two terms. Despite this, the sweeping sea of red across the country has bolstered Trump's reputation. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted in his congratulatory message, this is "history's greatest comeback". Even after his time in office, Trump's influence will continue to shape American society for the next decade or two through the enduring legacy of "Trumpism". As I defined "Trumpism" in 2020, I believe there will be ongoing efforts to integrate and spread this ideology. A strong candidate to carry it forward could be the young American Vice President JD Vance.

15. China cannot be isolated from the world. The 2024 election will make it clear to China that what once seemed impossible may, in fact, be achievable. China needs the world and its global connections, and this is both a reality and a necessity. However, this will require a higher standard of diplomacy. China must move beyond a simplistic or transactional approach and embrace a more refined, professional diplomatic style. This shift toward a more dignified form of diplomacy signals that China's foreign policy will need reform and further opening up.

Finally, one point I must clarify and emphasize is that I do not support any individual, whether it is Harris or Trump. I am simply an objective observer, making predictions and analysis. In reality, the only group I have no respect for is the American establishment and the intellectual elite, the so-called "pundits". I have no respect for those incompetent individuals - the bureaucrats who work a typical 9-to-5 job, follow routines, recite from the script, and are always preoccupied with their families and weekends, like Antony Blinken and others. Since I began tracking and studying them in 2020, I have held them in disdain. They are part of the establishment, which is why I oppose the establishment. I look forward to a new establishment emerging, for this is how the cycles of history are formed.

Of course, I also have little regard for the left-wing professors in American universities. Many of these individuals, graduates from Ivy League schools like Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, are more interested in attending meetings, socializing to secure funding, and shaping their public image through the media. They have arrogantly discarded the rich intellectual legacy accumulated throughout American history. Instead, they have become accustomed to establishing academic fiefdoms through paradigms, adopting a god-like perspective that looks down on others with an irrational attitude, leading them down a misguided path toward their inevitable downfall. I know that in the future, they will likely complain for what they perceive to be injustice, waiting for an opportunity to say, "I told you so". But what difference will it make? The era has turned the page.

To illustrate this point, consider a recent development: before the election, Harris and the Democratic administration prepared a detailed plan to address the possibility of Trump's camp refusing to concede. They not only created this contingency plan but also made it public with notable confidence. This, of course, represents a form of subversion, highlighting the extent to which the Democratic establishment, i.e., the elite bureaucrats and intellectuals, will go in disregarding reality.

Fortunately, all of this has now turned a page, and America is returning to reality. A resurgent America will undoubtedly have greater influence. We will see the rise of conservative political trends spreading across the globe, accelerating their impact in Europe, Asia, and beyond. Soon enough, countless reports and articles around the world will address this as a fundamental outcome.

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