We should take a long view on the global impact of the US elections

We often have a myopic view of contemporary events and personalities. Our short-sightedness is also often evident in our assessment of people and events

- JAYRAKASH NARAYAN

We often have a myopic view of contemporary events and personalities. Our shortsightedness is also often evident in our assessment of people and events.

When we are asked to name the greatest leaders, sportsmen or actors in history, we tend to think of contemporary figures and forget the past. Only scientists and writers seem to avoid this curse of being forgotten, because their work is immortalized or has laid obvious foundations for further progress, the fruits of which we enjoy today.

The apocryphal story was, when Henry Kissinger asked Mao Zedong what he thought of the French Revolution, he replied, "It is too early to tell!" It is difficult to assess the real and long-term impact of contemporary events.

Donald Trump's emphatic re-election and his seeming resolve to mark a radical departure from the past could well be a defining event in the modern era, or it could be a passing phase.

Trump's victory is astonishing in many ways. At 78, he is the oldest president-elect in the U.S. As he never tires of reminding us, he is only the second president in U.S. history to be elected for two non-sequential terms.

Only Grover Cleveland was elected for two non-sequential terms in 1884 and 1892, a full 132 hours before Trump. Trump is the only president re-elected after being impeached by the House of Representatives.

In the 36 years since 1988, he is only the second Republican candidate in nine elections for presidency who obtained a plural majority of votes; George Bush Jr. was the only other candidate in 2004.

Donald Trump did not merely win; he reshaped the American political landscape and transformed the Republican party.