Red Wave Rising US President-elect Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Salem Civic Centre, Virginia
LIGHTNING never strikes twice. Donald Trump has certainly struck the White House a second time, underlining that his first victory against Hillary Clinton in 2016 was not just a one-off. After being defeated by Joe Biden in his 2020 bid for re-election, Trump has made a spectacular comeback by becoming the first Republican president in two decades to win the popular vote. The fact that a misogynistic, foul-mouthed and convicted felon has won the popular vote and the presidency reveals the rot at the core of, not just American democracy, but the theory and practice of liberal democracy across the world. Apologists of a thinly attenuated democracy will proclaim, with declarative finality, that the people have spoken. They may well have, but in tones pushed and prodded by the algorithms of Trump’s exuberant backer, Elon Musk, and in a way that they may not speak again for some time to come. Trump’s victory reveals that democracy is incorrigible. Once it has gone down the path of demagogic doom, as it has in the US and many other parts of the world, there is no possibility within it of effecting a course correction of redemption.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
