Moments after Steve Kornacki paused slightly then continued reeling off percentages in whatever county in whichever swing state had just committed to Trump my iPhone and media feeds started going berserk. “We are doomed!” screamed one message and another declared “This is the end!” The votes across the nation were still being tabulated yet the numbers were indicating positively that Harris could not win. Any little lingering hope was quickly vanishing as Kornacki’s map was turning a nasty shade of red. The cries of unexpected defeat were stampeding across the internet machine. Friends were texting and calling with mostly garbled outrage. “What the f**k?” being the most literate comment. Later, around 3am the frenzied reaction to the election results had tempered to disbelief, numbness perhaps coupled with the overwhelming question, “Will our world as we know it come to an end now Trump has been reelected?”
Around the same time, 16 hours ahead in Melbourne, Australia, Life Elsewhere regular contributor Dr. Binoy Kampmark was already composing his response to the US election outcome with a stirring essay for CounterPunch, the title, The Price Of Eggs: Why Harris Lost To Trump. Kampmarks’s commentaries on Global, Urban and Social Studies have always received debatable reactions, not least of all his perspective on Trump. Back in 2015, when Trump was posturing for a run at the presidency, Binoy agreed that the ostentatious sham real estate mogul and reality TV personality was obviously unfit for any governmental office. Yet he did suggest that someone as absurd as Trump could be an effective way to shake up a jaded political system. Kampmark was of course, correct. The mechanics of US politics were given a serious off-road test. Now in 2024 heading into 2025 with Trump about to start a second term the landscape does appear desolate if you are not big on Cybertrucks or the likelihood of armored military vehicles roaming our streets.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark welcomed the opportunity to respond to our headline question. We urge you to listen carefully to everything he says. Your feedback is always important, now more than ever. Share your thoughts on Kampmark’sopinions, write to info@lifeelsewhere.co
Dr Binoy Kampmark is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. He teaches in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, within the Bachelor of Social Science (Legal and Dispute Studies) program.
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