Political scientist Charles-Philippe David took stock of the threats facing the United States on the international and national scene on Thursday at the Grande Bibliothèque, during an interview held on the sidelines of the launch of his essay The Eagle in Peril: American Politics at a Crossroadspublished by Somme toute/Le Devoir.
Presented by the Director of DutyBrian Myles, the discussion was moderated by host Paul Arcand.
Mr. David, president of the Raoul-Dandurand Chair’s Observatory on the United States, first took stock of the reasons for the recent decline of American power on the world stage: ineffective diplomacy, because too far removed from multilateralism, much more serious competition than in the past from its Chinese and Russian rivals, and a dysfunctional internal democracy that is no longer the envy of anyone.
“The American political system is no longer attractive,” noted the professor of political science. “Before, we boasted of offering the best democratic model in the world. Since the arrival of Donald Trump, there has been distrust and rejection of the American model.”
According to him, the reputation of the United States has been “suffering” for two decades, due to a series of strategic errors on its part, first and foremost the unjustified invasion of Iraq in 2003.
“It is difficult to legitimize their role as leaders in the world in light of their actions and the setbacks they have suffered,” Mr. David noted.
American internal politics, marked by extreme polarization between Democrats and Republicans, is not without influencing the perception and influence of the United States internationally, he added.
The current incredible campaign has monopolized part of the discussions between Mr. David and Mr. Arcand, in addition to raising many questions from the audience present.
“Every day I am more surprised than the day before to read in the newspapers what is happening in the campaign,” admitted Mr. David, who sees in the rise of social networks, the arrival of Donald Trump and a certain apathy of the voters, “a perfect cocktail” to explain the extreme polarization that currently reigns in the country.
Despite everything, the political scientist, who visits our southern neighbors several times a year, insisted on painting a more “nuanced than it appears” portrait of the American population.
“The MAGA movement [Make America Great Again] Donald Trump’s vote has a very strong resonance, but he only represents at most 20-25% of Americans. 75% of people are undecided or against it.”
Charles-Philippe David also agreed that Kamala Harris has a realistic chance of winning the November 5 election, based on several polls that currently show her as the winner.
“Americans are closer to electing their first female president” than they were inclined to vote for Joe Biden before he withdrew from the race, he said.