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Katja Kipping, Bernd Riexinger

Shift to the Right in the United States

On the electoral victory of Donald Trump, Katja Kipping and Bernd Riexinger, Co-Chairs of DIE LINKE declare:

Today is a black day for all who speak up for equalization of gender, migrants rights, and LGBT rights. This shift to the right in the mightiest country of the world is a clear sign to take a decisive stand against this development.

In times of growing hatred against people with different social, religious, and ethnical background or diverse lifestyles, it, this man becoming commander-in-chief of the most powerful army in the world and being in control over the biggest nuclear forces is a source of big concern to us.

Trump has fueled hatred against these groups and made promises to his supporters he will not be able to keep. Like all right wing populists  he is not able to offer feasible solutions, his pretendedly simple answers will not work out. Until now Donald Trump has not revealed a conclusive program but his chauvinistic, xenophobic and sexist outbursts in the election campaign and his authoritarian world view let us fear for the worst regarding his future politics. 

Trumps success demonstrates how much the unrestrained liberalization of economy and the abandonment of socio-political standards – which had been far stronger in the US than in Europe – alienate and uproot the people. The consequences are dramatic: Those who neglect the middle classes and foster social division play into the hands of right wing populists and fuels the hatred against migrants, women, and social minorities.

The democrats in the US made it easy for Trump to establish himself as an ostensible fighter against the system when they deployed Hillary Clinton as their candidate instead of Bernie Sanders. At least today we know that it has been a mistake of the democrats not to decide in favor of a political dawn and thus for Bernie Sanders.